Huanghou—a common hotpot ingredient—comes from the major blood vessels of livestock like pigs and cows. Typically, it’s the aorta, also known as the heart tube.
After hearing the explanation, Xie Dingyuan mused aloud, “If it’s the major artery coming out of the heart ventricle, shouldn’t it be called the aortic arch?”
Jiang Fuyue nodded. “That’s the scientific name, yes.”
“Then what does it have to do with the throat?”
“Who said it had anything to do with the throat?”
“Then why is it called huanghou (literally ‘yellow throat’)? And why is it yellow? Back in university, I dissected pig and cow arteries. Whether from the left or right ventricle, they should be white once cleaned.”
Jiang Fuyue: “…” Sorry, even with sky-high IQ, she couldn’t answer those two questions.
Xie Dingyuan: Why is she ignoring me again?
After ordering, the server asked, “Would you like spicy broth or a combination pot?”
Jiang Fuyue looked to Xie Dingyuan. “I’m fine with either. You?”
He thought for a moment. “Can we do half spicy, half clear broth?”
“Of course! I’ll bring you a yin-yang pot.”
Xie Dingyuan nodded calmly. “Yes, yin-yang.”
God knows, just a second ago, he had no idea what yin-yang hotpot meant. Luckily, he didn’t embarrass himself.
Once the order was confirmed and the server left, Xie Dingyuan let out a sigh of relief—only to find Jiang Fuyue eyeing him curiously.
“You’ve had hotpot before?”
Here it comes.
“Yes,” he said. “But not many times.”
That was true.
No wonder he asked, “What is huanghou?”
Jiang Fuyue: “Do you like it?”
Xie Dingyuan: “It’s alright.”
That was a lie.
Back in the capital, Shen Qiannan dragged him out for hotpot once—it was a miserable experience. After the meal, he reeked of hotpot from head to toe, walking down the street like a moving spice pack. For a clean freak, it was pure torture.
Soon, the pot base arrived—one side red and spicy, one side clear broth, split down the middle with an S-shaped divider.
Then came the ingredients.
Xie Dingyuan stared at the plate of huanghou in front of him for a full two minutes, even after the pot began to boil.
Suddenly, he said, “This should be pork huanghou.”
Jiang Fuyue: “?”
The private room was so quiet, only the bubbling broth could be heard. Thinking he found a great conversation topic, Xie Dingyuan became more enthusiastic—
“Pig huanghou is about 60–70 centimeters usable. Cow huanghou can exceed a meter. It’s made mainly of smooth muscle, so it’s a good protein source, with better nutritional value than liver or stomach.”
Jiang Fuyue: “?” So we’re really not moving on from the huanghou topic?
“Ahem! Actually, cow huanghou probably has better texture since it’s thicker, but harder to process. You need a scalpel to cut it open first, then use hemostats—”
“Hey!” Jiang Fuyue finally couldn’t take it anymore and cut him off.
Xie Dingyuan: “?”
The girl smiled. “The pot’s boiling. Aren’t you going to eat?”
“…Oh.” He finally picked up his chopsticks.
The rest of the meal was mostly silent.
This hotpot place was pretty good—the ingredients were fresh, the broth was flavorful. No wonder business was booming; the main hall was packed when they arrived.
Jiang Fuyue added a plate of tender beef to the pot and asked for some rice. After a whole day of mental work, she was genuinely hungry.
On her end, she ate with full focus.
On his end, Xie Dingyuan kept sneaking glances at her from the corner of his eye.
The girl was sweating from the heat, her lips flushed red, and in the steam, her peach blossom eyes gleamed even more brightly.
Her eating speed was quick, but not crude. Instead, it felt refreshingly unpretentious and natural.
Suddenly, “Do you prefer spicy broth or clear broth?” Jiang Fuyue asked as she was about to drop a cilantro meatball into the pot.
Caught off guard, Xie Dingyuan hurriedly looked away and responded with forced calm, “Either’s fine.”
