Chapter 22 Hot Pot.

Chapter 22: Hot Pot Feast.

Crossing a river over two hundred meters wide, unaided by any boat, relying solely on oneself?

"Honestly, the production team is brutal..."

"This is practically an impossible task; it feels like they're deliberately making things difficult for them."

"Yao Bao!! Don't agree! It's too dangerous!!"

"Yeah, it's the last day anyway. Whether we get the pot or not doesn't really matter. No need to risk it for this."

"Sheng Xingyao, just forget it. This is too dangerous," Qin Shizhen said, his voice laced with worry.

The river was a full two hundred meters wide, and the current looked swift. They didn't even have a boat—how were they supposed to get to the other side? Swim across?

"Exactly, crossing a river at least requires a boat, right? We have nothing. How are we going to cross?"

"No boat? Then we'll just build one. That's not too hard," Yu Xin said, his expression utterly calm, as if conjuring a boat out of thin air was the simplest thing in the world.

"But the rules already state that only Sheng Xingyao can participate in this challenge, so the biggest issue right now is," Yu Xin turned to Sheng Xingyao, looking him straight in the eyes, and said calmly, "Are you brave enough?"

"I..."

When Sheng Xingyao first heard the production team's condition, he had already started to hesitate. But now, under Yu Xin's calm, unwavering gaze, an unexpected surge of courage welled up within him. Without thinking, he blurted out, "I am! I accept the challenge!"

"???? Don't be impulsive!"

"No!! Your mom doesn't agree!!"

"Sheng Xingyao, don't push yourself... This condition is clearly meant to make things difficult for them. Why force it?"

"Don't, Sheng Xingyao, don't be impulsive!" Shen Tong said anxiously. "Maybe I should go talk to the director again, ask them to change the condition. This is too hard..."

"No, they won't agree. Don't bother changing it; this is fine," Sheng Xingyao said firmly.

"Good," Yu Xin smiled, looking at Sheng Xingyao with a hint of approval. "Don't worry, I'm fully confident. I won't let anything happen to you."

In a past life, he'd crossed rivers five hundred meters wide—this mere two-hundred-meter river was nothing, as long as Sheng Xingyao wasn't afraid of water.

"Let's build a bamboo raft. Everyone, go together and try to cut some thick, sturdy bamboo—straight ones, no bends," Yu Xin directed.

The hollow structure of bamboo makes it buoyant, and the thicker the bamboo, the greater the buoyancy.

"Sigh, alright, alright," Qin Shizhen said helplessly. These young people really dared to do anything.

Well, as the elder brother, he'd do his best to help them.

The five of them worked together, and soon they had cut enough bamboo—thick, sturdy pieces piled on the ground.

They cut the bamboo into sections, carving holes in the thicker ends just big enough for the thinner bamboo to slot into. By interlocking them one by one, the raft they built would be sturdy and unlikely to fall apart easily.

After stacking two or three layers, they tied everything firmly with hemp rope and wire. The bottles from the drinking water provided by the production team on the first day were still around, perfect for adding extra buoyancy.

Once the bottles were tied securely to the bottom of the raft, the bamboo raft was complete.

The raft looked well-made and incredibly sturdy. Seeing it, Sheng Xingyao finally felt a bit more confident.

The production team sent a helicopter to transport them and the raft to the river they needed to cross.

Getting off the helicopter and facing the river directly, everyone finally grasped just how wide two hundred meters really was.

The river was extremely broad, and the opposite bank seemed almost unreachable in their field of vision.

The wind had picked up, and the river surface was choppy with continuous waves—not exactly turbulent, but certainly not calm either.

The production team was waiting on the riverbank. Both the director and assistant director were personally present. The director said, "Just to be clear, the deepest part of this river is over eight meters. Sheng Xingyao, are you really sure?"

Sheng Xingyao: We've come this far, the raft is already built—how could I back out now?

Would he even have a career left if he did?

He swallowed hard and said, "I'm sure."

"Alright then, the challenge begins now. There's no time limit—as long as you successfully reach the opposite bank, you win."

The production team kindly provided life jackets and oars, which conveniently solved their problem of not having anything suitable to use as paddles.

The raft was launched into the water, floating steadily on the surface. Sheng Xingyao knelt on it, feeling his legs trembling.

"Someone stop them, ahhh!! How can everyone just watch Sheng Xingyao get into the water??"

"Wuwuwu Yao Bao is so brave. If it were me, my legs would've gone weak already."

"People with a fear of water are already feeling dizzy."

"This is too much, too much. If anyone says Sheng Xingyao isn't dedicated from now on, I'll fight them!!"

"Even if he fails the challenge today, having the courage to get into the water is praiseworthy enough. I definitely couldn't do it."

A hand pressed against his back—it was Yu Xin. He leaned in close and said, "From now on, don't overthink it. Just focus on moving forward. Two hundred meters isn't too far—with your stamina, paddling to the other side will be more than enough. Remember, no matter what happens, don't panic."

"And if you really fall into the water," Yu Xin said seriously, "don't struggle too much. Hold onto the raft to keep yourself afloat, conserve your energy, and wait for rescue."

"I'll be watching you from the shore the entire time."

The hand on his back gave a light pat.

At that moment, Sheng Xingyao strangely felt much less panicked. If Yu Xin said he could do it, then he definitely could succeed.

He took a deep breath and signaled that he was ready.

"Challenge begin!"

"Sheng Xingyao!! Go for it!!!" Shen Tong shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Beside her, Ruan Qing and Qin Shizhen watched Sheng Xingyao nervously.

Yu Xin stood to the side with his arms crossed, his expression slightly serious.

Sheng Xingyao psyched himself up, adjusted his posture, and paddled the water with his oar. The raft shot forward a considerable distance.

He paddled rhythmically and powerfully, and the raft moved quickly. The first half of the journey went smoothly.

But when he reached the middle of the river, something unexpected happened—the wind suddenly picked up, causing the raft to sway and almost veer off its intended course.

"The wind's picking up! The raft is being blown off course!" Shen Tong exclaimed.

The situation suddenly turned perilous. The wind grew stronger, and the raft almost spun in place. Sheng Xingyao seemed to panic too, kneeling on the raft at a loss for what to do.

"Ahhh, it feels like the raft could flip over any second!"

"Help, help, I can't bear to watch!"

"Yao Bao!! Whatever you do, don't fall in, ahhhh!"

"Wahhh, what kind of crappy show is this, not taking the cast members' safety seriously at all!! After this episode, I'm never coming back again!"

Everyone crowded to the shore, anxiously watching Sheng Xingyao in the middle of the river. The director had already ordered preparations for a rescue.

Sheng Xingyao was also freaking out, never expecting to encounter such a situation. The wind grew stronger, and waves rose one after another, causing the raft to bob up and down wildly.

But in this critical moment, he suddenly remembered Yu Xin's words:

"Don't panic, just focus on moving forward."

Sheng Xingyao composed himself a little. He steadied himself, repositioned, and with a strong thrust of the oar, the raft, which had drifted off course, began heading toward the opposite shore again.

"Look, everyone, Sheng Xingyao is moving!"

Shen Tong screamed excitedly, "Ahhh, go Sheng Xingyao!!"

Sheng Xingyao seemed to regain his rhythm, returning to the right direction as the raft cut through the water smoothly.

Everyone started rooting for Sheng Xingyao together. As they'd hoped, the raft drew closer and closer to the opposite shore.

"He made it! He succeeded!!"

Shen Tong cried happy tears, hugging Ruan Qing excitedly. Qin Shizhen also let out a huge sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Yu Xin gave a few soft claps.

"Ahhhhh, Sheng Xingyao is awesome!!!"

"He actually succeeded!! That's insane!!"

"I admit, I used to have preconceptions about idols like Sheng Xingyao, but starting today, I’ve changed my tune. Sheng Xingyao is the real deal!!"

"Pfft, who needs your approval? Can you spend money on him or boost his rankings?"

"Wahhh, fandom friends, why am I even more excited than when Yao Bao won an award?"

"Me too!! Yao Bao, I’m so proud of you, man!!"

The director never thought Sheng Xingyao would actually succeed, thinking he would fail or give up halfway. Now, he could only announce, "Congratulations, you've completed the challenge!"

Shen Tong scoffed.

"Cut the chatter, get us our pot over here!"

****

With the challenge over, Sheng Xingyao, along with his hard-won pot, and the other guests, was sent back to their camp.

He was still in a bit of a haze, unable to believe he had actually done it. It wasn’t until everyone swarmed him with compliments that he finally began to feel proud.

"I’m pretty badass," he thought to himself, and for some reason, he found himself looking for Yu Xin’s reaction.

Yu Xin stood outside the crowd, smiling as he watched him. When their eyes met, Yu Xin said with a smile, "Well done."

It was the first time Sheng Xingyao had seen Yu Xin smile like that, and it was directed at him.

Sheng Xingyao felt a rush of heat making his ears burn and looked away, too flustered to look him in the eye.

Ahhhhh, why do I always get so flustered around Yu Xin!!

"Yu Xin, you said that if Sheng Xingyao came back with the pot, we’d make hot pot. You can’t go back on your promise!" Ruan Qing remembered this deal.

"But we’re in the middle of nowhere, with limited seasoning options. What are we going to use for the hot pot base?"

"Don’t worry, I’ll make you a hot pot I bet you’ve never had before," Yu Xin said.

"One I’ve never had?" Ruan Qing was curious. What kind of hot pot could she possibly not have tried?

"Dabinlou."

Dabinlou is a delicacy from the southern province of China, Yu Xin’s hometown from another life. That province is also famous for its abundant cuisine.

Unlike the mainstream numbing-spicy Sichuan hot pot, Dabinlou emphasizes freshness—not only in the flavor of the ingredients but also in their quality. And though they lacked many things, fresh ingredients were something they had in abundance.

The broth for Dabinlou is extremely simple. Some locals even use just water as the base to preserve the original taste of the ingredients to the greatest extent.

Yu Xin planned to use chicken broth as the base, seasoned simply, which would make for a delicious pot.

Coincidentally, the trap they set the previous night had caught another plump wild hen. Yu Xin cleaned the chicken, removed the bones to make the broth, and sliced the meat to be cooked in the hot pot later. He boiled the chicken bones in water with some salt and spices, then let it simmer.

The broth needed to simmer for at least two hours, during which time they could prepare the ingredients for the hot pot.

The ingredients were all freshly gathered from the forest. Yu Xin divided everyone into groups: Shen Tong and Ruan Qing went to the forest to pick tender bamboo shoots and leafy greens, while Qin Shizhen and Sheng Xingyao went to the river to spear a few fish and look for other river delicacies.

The shrimp trap they had used before came in handy again, as shrimp are also excellent for hot pot.

Everyone was looking forward to the evening feast and worked with great enthusiasm. Yu Xin stayed at the camp to keep an eye on the broth.

After a while, Sheng Xingyao returned excitedly, holding something in his hands. From afar, he shouted, "Yu Xin! Check if these are edible!"

As he approached, Yu Xin saw what was in his palm—a type of white-shelled clam. Yu Xin gently pried it open; the meat inside was plump and juicy, with no off-putting smell.

"It’s edible," Yu Xin said. "Where did you find it?"

"We dug it out from the riverbed," Sheng Xingyao said excitedly. "I found it, and there are plenty more there!"

"Great, dig up more. Let them spit out the sand, and we can cook them in the hot pot later."

"I’ll go right now!" Sheng Xingyao left happily, his spirits riding high.

Yu Xin shook his head, reminded him of a dog that had found something, excitedly brought it back to show its owner, and wagged its tail happily after receiving approval.

Half a day later, as sunset approached, dusk began to settle.

The broth was almost ready, with white steam rising, carrying a rich, fragrant aroma.

The four who had gone out to gather ingredients returned with full loads. Ingredients were spread out all over the ground. Shen Tong and Ruan Qing had an unexpected harvest: besides bamboo shoots and vegetables, they also found a type of white mushroom that closely resembled the oyster mushrooms they usually eat, only with thicker caps.

Qin Shizhen and Sheng Xingyao brought back half a basket of shrimp, a small bucket of clams, and a whole large grass carp!

The fish had accidentally swum into their trap, and they caught it right away.

Yu Xin took the meat from the back of the grass carp, sliced it thinly with a knife, and arranged it neatly on broad leaves. His knife skills were exceptional—the sliced fish was only a few millimeters thick, translucent and delicate.

The other ingredients were also washed and cut, arranged in a large circle around the pot. There were shrimp, clams, chicken, tender bamboo shoot tips, leafy greens—a truly awesome feast.

The broth was ready. Yu Xin lifted the lid, releasing an intensely fragrant chicken broth aroma. The chicken bones had nearly dissolved, floating and sinking in the pot. The simmering broth had turned a golden yellow, gurgling—perfectly ready.

"Let's eat!!"

Everyone cheered, and chopsticks darted toward various ingredients, impatiently dropping them into the pot.

Author's Note:

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Eating wild game is a necessary plot device—please do not imitate it in real life.

Also, my exams will be over this Saturday!! After that, I’ll resume stable updates. Please wait for me a little longer, T_T.