A calmness in the hustle and bustle of the city

The rosy sunset dyed the sky red at dusk, and the whole city was shrouded in the gauze of burning clouds. I carried a computer bag weighing two to three kilograms and rushed to the bus station in the dusty way. .

At the station during the evening rush hour, I, like everyone else, walked in a hurry and in unison towards the empty bus that was slowly approaching in front of me. After this huge team gets on the bus, they will disperse and find their own seats to sit down.

Among this group of hurried people, the only one who seemed incompatible with the surrounding scenery was me, leaning silently against the window, as if I had never entered a rhythm.

When we got off the bus, the lights were on. The night in Huaguoyuan seemed to be more lively than the average city. The bustling buildings, colorful buildings, and various shining neon lights made the whole city shine. The vehicles on the road stop and go, and the horns sound continuously, forming a pleasant symphony. Pedestrians are constantly coming and going on the bustling streets. Vendors are selling their goods hard and haggling with customers for a few dollars.

Every store has opened its doors and is ready to welcome customers at any time. The windows of those high-end hotels are brightly lit, and there must be people inside who are changing glasses of wine, hoping not to get drunk. The glass curtain walls of the Twin Towers turned into huge display screens, switching between different advertising images and slogans.

Today is not a special day, but for this noisy city, every night is particularly charming. Even a small Zhuanzhuan hot pot restaurant was full of diners enjoying their meals, and the small store was filled with all kinds of people. The thick spicy aroma wafts through this store, which can't help but whet your appetite.

When you enter the store, you tell the waiter "a portion of the spicy hot pot base" and mix the water yourself: fine salt, monosodium glutamate, chopped green onion, small pepper, dried chili foam, and drizzle it on the surface. A layer of thick oyster sauce, and a spoonful of the local specialty Laoganma fermented bean curd. Find a clean tabletop, remove your computer bag, wait for the spicy pot base to be served, and prepare to boil the vegetables.

When the small and exquisite soup pot is brought up, a layer of clear sesame oil on the surface seems to be melted. Turn on the fire and watch the oil slowly melt, overturn, boil, roll up and down, and pour a spoonful of steaming spicy oil on it. Put it in the dipping bowl, stir evenly, and you will have a bright dish of spicy dipping water. Fill a bowl of white rice, flatten it with a rice spoon, set it aside, open the rice cooker, and start boiling the vegetables.

Vegetables with sparkling water droplets, dark red meat, fragrant and crispy oily gluten, chewy tripe...all are good things that need to be served with strong fire.

In the boiling hot pot, I picked up a steaming fat beef roll with my chopsticks, and took a bite regardless of the scalding heat on the meat roll. The beef tasted great, hot and fragrant. My throat rumbled happily, then I picked up a can of ice-cold Sprite on the table and drank half of it in one go.

Cool! This feels so much better!

Who said eating hot pot should be a carnival for a group of people? Who said eating hot pot alone means she is lonely and has no friends?

Actually, I often eat hotpot alone and I don’t feel lonely. On the contrary, I really like the feeling of not being disturbed, not having to be polite, and eating a good meal seriously.

The steaming meat slices slide slowly through the spicy and fragrant dipping water, which is satisfying in the mouth. Isn’t the lettuce soaked with the essence of the five flavors in hot pot delicious? Isn't it cute with its quivering hairy belly dipped in water?

After finishing the meat dishes, take a sip of Sprite and start cooking the vegetarian dishes. The potato slices were cut as thin as cicada's wings, almost with the movement of the knife. I had to marvel at the chef's knife skills. You can eat them with just one bite, the thin and crispy feeling.

I like the oily gluten that has been cooked through, it has lost its shape, and is a small ball of spicy and soft glutinous rice. It tastes good when mixed with rice. ? The bean sprouts are soaked in red oil. The more you eat them, the spicier they become. They can still be mixed with rice.

There is always a special sense of calmness and indulgence in eating hot pot alone. You don’t have to care about other people’s tastes. You can cook whatever you want. You don’t have to chat awkwardly or cooperate with others to take photos and post them on Moments. You can even have hot pot if you want. Don't worry about other people's opinions...

After finishing the meal, I drank the rest of the Sprite, burped happily, wiped my mouth, packed up and went to the front desk to pay.

It was already evening when I came out. Looking at the traffic flowing through the noisy city, the cool breeze of Guiyang summer night blew across my cheeks. For a moment, I felt intoxicated by the gentle breeze.

Go to Dream Snow across the street and buy a cup of panda milk cap. Walk slowly and drink slowly. The cold dessert slides down your throat and blends with the burning heat in your stomach.

I walked slowly, deliberately and even leisurely on the sidewalk, heading toward the window in the city that was waiting to light up. Because my pace was obviously out of tune with the surroundings, some people would frown slightly and turn sideways if they thought I was in the way. I politely made room for them as much as possible to allow them to close the distance from home.

I love this hurried and orderly moment the most. Although the whole city is immersed in the fast-paced carnival of this night, everyone has a heart in their chest that is anxious but full of peace. and a peaceful heart returning home.

The way home is better than any beautiful journey.