By 5 p.m., Su Nian had arrived at Jing Mo's doorstep.
Before the door even opened, Jing Mo's voice echoed from inside the house.
"Coming!"
Soon, footsteps drew near, and the door swung open.
Su Nian stepped inside, casually closing the door behind her.
"You're cooking in the bedroom now?" Su Nian inquired of Jing Mo.
"Yes. Come on in, it's warmer inside," Jing Mo replied.
Upon hearing this, Su Nian followed him into the bedroom.
The small room contained a bed, a stove, and a square table, with several boxes piled up against the wall.
Perhaps due to the clutter, the space felt even smaller, but Su Nian immediately felt the warmth upon entering.
Despite not having as many heating devices as she did, Jing Mo's room temperature didn't seem much different.
However, Su Nian didn't dwell on it.
Whether it was before or after the apocalypse, Su Nian never had a keen interest in prying into other people's affairs.
On the wall beside the stove hung a three-tiered iron shelf, stocked with various condiments like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
Su Nian took a closer look and noticed that Jing Mo had prepared a wide array of condiments.
The square table in the middle of the room was fully laden with various prepped ingredients.
Jing Mo grabbed a book and flipped through its pages to show Su Nian.
"I think this sweet and sour fish looks pretty good," Jing Mo remarked, flipping through a few more pages. "And this spicy diced chicken looks delicious too. Apart from these two, we can also stir-fry some shredded potatoes. What do you think?"
Listening to Jing Mo, Su Nian glanced at the table again.
She saw a cleaned fish lying on a plate, a bowl of diced chicken, and another bowl soaking shredded potatoes.
The potatoes were thinly sliced, indicating excellent knife skills.
Since the ingredients were provided by Jing Mo and she was teaching him to cook, Su Nian had no objections to his choices.
"Then let's start by heating the oil in the pan!" Su Nian suggested.
Whether it was spicy diced chicken or sweet and sour fish, they both required an initial frying step before proceeding.
Seeing that there were plenty of shredded potatoes, Su Nian decided to fry some extra.
She coated the thin potato shreds with a little flour and fried them in hot oil.
Once crispy and golden brown, she sprinkled them with chili powder and cumin powder, making them ready to eat.
Although the ingredients were simple, the aroma was irresistibly enticing.
If not for the powerful exhaust hood working nearby, the scent would probably make many people drool.
While others might not be moved to tears by the smell, Jing Mo clearly enjoyed it, giving Su Nian a thumbs-up as he ate.
"It's delicious!"
Watching Jing Mo's reaction, Su Nian couldn't help but smile and casually asked, "Why does it seem like you've never tasted this before?"
"I really haven't!" Jing Mo replied.
"Hmm?" Su Nian paused, her actions momentarily halting. "Never tasted it before?"
Before Jing Mo could answer, Su Nian had already figured it out.
"This kind of snack probably wasn't available in high-end restaurants."
Considering Jing Mo's pre-apocalyptic circumstances, it was reasonable that he hadn't tried such snacks.
However, Su Nian wondered how Jing Mo had ended up in such dire straits at the beginning of the apocalypse, despite his seemingly affluent pre-apocalyptic life.
Jing Mo, who was munching on fried shredded potatoes, paused for a moment and then smiled at Su Nian. "There are many things I've never tried. I want to learn. Please teach me in the future."
Su Nian didn't find it troublesome.
With plenty of time ahead of them, teaching Jing Mo to cook could be a pleasant diversion.
Since it was a lesson, Jing Mo would be the one doing the cooking, while Su Nian stood by to guide him.
Su Nian's instructions were similar to those in the recipe book, but she provided more detailed guidance, advising Jing Mo on when to add certain ingredients.
Jing Mo proved to be quite adept at cooking, and his spicy diced chicken turned out quite well.
Both of them stood by the stove, the pungent aroma of chili making their noses tingle, and their cheeks turning slightly flushed.
After finishing the spicy diced chicken, they placed it in a stainless steel bowl near the stove to keep it warm.
During this time, Jing Mo swiftly washed the pan and poured oil into it again to cook the sweet and sour fish.
The shredded potatoes were cooked last.
With the stove's intense heat and the finely shredded potatoes, they had to work quickly, tossing and seasoning them.
Su Nian stood by, instructing Jing Mo while he cooked.
Although Su Nian's assessment was similar to the recipes, she provided more detailed feedback, pointing out where the cooking could be improved.
Despite some slight imperfections in the cooking time and seasoning, both dishes turned out quite well for a first attempt.
Upon hearing Su Nian's evaluation, Jing Mo grinned. "If you think it's delicious, then it must be. I'm relieved. Let's eat quickly before it gets cold."
What did he mean by her approval making him relieved?
Su Nian found his words somewhat strange, but seeing Jing Mo already digging into his food, she decided not to dwell on it and joined him in earnest.
They finished all three dishes and even the rice, leaving nothing behind.
Though they didn't make soup, Jing Mo opened two cans of cola, one for each of them.
The cola was at room temperature, stored against the wall.
But with the indoor temperature only around ten degrees Celsius, the room-temperature cola felt somewhat chilled in their mouths.
Jing Mo, with his slender fingers, gently rotated the cola can in his hand.
"No wonder they call this 'joyful water.' Drinking it really does bring joy!" he remarked.
Su Nian looked at Jing Mo, seeing his eyes shining with interest.
Observing him, Su Nian felt a strange sensation creeping back into her heart.
Carefully choosing her words, she asked, "You... seem unfamiliar with these things, don't you?"