Chapter 2785

After sitting for a while, Xin Jing and Liu Xin brought out the dishes. Liu Xin was carrying a steaming electric hot pot, which contained a stew of mutton. Unlike hot pots in the south, this mutton stew had no chili peppers in it; the broth was milky white, but it was incredibly fragrant and looked very tempting.

Xin Jing brought out two stir-fried dishes. Su Xinghui quickly stood up and took the two plates from Xin Jing's hands, while Xia Song also stood up to take the hot pot from Liu Xin, placing it on the dining table before plugging it in. Before long, the mutton stew in the pot began to bubble again.

After Su Xinghui placed the dishes on the table, Xin Jing went back to the kitchen to bring out two more, then said with a smile, "Mayor Su, Little Xia, the dishes are all here!"

Liu Xin took a bottle of Moutai and a bottle of red wine, saying, "Mayor Su, Little Xia, you men drink the baijiu, and we women will drink the red wine."

Su Xinghui laughed, "Alright, red wine is good for the complexion; no wonder you are both so beautiful."

Liu Xin's work during this period had been quite good, and her cooperation talks with Yu Ruizhi and the others had gone very smoothly, now entering a substantive stage, so Su Xinghui did not stint on his praise for her.

And Xin Jing and Liu Xin were indeed both very beautiful; Su Xinghui was not just paying them empty compliments.

Today, Xin Jing still had her hair in a bun, but it was tied up quite casually, giving off a homey feel. She had also removed her makeup after getting home, and her face was washed clean, yet her features remained exquisite, not much different from when she wore light makeup. She had also taken off her coat and was wearing a white sweater; the sweater was slightly tight, leaving her beautiful curves fully on display.

Liu Xin's long hair was tied into a ponytail, which made her look younger than her actual age. She was wearing a plum-red sweater; her figure was not as full as Xin Jing's, being slimmer and taller, but her curves were equally beautiful.

The two women standing together were like spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, each excelling in her own way.

Xin Jing smiled gently, "Thank you for the compliment, Mayor Su."

Liu Xin, however, asked somewhat boldly, "Mayor Su, am I really that beautiful?"

Su Xinghui nodded with a smile, "Beautiful."

Liu Xin then hooked her arm through Xin Jing's and laughed, "Alright, Mayor Su, don't comfort this little woman; I can't compare to Mayor Xin in beauty."

Xin Jing laughed and gently tapped Liu Xin's hand, saying, "Alright, stop messing around. Don't call me Mayor Xin anymore; just call me Sister Jing. Haven't you always called me Sister Jing?"

Liu Xin said, "Fine, Sister Jing. How could this little woman dare not listen to Sister Jing's orders?"

Xin Jing smiled helplessly, "Alright, sit down and eat."

Su Xinghui was a bit surprised; the relationship between Xin Jing and Liu Xin seemed quite good. But upon second thought, he didn't find it strange; Xin Jing had once been in charge of tourism, and Liu Xin was the Director of the Tourism Bureau, so they must have dealt with each other quite often.

Xin Jing had no relatives in Baozhou and a poor relationship with her husband, and it was impossible for her to be overly intimate with any male colleague, so it was perfectly normal for her to have a good relationship with a female subordinate like Liu Xin.

The two women sat down, and Xin Jing picked up her glass of red wine, saying, "Come, Mayor Su, Little Xia, I'll toast you both!"

Xin Jing didn't say why she was toasting Su Xinghui, and Su Xinghui naturally wouldn't ask. He picked up his wine glass and nodded, "Thank you, Mayor Xin! You've worked hard today."

Xin Jing said, "It wasn't much trouble, just a few simple dishes. Only this mutton hot pot took some time to get right, and Liu Xin helped me quite a bit too."

Liu Xin pointed to the mutton hot pot and said, "Mayor Su, Section Chief Xia, you must try this mutton hot pot. This is Sister Jing's specialty. It's stewed with nourishing Chinese herbs like goji berries, Chinese yam, and Codonopsis. It's delicious and very nourishing."

Su Xinghui picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of mutton, putting it into his mouth. Sure enough, the taste of the mutton was quite good; it was the best lamb ribs, chopped into small segments and slowly stewed until tender, and with the addition of several nourishing herbs, it was indeed a delicious and restorative winter delicacy.

Seeing Su Xinghui chewing the mutton slowly, Xin Jing looked at him with great anticipation. Only after Su Xinghui nodded and said "delicious" did Xin Jing heave a sigh of relief and ask, "Mayor Su, is it really delicious?"

Su Xinghui nodded, "It really is delicious. The mutton is stewed until tender but not stringy, and it's exceptionally fresh and tasty. I didn't expect Mayor Xin to have such a knack for cooking!"

Xin Jing beamed, her bright eyes sparkling. She said, "If it's delicious, Mayor Su, then eat a bit more. Eating this mutton stew will keep you from feeling cold in the winter."

Su Xinghui nodded, "Mm, I will eat plenty."

Xin Jing smiled until her eyes curved into crescents, and she said to Xia Song, "Little Xia, you should eat more too."

Xia Song nodded shyly, "Yes, Mayor Xin."

Liu Xin laughed and said, "This is what they call 'washing one's hands to make soup' for someone, Sister Jing."

Xin Jing blushed instantly. She gave Liu Xin a sidelong glance and whispered, "Stop talking nonsense. Eat your food; even good food can't plug your mouth."

Liu Xin giggled and lowered her head to eat the mutton.

Xin Jing looked guiltily at Su Xinghui and Xia Song, and seeing them both buried in their food, she breathed a small sigh of relief. She was afraid that the two of them had heard Liu Xin's remark, or had noticed it; if they had heard it clearly, it would be very awkward.

However, in reality, both Su Xinghui and Xia Song had heard Liu Xin's remark clearly. They were both graduates of the Chinese Department at Jiangcheng University, so they were, of course, all too familiar with the poem about "washing one's hands to make soup."