The hot pot restaurant indeed had many items, and this particular establishment was extremely popular.
The stock levels were astonishing.
Just the half-cut beef still being sliced outside was a testament to this, and there was more inside!
This place specialized in all-you-can-eat fresh-cut beef hot pot.
However, other dishes were also plentiful.
Desserts were, of course, indispensable.
Cheng Hao brought a small cake out for Su Miaomiao to eat behind a large rock. Sweet things were the best for replenishing energy, but the sweet-toothed girl currently declared she wanted hot pot! Desperately! She craved hot pot!
The main reason this place was so popular, and they were unwilling to fight for reservations online, meant they hadn't tasted it yet and had been waiting for the hype to die down.
But fate intervened.
Now the entire restaurant belonged to the two of them, and they could do whatever they pleased.
If only the location were more suitable.
Cheng Hao would have definitely prepared a table of ready-made dishes and brought out the food they wanted.
But it just wasn't appropriate.
Su Miaomiao was a bit dazed, finding it hard to believe, and couldn't help but whisper conspiratorially, "Didn't this place claim their broth bases were stir-fried fresh? Is that true? Take a look at their kitchen."
Cheng Hao quietly replied, "How could a chain restaurant stir-fry everything fresh? With so many tables, how long would that take? It's all pre-made seasoning packets."
Su Miaomiao actually didn't mind the pre-made seasoning packets; it was just that their advertisement stated fresh stir-fried hot pot bases, which was clearly a gimmick.
The two of them slowly came to terms with this surprise.
Su Miaomiao suddenly realized and whispered, "Time is frozen, which means we can't cook things in the store and take them out to eat? Then we'll have to find ways to enjoy them later?!"
Cheng Hao thought about trying to take the hot pot to the convenience store, but the convenience store was already almost impassable. The aisles were piled high with vegetables collected from the Cheng family kitchen, as well as Su Miaomiao's dowry.
He eventually took a portable induction cooker and a small pot from the hot pot restaurant's kitchen to the convenience store to test it. It could indeed cook, so he told Su Miaomiao it was possible, which made her happy again.
However, hot pot, when eaten outdoors, had a very strong aroma.
Looking at the warehouse, the freezer, and the kitchen, piled high with so many vegetables and meats,
Cheng Hao decided to give the convoy some benefits. He whispered to Su Miaomiao, "Even if we collect all the wild vegetables nearby now, it won't be enough for our convoy to survive the winter. And the cabbages in the space are almost identical to these, just prettier. It doesn't matter, we can take some out..."
They could hide these things in a secluded cave, pretending someone else had hidden them.
The two of them were just luckier.
They had discovered it by chance.
This way, they could openly improve their meals.
Moreover, apart from the two of them, the people here would never think of a spatial dimension, as it was completely beyond their comprehension.
So, it was actually very safe. At most, they would think divine intervention had occurred.
They would never consider anything beyond that.
Su Miaomiao immediately nodded in agreement, stating it was feasible. Everyone benefiting was good. By following the convoy, they wouldn't have to clear roadblocks, nor would they have to exert themselves chopping trees to cross rivers without bridges. They wouldn't have to do any of those miscellaneous chores.
In fact, their lives were quite comfortable.
Humans are social creatures, and being alone was naturally incomparable to traveling with everyone.
Furthermore, Uncle Ji and Laifu were truly good to them, devoted entirely to the two of them. In critical moments, Little Wu and Little Liu had moved from the rear to guard their vehicle, showing that everyone trusted and supported them.
Therefore,
With the abundance of supplies in their spatial dimension, they could bring some out.
This also corresponded to a two-pronged approach. The first was a joke, but living life truly required considering potential problems in advance.
As the saying goes,
"Those who do not plan for the future will find sorrow near at hand."
Within their permissible limits, they also planned to stockpile some supplies externally.
After Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao finished their discussion, they began collecting while searching for a suitable cave. There were many rocks in this area, likely formed by stones rolling down from the mountaintop many years ago.
Layered on top of each other, they naturally formed some hollowed-out areas that could be considered stone caves.
Su Miaomiao observed these rocks carefully, understanding they weren't recently formed, which meant they were stable and there was no need to worry about them loosening. She knew about many miscellaneous things and understood them all.
Cheng Hao was somewhat surprised by the professional terms she occasionally uttered, asking, "You know all this?"
Su Miaomiao hummed with a hint of pride and playfully teased him, saying, "Unlike you, the academic genius, who focuses on proper knowledge, someone like me, a total academic failure, can only delve into unconventional paths!"
Cheng Hao told her not to speak nonsense. After all, what one learned was what one gained. He wasn't a genius either; he achieved his results through hard work, not by being an invincible genius. He told her not to brag.
Su Miaomiao, while probing the depth of the caves, turned back and said, "That wasn't me saying it, it was what others said, and I'm just repeating it. It's not bragging at all. Besides, in my eyes, you are incredibly capable!"
After all, when she couldn't handle something, finding him was always the right choice; he could solve anything since childhood.
Both their grandmothers jokingly told her to just call Cheng Hao whenever she needed something.
Su Miaomiao felt no guilt!
What was the point of a childhood sweetheart if not to be bossed around? They were inseparable!
When Cheng Hao wanted her company, didn't she give up opportunities to go out and have fun to be with him? It was reciprocal; she knew that very well.
The two of them collected a few relatively rare medicinal herbs from the rock piles.
Then, they discovered a good stone cave, somewhat hidden but not too deep.
The two of them lit a fire and ventured inside. It was also quite airy, a good location.
It was very dry inside as well.
Su Miaomiao had confirmed it multiple times: no wild beasts had made their nests inside.
It was very safe.
Next, they discussed taking things out. There were cabbages here, so they could take those, but small cabbages couldn't be taken.
Then they found many sweet potatoes, likely intended for desserts. Purple sweet potatoes were out, so they couldn't take them, but they did take out three large bags of sweet potatoes.
They could just dump them on the ground.
They could take out a portion of the large frozen beef. The kitchen had quite a bit prepared, likely for making cold dishes. Frozen goods couldn't be freshly sliced.
This restaurant did use frozen goods.
As for salt, the store had large bags of it stacked in the warehouse. They were bulk bags, likely purchased in this unpackaged form for better value.
They could also take more out, but they would need to deal with the outer packaging.
Find something else to put them in.
However, these young people had never seen such bulk salt, and they were surprised by a large bag.
And most importantly, the soul of the hot pot – the broth base! With this, what couldn't taste delicious? The world would have half as many unpalatable things!
It also required removing the outer packaging, and perhaps using some oiled paper to wrap them up.
This excuse of having accidentally discovered treasures meant there was no need to explain their origins.
After all, they were just the ones who accidentally discovered "treasures"!