An Nuan watched them speak with mock seriousness and felt a sense of comfort.
The temperature today had already dropped to minus thirty degrees Celsius, and it was expected to continue to fall over the next two days, reaching minus fifty-six degrees.
This was the lowest temperature An Nuan remembered from her previous life.
In her eyes, today marked the first day of winter.
Winter meant dumplings and hot soup, a habit her grandmother had instilled in her.
She drank a glass of milk and ate two biscuits.
Thinking of her grandmother, she couldn't bring herself to settle for frozen dumplings on the first day of winter.
An Nuan took out a stainless steel basin and poured in wheat flour.
This type of flour had a richer aroma and a chewier texture, which An Nuan had always preferred since childhood.
She then added salt to enhance the flavor of the dumpling wrappers.
"Brother, pass me the water."
Chang Kaitong fetched some cold water from the reserve water barrels for her.
As An Nuan kneaded the dough, she gradually added cold water, shaping it into a firm mass. She then covered it with a damp white cloth.
She then took out a piece of pork belly from the refrigerator.
She pondered aloud, "Should we have mushroom or cabbage filling? Or perhaps... sauerkraut and pork would be good too."
"Whatever you want, Sister Nuan. I'm good with anything," said Chang Kaitong.
"Then let's make some sauerkraut and pork dumplings, and some chive and egg ones!"
An Nuan's homemade sauerkraut was almost ready. She opened the jar, used a long chopstick to retrieve a large portion, and tasted a small piece.
"It's ready! Brother, could you get me a bowl?"
Chang Kaitong handed her a soup bowl, which An Nuan filled to the brim.
After dividing the sauerkraut, Hai Changfeng and Luo Luo had already gone to the kitchen to chop the meat.
Although there were many small appliances for grinding meat, handmade food always tasted best.
Chang Kaitong helped to prepare the sauerkraut.
An Nuan washed the chives and set them aside to drain. She then beat eight eggs, adding a little dried shrimp and salt. She then poured the mixture into the pan and scrambled it with chopsticks until it was a tender, golden yellow, before transferring it to a glass bowl.
Next, she finely chopped the chives and added them to the glass bowl with the scrambled eggs.
She added sesame oil, pepper, and a little oyster sauce, then stirred everything clockwise with chopsticks.
She tasted a bit of the mixture on the back of her hand.
Luo Luo, with perfect understanding, handed her a bottle of dark soy sauce.
An Nuan added a tiny amount, which not only enhanced the flavor but also improved the color.
"Eating dumplings so early in the morning is truly a luxury," Hai Changfeng said with a laugh. Since the apocalypse, he had resigned himself to a diet of biscuits.
He even ate his biscuits sparingly, fearing waste.
He had never dreamed of waking up to make dumplings.
Luo Luo chuckled, "It's almost eleven o'clock. We're having lunch!"
"Look at my brain! It is lunch, hot and steamy dumplings!"
Hai Changfeng finished chopping the meat, and Luo Luo began to season it.
Her seasoning technique was identical to An Nuan's grandmother's.
An Nuan recalled how Luo Luo's parents used to work away, leaving her alone. Luo Luo always loved to help out in the kitchen.
After her grandmother passed away, besides cooking for herself, only Luo Luo's cooking reminded her of her grandmother's taste.
"Luo Luo, let's grow some chives and bean sprouts ourselves someday. I want to eat them."
"That's easy. I'm the best at growing chives!"
"And you also like to 'cut' chives!"
Everyone chatted and worked together cheerfully.
An Nuan waited for the dough to rest, then kneaded it again to improve its elasticity and texture.
Then came the rolling of the wrappers.
Both she and Luo Luo had inherited their grandmother's skills and were very proficient at rolling dough.
Chang Kaitong had never made dumplings before, and Hai Changfeng taught him as he went, but their speed of making dumplings couldn't match the speed of the two rolling wrappers.
Soon, there were more wrappers than finished dumplings.
Once all the dough was used, Luo Luo joined in the dumpling-making, significantly increasing their speed.
An Nuan boiled water to cook the dumplings. In a short while, plates of steaming hot dumplings were ready. Luo Luo immediately grabbed one with her paws.
"Delicious! The pickled sauerkraut is amazing!"
"Can we finish all of them?"
Hai Changfeng, while stuffing dumplings into his mouth, still worried if they could finish eight large plates.
An Nuan stirred the dumplings to prevent them from sticking.
She then packed two portions into food bags and put them into her space.
"We have new people joining us, so we should have a welcome gathering. It'll save us from cooking tonight."
Everyone agreed, happily digging in. They didn't even ask who the portions in the space bags were for.
After the meal, they also had a bowl of hot dumpling soup.
An Nuan wanted another bowl, but she was afraid of needing to go to the toilet when they went out.
In her previous life, to avoid inconvenience, they would drink less water and wear adult diapers in case they suddenly needed to relieve themselves during missions.
Unnecessary movements could attract anomalies and zombies, so no one dared to take that risk.
However, wearing adult diapers constantly was not a pleasant experience.
She once wore one during a month of 45-degree weather and developed a severe rash all over her bottom.
An Nuan never wanted to experience that again.
By 2 PM, the temperature had risen to minus twenty degrees Celsius, the warmest part of the day.
The snow was too deep, blocking the ground floor doors. The snow hadn't frozen into ice, and any vehicle driven out would sink into it.
Ordinary means of transport were no longer viable.
An Nuan distributed protective suits and ski jackets to everyone. After putting on their goggles, she opened the balcony glass on the second floor and released several sleds from her space, one of which was for two people.
She had seen Hai Changfeng's skiing skills during a company team-building event.
He was the second best skier in the entire group, second only to the head of security.
This guy was practically superhuman when it came to outdoor sports!
As for Luo Luo, An Nuan knew her well.
Her skills were as good as hers, so there was no need to worry.
However, her brother was a bit of a challenge.
Chang Kaitong said sheepishly, "I've never skied before, I don't know how."
"No problem, brother will take you! I taught many people at the club, I'm very experienced!"
"Brother Hai, you're my true brother!"
Hai Changfeng grinned as he helped Chang Kaitong strap on the sled, giving him some key pointers.
An Nuan looked at the two cats.
"What about you two?"
Juanzi's wings suddenly extended from its back. It flapped them a few times.
Daizi tested its paws and then settled steadily on Juanzi's back.
Juanzi proudly lifted its head and curled its tail.
"Great! I'll give you extra fish treats when we get back!"
An Nuan patted its head and, after putting on her own sled, was the first to rush out the door.
After Luo Luo locked the door, she and Hai Changfeng followed An Nuan.
Juanzi's wings flapped a couple of times, and it glided with the wind.
The entire world was buried, with only the tips of a few large machines visible. Everything else was covered, and even many zombies were buried under the snow.
The path for skiing was unobstructed.
It was exhilarating!