Chen Yan’s hometown is situated in a place that’s neither south nor north.
The customs of the Spring Festival here borrow from both sides, but neither side is particularly passionate about it.
The habit of eating dumplings is somewhat like the north, but not much. The habit of making spring rolls comes from the south, but the method is different.
Anyway, just go with the flow. What’s important during the New Year is to have fun and be happy.
The two girls were already sitting at the table in the hall wrapping spring rolls — the first few they made were all crooked, some looked like buns, some like dumplings, and some even like fried dough sticks. None of them resembled spring rolls!
But soon, Gu Qingyi’s skill was apparent — after all, she was a super genius who reached the Celestial Human Realm before the age of twenty, with excellent control over her strength.
Very quickly, the spring rolls she wrapped up were neat and proper, even better than the two Chen Yan made as a demonstration!
Chen Yan was by the stove in the kitchen, heating oil in the pan. He held a pair of specially made long chopsticks in his hand.
When Lu Sisi brought a plate of wrapped spring rolls over, Chen Yan took each spring roll and slid them into the oil along the edge of the pan.
With the sizzling and bubbling sounds of the oil, a fragrant aroma quickly filled the kitchen.
Lu Sisi stood by the side squinting and smiling, while Gu Qingyi unknowingly walked to the kitchen door, leaning against the doorframe with her head tilted, holding a reserved look while quietly drooling.
Once the spring rolls turned golden brown, they could be taken out to drain the oil on a plate — they couldn’t be eaten yet; they were too hot.
You had to let them cool for a while. When they weren’t hot to the touch, the crust would be crispy and perfect for eating.
The first plate of over a dozen spring rolls had been out to cool for just a few minutes before Gu Qingyi couldn’t wait and grabbed one. Despite it being hot and making her almost hiss, the aroma of leeks mixed with meat filling, which had been fried, spread from her mouth to her nose—Young Lady Gu squinted her eyes in enjoyment and let out a long breath.
"How does it taste?" Chen Yan poked his head in and asked.
Young Lady Gu kept eating with her head down, saying nothing, but she gave a huge thumbs up.
In two hours, Chen Yan had used all his skills to barely make four cold dishes and four hot dishes.
Sausage and beef tripe, cold dressed needle mushrooms, smashed cucumbers, and some smoked fish he fried a couple of days ago—those were the four cold dishes.
A plate of braised ribs, a mixed stew, some potato and beef stew, and steamed fish—those were the four hot dishes.
Chen Yan couldn’t do any more.
However, looking at the four cold and four hot dishes on the table, Chen Yan was quite satisfied with himself.
Especially the potato and beef stew—the beef wasn’t the ordinary kind you buy at the market; Boss Fang had sent a box of M5-grade raw steaks as a New Year’s gift.
This kind is generally used for pan-frying in high-end Western restaurants.
But Chen Yan cut several pieces out and braised them with potatoes directly!
To be honest, the taste was just so-so!
Because the M5-grade steak has too high a fat content, after braising, every bite was greasy, and you’d get sick of it after two pieces.
But... it was all about the luxury of it!
There was milk at home and some top-quality tea leaves, so Chen Yan made a big pot of Mr. Chen the Benefactor’s special milk green tea and poured the two girls each a cup.
"The first cup, let’s wish everyone a Happy New Year." Chen Yan raised his cup.
Lu Sisi smiled and raised her cup too: "I wish everyone all the best."
Gu Qingyi pondered briefly, then raised her cup slowly and said: "Then... I wish for everyone’s cultivation to advance, to ascend to the realm of immortals soon! And I hope I can break through to the saint realm soon!"
Chen Yan twitched his mouth and quietly whispered to Lu Sisi: "Don’t mind her, she’s been reading cultivation novels again lately."
Lu Sisi covered her mouth and giggled, saying nothing.
Though they were few in number, the three young people had a lively and warm New Year’s Eve dinner. Chen Yan moved the TV into the hall, and at eight, they started watching the Spring Festival Gala.
Gu Qingyi was enthusiastic at first, but soon began yawning.
Lu Sisi sat beside Chen Yan. The girl had gotten up early today, helped shovel snow in the morning, and cooked in the afternoon—she had been busy all day. Now, she looked a bit tired and subconsciously leaned her body against Chen Yan’s shoulder.
Gu Qingyi glanced at her good boy and prospective daughter-in-law, her mouth curled up, suddenly remembering something: "Where are the fireworks we bought?"
Chen Yan casually pointed: "All piled up in the storage room behind the kitchen."
"Let’s set them off!" Gu Tianren said decisively!
When Gu Qingyi stood in the yard holding a Gatling firework launcher aimed at the sky, and after igniting it, the fireworks sputtered and shot up, making her scream in excitement and laugh unrestrainedly...
Chen Yan realized that this little consort mother who usually pretended to be cool and reserved was, in essence, just a young girl after all.
A whole box of Gatling fireworks wasted none, all set off solely by Gu Qingyi.
Lu Sisi, being timid, didn’t dare handle such a fierce thing as the Gatling fireworks launcher, instead holding two large sparklers and waving them around in the yard.
Chen Yan stood by the door, arms crossed, watching the two girls, his nose filled with the smell of gunpowder, and his ears with their clear laughter.
He felt as though a part of his heart that had been cold for who knew how many years was slowly being warmed by their laughter.
Twenty-two years old, raised by his grandmother for twenty years.
Under his grandmother’s teaching, Chen Yan had learned to be kind to others and had grasped many principles of dealing with people, appearing much more mature than his peers.