"Sister-in-law, this is a little gift from us, please accept it." Han Jingshan also came over to persuade her.

Jian Shu couldn't persuade them, and since he couldn't ask them to take it back, he had no choice but to accept it. But he still said, "Okay, I'll take it today, but you must never do this next time, okay? If I see you guys coming to my house with something next time, I won't open the door."

"Well, we'll listen to my sister-in-law. We won't do it again next time." The two of them smiled and nodded in agreement.

At this time, Gu Mingjing came over with tea. Jian Shu asked them to sit down and said, "You two should sit down and drink some tea first."

"No need, sister-in-law. We can't just sit and wait for ready-made food. Just let me know if you need any help." Han Jingshan took the teacup and put it on the table, rolled up his sleeves and prepared to help.

They came early to see if there was anything they could help with. They couldn't just arrive on time and expect to eat ready-made food.

"Yes, sister-in-law, please don't refuse, otherwise we will feel embarrassed to eat for free. Just tell us what work you want to do, we can do it!" Sun Kaixuan also nodded.

The two of them sang the same tune, making it impossible for Jianshu to say anything to refuse.

After thinking about it, he found a job for them. "Okay, then I'll take your courtesy. You're strong, so you can help chop the stuffing. We'll make dumplings tonight."

In addition to making dumplings, she also planned to fry some meatballs and radish balls, which required a lot of fillings. She had originally planned to let Gu Mingjing do it, and now was the perfect time to let them do it.

Chopping meat does not require any technical skills, but the mechanized movements are a bit tiring. Fortunately, the last thing the two of them lack is strength.

"Okay!" Knowing they could help, the two happily agreed.

They like it this way. If they are really treated as guests and not allowed to do any work, they will feel uncomfortable.

There was not enough countertop in the kitchen, so Jianshu used the dining table as the work surface.

The dining table was close to the kitchen, so the conversations outside could be heard clearly from inside. The four of them chatted while busying themselves. They mainly talked about some of the things they had encountered during their years of military service, and Jianshu also listened with great interest.

After the meat filling was chopped, Jianshu asked them to make meatballs. However, except for Gu Mingjing, the other two rarely went into the kitchen. The meatballs they made were uglier than each other. Not to mention making them into round shapes, they looked like a mess.

But we are all eating at home, so we don’t care about the appearance, as long as it stays together and doesn’t fall apart.

The two adults became more and more courageous. They looked at the round meatballs in Gu Mingjing's hand, and then looked at their own hands. They felt a little embarrassed, but at the same time, they felt competitive. They were determined to make round meatballs, so they pulled Gu Mingjing to ask for advice on some techniques.

Gu Mingjing, a ruthless friend, mocked the two men without hesitation, then began teaching them step by step. The two, who were in need of help, didn't dare to express their opinions, but could only keep the lesson in mind, preparing to find a chance to avenge it later. For now, they just followed the steps seriously.

Jianshu ignored the quarrel between the three brothers outside. When the cooked food was almost ready, he began to prepare today's New Year's Eve dinner.

Although there were only four of us in the evening, the three grown men had big appetites, so Jianshu prepared eight dishes: two cold dishes, five hot dishes and one soup.

The cold dishes were preserved eggs and peanuts, which were served as a side dish for them to drink.

Hot dishes include mutton hotpot, pork ribs and potatoes stewed with beans, sauerkraut and pork belly stewed with vermicelli, a fried meatball platter and a dish of three fresh delicacies.

The soup is fish head and tofu soup. You can drink the soup and eat the vegetables at the same time. It tastes very delicious.

The staple food is steamed buns and steamed buns, which can be eaten directly after heating.

Jianshu was in charge of cooking in the evening, with Gu Mingjing helping her. Han Jingshan and Sun Kaixuan were both busy making the fire. With four people busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner, it was quite lively.

In the middle of cooking, Tiedan came over and brought them a bowl of braised food made by Wu Xiufang as a side dish. Jianshu gave them a bowl of freshly fried meatballs in return.

When the dishes were almost ready, Jianshu asked the three adults to go out and move the stools and set the dishes in preparation for dinner.

Fortunately, I bought a lot of plates, bowls and chopsticks when I invited guests to dinner last time, so they are enough for today and I don’t need to go out and borrow them from others late at night.

Once the last dish of pork ribs, potatoes and green beans is served, tonight’s New Year’s Eve dinner will be ready.

Proposing a glass of wine before eating has become a necessary part. The four grown men drank white wine, Jianshu drank fruit wine, and after the toasts and speeches, they started eating.

The New Year's Eve dinner was very sumptuous. Jianshu ignored the three grown men toasting each other and focused on eating. From time to time, they would clink their glasses together, and when she heard words of praise for her, the smile on her face never faded.

Men talk a lot when they drink. It wasn't long before they started reminiscing about the past, starting with "back then..." and "before..."

Jianshu listened with great interest, and only then did she realize that these men were also so gossipy.

Who was scratched by his wife and why? Whose mother has a bad temper and looks down on her daughter-in-law? How much is the bride price for someone?... They know a lot.

Jianshu couldn't help but wonder if they were eavesdropping on someone else's conversation. Otherwise, how could they know so much, even the couple's private conversations?

I was also somewhat relieved that I didn't have many neighbors nearby, and the nearest one, Wu Xiufang, was quite a distance away. If I really lived in that tube-shaped building, with so many people watching and walls listening, I'm afraid everyone would know how many times I got up in the night, and there would be no privacy at all.

Although there were only four of them at the table, the three grown men's voices were louder than each other, and they chatted animatedly, making it very lively.

Jianshu had a smaller appetite, and he didn't leave the table even after he had almost finished eating. He continued to stay at the table, eating some peanuts and listening to a few people tell stories about the past.

The dishes on the table were reheated twice, and the vegetables in the pot were added twice. After the meal, the four of them cleared the table and moved to another position, gathering around the coffee table to make dumplings and stay up late.

The filling was prepared in advance. Gu Mingjing was responsible for rolling out the dough, while Jianshu and the other two were responsible for wrapping it.

Although Sun Kaixuan is not good at making meatballs, he is good at making dumplings. Han Jingshan is not so good at that. The dumplings he makes either have the filling leaking out here or have holes there. If they are really put into the pot, they will definitely turn into a pot of dumpling soup.

After trying to make several dumplings in a row without any success, he decided not to waste food and went to learn how to roll out dumpling wrappers from Gu Mingjing. Maybe he had some talent, as after learning for a while he could roll out wrappers that looked pretty good. Although it was a little slow and comfortable, at least it was usable.

Making dumplings, chatting, staying up late... Tremella soup was stewing on the stove nearby, and chestnuts and sweet potatoes were roasting. The air was filled with a sweet aroma.