Chapter 45 [V] New Year's Eve
Soon, Xu Ge'er brought over another bowl of milk tea.
Li Yan took the bowl, clinked it against Xu Qingshu's, and the two of them simultaneously tilted their heads back and drank it all.
At this moment, Xu Qingshu's eyes shone brightly, and he was full of vigor. He was completely different from the cold and harsh demeanor Li Yan had shown him when they first met a few months ago.
This hot pot is currently a bestseller in Huating County, but Xu Qingshu, who used to stay overnight in Qingshan Town, had only heard of it but had never had the chance to try it.
I had originally planned to take my nephew and Mao Ge to try it when I had some free time. But I never expected to get to eat it at Li's place today.
Hot pot is perfect for cold weather; you can warm yourself up completely in just a short while.
And I don't know what they added to it, but it tastes amazing. He's lived for over twenty years, and this is the first time he's ever tasted anything so delicious.
Although it was both numbing and spicy, and a little too much for me, the spicier it was, the more I wanted to eat, so I couldn't stop eating.
During the meal, Xu Qingshu was even more surprised to learn that the broth for the hot pot that was now popular all over the city was actually made by the Li family girl in front of him.
"You're saying the broth in this pot is yours? Are you in business with the owner of that Sifang Restaurant?" Xu Qingshu was so surprised that he forgot to continue eating his food. He couldn't help but scrutinize the woman in front of him once again.
Under the soft lamplight, her face was beautiful, her expression serene and gentle, revealing the delicate beauty of a woman. This... this was no longer the burly, ugly, and rugged woman I had seen months ago.
Her appearance was one thing, but what he admired even more was her talent and ability.
It is truly remarkable that a young woman could acquire multiple businesses in a completely unfamiliar place within just a few months.
I felt she was different from ordinary women when I first met her, and now that I see her again, she has given me an unexpected surprise.
After the initial surprise, Xu Qingshu was even happier for her, so he raised the bowl in his hand and said, "Congratulations, Sister Li." This wine was rice wine that Li Yan brewed herself when she had nothing to do; it was easy to drink and not easy to get drunk on.
"Brother Xu, we'll definitely get better and better." Although the wine wasn't very intoxicating, Li Yan was a little weak at holding her liquor. So, at this moment, she was slightly tipsy.
Xu Qingshu looked forward to a bright future with her: "We will definitely get what we want."
Li Yan and Xu Qingshu had a very pleasant meal together, both young people striving for success and looking forward to a bright future. Lost in their conversation, Li Yan indulged herself a bit and drank a few too many glasses of wine.
Finally, Xu Qingshu noticed that something was wrong with her and took away her wine, and Li Yan stopped drinking.
Li Yan was a little drunk and kept asking for more wine. Considering her current condition, Xu Qingshu didn't directly refuse her, but simply said, "There's plenty of time in the future. The wine of life doesn't need to be drunk all at once today."
Li Yan was in a semi-drunk state, but she was still able to listen to what Xu Qingshu said.
Moreover, Li Yan is not a person with bad drinking habits. In fact, when she realized that she had drunk too much, she tried to control her words and actions.
“Okay, I’ll do as you say,” she said.
The meal was nearing its end, and Aunt Xue had already taken her two grandsons to the kitchen to wash their dishes. Now, only Li Yan and Xu Qingshu were drinking together in the main room.
Li Yan's beauty was enhanced by her intoxication, especially when viewed under the lamplight; the more one looked at a beauty, the more beautiful she became.
For some reason, Xu Qingshu suddenly felt his heart race as the woman in front of him began to beat faster.
I saw her lying on the table, her face turned to the side with her arm as a pillow. Her beautiful eyes were closed, her eyelashes curled and upturned like a perfectly curved little fan. I wondered if she had already fallen asleep, because she looked so adorable with her innocent expression.
Her hair was a little messy, falling down and covering the corners of her eyes.
Subconsciously, Xu Qingshu reached out to help her lift her hair, but suddenly seemed to wake up and immediately withdrew his hand.
At that moment, he suddenly stood up.
Seeing this, Aunt Xue, who had been standing quietly in the darkness for a long time, came in at the right time.
She smiled and asked, "Why did you stand up, Young Master Xu? Are you leaving?"
Xu Qingshu skillfully concealed the embarrassment on his face, slowly putting his hands behind his back, regaining his previous calm and gentle demeanor. He nodded in response to Aunt Xue's words, "I'm truly sorry for bothering you today. It's getting late, and I should go back now." He then lowered his eyes to look at the woman who was already fast asleep at the table, his gaze gentle yet restrained, "Sister Li is a little drunk, so I'll have to trouble you to help her into her room to sleep."
Aunt Xue said, "Yan Niang has never been like this before. She must be happy to see you, Young Master Xu. Don't worry, Young Master Xu, I will take good care of Yan Niang." With that, Xu Qingshu had no reason to stay any longer and hurriedly said goodbye and left.
After Xu Qingshu left, Aunt Xue called over Xu Ge'er and asked him to help support Li Yan on the other side. The two of them, grandmother and grandson, helped Li Yan slowly into the house, one on each side.
Li Yan didn't die from drunkenness; she slowly woke up as soon as she was helped up.
After being put to bed by the grandmother and granddaughter, she still smiled and said, "I'm fine... I'm not drunk. I... I can still get up and wash up." Even if she doesn't shower, she should at least boil some hot water to wipe herself down, wash her face, and rinse her mouth. Otherwise, sleeping like this would be so uncomfortable.
Aunt Xue said, "The hot water is ready for you. I've asked Xu Ge'er to fetch it. You should lie down and rest. I'll wash you up in a bit."
"This isn't good." Li Yan thought she could manage, so she struggled to get up. But her body felt weak and she had no strength at all. She had barely managed to sit up when she quickly collapsed back down.
Aunt Xue said, "Don't push yourself, just lie down and rest." As she spoke, Xu Ge'er brought over some water.
Xu Ge'er was meticulous, and the hot water he brought was at the perfect temperature. After Aunt Xue tested the water temperature and found it suitable, she asked Xu Ge'er to leave.
Then, she helped Li Yan wipe her face and wash her hands. After she finished washing her, she helped her take off her outer clothes, tucked her in, and left.
Now, covered with a down comforter, Li Yan was completely buried in the blankets except for her head, feeling warm and cozy all over. Sleepiness quickly overcame her, and she immediately drifted off to sleep.
Li Yan slept soundly and deeply. When she woke up the next day, the sun was shining brightly outside.
After a snowfall yesterday, the weather cleared up today.
The snowfall yesterday was light, and when I woke up today, the snow in the yard had already melted away.
Although it was New Year's Eve, Li Yan was quite busy.
On New Year's Eve, many families book their New Year's Eve dinner at restaurants, so today is actually the busiest day of the year.
Manager Huang came to see Li Yan a couple of days ago, saying that many customers had specifically requested braised pork in their orders. So he came to discuss whether they could make double the usual amount on that day.
This was a rare occurrence, and it was indeed New Year's Eve, a significant day for family reunions and celebrations. Since the guests liked it and specifically requested this dish, Li Yan couldn't very well refuse to make it.
Therefore, Li Yan readily agreed to Manager Huang's request.
Because there were more portions to make today than usual, Li Yan got up early and started working.
Li Yan was busy until evening, and only after the people from Yuanbaolou came and took away all the cooked meat was she able to rest.
We had agreed early in the morning to have dumplings for dinner, and luckily we still had a piece of pork hind leg at home. Everyone loves the dumpling filling that Li Yan makes, so after finishing cooking the pork, Li Yan immediately went to prepare the dumpling filling.
With the filling prepared, the rest of the work was handed over to Aunt Xue, who then went to her room to rest.
This is Li Yan's first year in this world. Unlike later generations, where everyone lives in reinforced concrete walls and neighbors rarely interact, and fireworks and firecrackers are not allowed in the city, the New Year naturally lacks a festive atmosphere.
But it's different here; neighbors visit each other frequently. Early in the morning, Aunt Xue had already led Xu Ge'er and Yue Jie'er to put up couplets. Couplets were pasted on the gate of the courtyard outside, while a large "福" (fortune) character was pasted on the door of the house.
Even when it was completely dark, people outside were still setting off firecrackers.
People were setting off firecrackers in the alley, but such luxuries are only affordable for wealthy families.
However, you can watch the fireworks together when they go off in the sky.
In the alley, someone shouted, "Someone's setting off fireworks!" Then Li Yan opened the window and looked out at the dark sky. She saw fireworks exploding one after another against the black sky.
Although fleeting, the moment it blooms is truly beautiful.
Of course, the wealthy weren't from just one family; explosions continued to occur one after another. Even after dinner, a few sporadic explosions were still littering the sky. However, by then, everyone was gathered indoors with their families eating, and no one paid any attention to this.
During the meal, Li Yan promised Xu Ge'er and Yue Jie'er, "By this time next year, we'll try to move to the big house, and Auntie will buy you fireworks to set off."
Upon hearing this, Xu Ge'er and Yue Jie'er's eyes lit up.
Aunt Xue said, "We can see those things when they're displayed, why bother buying them and wasting money?"
Li Yan, now full and content, sat cross-legged in her chair. Hearing this, she disagreed: "How can they be the same? Watching is one thing, lighting a fire yourself is another. The two experiences are completely different."
"Besides, the point of making money is to have fun. If we have money then, why not buy some and have some entertainment?"
Although Li Yan loves money, she is not stingy. She works hard to earn money and is also willing to spend it.
Hearing her say that, Aunt Xue stopped talking and just smiled.
It wasn't that Aunt Xue was unwilling for her daughter-in-law to buy fireworks for her grandchildren, nor that she was unwilling for her to buy a large house and live with her grandchildren. She simply felt that a good woman like her would surely be appreciated by a good husband.
Take, for example, Xu Tongsheng yesterday. The way he looked at Yan Niang was very different.
Actually, if Yanniang were willing, this Xu Tongsheng would be quite good. He's refined and handsome, a scholar, and has a bright future ahead of him. If Yanniang could live with him, her future would certainly be bright.
If Yan Niang really remarries Xu Tongsheng, she will definitely be wholeheartedly devoted to living with him.
Even if she intends to continue taking care of Xu Ge'er and Yue Jie'er, by then, when they receive her kindness, their feelings will probably be different from now.
Besides, after a few more years, once she has her own child, she will definitely devote herself even more to her child.
Aunt Xue wasn't a selfish person. Since her daughter-in-law had a good match, Aunt Xue, as the mother-in-law, naturally wouldn't stop her. In fact, she was quite willing to match her daughter-in-law with this young scholar, Xu. After all, they were suitable people, and the two were about the same age.
But everyone has a selfish side, and Aunt Xue is no exception.
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Author's Note: Update is here!
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