Chapter 15
Chapter Summary: Making a Wish.
The stove, the furnace, the clay pot, and the earthenware pot were all novel to Yu Jing. As Yu Jing walked inside, she happened to see the cook preparing ingredients, holding a washed piece of pork and chopping it with a knife. His knife moved swiftly, "clack, clack, clack," and the pinkish pork quickly turned into minced meat. Yu Jing was momentarily mesmerized by what she saw.
"What is this used for?"
When the cook saw that it was Yu Jing who asked, he quickly put down the knife in his hand and replied, "Your Majesty, this is for making dumplings."
"Dumplings?" Yu Jing asked, carefully recalling the storybooks she had read. She remembered what dumplings looked like.
Seeing Yu Jing's stunned expression, the cook continued, "Just now, Miss Ayu said that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager didn't eat much at the banquet, and asked us to prepare some snacks first. Today is the beginning of the year, and I thought that some hot soup dumplings would be very nice."
Upon hearing the cook's words, Yu Jing suddenly felt a bit hungry. She then said, "Then you can cook it."
The cook was taken aback, then realized what he meant and replied, "Yes."
Then, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, he continued doing his own thing.
Yu Jing stood to the side, watching carefully, thinking that if he returned to the Heavenly Court in the future, he could show off his skills to his master and the Goddess Zhelan.
Xie Xuan stood behind Sheng Hua, watching her intently as the cook prepared the filling, kneaded the dough, and wrapped the dumplings. After standing for a while, his legs started to ache. When he looked up at Sheng Hua, she had slightly adjusted her posture, arms crossed.
Yu Jing didn't quite understand when the cook made the first dumpling, but she understood it by the second and third. She even secretly practiced a couple of times inside her wide sleeves; actually, it wasn't that difficult.
"Your Majesty, the hangover soup is ready." Ayu brought over the hangover soup at just the right time.
Yu Jing was getting a little tired from standing, so she replied, "Okay, let's use it when we get back."
"Yes," Ayu replied, and the group continued towards the bedroom. As soon as Yu Jing stepped out of the small kitchen, she broke out in goosebumps from the cold. The small kitchen was warm and cozy, but now, stepping outside, she was met with a biting cold wind.
Yu Jing unconsciously quickened her pace, and Xie Xuan followed behind her, staring blankly at the dangling hair ornament in her hair.
When Yu Jing returned to her bedchamber, she breathed a sigh of relief. The warmth of the bedchamber gradually spread from her fingertips to her heart, and the elegant scent of Yue Lin Xiang filled the air, bringing her peace of mind.
Yu Jing walked inside, sat down at the table, and A Yu followed behind, placing the hangover soup she was carrying on the small table. Looking at the white jade bowl in front of her, Yu Jing suddenly remembered what the Night Wanderer had just said and asked, "A Yu, are we staying up all night tonight?"
When Ayu heard Yu Jing mention this, she thought that Ayu did not want to stay up all night, so she replied, "According to the rules, it is necessary, but if Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is tired and wants to rest, that is fine too."
“Then let’s abide by the rules, but we can’t break them,” Yu Jing said, picking up the white jade spoon.
"Yes." Although Ayu was a little surprised by Yu Jing's words, she still responded.
After drinking the hangover soup, Yu Jing felt much better, and the lingering unease in her body vanished instantly. However, it was precisely because of the hangover soup that her hunger became even more pronounced.
"Ayu, go to the small kitchen and see if the dumplings are ready? I'm getting a little hungry," Yu Jing said as Ayu was clearing away the dishes after Yu Jing finished drinking.
Ayu turned her head to look. Although Yu Jing's face was adorned with glamorous makeup, her eyes were bright, like a child asking for candy. Meeting Sheng Hua's eyes, Ayu felt her heart soften considerably. Sheng Hua had never been like this before; the Sheng Hua of the past was cold and aloof, never talking to her so much. Ayu suddenly felt that Sheng Hua was quite nice this way; at least she had become more human.
“Alright, I’ll go and take a look now.” Ayu replied and went out with a bowl and spoon.
Yu Jing sat there, recalling the steps the cook had taken to make dumplings.
After a while, when there was a noise at the door, Yu Jing turned her head and peeked over, and saw that A Yu was followed by several people carrying things in.
Ayu instructed the others to put down what they were carrying. Yu Jing stared at the table and noticed that there were not only hot dumplings, but also many snacks and dishes. Boiled chicken, sweet and sour fish, cucumbers, pickled black vegetables, and stir-fried guinea fowl filled the table. It was exactly the same as a regular dinner, even more lavish. However, the portions were slightly smaller than usual.
Yu Jing paused for a moment and said, "Didn't you say you were going to prepare some snacks? Why is it so lavish?"
Ayu smiled and replied, "Today is the beginning of the year, so even the snacks must be prepared carefully."
Hearing Ayu say this, Yu Jing smiled, realizing how much mortals valued the New Year. Looking at the steaming dumplings in front of her, she couldn't care less; she picked up a spoon, scooped one up, and took a bite. The salty, savory meat, combined with its freshness, was incredibly delicious, even though it was a little hot.
After finishing their meal, Ayu and the others cleared away the bowls and chopsticks. Yu Jing sat in the hall, feeling somewhat bored, so she took out the poetry book she had been reading a few days ago and continued reading. After reading for a while, she felt a little sleepy, but remembering that today was New Year's Eve, she forced herself to continue reading.
Ayu stood to the side, clearly sensing that Yu Jing was sleepy. She rested her chin on one hand, holding a poetry book in the other, but her eyelids were already drooping uncontrollably. After a while, she forced them open again, looking quite adorable. Ayu watched for a moment, then finally couldn't bear it and said, "Your Majesty, perhaps this servant should help you settle down?"
Upon hearing the voice, Yu Jing, whose eyelids were about to close, immediately opened them, cleared her throat, and asked, "Ayu, what time is it now?"
"It should be midnight in another fifteen minutes," Ayu replied, glancing out the window. She hadn't expected it to be midnight so soon.
"Let's settle them in," Yu Jing said with a soft sigh, "We really can't stay here any longer."
Upon hearing this, Ayu hesitated slightly before continuing, "Your Majesty, perhaps you should be patient a little longer. The exorcism of the Nian beast and evil spirit will take place at midnight, and it will likely be a while before the fireworks and firecrackers are set off. If we set them off now, it might be too noisy."
"Driving away the evil spirit Nian? Setting off fireworks and firecrackers?" Yu Jing perked up immediately upon hearing this and murmured softly. Before she could finish speaking, a huge explosion erupted outside. Yu Jing looked up and saw that the window frames were dyed in brilliant colors by the fireworks.
Yu Jing immediately stood up and jogged impatiently towards the palace exit. A Yu hadn't expected Sheng Hua to make such a move. After all, in previous years, Sheng Hua had only found the noise of fireworks and firecrackers at the beginning of the year and had no desire to watch the festivities.
Xie Xuan stood under the corridor, gazing absently at the fireworks bursting beside the city wall. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the palace door opening behind him. Curious, he turned around to check what was happening, but before he could react, a figure in red had already slipped past him and run into the courtyard.
Xie Xuan was taken aback when Sheng Hua appeared, especially in this way. After a moment of stunned silence, he and the palace servants behind him bowed and paid their respects to Sheng Hua.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
The fireworks and firecrackers were very loud, and judging from Sheng Hua's expression, he clearly didn't hear them.
The fireworks were magnificent and dazzling; it was the first time Yu Jing had ever seen them, and she felt a profound sense of wonder. Huge, brilliant fireworks bloomed like flowers in the dark night sky, accompanied by a deafening roar. Her chest throbbed, and her heart blossomed. Yu Jing stood there in the courtyard, gazing at the fireworks in the sky, mingled with the falling snowflakes. If it weren't for the errands she had to run, this world would truly be wonderful.
Xie Xuan knelt on one knee under the corridor, slightly raising his eyes to look at Sheng Hua in front of him. She stood on the white snow in a red dress, her hairpins removed, her long, jet-black hair cascading down like a waterfall, a few strands of which were tossed about by the wind and snow. Looking at her back, Xie Xuan could sense, for some reason, that she was very happy.
Seeing Sheng Hua standing in the snow, A Yu quickly instructed Xiao Ting to go in and get a cloak, while she took an umbrella that was placed to the side and went behind Sheng Hua to hold it up.
As Yu Jing watched the clusters of fireworks bloom, a sentence she had read in some miscellaneous book suddenly came to mind: it said that if mortals made wishes upon fireworks, their wishes would come true. Although she was a celestial being, she was still considered a mortal at this moment. Thinking of this, Yu Jing quickly clasped her hands together and silently recited the mantra in her heart.
May the little fairy Yu Jing successfully complete this mission, help Heavenly Lord Xie Xuan undergo his tribulation, and ascend to heaven as soon as possible.
Yu Jing watched intently, her earlier drowsiness completely gone. Even after the last firework faded into the night, Yu Jing still felt a sense of lingering enjoyment. It turned out that the fireworks described in the storybooks were nothing compared to what she had witnessed.
After the fireworks ended, seeing that Yu Jing still showed no sign of returning to her palace, Ayu called out, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Yu Jing lowered her head slightly, then glanced at A Yu before turning back to her bedchamber. As she turned, she saw a large group of people kneeling in the corridor, Xie Xuan among them. Perhaps the sound of the fireworks had been too loud, for she hadn't heard them bowing and paying their respects.
"Get up, everyone," Yu Jing said as she walked.
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Back in her bedchamber, Yu Jing stopped insisting. A Yu helped her settle in, and as Yu Jing lay down on the couch and covered herself with the soft quilt, she felt incredibly comfortable. After all the commotion today, she didn't want to think about it anymore; she just wanted to get a good night's sleep.
The next day.
Yu Jing was awakened by A Yu.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Yu Jing responded somewhat groggily when she heard this. Then she heard A Yu say anxiously, "Today is the first day of the year. His Majesty and the Empress are expected to come to Cining Palace to pay their respects in a little while."
"Come in," Yu Jing said, fully awake. The door was pushed open, and A Yu entered with a group of people to serve her.
After Yu Jing got up and washed up, A Yu had a palace maid carrying clothes step forward and ask, "Does Your Majesty have any that you like?"
Yu Jing glanced at it; compared to yesterday's vibrant red, today's colors were more dignified and understated. The colors were lotus-colored with lotus patterns, dark green with fine ruyi patterns, and dark blue with floral and butterfly patterns.
Yu Jing thought for a moment and pointed to the dark blue floral pattern. The other two colors were a bit dull, but dark blue was just right.
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