Chapter 043 Chapter 43

Chapter 43 (Exclusively published by Jinjiang)

A week before New Year's Eve, the Xie family had hired someone to clean the villa from inside to outside. Even the trees and flowers in the yard were trimmed and festive red lanterns were hung.

The interior decoration of the main building also caters to the New Year, with many beautiful and festive items placed on display, creating a festive atmosphere.

Soon it was New Year's Eve.

Shen Baili and Xie Zhiyu's daily routine remains the same. They leave home at 6 o'clock, exercise for two hours, and then return home.

Xie Chengyue, Shen Wan and Xie Liuzheng were sitting in the restaurant, eating breakfast.

"Good morning." Shen Baili was in high spirits.

Xie Chengyue smiled gently: "Sui Sui, good morning."

"Going for a morning run with big brother again?"

Shen Baili: "Yeah."

Shen Wan looked at her with a smile: "Sui Sui, go upstairs and change your clothes first, and come over for breakfast later."

"Don't sweat when you exercise, don't catch a cold."

Shen Baili: "Okay, Mom."

"Zhiyu, you too." Shen Wan reminded.

Xie Zhiyu: “Okay.”

The two took the elevator back to their respective rooms.

Shen Baili found some clean clothes and went to the bathroom.

She looked at herself in the mirror with satisfaction. Her arms were stronger than before and her abdomen had faint lines.

After continuous training, she can personally feel that her physical fitness has improved and she feels stronger than before.

These days' morning runs have made her lighter and more agile.

If she encounters danger, she runs fast.

Shen Baili's thoughts wandered for a moment. Of course, it would be best not to encounter any danger.

…

When she arrived at the restaurant, Shen Wan and the other two had not finished their breakfast yet.

The servant brought Tremella fuciformis porridge, milk and her favorite soup dumplings. Shen Baili was already hungry, so she ate her breakfast in no hurry.

"Brother hasn't come down yet?" she asked puzzledly.

Shen Wan: "It should be soon."

"Shunshun, eat more."

Xie Liuzheng drank the last mouthful of porridge gracefully: "Shall we make dumplings together this afternoon?"

In previous years, the family chef would prepare a sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner, and the whole family would eat around the table.

After Xie Liuzheng and Duan Xing got married, they had a New Year's Eve dinner at Duan's house at noon, and then rushed back to Xie's house in the evening to celebrate the New Year together.

To be honest, the Duan family’s New Year’s Eve dinner tasted average.

Duan Xing's parents love their son very much and do not allow him to enter the kitchen. The old people are reluctant to spend money, and coupled with traditional ideas, they think it is sincere to cook the New Year's Eve dinner themselves. Their cooking skills are very poor.

Xie Liuzheng tried hard to eat more, after all, it was the intention of Duan Xing's parents.

I divorced my scumbag this year and finally I don’t have to endure it anymore.

Everyone only saw Duan Xing's contribution in this marriage, and Xie Liuzheng also tolerated a lot. She once cherished Duan Xing and his parents so much, but in the end, Duan Xing betrayed her without hesitation. Duan's mother, who had always emphasized that she was her own daughter, knew that Duan Xing had cheated on her, but chose to cover up for her son.

Xie Liuzheng stopped reminiscing and said with a smile, "Let's celebrate the New Year together and add a lively home-cooked dish."

"Let the chef prepare the meat filling and dumpling wrappers, and we'll make them ourselves."

Shen Baili and Shen Wan agreed at the same time: "Okay."

"I join in! We can also put coins in the dumplings, and whoever eats the coins will have good luck this year!"

Xie Liuzheng said in surprise: "Good idea!"

She likes the process very much.

"Brother, what about you?"

"Do you want to join?"

The three of them looked at Xie Chengyue who was reading the financial news. He smiled helplessly and said, "I'll join."

"Call Tingting and Zhiyu, and have the whole family together to celebrate a happy and lively New Year."

Shen Wan: "Okay, I'll arrange it."

Xie Liuzheng smiled happily, "I'll help too."

Xie Chengyue: "Let Tingting and Chengyue do the work."

"It's almost nine o'clock, and you haven't gotten up yet?" He frowned slightly: "Are you staying up late again?"

"I'm here." Xie Tingsi rubbed his eyes and yawned.

He was wearing SpongeBob's cartoon home clothes, with his hair sticking up and curling. He looked messy and silly, but his good looks and good figure held him up.

Compared with Xie Tingsi’s childish outfit, Xie Zhiyu’s outfit is casual and comfortable, with a dark gray sweater and black pants, which is simple and handsome.

Both brothers are handsome men with perfect bodies and faces.

Xie Zhiyu's temperament is more mature and stable, yet still sharp. Xie Tingsi has that kind of androgynous handsomeness, and is unrestrained and uninhibited.

"I want to eat seafood porridge!" Xie Tingsi glanced at Shen Baili who was eating happily.

"Two more soup packets."

Xie Tingsi sat down next to Shen Baili and rubbed his stomach.

"Little Lihua, give me a taste."

As soon as he opened his mouth, the other three spoke at the same time.

Xie Chengyue: "Eat your own portion."

Xie Liuzheng: "Listen, don't bully your sister."

Xie Zhiyu took an apple and stuffed it into his mouth: "Didn't you want to eat an apple just now?"

Shen Baili ate the bun and blinked her eyes.

Xie Tingsi took a big bite of the apple and said, "It's quite sweet."

"Xiao Lihua, do you want to eat?"

Shen Baili shook her head: "I don't want to eat."

…

In the afternoon, it’s time to make dumplings.

The chef prepared various meat fillings and handmade dumpling wrappers and placed them neatly on the dining table.

The whole family sat together and started making dumplings.

Xie Liuzheng was very excited, but his hand that was about to pick up the dumpling skin suddenly stopped.

She remembered one very important thing: she didn't know how to make dumplings.

"Thank you, Auntie. I'll teach you!" Shen Baili saw her embarrassment and offered to take the lead.

"Thank you, Sui Sui."

Xie Liuzheng was concentrating on learning how to make dumplings, while Xie Tingsi and Xie Zhiyu were silently attending the class beside him.

"Put the meat filling in first. Don't put too much, or the dumpling skin won't be able to wrap it. Then put some water on the edge of the dumpling skin..."

Shen Baili taught very carefully.

Three people followed suit, and Xie Liuzheng made a strange looking thing.

Xie Tingsi and Xie Zhiyu are perfectly replicated.

"Aunt, you wrap it so ugly, haha." Xie Tingsi couldn't help laughing.

Xie Liuzheng didn't care at all. Instead, she was full of enthusiasm: "This is my first time making dumplings. It's amazing that I can make them like this."

"I will definitely succeed if I practice more."

Shen Baili agreed: "Yes, when I first learned it, it was even uglier, and it turned into noodle soup when I cooked it later."

"You can tell from the way Auntie wrapped it that it was very tight."

Xie Liuzheng smiled and said, "We are right!"

Xie Tingsi: "That makes sense."

"I look forward to the results of your practice."

Xie Liuzheng concentrates on making dumplings with the same concentration as when she practices the piano.

Her progress was obvious, and the dumplings gradually took shape.

While the four of them were teaching, Xie Chengyue and Shen Wan had already wrapped nearly five dumplings.

"Of course, Dad, you are a hidden talent." Xie Tingsi teased.

Xie Chengyue: "Making dumplings is very simple."

Xie Tingsi nodded: "Indeed."

Xie Zhiyu listened to their voices: "..."

Xie Liuzheng looked at them dimly: "I think it's pretty simple too."

"Shall we pack the gold coins in now?" Xie Liuzheng suggested, looking at the plate of gold coins.

The Xie family does not have gold of such a small weight. These gold coins were prepared by Steward Lin.

A family of six, six gold coins, good luck and fortune.

"Each person can take one in."

…

After a while, sixty-six dumplings were wrapped and sent to the kitchen to be steamed.

While Shen Baili was not paying attention, Xie Tingsi slid his fingers across her face, and a thick and long white beard appeared.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, little Lihua, you've grown a beard hahahaha..."

Xie Tingsi's laughter was so mean and he really deserved a beating.

Shen Baili reacted quickly, slapping his face with both hands, one on the left and one on the right, leaving clear fingerprints.

"Hahahaha, second brother, you have a white beard too."

Her tone was exactly the same, and just as annoying.

Xie Liuzheng took out her phone and took a photo of him as a souvenir: "Not bad, not bad, quite handsome."

"Listen, compare it."

Xie Tingsi put his arm around Shen Baili's shoulders and smiled brightly: "Eggplant!"

Shen Baili smiled subconsciously.

A funny and very memorable photo was born.

Xie Zhiyu looked at the two of them with a smile in his eyes.

“Brother!”

Xie Tingsi wanted to launch a sneak attack, but Xie Zhiyu, who was alerted, pressed him down on the dining table, making him scream like a slaughtered pig.

"Brother, my dear brother, my hand is going to break."

Xie Tingsi's face and body were all covered with white edible flour, which looked very funny.

Shen Baili and Xie Liuzheng were laughing secretly beside them.

Xie Liuzheng was delighted to see the excitement and recorded this precious scene.

"Listen, how come you grow taller but don't learn better?"

"You have never defeated Zhiyu."

Xie Tingsi: "I will definitely succeed next time."

Shen Baili always felt that this sentence was similar to Big Bad Wolf's classic line "I will definitely come back".

…

Night falls and it's time for the New Year's Eve dinner.

The family sat around the dining table again. There was a wide variety of delicious food, including six people's favorite dishes, filling the entire table. The food was made with expensive ingredients, but tasted delicious and had a fragrant aroma.

Xie Chengyue sat in the main seat, with his family members around him.

The Xie family hasn't had such a lively atmosphere for a long time.

If I had to use one word to describe how I feel at this moment, it would be happiness and satisfaction.

Xie Chengyue suddenly felt that happiness was too ethereal and made him feel inexplicably uneasy.

"It's time to share the dumplings."

Xie Tingsi took the initiative to distribute dumplings to everyone and started his performance.

"One for dad and one for me."

"One for Aunt Shen and one for me."

"One for my aunt and one for me."

"One for Big Brother and one for me."

"One for Xiao Lihua and one for me."

…

Then repeat.

"One for Xiao Lihua and one for me."

"One for Big Brother and one for me."

The crowd watched his performance quietly.

"Thank you, Tingsi."

Xie Chengyue called out his full name calmly, and Xie Tingsi immediately stopped playing tricks: "I was just joking, don't be so serious at the dinner table."

He was flexible: "I'm serious this time."

Shen Wan had a smile in her eyes and looked at Xie Tingsi with tolerance.

Shen Baili took a bite of the steamed fish, which was delicious and left a long aftertaste.

"Mom, this fish is delicious."

Shen Wan gave her another large piece: "If it tastes good, eat more to replenish your body."

Shen Baili has been growing taller recently and has been woken up by pain several times during her sleep. This feeling is very familiar.

When she was a child, her height grew rapidly and her legs hurt so much that she would cramp and wake up crying in the middle of the night.

Shen Wan was frightened by her, and took the child to see a doctor with the child's father that night.

Luckily I'm not sick, it's just growing pains.

Growing pains in children are a physiological phenomenon caused by the uneven growth rate of a child's bones and muscles.

It does not require specific treatment, but it can relieve pain.

The man who was no longer her "father" felt very sorry for her and tried different ways to provide her with food supplements, but it didn't work.

Xiaosui was often woken up by pain in the middle of the night, so he would get up and massage her legs to relieve the pain. Even though he was so sleepy that he couldn't open his eyes, he still remembered to cover his sleeping wife and daughter with a blanket.

Later, it was this man who gave Shen Baili the deepest and most fatal growing pains.

Shen Baili cursed three times in her heart.

The growing pains that came again brought out the memories that I least wanted to recall.

"Sui Sui, what's wrong?"

"Did you get a fish bone stuck in your throat?"

Shen Wan said concernedly.

Shen Baili came back to her senses: "No."

“The fish is so delicious.”

"Mom, you should eat more too."

Shen Wan was relieved: "Okay."

After his parents were shocked, Xie Tingsi quickly divided the dumplings.

Sixty-six dumplings, eleven for each person.

He kept repeating: "Eleven Eleven, every year there will be fish, every year there will be surplus."

It's perfect.

"Okay, let's start eating gold coins... not dumplings."

Xie Tingsi: "There are six gold coins in total. Let's see who is the lucky one tonight."

Shen Wan reminded: "Eat slowly, don't knock your teeth."

Xie Tingsi was about to take a big bite, but he decisively ate the dumpling in small bites.

Ate an empty one.

Shen Baili picked a dumpling at random and took a bite and found something hard.

Yellow and golden.

"I ate a gold coin!"