The two of them bought loads of New Year's goods, filling Xie Yan's kitchen to the brim.
After Yu Yue finished washing up, she took a look at the dough she had kneaded the night before. It had risen perfectly, with densely packed honeycomb-like air pockets and a slightly sour smell, which was a sign of successful fermentation.
She immediately perked up and began making it.
Thanks to the abundance of pots and pans in their kitchen, they can set up a steamer on one side to steam buns and a fryer on the other to fry dough sticks, allowing them to work on both sides simultaneously with extremely high efficiency.
Xie Yan's task today is not easy; she has to keep a close eye on the heat of both pots at all times.
Especially when frying dough sticks, there is no room for carelessness.
If the heat is too high, the fried dough sticks will easily burn and become black and inedible; if the heat is too low, they won't have that crispy texture.
Xie Yan kept his eyes glued to the oil pan, holding fire tongs in his hand, adjusting the firewood in the stove every now and then, completely focused and attentive to Yu Yuehui's instructions.
Zhang Linghui stood by the cutting board, skillfully rolling out dough.
Her hands moved like those of a nimble dancer, the dough spinning and growing rapidly under her touch, and in no time, a perfectly rolled-out dough was ready.
After rolling it out, she put it aside and immediately started on the second one.
Yu Yuehui smoothly took the dough and skillfully placed it into the oil pan.
With a sizzle, the dough instantly tumbled in the oil, golden bubbles rising around it, accompanied by an enticing aroma.
As for Gu Bin, he was assigned to wash vegetables.
Today we have to wash and chop all the vegetables for the Chinese New Year, which is quite a lot of work.
He stood by the tap in the yard, adding hot water from the stove, washing vegetables basin after basin. The water flowed "whoosh," and Gu Bin carefully scrubbed every single leaf, leaving no corner untouched.
The group was busy and before they knew it, it was noon.
Everyone was so busy that they didn't even have time to eat lunch.
However, I didn't skimp on myself when cooking.
The steamed buns were fresh out of the steamer, piping hot and fragrant. One bite revealed the soft dough encasing the savory meat filling, which instantly burst in the mouth. The aroma was so enticing that the group couldn't resist eating another one.
You should taste the steamed buns while they're still hot to enjoy their rich wheat aroma.
Needless to say, the fried dough sticks are golden brown, crispy and delicious, and make a "crunch" sound when you take a bite.
The crispy fried pork pieces were even more delicious; we tasted them as they were being fried.
The crispy and savory pork was so delicious that the group couldn't stop eating it.
By the time it was lunchtime, everyone had already eaten their fill.
Upon seeing this, Yu Yuehui simply made a seaweed and egg drop soup.
Everyone drank a little to moisten their throats before throwing themselves back into the next round of busy work.
Finally, around dinner time, I had finished most of the things I needed to do.
Xie Yan couldn't stand the smell on her body, which was a mixture of oil fumes, flour, and various food smells.
He was thinking that he was going to wear new clothes tomorrow, and how could he, smelling like this, be worthy of brand-new and beautiful clothes?
So, that evening he boiled a large pot of water, preparing to take a good bath, but of course he washed his hair carefully beforehand.
After washing his hair, Xie Yan walked towards the bathroom while drying it.
Looking at the steaming tub, Xie Yan's smile stretched from ear to ear. He quickly and efficiently took off his clothes, and then, like a fish yearning for warmth, he "plop" comfortably lay down in the hot water.
Wow!
Xie Yan couldn't help but exclaim in pleasure, his voice filled with uncontrollable joy and satisfaction.
The moment I fell asleep, every exhausted cell in my body seemed to awaken from its slumber and receive this long-awaited comfort.
He slowly closed his eyes, gently resting his head on the edge of the bathtub, moving with extra care (after all, he had tasted the bitterness of trying to look cool before, and the pain was still fresh in his memory), letting the warm water flow smoothly over his body like silk, every inch of his skin enjoying this gentle embrace.
The warm water gently kissed his skin, bringing a slight tingling sensation, just like a pair of delicate and warm hands, gently massaging the fatigue all over his body, gradually dispelling the day's hardships.
After an unknown amount of time, Yu Yuehui, fearing that the person inside had fallen asleep, gently called out a few times.
Xie Yan struggled to get out of the bathtub, and shivered when he came into contact with the cold air outside.
Xie Yan started to miss the underfloor heating from her past life!
After quickly putting on her clean pajamas, Xie Yan ran towards the main room, taking three steps at a time.
A breeze blew by, carrying a faint scent of soapberry to my nose.
It's also Xie Yan's favorite flavor.
Xie Yan has rather peculiar tastes; compared to all sorts of expensive and pleasant perfumes, he prefers the plain scent of soap.
The ordinary scent of soapberry carried a simple yet refreshing feeling, always reminding him of the school uniform his mother had washed so clean in his past life.
Once back in the room, Xie Yan, like a nimble monkey, leaped onto the kang (a heated brick bed) and pounced on the warm quilt that had already been laid out.
The blankets seemed to still carry the scent of sunshine, soft and warm.
He lay down comfortably, feeling enveloped in an unparalleled sense of comfort, as if he were sinking into a gentle, cloud-like paradise. It was incredibly comfortable.
A short while later, Yu Yuehui also finished her bath and got into bed.
These days, staying up all night to welcome the New Year is not a common custom, and the two of them didn't plan to go to their parents' house to join in the festivities, so they went to bed on the kang (a heated brick bed) early.
At this moment, the room was quiet and cozy, with warm yellow light gently shining on them, as if draping the whole world in a dreamy veil.
The two of them did nothing tonight, which was unusual. Xie Yan simply wrapped his arm around her waist and gently embraced Yu Yuehui.
They gazed silently out the window as the night sky, like a vast black ribbon, was gradually illuminated by the stars. Those stars, like tiny diamonds, shimmered with a mysterious and enchanting light in the night sky, one, two… more and more, as if proclaiming the joy of the approaching New Year.
In this tranquil night, time seemed to stand still. They were immersed in this warm and sweet atmosphere, looking forward to the unknown wonders of the new year. The corners of their mouths unconsciously turned up, outlining a happy arc.
On the first morning of the new year, Xie Yan and Yu Yuehui woke up together, which was a rare occurrence!
Both of them put on new clothes.
Especially for Xie Yan, Zhang Shiyu's craftsmanship is truly remarkable. The leather jacket she made is indeed the most comfortable leather jacket Xie Yan has ever worn in his two lives.
Even the expensive designer clothes he bought in his past life didn't feel as good as this one.
Xie Yan stood by the mirror, admiring his handsome reflection.
I can never get enough of looking at it!
Why!
He finally understood what it felt like to wake up every day because he was so handsome.
That perfect figure, those 1.8-meter-long legs, my god, how can anyone in this world be so handsome!
Xie Yan kept changing into various cool poses.
The more I look at it, the more satisfied I become.
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