After learning that the hot spring villa would be open as usual on New Year's Eve, Shen Mingzhu booked a suite with a private courtyard, planning to spend a different New Year's Eve.

Although it is New Year's Eve, there are still many tourists in the villa.

However, most people just come here to soak in the hot springs and then go home to eat the New Year's Eve dinner. There are almost no people like Shen Mingzhu who spend the New Year's Eve directly in the villa.

It was just past lunch time when we arrived at the villa. Shen Mingzhu simply cooked a pot of noodles and paired it with fried sauce that she had prepared at home to fill her stomach. After eating and drinking , she rested for a while and started to soak in the hot springs.

Guoguo is young and has delicate skin. Worried about burns or drowning, Shen Mingzhu specially prepared a wooden basin, filled it with half hot spring water, and let Guoguo sit in it and play.

Guoguo was so happy taking a hot spring bath for the first time that she couldn’t stop laughing.

After soaking in the hot spring, Shen Mingzhu made fruit tea for everyone to replenish their water, while Pei Yang lit the stove and prepared to barbecue.

Shen Mingzhu had prepared the ingredients at home in advance. According to the custom of Fengcheng New Year’s Eve dinner, there were chickens, ducks, fish, pork, cattle, and mutton.

It’s just that the method has been changed to barbecue around the stove.

You can eat while grilling. A small copper pot is placed in the center of the grill to cook dumplings and vegetables.

As the sky darkened, the charcoal fire illuminated the faces of the family of four, making them appear red.

Pei Yang led the two children to play, while Shen Mingzhu used chopsticks to put the ingredients on the grill.

As the meat sizzles over the high-temperature charcoal, the aroma of barbecue fills the air.

There was a knock on the door.

Shen Mingzhu thought it was a staff member of the villa, so she got up and opened the door.

“It smells so good.”

Looking at the three siblings of the Zhong family outside the door, Shen Mingzhu said nothing.

"What a coincidence, we are also spending New Year's Eve at the villa. Why don't we go together? I also brought a lot of dishes. I'll get them over." Zhong Qing said to Shen Mingzhu with a smile.

However, Shen Mingzhu did not respond, and the atmosphere became awkward.

After a brief silence, Zhong Qing smiled and said, "We are a little abrupt. We won't disturb your reunion. We are next door. You can come over if you need anything."

After saying that, Zhong Qing took Zhong Yin and Zhong Min’s hands one each and left.

Shen Mingzhu closed the door, returned to the yard, and glared at Pei Yang who was obviously guilty.

"You told her?"

"She called me yesterday and said she ordered some fresh food and would send some to our house today for us to taste. I casually mentioned that we would not be at home for New Year's Eve, and I didn't know she would follow me here."

Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu didn't ask any more questions. She returned to the oven and put the cooked meat into the bowls of the father and son respectively.

"Ah~eat meat."

Staring at the roasted meat in the bowl with a charred aroma, Guoguo was more anxious than the father and son. He stood on tiptoe and kicked with his short legs, and stretched his hands out.

Guoguo is not old enough to eat barbecue, so Shen Mingzhu cooked chicken breast and ribs in a small copper pot, but they were not cooked quickly. In order to prevent her daughter from crying, Shen Mingzhu took out some teething biscuits.

She baked the teething biscuits herself, adding banana mash and milk powder, which made them very sweet and delicious.

Guoguo usually likes to eat it and won't let go once he bites it. But today he was acting weird. Even when the teething stick was put to his mouth, he refused to open his mouth and insisted on eating barbecue. He would cry if I didn't give it to him.

The family of three was trying hard to coax the baby when suddenly a series of "crackling" noises came from next door.

Everyone please be quiet.

Guoguo stopped crying and opened her big watery eyes, seeming curious about what happened.

"Shall I go over and take a look?"

Seeing that Shen Mingzhu had no objection, Pei Yang handed his daughter to her and got up to go next door.

After a while, he came back, "The three siblings had never cooked before, and they overturned the pot, causing Zhong Qing to get a big blister on her hand."

Seeing Shen Mingzhu remained silent, Pei Yang teased, "If you don't let her come over, she will definitely make some other noise soon."

After saying that, Shen Mingzhu glared at him.

Finally, Zhong Qing and her two siblings were called over.

Compared with the plainness of their place, the ingredients of the Zhong family can be described as extravagant and inhumane.

Alaskan king crab, red abalone, blue lobster, oysters, and a variety of shellfish and shrimp.

Coincidentally, they are all her favorite foods.

Perhaps they sensed the unpleasantness between her and Zhong Qing, or maybe it was just their upbringing, but Zhong Yin and Zhong Min didn't pick up their chopsticks after they sat down, even though both kids were ravenous over the sizzling barbecue.

Shen Mingzhu used a grill tongs to put some roasted meat in the bowls of the siblings.

"Eat it, thank you Sister Mingzhu."

After getting Zhong Qing's permission, the brother and sister immediately picked up their chopsticks and said thank you to Shen Mingzhu.

Pei Yang had to take care of Guoguo, so the task of barbecue fell on Shen Mingzhu alone.

Now that there are three more siblings in the Zhong family, she is inevitably overwhelmed and has no time to take care of herself.

"Let me help you."

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"Just sit still, or you'll overturn my oven again."

After being scolded by her, Zhong Qing sat there quietly, not daring to move, and whispered, "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

Shen Mingzhu silently put two pieces of freshly roasted beef into her bowl.

"Thanks."

After swallowing the beef, Zhong Qing praised sincerely: "The beef tastes great, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fresh and slightly spicy, and it's even more perfect when paired with fruit wine."

"I brought a bottle of white wine. It's next door. I'll go get it."

Zhong Qing quickly brought the wine.

The wine was opened and the light yellow wine was poured into beautiful goblets.

Zhong Qing handed the first glass of wine to Shen Mingzhu.

Seeing that she refused to take it, Zhong Qing placed the wine glass next to her.

"Happy New Year, Mingzhu."

"This is the third year that we have known each other. I hope that in the next three years, the next three years, and the next three years, we can eat meat and drink together like we do today."

bite.

Zhong Qing clinked the wine glass next to her, tilted her head back and drank the white wine in the glass.

The charcoal fire reflected the crystal in the other person's eyes. Thinking of the unbearable past that the other person had buried deep in his heart and could not tell anyone, Shen Mingzhu suddenly felt a collapse in her heart.

If you put yourself in her shoes, she might not be able to handle the situation better than Zhong Qing.

The incident has passed, and she has learned her lesson. If she keeps dwelling on it, she will not only embarrass others, but will also torture herself.

Seeing Shen Mingzhu pick up the wine glass and drink the wine, Zhong Qing hugged her happily.

"Mingzhu, my wish has come true, right?"

"Well, Happy New Year."

The awkwardness and discomfort that had been lingering in my heart suddenly disappeared at this moment.

…

New Year's Day.

A group of young wives, each with their children, gathered together to chat and play.

Everyone's eyes fell on Jia Yuemei from time to time. She was wearing a brand new cotton-padded jacket with flowers, red leather shoes, golden earrings on her ears, and a pair of shiny silver bracelets on her wrists.

"Tsk tsk, among all the daughters-in-law in our village, Yuemei is the most blessed. Look at how she is dressed in gold and silver. Unlike that Yang, who picked up sesame seeds and lost watermelons, she has not yet married!"

Hearing someone talking about the ex, Jia Yuemei became interested, "What is she doing now?" (End of this chapter)