CHAPTER 476: CHAPTER 266: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

After breakfast, Master Qin went all out.

Three Meat Buns, done!

Five Fillings Bun, done!

Regular Meat Bun, done!

Radish Bun, done!

Char Siu Bun, done!

Vermicelli Bun, done!

Glutinous Rice with Shumai, done!

...

No one in the kitchen was able to idle. Even He Cheng, who was outside, came in to help with the fire after boiling water. Third Aunt and Sixth Aunt watched as they couldn’t keep up with burning firewood for the stoves and urgently found a few extra helpers in the village.

Qin Luo and Uncle He Hua were chopping wood so hard they became like laborers. During the grand New Year time, they were doing strength training at home. By the end, Qin Luo couldn’t hold on and went to plead with Grandpa about whether next year, they could upgrade the kitchen, replacing the earthen stove with a gas stove.

Although we have air conditioning in the kitchen, can we also embrace modern technology with other equipment?

The hot dishes for our New Year’s Eve dinner are casually stir-fried just for the sake of it; there’s no need to be particular about using wood or earthen stoves to steam snacks.

Mr. Qin called his granddaughter foolish; if you replace it with a gas stove, what’s the use of you and your Uncle during the New Year? How can you stand tall and eat the snacks?

All afternoon, the kitchen was shrouded in steam.

Batch after batch of snacks was cooked; each type of snack was steamed only two batches, which led to discussions about not being in large quantities.

The Qin Family might seem small in population, capable of handling New Year’s Eve dinner in a single table. In reality, the relatives who come to eat the snacks are plenty, with many relatives anxiously waiting in other places.

Not to mention distant ones, there’s already a family next door.

Qin Tianhe, taking advantage of his age, insisted on bringing over things to visit. Many people in Qin Tianhe’s house were too embarrassed to come over. This year, Qin Tianhe’s youngest son Qin Dazhuang’s family couldn’t manage to buy a ticket to come home for New Year, but Qin Tianhe has plenty of children, with three sons and two daughters in total.

Ever since they seized the opportunity to tear down the wall, all of Qin Tianhe’s children and their families have gathered every New Year. Not a single son-in-law, daughter, or grandkid is missing. One daughter even eats two meals on New Year’s Eve, the first half at Qin Tianhe’s house and the second half at her husband’s.

If they could carry two buns in their pocket when they go for the second half, the daughter and son-in-law would surely be the highlight of this year’s New Year’s Eve table.

The Qin Family kitchen was shrouded in smoke all afternoon, while Qin Tianhe’s little grandchildren leaned on the window looking longingly at the sight next door for the entire afternoon.

Though they couldn’t actually see what snacks were being made in the kitchen, they could smell the aroma.

Such a strong smell of flour!

One sniff and you know it has to be fluffy, pure white, warm to the touch, and soft. One bite gives you immense satisfaction of eating carbohydrates, and if you chew carefully, you can also taste a sweetness!

Qin Tianhe’s grandkids didn’t have much of an imagination, their minds full only of steamed bread and meat buns, completely unaware that their dear grandpa had already sneaked over to the next door and devoured two whole Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns.

While the kids drooled outside, Third Aunt and Sixth Aunt were drooling in the kitchen.

So abundant, it is truly abundant.

In all the years Third Aunt and Sixth Aunt have been stoking fires in the Qin Family kitchen, when had they ever seen such a scene?

Qin Huai was making Longevity Noodles.

The chicken soup was ready, and although the soup-concentration skills might not be top-notch, the ingredients were guaranteed to be superb. The fragrance alone from the chicken soup made from 7 old hens made Qin Luo crave two big bowls sneakily. Qin Huai had confidence; tonight’s Longevity Noodles would surely give those 7 old hens a worthy death.

They didn’t die in vain.

Third Aunt and Sixth Aunt, who didn’t really understand, could only see that buns, steamed bread, shumai, and such were all completed. In fact, all the snacks Qin Huai had planned to make today had entered the final stage.

Meat buns, radish buns, shumai, and Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns were all steamed since these weren’t the main attractions of tonight. Tonight, the Qin Family had limited time and heavy tasks, with limited stomach capacity. These ordinary snacks could be left for the first to the fifteenth day of the New Year to be slowly eaten, so steaming them in advance was to free up time for the other snacks.

These were meant to be packed into the blind box gift package. They were just for looking at, not eating.

The main eating attractions were still incomplete.

Gastrodia stewed pigeon simmered in the pot, Qin Huai didn’t make a lot, only two pigeons. Each family member getting a bit of soup would do. Anyway, his cooking wasn’t that great, and pigeon meat could be left for the first day of the next lunar year.

The guo’er were initially raw embryos. After taking them out to thaw, they’d go on the top stove.

The Four Happiness glutinous rice balls had all four fillings prepared, and they just needed to be wrapped.

The Dried Tangerine Peel Tea was cooked and served. Though Third Aunt and Sixth Aunt didn’t get why the dried tangerine peel, white fungus, and lotus seed soup was named Dried Tangerine Peel Tea, no one bothered to ask, as they had all sneakily tasted it—delicious.

What harm is there calling such a tasty dried tangerine peel, white fungus, and lotus seed soup Dried Tangerine Peel Tea?

Isn’t there dried tangerine peel in it?

Qin Huai made two batches of Three Meat Buns and Five Fillings Bun, but only one batch was steamed. These steamed buns would later be given two to each household in the village, and how they are distributed among each family is their business. At least Master Qin’s goodwill was conveyed.

Qin Huai had done it this way every year. However, in previous years, meat buns were given, while this year it’s the plus version of the meat buns.

The other batch yet to be steamed would be steamed only enough for his own family during meal time, while the rest would be taken by Qin Xiuli to enjoy at the second half of the New Year’s Eve dinner.

Afterwards, the three members of Qin Xiuli’s family would each carry two large bags filled with buns and steamed bread. Qin Xiuli wandering around the village in the evening would justify the Three Meat Buns, Five Fillings Bun, and Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns inside the bags.

As for the Dream Come True Sesame Buns, nothing more needed to be said. The meat filling had to be freshly stir-fried, and the buns freshly made and eaten straight from the stove.

The only one that required relatively more time was the formal version of the apple dough ball, a true work of art and culinary showpiece.

Though Qin Huai couldn’t make the Qianhua Gongdeng Bun, making apple dough ball was no problem for him. Previously, Qin Huai only shaped the apple dough ball without bothering with the Filling.

Before the year-end, for the convenience of his sister showing off the apple dough ball around the village, Qin Huai took some time to learn from Zheng Siyuan about making apple dough ball fillings amidst making the Four Happiness glutinous rice balls.

The results are generally average, but sufficient.

Qin Huai has confidence in the residents of Qin Family Village. He bets that the villagers of Qin Family Village have not only never eaten apple dough balls, but have never seen them, nor heard of them.

When the time comes, the apple dough balls will be presented on the table first, photos will be taken and shared on social media, and then left untouched, saved for the next day for Qin Luo and He Cheng to take out and show off. It doesn’t matter if they’ve cooled down, they can still be eaten.

The taste doesn’t have to be fantastic, it’s about the experience of art and ambiance.

When Qin Luo and He Cheng share the apple dough balls with their friends, and the friends taste them and exclaim, "Wow, it actually tastes like apple!" The apple dough balls will have fulfilled their New Year mission.

Qin Huai can be said to have arranged this year’s snacks clearly and methodically, each playing its role.

He’s also proceeding with his plans methodically.

First rolling out the noodles, not rushing to cook them right away, setting them aside, then starting to make dumplings.

It’s not necessary to finish all the dumplings, just make enough for tonight’s consumption and for others to take home. The rest can be made after the New Year’s Eve dinner. The Qin Family’s activity on New Year’s Eve is always calm—after dinner, they watch TV, set off fireworks, and play mahjong.

Qin Huai isn’t skilled at card games and usually just watches TV. This year he can watch TV while making Four Happiness dumplings.

His dedication will surely move the Four Happiness dumplings god, allowing him to make A-level Four Happiness dumplings for the New Year!

After making the dumplings, Qin Huai starts cooking the noodles.

Meanwhile, he hands out blind box snack packs to the helpers who’ve completed their tasks.

Buns and steamed buns are plenty!

Everyone receives a blind box snack pack with delight, repeatedly saying, "Huaihuai, Happy New Year!"

For Aunt Wang’s New Year snack pack, Qin Huai stealthily included two embryo dough balls and whispered to Aunt Wang to keep them for herself because they’re special.

Aunt Wang promptly understands, taking out a small plastic bag from her pocket to separately store the embryo dough balls.

Qin Huai: 6

Unexpectedly, Aunt Wang came not only with a knife but also with a small plastic bag.

After distributing the snacks, the kitchen became much quieter.

Qin Luo, suspected of sneaking snacks, had already been sent out to the small kitchen to help Granny Qin.

Granny Qin is cooking the New Year’s Eve dinner there.

Qin Huai goes into the final preparations.

Dream Come True Sesame Bun, done!

Longevity Noodles, done!

Three Meat Buns, Five Fillings Bun, and dough balls, done.

Apple dough balls, finished!

Four Happiness dumplings, done!

Stir-fried Cabbage and Meat, done!

All the snacks are completely ready!

At six o’clock sharp, the Qin family begins dinner.

The family gathers around a round table, at the center of which a variety of colorful snacks are arranged. Surrounding them is a circle of seafood dishes that look fancy but nobody will touch.

In front of each person are two bowls, one with Longevity Noodles, one with Four Happiness dumplings.

The chicken soup Longivity Noodles have a rich flavor, though the soup is somewhat greasy, but it doesn’t matter much. Granny Qin doesn’t use clear broth, opting for the standard yellow hue of chicken soup, yet it doesn’t matter much.

The broth brewed with seven old hens is excellent!

He Cheng is already captivated.

He could see from Qin Luo’s social media that his cousin has been eating well this past half year, but he didn’t expect it to be this good!

Qin Xiuli is also captivated. She’s not keen on the second half of the meal this year.

Qin Huai is the head chef, but when to start eating is led by the eldest in rank, Mr. Qin.

Mr. Qin dislikes rambling, so with chopsticks raised, he orders, "Thanks to Huaihuai for his hard work this year. Happy New Year everyone! Noodles should be eaten while hot, Huaihuai said, eat the noodles first!"

"Sluurrrp." That’s Mr. Qin’s noodle-slurping sound.

"Sluurrrp!" That’s the sound of everyone eating noodles together.

"Sluurrrp sluurrp."

For a moment, the table is filled only with the sound of noodle eating.

At times like this, saying "Happy New Year" or "Brother, you’re really awesome, your noodles are truly delicious, I’d be willing to take evening classes in Shan City next year," are words left unsaid.

Even the sound of "gulp" is unheard when mouths are stuffed with noodles.

"Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp." Qin Luo has started on the soup.

A flawless action.

"Brother!" Qin Luo exclaimed loudly, "Your chicken noodle soup is really delicious!"

"Happy New Year!"