CHAPTER 94: CHAPTER 94: BROWN SUGAR NOODLES

When she carried the dish to the dining room, she found an exquisite petal-shaped fruit plate on the table in the living room. There were eight grids with two more in the middle, making a total of ten sections filled with melon seeds, plums, candied fruits, peanuts, sunflower seeds, fruit candies, soft candies, and lollipops. The two middle grids contained rock sugar, winter melon candy, and crispy strips.

The New Year’s snacks were all there!

In her previous life, until the 90s, every household had these for the New Year, including the Dang family. Their family was the only exception because they had no guests visiting; buying such things would have been a waste. She didn’t expect that in this life, Chen Wenjun would fulfill her wish early.

Lin Qin’s heart warmed, her eyes reddened, and she jogged back to the kitchen to continue serving the dishes.

When all the dishes were placed, Chen Wenjun went out to set off a string of firecrackers.

Like performing magic, he produced two bottles of soda.

During the New Year, Lin Yi didn’t dare complain about Chen Wenjun spending money extravagantly. He urged everyone to sit down and eat.

The fragrant fried rice with eggs so mesmerized the two children.

Each had a big bowl of egg fried rice, engrossed in eating, uninterested in the braised pork and fish.

Lin Qin served each of them a piece of oyster pancake, but the children didn’t want any more after a couple of bites. They liked the shrimp cakes instead, eating fried rice and shrimp cakes until their bellies were full.

After eating, the two of them couldn’t wait to go out and set off small firecrackers.

Chen Wenjun played with them for a while before returning to continue eating.

This meal continued until after eight o’clock.

According to the local customs, the New Year’s Eve dinner is not to be cleaned up immediately. After eating, it should be left as it is, and then heated in the morning with red sugar noodles cooked fresh.

The family was used to going to bed and waking up early. They could only hold out until ten o’clock before going back to their rooms.

At midnight, Nanxi set off fireworks, the noise waking up Lin Qin and Chen Wenjun.

The two of them huddled under the warm quilt, looking at each other.

Chen Wenjun naturally pulled her into his arms, smiling contentedly, "Isn’t it great! This is the first New Year we’ve spent together in this life, and we have everything!"

Lin Qin nodded repeatedly, her voice a little hoarse, "It will get better and better in the future!"

As the feelings flowed, the night was infinitely enchanting.

The next day at five o’clock in the morning, the couple got up together.

It was still pitch black outside.

Lin Yi saw them awake and scolded, "Why not sleep a little more? There are only a few days in the whole year when you can afford to be lazy."

Chen Wenjun grinned widely, "Dad! It’s already time, and I’ve got so much energy, I wish I could set out to South Port immediately, except that none are fishing today, hahaha..."

Lin Qin laughed along, pulling out brown sugar and noodles, "I’ll cook brown sugar noodles; this will be our breakfast today."

Back when they were with the Liu family, treats like brown sugar noodles never reached her and Yaya. At most, they would get a taste of it for luck. Without that good fortune, even a chance to lick the bowl was denied by Ma Cuihua.

Lin Yi lived alone and never went through the effort; during the New Year, he wouldn’t willingly cook brown sugar noodles. For Chen Wenjun, even on a New Year’s day, he’d be busy fishing and making money.

Everyone eagerly anticipated this pot of brown sugar noodles.

Chen Wenjun also took the initiative to help Lin Qin with the fire.

Lin Yi found a few unsightly sweet potatoes and threw them into the stove, "Bake a few to taste."

Without children around, the three indulged themselves like children for once.

The brown sugar noodles cooked quickly, but the sweet potatoes needed more time.

Lin Qin carried the brown sugar noodles and five fruits, whisked away by Chen Wenjun to the Prince Temple to offer their respects.

The Prince Temple rested on a five-canopy boat, bustling on the first day of the lunar new year.

The couple’s arrival in a tin boat created quite a stir.

Chen Yongding curiously asked, "Wenjun, did you buy a tin boat?"

The others perked up to listen.

Chen Wenjun chuckled and shook his head, "No, no, just traded with someone. A friend needs to transport goods; the tin boat’s too small, doesn’t hold much, and since we moved to land, a tin boat is enough for fishing."

Everyone looked enlightened.

Recalling Chen Wenjun’s grand house, Chen Yongding understood.

As they spoke, Chen Wenjun led Lin Qin into the Prince Temple, placing the brown sugar noodles and five fruits. A glance at others’ offerings revealed their own to be the finest.

Zhou Shuifang took a glance and enviously asked, "Are all these newly bought?"

Lin Qin gracefully smiled, "We didn’t have them at home before, just got them set now."

Once Lin Qin stepped out, a woman whispered in Zhou Shuifang’s ear, "This woman is truly lucky; marrying Wenjun has brought her such a good life, while the previous one bore the hardships."

Zhou Shuifang, knowing the inside story, didn’t gossip along but offered clarification.

"You kidding! I’d say it’s Ah Qin who’s brought fortune. Wenjun lived with Ping’an for so many years, and that life was the same! Since marrying Ah Qin, he had the urge to buy land and build a house. Now his father-in-law even assists with farming; life has only gotten brighter.

And Ping’an, once pampered by Wenjun like a girl, is thriving now! He’s even attending City Experimental Primary School! Could Wenjun alone have achieved this?"

The woman, of course, knew Lin Qin’s contribution to Chen Wenjun’s improved life, but jealousy drove her to find a comrade for some venting.

Zhou Shuifang not joining her complaints was bad enough; expounding such words only added to the frustration.

The woman pouted, turned, and left.

Lin Qin was nearby, though she couldn’t hear the woman, she understood her displeasure from her expression and inquired about her identity from Chen Wenjun.

Chen Wenjun glanced at her, his demeanor indifferent, "Her name’s He Xia, has some family ties with the one before, just ignore her."

Lin Qin nodded, making a mental note of this person.

As they returned from the Prince Temple, they found the children awake, dressed in new clothes, showing off in the yard.

Lin Qin quickly heated the brown sugar noodles, serving a bowl to each of the children.

The next day was the second day of the New Year, the day when Lin Ying visits her maternal home with her family.

Lin Yi hadn’t informed Lin Ying of his move yet, fearing his elder daughter and son-in-law would arrive only to find nobody home, took his bike to Shanglin Village to pick them up.

He reached the old house at eight.

Lin Jianqiang, freshly engaged, was busy visiting his future in-laws on the second day of the New Year, and had gone out early, leaving the door locked. Lin Yi sat on the steps unaffected by the dirt.

But hardly had he settled than someone arrived, and it wasn’t Lin Ying or Xu Dahai.

"Fugen! Why are you visiting here on the second day of the New Year?" Lin Yi stood up in shock.

Zhu Fugen, Lin Yi’s wife’s nephew—or Lin Qin’s maternal cousin since Lin Qin’s mother passed away—had had no familial visits from the Zhu family in years, except when Lin Qin married, and even then, only her uncle came.

What curious wind has blown today to bring Zhu Fugen and his wife!