Chapter 136: The Fourth Day of the New Year (1)

Training can wait until after the New Year; there is no need to talk about work during the holidays.

This year, Yu Qian did not visit her grandmother’s house again. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Wen Yu and her husband went over, gave the expected monetary gift, and returned. Because they had been doing well financially, their contribution had increased; they gave ten thousand yuan as a New Year greeting gift alone. The couple’s thinking was simple: they had earned money, and giving only a few hundred yuan would look bad. They didn't care what was said about them, but they were afraid of bringing shame upon their daughter.

Seeing her younger sister making money, wearing designer clothes, and driving a car, Wen Sheng could not help but regret their falling out, while Chen Ying was filled with nothing but envy, jealousy, and resentment. As for Wen Yuan? He had sought out his sister many times, always with his hand out for money. Yu Qian knew her younger brother was useless, but she hadn’t expected him to be so incapable that he still relied on their parents for support. However, since the money had already been given to her parents, it was theirs to spend as they pleased; she had no right to interfere. Having fulfilled her obligations, she found staying there pointless and preferred to go home and watch her daughter practice the piano.

...

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year had become the set date for relatives to visit the Yu-Wen household since last year. Because the couple had to return to the provincial capital for work on the seventh, they couldn't leave their daughter to host by herself. They hadn't notified her parents or brothers, only their cousins, so besides the in-laws, only these cousins were coming today.

Because Wen Yu had emphasized it, they hadn't told the two Wen brothers either. After all, they didn't want to ruin the festive mood with unnecessary drama.

"Second Aunt's husband!" Yu Qian shouted as she returned from a run. Her second aunt and her husband had already arrived, carrying plenty of produce. Her uncle was a better cook than her father, so he came early every year to help with the meal. In previous years, they would rotate between the two households for lunch and dinner, but after settling on the fourth as the fixed day, the brothers decided to host everything at the Yu-Wen house. Yu Hua felt awkward about this, so just like last year, he brought a large pot of bean curd and vegetables.

Speaking of bean curd, the kind Yu Hua made was truly exceptional. It was ground using their own stone mill, which was completely different from what was produced by machines. Plus, Yu Hua had a knack for adding the bittern, making the bean curd incredibly tender, smooth, and fragrant. Knowing from her uncle that her eldest uncle would be making bean curd today, Yu Qian calculated the time, grabbed a large bowl, and ran over, staring longingly at the pot. Once the bean dregs were filtered out, she scooped up a bowl of soy milk and sprinkled in some white sugar—it was absolutely delicious.

"That bowl is a bit small, will it be enough for you?" Yu Hua teased, looking at her bowl.

"Not enough! But my mom confiscated the bigger bowls, so that’s all I’ve got!" Yu Qian didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed.

Yu Zhen laughed as well, but despite the teasing, she reached into the cupboard and pulled out something two sizes larger than Yu Qian’s bowl—a basin! Yu Qian was stunned, looking back and forth between the basin and her bowl, finding it hard to believe. Did her sister really think she could eat that much? "Sis, I can't drink that much!"

"Wen Xiu will have some too."

Yu Zhen and Wen Xiu were about the same age, and ever since Wen Xiu arrived at the Yu home, the two had gotten along very well.

"Even so, that’s still too much," Yu Qian muttered. But it didn't matter; if they couldn't finish it, she could post it in the group chat. It seemed Nüwa and the others had never tasted soy milk ground from a stone mill.

Carrying the basin full of soy milk, she walked home with extreme caution. Her uncle and father saw her from the kitchen window and burst out laughing. She shot them an indignant look but didn't dare lose focus for fear of spilling it, continuing her careful trek. Once home, she grabbed the sugar and poured it in liberally; it wasn't sweet enough otherwise. After tasting it and finding it just right, she ladled a bowl for her parents, her aunt, and her uncle. Once she confirmed no one else wanted any, she headed upstairs with the rest.

Wen Xiu was playing a game upstairs. Even during the New Year, it seemed the residents of the neighboring realms didn't celebrate, as they were fighting across the six realms at breakneck speed. Yu Qian searched the TV cabinet until she found a pack of disposable paper cups, filling about twenty of them before the basin was empty.

"Xiu, drink some soy milk." She handed her one of the two bowls she had set aside, then took one side of her headphones and put it on. "Daozun, Niangniang, Ancestral God, and everyone else, I have over a dozen cups of soy milk here. I'll post them in the group in a moment—make sure to grab them."

With that, she returned the headphone to Wen Xiu.