Chapter 128: Knocking at the Door, Abundance Every Year

When Ming Dai saw Zhou Sinian returning happily with a straw skewer holder, she assumed he had been having a great time at the brigade leader’s house. She had no idea that Zhou Sinian, single-handedly, had successfully reduced half the children in the village to tears.

"Ming Dai! Ming Dai! I’m back!! Where’s my surprise?!"

Ming Dai gave him a mysterious smile. "Close your eyes."

Zhou Sinian immediately obeyed, shutting his eyes tight. After a moment of rustling, a unique, sweet fragrance wafted to his nose. He opened his eyes in delight to see Ming Dai smiling at him, holding another straw skewer holder.

"Ming Dai! What is this?!"

He recognized the candied strawberries on the holder, but the other skewers looked strangely familiar.

Ming Dai took one off and handed it to him. "Try it."

Zhou Sinian set his own holder aside, took the one from Ming Dai, and sniffed it carefully. It was sweet-smelling, though slightly different from what he had just eaten. He took a gentle bite—*crunch*—the outer sugar coating shattered, and a rich, savory aroma of meat burst forth.

"Wow! It’s meat! Ming Dai, it’s red-braised pork!!"

Ming Dai nodded with a chuckle. It was her own exclusive invention, something she had conjured up in her previous life when she was bored at home. The sweet, tender, and succulent red-braised pork paired with the crispy sugar shell was unexpectedly delicious, though a bit cloying if one ate too much. That was why she had only made five skewers, filling the rest with strawberries and chestnuts.

Zhou Sinian finished his skewer quickly and looked at the holder in Ming Dai’s hands with excitement.

Ming Dai handed him one strawberry skewer and one chestnut skewer. "Try these first. I’ll put the rest in the spatial dimension for you to eat slowly."

Ming Dai had been keeping him on a strict diet lately, and Zhou Sinian had grown accustomed to it. He nodded, took them, and started popping them into his mouth one by one, closing his eyes in pure bliss.

Just as they were enjoying themselves, the back door was knocked upon, accompanied by the shrill crying of a child. Ming Dai felt a bit puzzled, while Zhou Sinian turned away with a guilty look, popping the last strawberry into his mouth. Seeing he was finished, Ming Dai stored the holders of meat and strawberries into the space before going to open the door. Zhou Sinian didn't follow but stayed by the kitchen door, peeking out.

Ming Dai opened the door to see a woman she didn't recognize, but the crying child was familiar—he was one of the boys from Zhou Sinian’s "Red Scarf Squad." The woman looked at Ming Dai and greeted her with an embarrassed expression.

"Um, Young Educated Youth Ming, do you still have any candied hawthorns? Could you trade me one? After little Shi Tou saw the... er, after he saw your candied skewers, he hasn't stopped crying for one. Can I trade with some pine nuts?"

She showed Ming Dai her basket, which contained a small bag of pine nuts. Ming Dai immediately understood: Zhou Sinian must have gone to show off to his little friends! She glanced back toward the kitchen and caught a fleeting shadow.

"Yes, Sister, we have some. Please wait a moment, I’ll go get them."

The woman nodded repeatedly, and little Shi Tou stopped crying, watching Ming Dai’s retreating back with hiccups. In the kitchen, Zhou Sinian, clutching his own skewer holder, had clearly overheard everything.

Ming Dai laughed. "You’re reluctant to part with them now, but why did you go and provoke them earlier? Didn't I tell you just to go play at the brigade leader’s house?"

Zhou Sinian blinked at her, refusing to answer, as if to say, "What are you talking about? I don’t understand."

Ming Dai reached out her hand. "Give it here. I have to go clean up your mess."

Zhou Sinian reluctantly handed over his skewer holder and followed Ming Dai outside. When they reached the door, they found a crowd. Aunts, grandmothers, young women, and wives stood filling the doorway, each holding one or two children with red, teary eyes.

*Ming Dai thought: How many did you make cry?!*

Fortunately, they had all brought various mountain goods, and Ming Dai traded with them one by one. Seeing the supply of candied skewers dwindling, Zhou Sinian’s face darkened, which scared the people behind him—they were afraid that if they didn't trade, their children would cry. It wasn't until Ming Dai told him to go back inside that the others dared to step forward.

By the time everyone was sent away, Ming Dai had collected a small bag of mountain goods, and only a small portion of the candied skewers remained. Seeing this, Zhou Sinian pouted unhappily. It wasn't until they returned to the space and Ming Dai showed him a fresh row of skewers that his mood brightened again.

The treats were made, and the Lunar New Year had arrived. Aunt Huang invited them to spend the holiday at her home, but Ming Dai politely declined. Zhou Sinian was fine during the day, but his emotions were less stable at night; he was comfortable in the space, but still felt a bit anxious outside.

That evening, Ming Dai stewed a large fish for Zhou Sinian outside. She cooked it whole, as it was customary to eat a whole fish on New Year’s Eve. Even though it was just the two of them, Ming Dai carefully prepared many dishes—half of what she liked and half of what Zhou Sinian liked—filling the table completely.

Zhou Sinian had a vague understanding of the New Year, but the liveliness of the kitchen made him very happy. At the dinner table, Ming Dai set out a bottle of Moutai to mark the occasion. She didn't like to drink, and Zhou Sinian couldn't. Zhou Sinian only glanced at the liquor before gazing longingly at the roasted chicken sitting in the middle of the table, its reddish-brown glaze and succulent appearance making it look incredibly delicious!

Ming Dai raised her glass, which was filled with honey water. "Zhou Sinian, I’m so glad to have met you. Thank you for your care this past year. You've worked hard!"

Watching Ming Dai raise her glass, Zhou Sinian lifted his own and repeated her words. "Ming Dai, I’m so glad to have met you. Thank you for your care this past year. You've worked hard!"

Ming Dai laughed at his sincere, simple-minded demeanor and clinked her glass against his. "Zhou Sinian, Happy New Year! Cheers!"

Zhou Sinian mimicked her. "Ming Dai, Happy New Year! Cheers!"

They finished their drinks in one gulp. Once done, Zhou Sinian immediately put down his glass, picked up his chopsticks, and looked at Ming Dai. "Ming Dai, Ming Dai, can we eat now?"

Ming Dai picked up her chopsticks and waved her hand. "Dig in!"

Zhou Sinian immediately reached out, snatched a chicken wing, and placed it in Ming Dai’s bowl. "Ming Dai, eat the chicken wing!"

Ming Dai’s heart warmed; he remembered she liked chicken wings. This was the most sumptuous meal Zhou Sinian had ever had. Besides the usual food, Ming Dai had made new dishes. In particular, the sesame-sauce green beans and the cold-dressed pig ears were so crunchy that Zhou Sinian couldn't stop eating. For the steamed meat, he gave a thumbs-up—he loved every single dish!

When they reached the fish, Zhou Sinian looked at the whole fish and said with regret, "Ming Dai, we can't finish it today."

Ming Dai, sipping on sweet corn soup, replied with a smile, "We're supposed to have leftovers—after all, we want to have 'surplus' every year."

Zhou Sinian’s eyes lit up, and he pointed toward the fish pond in the spatial dimension. "Surplus every year! There are so many, many fish!!!"

Ming Dai was amused by his literal interpretation. "Yes, we will have a surplus every year, and plenty of fish every year!"

The table was full of dishes that the two of them couldn't finish. Fortunately, the space could lock in the freshness, so they packed up all the leftovers and stored them in the warehouse. After cleaning up, Ming Dai turned on the lights outside the villa and brought Zhou Sinian out.