New Year's Eve night. Heavy snow.
When the bell sounded at the Hour of the Monkey, Wang Chen went to the kitchen and began cooking.
New Year's Eve dinner.
He first steamed half a pot of white rice, then stir-fried cured meat with dried tofu and braised winter bamboo shoots in oil. Next, he made a large bowl of egg-drop soup. Finally, he brought out an earthenware pot of braised Demonic Beast Meat that had been stewing for a long time.
Three dishes, one soup, and rice.
It was hardly lavish, but it could at least somewhat soothe Wang Chen's lonely heart at this moment.
It had not even been a year since he had transmigrated into this world.
Yet it felt as though a century had passed.
The events of his Previous Life had grown increasingly faint in his mind, already buried deep within his heart.
But today was a special day.
Every Spring Festival in his Previous Life, no matter where Wang Chen was, he would return to his parents' side.
He would spend the new year with his family.
On New Year's Eve, his mother would always exhaust every bit of her culinary skill, preparing a table full of mouthwatering delicacies.
Home-style braised large yellow croaker, soy-braised marrow bones, steamed giant lobster, salt-baked Three-Yellow chicken...
And, of course, the indispensable pork and cabbage dumplings!
The whole family would gather around the dining table, listening to the crackling firecrackers outside the window as they feasted heartily.
At times like that, his father would take out his treasured Maotai and have a drink with Wang Chen.
His little sister, who had loved arguing with him ever since growing up, would become very obedient too.
Provided the red envelope Wang Chen gave her was thick enough.
As for his little