New Year

Today was a new day.

At the same time, it was also a new year!

"Mmnh~~~"

Dressed in new clothes, Xiao Yan opened his window and breathed in the morning air, feeling especially refreshed.

(Today was... New Year's.)

Yao Chen spoke softly from within the Ring, and Xiao Yan replied with a smile.

"Elder Yao had always been curious about it, right? New Year's is super fun~"

(I can tell.)

Yao Chen's voice turned somewhat helpless. Xiao Yan's attitude today was finally fitting for someone his age. Before, he had been so mature he seemed like an adult.

No.

Yao Chen paused, correcting herself inwardly.

Perhaps he was only like this today.

Only for this one day did Xiao Yan completely cast aside the responsibilities of the past and his pursuit of the future, happily and unburdened as a child of the Xiao Family.

"Hey! Cousin Xiao Yan! Are you up yet?"

At that moment, Xiao Ning's shout came from outside the door. Xiao Yan immediately answered.

"Coming!"

Xiao Yan opened the door to find Xiao Ning standing outside, hands on his hips. He tilted his head at Xiao Yan and called out.

"Come on, older sister and the others already went over to help."

"Okay!"

Xiao Yan shut the door and headed toward the Xiao Family compound with Xiao Ning.

The moment they entered the Xiao Family compound, they saw that it was already filled with stoves and tables. Every elder of the Xiao Family who could cook, male or female, was helping prepare ingredients and make food. Xiao Yu and Qing Lin were helping as well, while those who could not cook were moving things around and setting up the courtyard.

The elderly members of the Xiao Family sat together in a corner, chatting about the interesting events of the past year and chuckling as they watched everyone bustle about the compound.

"Xiao Yan, good morning~"

Hearing the greeting, Xiao Yan turned his head and saw Nalan Yanran slowly walking over with an armful of firewood. He looked at her and smiled lightly.

"Little Glutton, you're helping too?"

"Don't call me Little Glutton!" Nalan Yanran roared out of habit before answering, "Although I'm a guest, I'll be marrying into the Xiao Family eventually. Since this is your Xiao Family's custom, I should get used to it early."

Just then, a voice rang out from elsewhere.

"Hey! We're running out of firewood! Someone bring more over!"

"Coming!" Nalan Yanran immediately replied. "I'll talk to you later!"

Leaving those words behind, Nalan Yanran ran off with the firewood.

Watching Nalan Yanran's back view, Xiao Yan rubbed his neck and chuckled inwardly.

The future Young Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect was actually doing odd jobs for our Xiao Family.

Normally, Xiao Yan would never have allowed Nalan Yanran, a guest, to help out.

But today, Xiao Yan did not care about such formalities. As long as she was willing, that was enough.

"Little Yanzi! Xiao Ning!"

Xiao Li's voice suddenly carried over. Xiao Yan and Xiao Ning looked over to see Xiao Li standing before a stove in the distance, wearing an apron and holding a kitchen knife as she shouted loudly.

"We don't have enough meat! Go buy another two cows from the street! And get around ten fish too! Big ones!"

"Got it!"

Xiao Yan and Xiao Ning answered in unison, then turned and left the Xiao Family for the market.

On the way, recalling Xiao Li's appearance just now, Xiao Ning could not help but sigh.

"Seriously, with Sister Xiao Li's personality, I never expected her to be the best cook in our Xiao Family."

"That's true."

Xiao Yan softly agreed.

Although Xiao Li was carefree, bold, and uninhibited, more like a man than a woman in temperament...

Unexpectedly, Xiao Li's cooking was exceptionally delicious, comparable even to the best restaurants in Wutan City.

In contrast, Xiao Yan's eldest sister, Xiao Jing, looked gentle and elegant, but she had a catastrophically nonexistent talent for cooking. It would already be a mercy if she did not blow up the kitchen.

Perhaps this was what they called contrast.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Ning had just arrived at the market when they ran into Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Mei. The two were carrying a huge sack stuffed full of all kinds of vegetables.

"Cousin Xiao Yan!"

The instant Xiao Mei saw Xiao Yan, her eyes lit up. She completely ignored Xiao Ning and was about to pounce on Xiao Yan when Xiao Xun'er called out to stop her.

"Mei'er! They're waiting for the vegetables at home!"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Xiao Mei suddenly realized, then carried the huge sack of vegetables past Xiao Yan. "Then, Cousin Xiao Yan! We'll head back first!"

"Brother Xiao Yan, see you later."

After saying goodbye to Xiao Yan as well, Xiao Xun'er carried the vegetables and followed after Xiao Mei, hurrying toward the Xiao Family.

Seeing this from within the Ring, Yao Chen could not help but feel wistful.

Yao Chen had been watching over these past few days. In the entire Xiao Family, Xiao Mei was the one most attached to Xiao Yan. Every time they met, she would definitely throw herself at him, as though it had become her customary behavior.

It seemed today was a special day for everyone in the Xiao Family. Even that Little Girl Xiao Mei had changed her ways and gone straight back home.

"Let's hurry too."

Xiao Ning smiled lightly at Xiao Yan, who nodded.

The two of them quickly made their way to the meat market and began selecting what they needed amid the crowded throng.

More than ten minutes later, Xiao Yan and Xiao Ning each carried a cow on their shoulders, with ten fairly large sea fish hanging from each of their arms. Under the unsurprised gazes of passersby, they ran toward the Xiao Family.

The residents of Wutan City might have found the sight strange at first, but after seeing the Xiao Family celebrate New Year's year after year, they had grown accustomed to this rather unusual scene.

Some residents had even come to enjoy the New Year custom under the Xiao Family's influence. Every year on this day, they would imitate the Xiao Family by gathering their relatives together for a reunion. That was also why the meat market was so crowded. Thanks to this, the business of Wutan City's butchers and vegetable sellers boomed every year on this day.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Ning returned to the Xiao Family and tossed the cows from their shoulders onto the ground. Xiao Yan then shouted at Xiao Li, who was holding a huge black iron pot and constantly stirring its contents.

"Second Sister! We bought the stuff!"

"I'M BUSY OVER HERE!!!"

Perhaps the heat from the stove had made her irritable, or perhaps there was simply too much noise around her, but Xiao Li could not help roaring at the top of her lungs.

Having received Xiao Li's reply, Xiao Yan and Xiao Ning looked at each other, then shrugged in unison.

They had no choice but to do it themselves.

Fortunately, after cooking on the mountain for three months, if nothing else, Xiao Yan and Xiao Ning had become quite skilled at butchering beef.

Xiao Yan went into the kitchen and found two kitchen knives. After coming back out, he handed one to Xiao Ning. The two squatted on the ground and began butchering the cows with practiced ease.

As Yao Chen watched the busy scene in the Xiao Family compound from within the Ring, she did not find it noisy at all. Instead, a deep warmth and envy welled up in her heart, and she sighed softly inwardly.

How lively. Its scale could not compare with any banquet Yao Chen had ever seen, and the preparations were disorderly, without the slightest elegance.

Yet it drew her in so deeply that she could not help wanting to join them.

At that moment, a thought suddenly surfaced in Yao Chen's heart.

When I go back someday, we should celebrate New Year's there too.