New Year's Eve Snacks

It was completely dark by then.

In front of the courtyard gate of the Bu Family, Jiang Xueming stuffed the brocade box into the trunk of the Volga.

The two station attendants were also unsure what this stick of unknown origin was.

Last time, Xue Ming left in a hurry and was only focused on acting with the BOSS, so she didn't have time to find out the purpose and origin of the stick. Rather than letting it gather dust in the warehouse, it's better to hand it over to 9527 for safekeeping.

Xiao Qi is close to the BOSS's waiter and has a wide network of connections—so she asked her to investigate the function of this stick and bring it with her on the next trip, in case it comes in handy.

Ms. 3301 didn't say much. When she learned that A Xing was dating two Wool Sheep, she just wiped her nose, chuckled, and snorted coldly before getting into the passenger seat and going to sleep.

"Let's go!" Bai Qingqing gave Thumb- up to the car window. "When will we see each other again?"

Jiang Xueming pondered the time required for the physical modification and finally chose the most cautious and safest answer, "Four months later."

Bai Qingqing: "It takes that long to prepare?"

Xue Ming remembered Coach Zhou's instructions; he needed at least four months to adjust his physical condition, to emerge from his prolonged sub-health state, and become a truly "normal" person—but only "normal," not yet "strong."

He saw A Xing's strong shoulders, neck, and upper arms; that body possessed the power to smash through walls, which he greatly envied.

"At least four months. If the boss isn't lying to me, I'm going to the Mimir Hot Spring Market to compete and fight with people—I need to be fully prepared."

Despite having talked about the Dump Truck Iaijutsu for so long, it was difficult to use it at various stations. Gun control in the underworld was extremely strict, and possessing military contraband was a serious crime. Putting all that aside, he had to continue training his physical body to bring its quality close to the level of the other two elemental substances.

There's fire in Xiao Qi's eyes--

--It is the flame of anticipation.

"Then it's settled, employer! You really do want to [take your time], right? I know you have a good memory!"

Jiang Xueming nodded. "Mm."

"So, you should remember my sect's ancestral teachings. If you're not as capable or as intelligent as me, don't try to mess with me." 9527 hadn't finished speaking...

--San Sanling couldn't stand it any longer, so he raised his hand and pressed down on Seventh Brother's leg to stop the accelerator. The Volga then disappeared into the night.

Even from a great distance, you could still hear Xiao Qi's cursing.

"I haven't finished speaking yet! -- Aren't you shameless?!"

3301 was extremely pleased, but couldn't stand this one-sided flirting at all. She let out a long howl, like a wolf howling.

"Awooo!"

Xue Ming watched the lights of the Volga grow farther and farther away until they disappeared, without saying a word. He remained silent the whole time.

A Xing sidled up to Ming Ge and asked in a cheeky tone, "Ming Ge, are you feeling a little sad? Tell me, how are you feeling right now?"

Jiang Xueming: "Yes."

A Xing: "Oh ho ho, do you two really like each other?"

Jiang Xueming opened the brand-new passenger logbook and pointed to a page with detailed information about the [Summoning Bell].

"It says here that passengers should be mentally prepared at any time before becoming VIPs."

A Xing hadn't read through the new logbook carefully yet when he looked at it, following Jiang Xueming's hand. It was indeed a newly added supplementary regulation.

Jiang Xueming continued, "The BOSS emphasized that our waiters are flesh-and-blood human beings who also experience joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, and have their own lives and families. Passengers need to relax and get along well with the waiters. The first waiter assigned to each passenger by the station is like a jewel and a stick—a very important partner in their life."

A Xing asked curiously, "What does it mean that we should be mentally prepared?"

"Be prepared to lose this partner." Jiang Xueming frankly said, "People like 9527 and 3301, in addition to responding to our Summoning Bell, also need to respond to emergency calls—just like firefighters or patrol officers at a station. If a Spirit Calamity occurs somewhere underground, and the scope of the spiritual disaster is huge, and the number of deaths in the area increases dramatically, these attendants must respond and prioritize handling emergency call tasks."

"That won't do," Bu Liuxing said anxiously. "What if we run into some kind of unfortunate natural disaster? Who can say for sure?"

Jiang Xueming sighed deeply, "I don't want to owe her a debt that I can only repay with ghost money in the end. So, I need to become stronger, to become someone like Teacher Victor."

Bu Liuxing's eyes lit up. "So she won't have to go to disaster relief?"

"No, that way I can go with her to help with disaster relief." Jiang Xueming said firmly.

A Xing suddenly grabbed Xue Ming's shoulders, her whole demeanor beaming with joy. "Ming Ge! You really care about Qi-ge! I knew I wasn't wrong about calling him 'Sister-in-law Ming' all those days!"

"No, A Xing." Jiang Xueming grabbed A Xing's hair, trying to brush the strands that were blocking his vision back, wanting A Xing to be more alert and attentive.

Xue Ming was very serious.

"She's not my lover, but I can keenly sense that our emotional connection is more important than mere romantic love. She took me to the train station—she's a friend; she lent me money and helped me out of her work—she's a sworn brother; she used her chopsticks to test poison for me—she's a benefactor. In the future, I'll need her help to grow—she's also my teacher. I can't repay these things with simple love. Do you think that getting a marriage certificate with her is the end of it?"

"But... these things don't seem like a big deal to Seventh Brother," A Xing muttered.

"These are very important things in my life." Jiang Xueming gently patted Liuxing's cheek. "Remember, not all favors are done without expecting anything in return. To the BOSS, money is just worthless paper, but I must do what I should do, otherwise I would have no conscience. Although people who lose their conscience may become very rich and happy—I can't feel that kind of happiness, I don't have that kind of power."

"I understand." A Xing nodded as if he understood, but there was an indescribable heaviness and depth in Ming Ge's eyes, making it hard to be lively.

A Xing pondered this carefully—perhaps this is what makes Ming Ge so unlikeable, but also what makes him so charming.

As the two walked into the courtyard, they saw Bailu rush out, wearing a classic yellow and black Bruce Lee training uniform.

Jiang Xueming felt much more relaxed when he saw his sister, but before he could even greet her...

Bailu strode forward, exhaling rapidly, her two small fists protecting her cheeks—and delivered a series of punches to her older brother.

Before Bailu could finish the set of gymnastics and boxing taught by Teacher Li, her Ming Ge Xue Ming grabbed her hand and she couldn't move it anymore.

"Brother! Let me show off a few more moves!" Bailu shouted loudly, her eyes full of joy. "I just learned it! I learn very quickly! Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh! Play at this rhythm! It's really awesome!"

Jiang Xueming released Bailu, a touched smile on his face—he knew his sister was very sensible, but he never expected her to learn boxing, nor did he expect her to be patient enough to lift weights and endure such hardship.

"It's very good, already very good." Xue Ming smiled, "It's just that you're not strong enough."

"Hey! Who said that? I've already beaten up several guys at school!" Bailu seemed proud of herself, not ashamed at all.

Jiang Xueming's expression changed. "Why are you fighting?"

Jiang Bailu: "Because they don't know what's good for them! They're bad guys!"

Jiang Xueming pinched his younger sister's ear, not too hard. "You can beat people your own age, but can you beat the adults they hired? You need to be careful."

Jiang Bailu immediately squeezed out a few tears. "It hurts! It hurts so much!"

"How about this?" Jiang Xueming pointed to A Xing beside him. "You're only two years apart, why don't you try to deal with Brother A Xing?"

"Is it okay?" Bailu immediately stopped faking her tears, eager to try. "I won't hold back when dealing with him!"

Bu Liuxing laughed awkwardly, "No way?"

Jiang Xueming nodded.

"Can!"

No sooner said than done --

Jiang Bailu suddenly swept her leg up and attacked his groin.

As a result, she felt a lightness in her body.

Bu Liuxing grabbed the little sister's ankle, as if grabbing the handle of a handbag, and hung Bailu upside down.

Jiang Xueming squatted down in front of his sister and said solemnly, "Promise me, if you want to use violence, first get an A license, then study the Criminal Law. Don't cause trouble until you can kill someone with a dump truck and defend yourself."

Jiang Bailu pouted, her face full of grievance.

"But, brother, you're not like that!"

Jiang Xueming picked up his younger sister, straightened her up, and tidied her messy hair.

"You're much richer than me, little sister—I really envy you. Sometimes I think, how wonderful it would be if I had an older brother who could hold up half the sky, wouldn't you agree?"

"Indeed." Jiang Bailu pouted, then perked up again. "I'll reflect on this, brother."

Bu Liuxing, who was listening from the side, was deeply moved and almost burst into tears.

As a result, Jiang Bailu's words made him swallow his anger again.

"Brother! Until I learn the skill of killing someone in a car accident without consequence, I will absolutely behave myself! I will be extremely, extremely, extremely cautious!"

Jiang Xueming added, "Yes, not only should you learn this, but you should also read the Civil Code. These are all invaluable skills—you're a woman, and your testosterone levels are innate. You'll be at a disadvantage in physical confrontations, so you must learn to protect yourself."

Jiang Bailu nodded vigorously. "Yes! I understand! I'll go back to practicing my skills! I also learned how to use a gun!"

Jiang Xueming nodded vigorously. "Great! Learn as much as you can; these skills could save your life if you have the opportunity to study abroad in the future."

A Xing just listened from the side, not daring to say or ask anything.

He internally remarked that the sense of security these siblings provided was a bit excessive.

The three returned to the main hall--

No butler came to greet us.

A Xing immediately knew that Mommy had come home!

He excitedly Xue Ming, "My mommy's back! Let me introduce you! Little Bailu? You've met Mommy before, right?"

Bailu said timidly, "I've met her before, Auntie was very welcoming."

Before he finished speaking, a woman was seen walking down from the second floor of the main hall, heading towards the front hall.

She didn't speak, her eyes half-closed as if she were resting, and she was wearing a nightgown.

The woman had some crow's feet around her eyes and eyebrows, A Xing's nose and eyes looked a lot like his mother's. If you didn't look closely, you would mistake them for siblings.

She is about 1.8 meters tall, with a full bust, wide hips, and a nine-headed figure. Describing her as a "hot mom" would be an inaccuracy, because she doesn't look like someone who has ever given birth.

"Mommy!" Meteor opened her arms, wanting to introduce Ming Ge to her family, "This is my friend, me."

The woman said softly, "Shut up."

She maintained her languid, feigned-sleep demeanor, walked to the front hall, approached Jiang Bailu, and extended her hand.

Bailu immediately took her aunt's arm and followed her over like a caring little cotton-padded jacket.

Immediately afterwards, the woman found a seat and sat down with elegant manners and proper etiquette. "Bailu's older brother, you and my darling sit opposite me. I have something to ask you."

The atmosphere became solemn and serious.

Jiang Xueming pulled A Xing down to sit.

"My name is Bu Mei." The woman still squinted, not looking directly at anyone. She got straight to the point, introducing herself. "You can just call me Aunt Mei."

Xue Ming asked A Xing in a low voice, "I suppose your father's name is Conan."

Bu Liuxing laughed and waved his hand vigorously, "Hey! I take my mother's surname, so my father should be considered a son-in-law who married into the family."

Xue Ming continued, "What's wrong with it? It's beautiful!"

"My mom was only sixteen when she gave birth to me," A Xing admitted. "I'm thirty-five this year at most."

Xue Ming whispered, "No wonder I didn't see your father. How many years was he sentenced to?"

"No. This is a complicated matter," Bu Liuxing was about to explain.

Aunt Mei, unhurriedly, took over the conversation and spoke candidly to Jiang Xueming: "It's not that complicated. I've already discussed this with your younger sister."

Immediately afterwards, she pushed out the New Year's Eve snacks to serve her son and the Jiang family guests. "When I was young, I liked many, many people, and many, many people liked me too, so I threw a party. That night I drank a lot of alcohol, and everyone was very happy--"

Xue Ming took the glutinous rice sausage from the dessert plate, broke it in half, and gave it to Liuxing.

The two little ones were about to put it in their mouths.

Aunt Mei crossed her long legs, her slippers swaying, her pink toes resting on the side of the coffee table.

"--And then this little baby came along."

Jiang Xueming didn't understand; he didn't get it and kept chewing on his snacks.

Bu Liuxing felt quite embarrassed that his own mother could casually talk about this and even seem very happy about it.

Jiang Bailu simply nodded and clapped, "Wonderful."

Aunt Mei kept her eyes narrowed, as if waiting for something.

After a long while, Xue Ming finally understood what it meant to be from the same family and what powerful genetics meant.

"Has the child's father been found?"

"No," Aunt Mei continued, "My family is very wealthy, and the reason is simple: my father is very wealthy, and my great-great-grandfather is very wealthy. Going back over 1,800 years, our family has been rich for generations. These handsome young men were fighting tooth and nail for the title of son-in-law, all wanting to be the father of my baby. They started fighting in the hospital, fought tooth and nail in the delivery room, even stealing and snatching the child. In the end, I realized that these ordinary women didn't love me, nor did they love my baby. So I raised my baby alone, and it's wonderful!"

To be honest, Jiang Xueming had been wondering about this since earlier.

--Why is the dessert Aunt Mei serves to guests a New Year's Eve dinner, when these are supposed to be expensive desserts for staying up all night during the New Year?

Aunt Mei continued, "There are still a few scoundrels who haven't given up on their desires, always eyeing my beauty and money. They know I like excitement and the feeling of the New Year, so they send me these things, which are just right for entertaining you all."

"Oh, that's quite a coincidence, it's fate," Jiang Xueming said with a polite but indifferent tone.

Aunt Mei straightened up and leaned closer to Xue Ming: "Xue Ming, I have a few questions for you."

Jiang Xueming immediately smelled a strong fragrance of lilies and instinctively moved away.

Aunt Mei then asked, "Does my son like men?"

Jiang Xueming: "No."

Aunt Mei frowned. "You're not lying to me, really. You know I'm very open-minded, not some old fogey."

Jiang Xueming: "No."

Aunt Mei asked again, "He likes women? He's had many girlfriends before, but none of them ended well. As his mother, seeing him cry really breaks my heart."

Jiang Xueming: "No."

"Did he go to Thailand?" Aunt Mei asked with a puzzled look. "You said you wanted to open a coffee shop. Who has bewitched him?"

Jiang Xueming: "It really isn't my aunt. It's him."

Aunt Mei concluded, "It's unlikely. I've known for a long time that he likes trendy things. He said he wanted to go to the world of anime? But I looked it up online, and going to the world of anime means you'll get hit by a car. I've been worried for so long, afraid my darling might do something rash."

Bu Liuxing hurriedly explained, "Mom! I'm not that kind of anime/manga character, not the kind you're thinking of!"

"Isn't it a fetish? You don't like living people? Are you going to become a monk? See through the illusions of the world and become a vegetarian and chant Buddhist scriptures?" Aunt Mei was very concerned about her son's living conditions and mental state.

She finally opened her eyes fully, trying to wake up from her dozing state and take a good look at her little darling who had been away for so long—and she saw Jiang Xueming, their eyes meeting.

At that moment-

Everyone fell silent.

A long time passed, and only Bailu made crunching sounds while gnawing on stuffed lotus root, seemingly unaware of what had happened.

Aunt Mei grabbed Xue Ming's hand. "The moment I saw you, I understood why Liuxing became a monk. Xue Ming, my precious son has always inherited my values and aesthetics from me. He's always been very obedient."

"I can tell." Xue Ming was very nervous. "Auntie, can you let go of my hand? I'm a little scared."

"Call me sister." Aunt Mei tossed her hair, her movements natural and practiced, her pinky finger undoing the buttons and ties of her pajamas. Her little gestures were a series of smooth movements.

Meteor: "Mom, it's me."

"He's your uncle," Aunt Mei said confidently, cupping Jiang Xueming's hand in a Buddhist gesture. "Good boy/girl, you have to listen to me. You can become a nun, but this uncle of yours will probably have to return to secular life."

Jiang Xueming wanted to say something polite, such as, "Thank you for your help these days, I'm grateful for the care I've received from Meteor."

But Bu Mei didn't give her that chance at all. She blinked, and just as Bailu finished eating, she casually refilled Bailu's New Year's Eve snacks, like a vending machine.

She gazed at Xue Ming with tender, loving eyes, as if the pastries on the table were not guarding New Year's Eve, but rather her own birthday.

"Master, I would like to ask you some questions about Buddhism."

Saying goodbye to Xiao Qi was supposed to be a relaxing thing—at least Xue Ming felt much less psychological pressure when communicating normally with people, and didn't have to be as apprehensive as a virgin meeting a brothel patron.

Unexpectedly, A Xing's mother is just like her name [Bu Mei], full of suspenseful detective horror comedy atmosphere.

"You can only be my brother, right?" Bu Liuxing leaned close to Ming Ge and stated his final bottom line.

Jiang Xueming also held firm to her last line of defense, tilting her head towards A Xing.

"Yes, I can't be your father."

At the tea table, only Bailu was busy eating.

Occasionally, you might hear a seemingly plausible compliment from her, but it's unclear who it's meant for.

"Yay!"

The author's message regarding the release is in the related sections! Remember to check it out! It'll be available soon!