The First Spring Festival

[Happy Spring Festival, everyone! Wishing you all the best in the new year! o(〃＾▽＾〃)o]

By mid-January, Mindu was already steeped in an inescapable New Year atmosphere.

Afraid Zhang Jun would feel down spending the holiday alone at home, Luo Fei specifically invited him to celebrate the New Year with them. Unable to refuse, Zhang Jun could only agree.

Riding the little electric scooter that had accompanied him for more than half a year, which he had specially parked in the lot outside the high-speed rail station, Zhang Jun headed from the station to Jianzhou Ranch.

In the villages and towns along the way, every household had pasted up fresh Spring Festival couplets outside their doors. Red lanterns swayed gently in the wind, and the occasional sharp crack of firecrackers drifted over.

He parked at the ranch entrance and carried two large bags of gifts inside.

The bags contained items he had spent days visiting several places and browsing websites to gather: fine tea for Luo Fei, a silk scarf for Liu Li, limited-edition racehorse models for Luo Yong and Luo Heng, a new riding crop for Luo An, and a huge bag of special Spring Festival treats for the ponies.

"Brother Jun!"

Luo Heng's voice came from afar. Wearing a red hoodie, the kid bounced over like a walking red lantern.

"Why are you only getting here now? My mom's been talking about you all morning!"

Zhang Jun shoved one of the bags into his hands. "I went shopping. Is your brother back?"

"He got back last night. He's in the tea room having tea with Dad now."

They chatted as they walked inside.

The ranch employees were pasting lucky characters and Spring Festival couplets at the entrances to the stables.

After passing through the office area and pushing open the villa doors, warmth rushed over them.

Luo Fei sat on the living room sofa with a teacup in hand, while Luo Yong and Luo An sat nearby.

When he saw Zhang Jun enter, Luo Fei waved him over. "Jun's here. Come, sit down and have a few cups of tea with Uncle."

Zhang Jun set down the bags and sat beside Luo Yong, while Luo Heng sat next to Luo An.

Luo Fei poured Zhang Jun a cup of tea, his expression gentle.

"This is your first Spring Festival with us. If there's anything you want to eat, just tell Auntie Liu. Let me tell you, Auntie Liu's cooking is top-notch."

Luo Fei gave a thumbs-up.

Zhang Jun held the teacup and took a sip, warmth rising in his heart.

"Uncle Luo, I'm already very grateful that you invited me to celebrate the New Year with you. There's no need to trouble Auntie Liu any further. Anything simple will do."

"That won't do." Luo Heng waggled his eyebrows at Zhang Jun. "My mom's been talking about it since three days ago. She said this is your first New Year at our house, so we had to make it special. Yesterday, she was even telling Dad that she wanted to make a whole table of her best dishes for you to try."

Luo An nodded in agreement. "Mom's lychee pork is absolutely unmatched. Even the chefs at big hotels can't make it taste like hers."

Zhang Jun opened his mouth, wanting to say something, only to find his throat a little tight. He simply felt that the sunlight outside the window, falling over him, was warm.

After chatting with Luo Fei for a while and enjoying a lavish lunch, Zhang Jun rested briefly, then took the prepared horse treats and went around the ranch to visit the ponies.

Shadow Hunter was still grazing with Jianzhou Warrior. The moment he saw Zhang Jun, he ran over to nuzzle him, then eagerly stuck his head into Zhang Jun's pocket with sparkling eyes (☆_☆).

Quiet Night Thoughts still looked as aloof as ever. She merely lifted her eyes at Zhang Jun, but she still elegantly finished all the horse treats he took out.

The moment River Snow saw Zhang Jun, she got so excited (≧∀≦)ゞ that she kept rubbing against the railings, nearly rubbing the stall door open.

Drunken Flower Shade and Shangcheng Heroine were also full of spirit, with incredible appetites.

Gentle Breeze Arrives had completely evolved into a snack addict. The moment she saw the bag in Zhang Jun's hand, she took the initiative to stick out her head, her eyes sparkling (☆_☆).

Stormcloud Lightning was no longer so wary of Zhang Jun. Whenever he saw Zhang Jun, his dark brown eyes softened, and his pinned-back ears relaxed and rose.

He also never refused the horse treats Zhang Jun brought, gobbling every last one down.

Wind-Chasing Hound was no longer afraid of Zhang Jun and would walk up to him on her own. Lightning Chaser was livelier than before, and the ranch's trainers believed she could enter the stable to prepare for her debut in May or June.

On New Year's Eve, the central villa at Jianzhou Ranch was brightly lit. Zhang Jun, the five members of the Luo Family, and the employees on duty at the ranch sat together in a circle.

The large round dining table was covered with dishes Liu Li had carefully prepared—crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside lychee pork, glossy red sweet-and-sour ribs, rich golden minced chicken soup, fragrant braised fish, and several plates of vibrant green vegetables.

Liu Li emerged from the kitchen in an apron, carrying a large bowl of clear pork rib and corn soup, a satisfied smile on her face.

"The last dish is here! Everyone, sit down and eat."

Luo Yong took the rib soup from Liu Li and placed it in the middle of the table.

Luo Heng had already secretly picked up a piece of lychee pork and stuffed it into his mouth. "Mom, you should hurry up and eat too. There are so many delicious dishes."

Liu Li glared at him. "You're always so greedy. Just eat."

They took their seats around the round table, and Luo Fei opened a bottle of wine—the peach blossom wine Zhang Jun had brought from home.

Luo Fei raised his glass. "Come, Jun. From now on, this is your home too. Let this first toast be to the bond between our two families."

Zhang Jun raised his glass. "Yes, to the bond between our two families."

The clink of their glasses was crisp and pleasant.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the Spring Festival Gala played on the television, unwatched. Outside the window came the sounds of children in nearby villages and towns setting off fireworks and firecrackers.

Zhang Jun sat on the sofa watching the Horse Racing New Year Gala online, occasionally using his chopsticks to pick up a dessert and pop it into his mouth.

Luo Heng let out a full belch, then suddenly asked, "By the way, Brother Jun, did you call Uncle Liu and Trainer Lin?"

Zhang Jun put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth. "I did. I called Uncle Liu right at midnight, and as soon as we hung up, I got calls from Teacher Lin and the others."

Luo Fei nodded. "As long as you've spoken to them. In horse racing, relationships need to be maintained through regular contact."

Time passed bit by bit. The television began its countdown: "Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six..."

Everyone stood and raised their glasses. "Happy New Year!"

Outside, dense bursts of firecrackers suddenly erupted from the distant villages and towns, while fireworks continuously bloomed across the sky.

Zhang Jun raised his head and looked up through the window. "Dad, Happy New Year. I hope that from heaven, you can bless us and let everything go smoothly in the new year."

His phone suddenly vibrated. Zhang Jun looked down and saw a message from Lin Zhi: "Mr. Zhang, Happy New Year."

There were also New Year greetings from Lin Zhi, Shan Yao, Zheng Xing, Zheng Shan, Ning Fei, Du Chun, and the others.

Zhang Jun replied to them one by one, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.

On The Ponies' Daily Life account, the video and post Zhang Jun had edited in advance went live—videos and photos taken that afternoon while he played with the ponies.

All the ponies wore festive red hats decorated with lucky characters, facing the camera in all sorts of poses.

Comments quickly flooded in, all wishing everyone a Happy New Year and praising the ponies.