Chapter 162 (continued)

I wonder if it's because more people have been returning home in the last two years, but when they're working on the ranch, they can hear singing and dancing coming from afar.

It's probably a family celebrating a happy occasion, holding a dance party.

The town became lively during the Spring Festival.

For several days in a row, Shi Wen and Yan Kexing took time out of their schedules to go to town to buy New Year's goods.

Their ranch has plenty of meat, so they mainly buy groceries like vegetables, dried fruit, and couplets.

That day, Zhu Ji called to ask them how they planned to spend the New Year.

Shi Wen, "We didn't really celebrate much, just like every year, nothing special. What's wrong?"

Zhu Ji: "Just asking how you plan to spend the New Year? Do you need me to come and celebrate with you? Just to clarify, I would be very happy to come and celebrate with you, but I'm just asking in advance because I don't want to bother you."

Shi Wen laughed, "It's not a bother, there are so many little guys on the ranch, adding you won't disturb us."

Zhu Ji said cheerfully, "Then shall I come and celebrate the New Year with you?"

Shi Wen, "Weren't you going to celebrate the New Year yourself?"

Zhu Ji: "No need, I'm all alone and have no one to spend the New Year with, so I'm just tagging along for your New Year's Eve dinner."

Shi Wen readily agreed, "Then you do it."

As the Lunar New Year approaches, many people have sent them New Year's greetings this year, from leaders to friends, from all sides.

Gong Jiang and his two companions also sent their greetings from various places.

They started their winter break exceptionally early this year. When Ge Yue Shi Wen a Happy New Year, she said, "[It's so hard to get used to. I'm going home so early this year, and it's not very enjoyable to be reading literature alone at home.]"

Shi Wen: [You guys got your holiday so late last year, you look so tired!]

Ge Yue: [Actually, no. Eating, drinking, and reading literature, a week passed quickly. Besides, other leaders and students were on winter break, so there were fewer miscellaneous tasks at the college. Winter break is actually more comfortable than other times of the year.]

Shi Wen: [You're actually starting to miss it?]

Ge Yue: [My senior brothers miss it too. It's a pity, our teacher wants to spend this year alone with you and won't let us stay.]

Ge Yue: [Sadness. JPG]

Shi Wen, unaware of this behind-the-scenes story, turned to Yan Kexing and asked with a smile, "Did you give Ge Yue and the others an early holiday this year?"

Yan Kexing: "It's just a normal winter break, what did she say?"

Shi Wen put her phone on the table. "We didn't say much, just chatted about winter break. These fried meatballs smell so good, I can't resist."

Yan Kexing: "Come and try it."

Yan Kexing preparing fried meatballs for the New Year.

The ingredients for the fried meatballs mainly come from their ranch. In addition to various meatballs, there are also radish meatballs and potato meatballs, all of which taste delicious.

Shi Wen, while eating, exhaled steaming hot air from her mouth. "So delicious! Crispy and fragrant! These radish balls are really good, and so are the potato balls—you put cheese in the middle, didn't you?"

Yan Kexing: "I've made some improvements. Do you like this flavor?"

Shi Wen's eyes sparkled. "I love it! I also love the chili powder coating on the radish balls!"

Yan Kexing put two more on a plate for him. "Eat them while they're hot, they won't taste the same when they're cold."

While they were chatting, Zhu Ji arrived from N City.

Zhu Ji, carrying large bags of New Year's goods, exclaimed, "My goodness, what are you doing? It smells so good, the aroma almost made me stumble!"

Shi Wen, "We're frying meatballs right now, and we'll be making dumplings later. Why did you bring so much stuff? You're being too kind."

Zhu Ji: "Some of these were gifts from others. You know I'm single, so I can't really finish them all. I just brought them to share with you all. These meatballs smell so good, can I have some?"

Shi Wen smiled and said, "Then you'll have to ask the chef."

Yan Kexing's voice came from the kitchen. "Go wash your hands first."

Zhu Ji: "I'll wash right away!"

Zhu Ji washed his hands, squeezed next to Yan Kexing, grabbed a meatball, and, ignoring the heat, popped it into his mouth. But as he chewed, he noticed something was off. "Hmm? Why isn't it salty?"

Yan Kexing: "It's been diluted, but not very well."

Zhu Ji said unwillingly, "This is too bland! Do you guys have such a low palate these days? No way, give me a packet of chili powder, I want to dip it in!"

Shi Wen leaned against the door with her arms crossed and laughed, "This is for the little ones; our food is in the cupboard."

Zhu Ji: "I knew something was wrong!"

Zhu Ji, familiar with the place, rummaged through the cupboard, took out a bowl of various kinds of meatballs still piping hot, put a few into his bowl, took a big bite, and sighed with satisfaction, "This is the aroma I've been craving!"

Shi Wen, "There's some chilled cola and juice in the fridge; you can have them with it."

Zhu Ji, without saying a word, Shi Wen a thumbs up.

Three grown men were huddled together in the kitchen chatting.

Zhu Ji shared a lot of gossip about the Abnormal Affairs Bureau.

The end of the year is a time for summarizing work, and also a peak period for gossip, Shi Wen with expressions of "I can't believe it!"

Zhu Ji became more and more excited as he talked, and blurted out all the gossip he knew Shi Wen.

Some of the gossip was so outrageous that Yan Kexing next to him, couldn't stand it and would correct him.

New Year's Eve is all about eating!

After eating fried meatballs in the morning, dumplings for lunch, and putting up Spring Festival couplets in the afternoon, it's time to start preparing dinner.

Zhu Ji rubbed his hands together eagerly. "What are we having for dinner? A Manchu Han Imperial Feast?"

Shi Wen, "Dream on! We'll have roast whole lamb for dinner tonight. We've already marinated it and it's refrigerated in the yard."

Zhu Ji: "Your own sheep?"

Shi Wen, "Yes, we slaughtered a Dolan Sheep. It's been raised for so long, we should have a taste ourselves."

With so many pets at home, there's absolutely no need to worry about not being able to finish a whole Dolan Sheep.

Around 4 PM, Shi Wen and Yan Kexing marked out a plot of land on the grassland and started a campfire.