Chapter 112: The Arrival of the New Year (Please Subscribe)

“Hello, Yang Qing…”

“Hey~ Hiahia… I’m not Brother Qing, I’m Xi’er, Hiahia…”

“Hehe… I’m Qiu’er, my brother is cooking now.”

Inside the small villa, Li Wanxiao listened to the two sweet little voices coming through the phone. A smile played on her brow as she looked at Little Nian Nian sitting by the dining table.

Little Nian Nian had also paused eating, her bright, sparkling eyes full of anticipation as she looked at her.

“Here,” Li Wanxiao said affectionately, handing over the phone with a smile. “It’s Xi’er and Qiu’er. Go ahead and talk to them.”

“Okay, thank you, Mom.”

Little Nian Nian happily took the phone, and her soft, sweet voice chimed through:

“Hey~ Xi’er, Qiu’er, it’s Nian Nian.”

“Hiahia…”

“Hehe…”

The three little ones began chatting on the phone, taking turns speaking for nearly ten minutes before finally hanging up.

“Mom, Xi’er and Qiu’er invited Nian Nian to come play at their house. Let’s go soon!”

After handing the phone back to Li Wanxiao, Little Nian Nian’s cheeks flushed with excitement.

Having listened to the entire conversation, Li Wanxiao gently stroked Nian Nian’s little head and smiled.

“You agreed to meet in the afternoon. Xiaobai will come back from kindergarten, and it’s still early. Go eat your meal first. Afterward, Mom will stay with you while you nap. When you wake up, we’ll go, alright?”

“Okay!”

Little Nian Nian nodded happily, then climbed back onto her small chair, quickly digging into her food with a little spoon.

“Eat slowly,” Li Wanxiao reminded her.

“Mmm…”

Within minutes, Little Nian Nian finished her bowl, then hopped down with a soft “plop” and dashed like the wind toward her little bedroom.

Li Wanxiao watched, puzzled.

Resigned, she stopped eating and followed the little one curiously to her room, where she saw her rummaging through drawers and boxes.

Silently watching, she saw Nian Nian pull out a small purse, then some clothes, and finally her little piggy bank.

Now truly curious, Li Wanxiao couldn’t help but ask, “Sweetheart, what are you doing with the piggy bank?”

“To buy gifts for Xi’er, Qiu’er, and Xiaobai!” Nian Nian said happily. “Xi’er said she wants to give me a little princess doll, and I’m so happy! Mom, I want to buy gifts for Xi’er and Qiu’er too, is that okay?”

“Of course,” Li Wanxiao smiled. “What do you want to give them?”

“Hmm… I don’t know yet.”

Little Nian Nian looked adorably bewildered, making Li Wanxiao want to hug and kiss her affectionately. “Let’s take a nap first. When you wake up, I’ll take you to the mall to pick out something, okay?”

“Okay! Mom, you’re the best. Nian Nian loves you!”

“Hehe… Mom loves you too.”

***

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the little shop, the atmosphere was equally joyful.

“Sis, here’s some veggies. Brother Qing’s cooking smells so good!”

“Here’s some meat, Sis, try this… this…”

“Sis, do you want some water? Xi’er will get it for you!”

At the table, little Qiu’er was carefully feeding baby Dong’er, who was cradled in Yang Qing’s arms. Xi’er eagerly served her older sister dishes, fussing over her with tender care.

Old Bai and his family were all delighted, and Yang Qing was smiling heartily.

Tan Jin’er, however, was exasperated. She knew her younger sister all too well. If she was so eager without reason, it was either mischief or trouble.

So, she ate the dish Xi’er had placed in her bowl and asked, “If you have something to say, just say it. I promise.”

“Hiahia… Really? Sis, you really promise Xi’er?”

Xi’er laughed joyously. “But I haven’t said what yet! Why did you promise already?”

“Well, then I don’t promise anymore.”

“No! No! You already promised, you can’t trick a kid! Kids who trick others aren’t good kids!”

Tan Jin’er gave her a sideways glance. “I’m not a kid; I’m an adult.”

Xi’er pouted cutely. “Waaah~~”

“Ha ha…”

Bai Lingyue laughed at the sisters’ antics, and even Tan Jin’er couldn’t help but smile at her little sister’s adorable whining.

“Alright, alright, now tell me what it is.”

“Okay!” Xi’er nodded eagerly. “Sis, Xi’er invited Nian Nian to our house to play. Xi’er wants to make sweet dumplings for her. Will you teach me?”

“Nian Nian is coming?” Tan Jin’er was momentarily surprised and looked to Yang Qing.

Yang Qing nodded gently. “Xi’er wants to give Nian Nian a little princess doll she won at the claw machine. Since I have to go to the TV station this afternoon and won’t have time to take them, I let them invite Nian Nian over.”

Then he looked at bright-eyed little Qiu’er and smiled. “Brother will teach you how to make soup dumplings for Nian Nian, okay?”

“Okay! Thank you, Brother!”

Qiu’er’s smile was so wide her legs swung playfully in the air.

Xi’er, noticing that Qiu’er did not even ask the brother before he offered to teach, immediately pouted at her sister.

“Heh…”

Tan Jin’er laughed. “Alright, I promise to teach you how to make sweet dumplings. Don’t be mad, now eat.”

“Heh~”

“Ha ha…”

After a joyful lunch, the three little ones took a nap, then woke up eager to have Yang Qing and Tan Jin’er teach them how to make soup dumplings and sweet dumplings.

***

Thus, the two little apprentices began their lessons.

“Come, follow Brother’s lead.”

In the kitchen, Yang Qing placed round dumpling skins into the small palms of the two girls, patiently and gently instructing:

“First, we put the filling here. Oh no… Xi’er, you put too much; you won’t be able to wrap it. Qiu’er, yours is too little; add a bit more.”

“That’s right, just like that. Then we start wrapping. Learn from Brother—pinch one corner, then twist… twist, and the soup dumpling is done.”

Yang Qing’s own dumpling was perfectly wrapped, but the two little ones…

“Ha ha… Qiu’er, you have to pinch the edges together. Yours are all open! Ha ha… And Xi’er, what are you doing? You just squished it all at once!”

Yang Qing laughed heartily at their attempts. The two looked back at him blankly, as if to say: “But Brother, you showed us this way!”

“Ha ha…”

Yang Qing smiled and continued teaching them how to wrap the dumplings. After countless failures, the two finally managed to produce a rather sad-looking but complete dumpling.

“Good job, darlings! You’ve taken the first step successfully. Let’s keep going and try to make seven more. That’ll be enough for a basket, and we can steam them for Little Nian Nian. Let’s cheer up!”

Yang Qing encouraged them, holding out his palm.

“Let’s go!”

“Slap!”

Two small hands clapped against his big one, joy shining from their hearts.

In the happy momentum, they finally wrapped a whole basket of dumplings. Then Yang Qing stepped aside, and little chef Jin’er took over.

Compared to soup dumplings, making sweet dumplings was simpler and more fun for the two.

With smiling mouths and busy little hands rolling the dough, one dumpling after another was made.

Yang Qing glanced at the time and then said to Tan Jin’er, “Jin’er, I have to go to the TV station first. When Nian Nian and her mom arrive, please take care of them.”

“Alright, Brother Qing, you go safely.”

“Thanks,” Yang Qing nodded, then looked at the two little ones. “Goodbye, darlings. Be good and listen to Sister Jin’er, okay?”

“Okay! Goodbye, Brother! Come back early!”

“Hiahia… Brother Qing, Xi’er will save some sweet dumplings for you!”

“Okay.”

Yang Qing left. Today he had received a call from Qin Xue to discuss the buyout contract for five music tracks at the TV station.

At four in the afternoon, little chef Jin’er was back in action, and Bai Lingyue busied herself as well. The two little girls played with baby Dong’er on the first floor, waiting for Xiaobai and Nian Nian to arrive.

Finally, at half past four, the little princess Nian Nian arrived.