Chapter 94 (2/2)
He looked around and jumped in delighted surprise. “Great grandpa! Grandma!”
It was only then that he remembered that there were two others sleeping in the car and hurriedly covered his mouth, carefully glancing at Lin ShuYi.
Lin ShuYi frowned a little, waking up.
Xiao Yu looked over guiltily. “Did I wake you?”
Lin ShuYi was startled at all the people around the car, his lips twitching as he reassured Xiao Yu. “Don’t worry. Daddy’s slept enough anyways.”
They then got off the car, greeting everyone before Shen Fu picked TaoTao up and the family went inside. TaoTao switched hands once throughout this, and woke up, too, waving his arms in joy at the sight of his grandma and grandpa, and calling out to them nonstop.
That night, the family had a lively meal amongst laughter and joy, and the next day was the last day of the lunar year. With Lunar New Year so close, the hourly worker employed by the Shen Family had been given a vacation and went home to be with family as well. They would have to cook their New Years Eve meal for themselves.
Luckily, there were plenty of people in the Shen Family, so they could make a much larger variety of dishes. They had Lin ShuYi for Chinese dishes and Mama Shen and Alan for western dishes. Making a lavish feast fit for the New Year was no problem.
They decided to focus on Chinese dishes. Old Master Shen couldn’t really get used to western style dishes, especially the medium or rare or whatever steaks. Old Master Shen never had them, and didn’t understand the appeal in eating half raw slabs of meat. Thus, Lin ShuYi became the main chef for this feast.
Lin ShuYi contemplated his opinions before eventually settling on wrapping dumplings.
In DaYan, there wasn’t a single family that wouldn’t have dumplings to celebrate the New Year.Though in TianChao, dumplings were no longer rare delicacies that most people only had a chance to eat during New Years, Lin ShuYi could never forget the delightful memory of his first time eating dumplings. Thus, Old Master Shen announced that everyone was to go and wash their hands and start making dumplings together.
They moved from the kitchen to the massive dining table, taking up all the corners, laughing and chatting as they gathered to start wrapping dumplings. There were three fillings: prawn, cucumber and sweetcorn; celery, pork and radish; chives, egg and glass noodles.
Mama Shen knew how to make the wrapping, Lin ShuYi knew how to wrap the dumplings. As for the rest, they gathered together looking around at each other and trying not to laugh as theirs were only uglier and no ugliest to their dumplings.
After half an hour, Shen Fu and Alan finally escaped the noob level and started getting better and better at wrapping the dumplings. Meanwhile, Aunt Shen and Shen Yan just got worse and worse. Aunt Shen was someone who rarely came into contact with things like this; she didn’t even know how much water to add for instant ramen. Shen Yan wrote beautifully with a fountain pen in hand, but wrapping dumplings was basically a torture scene at work.
In the end, Old Master Shen couldn’t take how bad they were at this and sent them off to one side to watch. Watching as beautiful dumpling after dumpling came from Lin ShuYi’s hands, Shen Yan decided that culinary skills was a necessity for his future life, otherwise he might start trying to steal his brother’ wife.
Unable to help out with wrapping dumplings, Aunt Shen happily went to play with TaoTao. Shen Yan, speechless for a moment, also joined in.
TaoTao really quite liked this usually silent uncle of his, smiling widely and handing over the item in his hand. “Uncle~”
They had no idea where TaoTao had gotten it, but Aunt Shen lit up upon seeing the thing in TaoTao’s hand. “Hey, hey, let’s play Mahjong.”
The dumpling wrappers: …
In the end, Aunt Shen, not helping and instead just causing more trouble, managed to steal two of the productive group: Papa Shen and Alan. Aunt Shen, having not studied the deep TianChao culture of Mahjong in a long time, couldn’t help her excitement at being able to play again. After teaching Alan the rough basics of the game, Aunt Shen happily announced that the game was starting.
The Shen Family had been completely split into two groups: the productive, dumpling making group, and the unproductive, Mahjong playing group. As the game progressed, Lin ShuYi watched as he made dumplings, his interest of this strange new game soaring.
Finishing his last dumpling, Shen Fu patted his hands and stood. “Do you want to go and see? I’ll teach you.”
As Lin ShuYi walked over, Alan stood, looking immensely relieved. If he won his wife’s money, she’d get angry. If he lost, his money would still be hers, and she’d still be angry. Faced with an angry wife no matter what he did, Alan gave up. Luckily, Lin ShuYi came over, curious, so Alan didn’t even think or hesitate to give Lin ShuYi his seat.
Two hours later.
Lin ShuYi held everyone’s money, looking a little embarrassed. “How about we play without money?”
Shen Fu glanced at his brother and smiled. “Of course we want to play with money.”
Shen Yan smiled like an arctic wind at him. Aunt Shen, having lost the most, was on the table, too exhausted to get up. She was never playing Mahjong with Lin ShuYi again. Ever!!!
Lin ShuYi: You can’t really blame me for being able to remember every card I play~