Chapter 195: Chapter 195: New Year

Yun Xie was in the kitchen preparing a feast while Shi Lichuan washed vegetables and Lan Yuyan cut fruit.

All of this natural food was sent over by the Lan Family.

After all, it was the kind of thing that was hard to buy even with money.

Mrs. Shi and her family didn’t stay on the Main Star for the New Year. They left once Jiang Qin started getting busy.

They had already arrived at the next tourist star.

Meanwhile, Yun Xie’s teammates had all returned to Haiyun Star. They had only come to the Main Star for a stopover in the first place.

If Yun Xie hadn’t suddenly gotten mated, they probably would have left long ago.

They ended up staying for a while because Jiang Qin was in great danger, and they wanted to help Yun Xie.

Now that things had stabilized, the teammates left.

It would likely be a long time before they saw each other again.

That was the life of a trailblazer; they might not return home for three to five years at a time.

Trailblazing on Wild Stars offered a greater chance to get rich quick, become stronger, and suppress the proliferation of Alien Beasts.

After all, if those Wild Stars were left unattended, who knew what they would become after several years.

That’s why Interstellar society always encouraged male Beastmen to become trailblazers, offering a full suite of supportive policies and benefits.

If Yun Xie hadn’t found someone he wanted to protect, he would probably still be active on the Wild Stars.

As for Shi Lichuan, he had already decided to take on a trailblazing mission after the New Year. He wanted to become stronger and earn more resources.

Although he didn’t have any cubs yet, he needed to be prepared for when he did.

Among Jiang Qin’s three current partners, he was at a disadvantage.

Whether in terms of family background, ability, or career, he was a step behind the others.

So he wanted to change his situation.

But that was all for after the New Year. Right now, he just wanted to celebrate his first New Year together with Jiang Qin.

“Hey, bear, go shred this gourd.”

“Okay.” Shi Lichuan obediently took it and moved to the side to shred it.

Today was special, so none of them were using the housekeeping robot; they were preparing all the ingredients by hand.

Although the people of the Federation had lost many ancient customs, many records of important holidays like the New Year had been passed down.

The interstellar era didn’t distinguish between solar and lunar calendars. There was only the Star Calendar, so all traditional holidays were observed according to it.

Lan Yuyan carried out the artfully arranged fruit platter.

He said in a gentle voice, “Qinqin, are you hungry? Why don’t you have some fruit to tide you over?”

“Let me have it.” Jiang Qin took the fruit platter.

Then, she held one of the cherry tomatoes from the platter to his lips.

But Lan Yuyan wouldn’t open his mouth, just gently smiling and pushing the fruit back. “I’m not fond of these little snacks. You have it.”

However, Jiang Qin knew it was because fruit was so rare that he couldn’t bear to eat it himself.

So she kept her hand raised, playfully insisting until he had no choice but to eat it.

Lan Yuyan sighed and finally ate it. Only then, satisfied, did Jiang Qin carry the fruit platter to the kitchen to feed her two chefs for the day.

After coming out of the kitchen, she went to feed the little lion who was busy wiping the windows.

She only ate the last two pieces herself.

’It was a bitter thought. In the 21st century, fruit was something every household could eat freely, yet here in the interstellar era, you couldn’t get a single platter without special connections.’

’Money alone wasn’t enough; you needed power or connections.’

’Unfortunately, she just worked in the entertainment industry. And while she knew how to grow vegetables and farm, she didn’t know how to conduct research.’

’So she had no way of growing purely natural food.’

And just like that, the entire platter of fruit was devoured before dinner.

…

After two busy hours, Yun Xie and the others finally finished making the New Year’s Eve dinner.

He brought the last dish to the table, saying, “Qinqin, come and try the soup I made. It’s simmered exactly according to the historical records.”

The meat used wasn’t from one of those bizarre-looking Alien Beasts, but rather pigeon from the Breeding and Research Institute.

It was also sent by the Lan Family.

“I hear this kind of pigeon soup is good for your health. You should have some more.”

Jiang Qin sat down. “You’ve all worked so hard. It smells amazing.”

“I made this dish of stir-fried tomatoes and eggs. Qinqin, try some,” Lan Yuyan said.

Shi Lichuan also pointed to a dish and said, “I made this one. I learned how from Brother Yun Xie. It’s my first time making it, so I don’t know if it’s any good. Qinqin, you try some too.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Qin took a sip of the soup first, then smiled. “It’s so savory. There’s none of that gamey flavor at all.”

Then she tried the stir-fried tomatoes and eggs and Shi Lichuan’s shredded potato salad, praising them both.

“They’re both wonderful. Is this really your first time making these? You’re amazing!”

Her praise made the two of them flush with embarrassment.

It was indeed the first time they had made these dishes. Previously, when learning to cook from Yun Xie, they had only ever been his assistants. Today was the first time they had completed a dish on their own.

A smile spread across Yun Xie’s face. “Looks like they’ve finally graduated. From now on, we’ll take turns cooking for you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. Nutrient liquid is fine too, and it’s convenient.”

“It’s convenient, sure, but it tastes awful. Anyway, don’t you worry about it. All you have to do is wait for us to call you for dinner.”

“We’ll handle the cooking arrangements ourselves.”

Cang Hong, who was sitting nearby, asked in a small voice, “Um… I… I want to learn too, may I?”

“Of course. You can try not learning and see what happens,” Yun Xie shot him a look.

“Then… then I’ll be in your care, Brother Yun Xie. I’ll definitely learn well and try to get into the rotation with you all as soon as possible.”

Yun Xie didn’t say anything more.

In truth, everyone had already tacitly accepted him as Jiang Qin’s fourth partner.

Only Cang Hong himself remained anxious. After speaking, he secretly glanced at Jiang Qin, wanting to see her reaction.

He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that she was still smiling.

Lan Yuyan poured everyone a glass of red wine-flavored Inhibitor.

“It’s a new flavor. I had someone send it over. Everyone, have a taste and tell me what you think.”

“Apparently, the flavor was developed based on descriptions in ancient texts.”

Jiang Qin didn’t know much about red wine. In the past, since she was underage, no one had ever pressured her to drink at work.

So she had rarely drunk alcohol, let alone fine wine.

She’d only ever had a few sips in her life, and while she couldn’t make out any specific flavors, she knew it didn’t taste like this red wine-flavored Inhibitor.

’This isn’t red wine at all. To be precise, it’s more like grape-flavored saccharin water with a dash of spirits and sugar.’

’It’s a bit too cloyingly sweet.’

Yun Xie didn’t much care for it either. “It’s too sweet. The original flavor is better.”

The original-flavor Inhibitor was a bit like a sports drink.

The flavor was quite mild, and Jiang Qin liked it a lot too.

“I think it’s pretty good,” said Shi Lichuan, who had a sweet tooth.

His Genes included those of a bear, so his diet had always leaned toward sweet flavors.

Cang Hong neither liked nor disliked it.

Lan Yuyan also wasn’t fond of sweets, but since it was a new product, everyone still raised their glasses.

As the head of the family, Yun Xie said, “This is our first year as a family. Come, let’s have a toast.”

“To our female master, Miss Jiang Qing—to her health and happiness every year!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep