Chapter Forty-Three: Roasting Tofu

  Walking behind her, with his hand being pulled by hers, the warmth from their intertwined fingers spreading to his heart, should he let go this time?

  She stopped.

  As she paused on her wrist, Dong Zhiyu also stopped and turned around to see Huai Jin looking at her, with layers of thoughts in her eyes.

  Her heart sank, fearing she would change her mind.

  "Have you ever thought about how I should explain my identity and presence when meeting your family?"

  "Your identity is Xuanwu Government Military Advisory Council, General Staff Department, Training Department, Military Commission Major General Staff. I met you on the street and learned that you are spending the New Year alone, so I invited you to spend the New Year's Eve together. Auntie and others won't mind."

  "What if others see us? You and I shouldn't be too close."

  "You forced me to be good with Ye Mingtian, saying it was to deceive others, and now you're telling me this!" Dong Zhiyu's voice was soft, but it was almost filled with a sense of grievance and even anger.

  Hua Jin couldn't help but smile lightly, raised her hand and gently scratched Dong Zhiyu's nose, "I'm forcing you..."

  Dong Zhiyu's face turned red, and he grasped Huai Jin's hand. "I won't leave you alone in this City God Temple to guard the year again. This New Year's Eve, you're coming with me."

  She saw her frowning, her brow furrowed, a knot in her stomach, an unfamiliar feeling she'd never had before, but one that had been appearing frequently lately because of the woman in front of her. Whether it was that she couldn't refuse or didn't want to refuse, for the first time in years, she said to herself: "I don't want to figure it out."

  Tonight, the Western-style villas in this row are all pasted with red couplets, hung with red lanterns, and decorated with various auspicious decorations. Although the times are not good, the people are still willing to put everything down temporarily, celebrate the New Year happily, bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, and look forward to it. This is the power of cultural tradition that brings a nation together, which is strong, tenacious, and intangible.

  She held a delicate set of Qinghua porcelain tea utensils and walked behind Dong Zhiyu. She didn't have much experience interacting with relatives and elders, as her family had many rules and etiquette before she was nine years old. Born into such a family, it's hard to say whether it was fortunate or not. However, after the age of nine, she lived in a completely different world, one that was so different that it made her gradually forget everything from before, except for the deeply ingrained upbringing and etiquette knowledge that was her limit.

  The door opened and Zeng Jiali's face appeared behind it, "Young mistress, you're finally back! The whole family is waiting for you to have New Year's Eve dinner!"

  As soon as the words fell, a woman was seen following behind Dong Zhiyu. In the darkness, her specific appearance could not be made out, but she seemed quiet and elegant, tall and refined.

  "Still blocking the entrance and not letting people in?" Dong Zhiyu scolded.

  When the door was wide open, Huai Jin saw that this family was even more lively than she had imagined. There were seven or eight people, either standing or sitting. A milky white piano stood in one corner, with several middle-aged people sitting beside it, but no one was playing it. It seemed that the young lady who had just opened the door had been playing before.

  "Aunt, uncle," Dong Zhiyu called out as soon as she entered the door. "Elder uncle, elder aunt, I've kept you waiting for a long time." Dong Zhiyu respectfully said to the middle-aged people beside the piano. This "elder uncle" and "elder aunt" referred to her uncle Zeng Weili's older brother and sister-in-law, whom Dong Zhiyu had addressed as such since she was young along with her cousin Zeng Jiali.

  Everyone looked at Dong Zhiyu together, but saw a tall and slender woman standing behind her, with a beautiful appearance, stable and dignified, and they all felt curious for a moment.

  "Let me introduce, this is Huai Jin, a colleague from the Xuanwu government. We coincidentally met on the street earlier and learned that she was alone here, so I invited her to come home and celebrate the New Year together," Dong Zhiyu first introduced Huai Jin to his family members, then continued, "This is Auntie, Uncle, Elder Brother, and Elder Sister-in-law. The one who opened the door just now is my cousin Zeng Jiali. Over there are Wu Ma and her son A Bao Ge, and the one who answered the phone this morning was Wu Ma."

  Huai Jin smiled and nodded: "Much trouble."

  "Welcome, welcome, Miss Huai, please take a seat." Zeng Weili, as the head of the family, stood up first, and everyone else followed suit. Although Dong Zhiyu only said that she was a colleague of Xuanwu's, for some reason, everyone felt an extraordinary aura surrounding this young woman without being told to do so.

  Madam Wu went forward to take the items and clothes from their hands, "Oh, you're the miss who called this morning, Miss Biao has been waiting for your call."

  Dong Zhiyu's face turned red like a steamed crab, "Ahh, Wu Ma! How could that be!"

  Madam Wu looked at Dong Zhiyu with a puzzled expression, as if she had said something wrong herself. She didn't understand the affairs of young girls and decided to shut her mouth to avoid offending Miss Bao again.

  Huaichen originally wanted to glance at Dong Zhiyu, but she withdrew her gaze halfway, lowered her eyelids, and tried to hide the hint of a smile on her lips.

  "Alright, Zhiyu quickly bring Miss Huai over to sit down, we'll get ready to serve the meal," Dong Ruo led the way to the dining hall, "Miss Huai, these are just some home-cooked dishes, I hope you won't mind."

  "Aunt, I'm so sorry to intrude and cause you inconvenience, please forgive me."

  Dong Ruo Zhao turned around and pulled up Huai Jin's hand, whispering: "Every year at home is always these people, how boring, you came and we are delighted, how can it be inconvenient!" After finishing, he smiled at her.

  Huai Jin saw that her warm and affectionate eyes, thin nose, and Dong Zhiyu were quite similar, except that Dong Zhiyu was young and had clearer and more tender eyes. She also smiled slightly, as if to express gratitude.

  As they spoke, they arrived at the restaurant. "This New Year's Eve dinner will last until nearly midnight, and then we'll set off firecrackers to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one. After setting off the firecrackers, we'll go to the Jade Buddha Temple to burn incense," said Dong Ruo Zhao.

  Dong Zhiyu followed behind him and asked upon hearing this: "Are you going to burn incense again?"

  Dong Ruo Zhao detected the reluctance in her tone, "Whether it's burning incense and worshiping Buddha or singing hymns in church, it's just a formality, but it can remind you that everything should be based on kindness, love yourself and others."

  After everyone sat down, Zeng Jiali and Dong Zhiyu helped Wu Ma bring up the dishes. The stir-fries, braises, and steaming dishes were all paired with a balance of meat and vegetables. It seemed that Shanghai, as an immigrant city, had also blended together the flavors of northern Zhejiang, southern Jiangsu, and even northern Jiangsu, evolving into something rich and enticing.

  "Come, let's raise our glasses first to welcome Miss Huai's arrival," Zeng Wei said with a raised wine glass. "Secondly, I wish the people of Datong a smooth and peaceful year... Everyone have a happy New Year!"

  Huaijin raised his glass with everyone else, but only managed to say "Happy New Year" along with the crowd, and then had no more polite words to say, so he downed the cup of wine in one gulp.

  Putting down her cup, Auntie finally couldn't help but ask, "Miss Huai is also from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? But we know Yu's superior?"

  Huaijin put down her chopsticks, "Aunt, I'm not from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor am I Yu's superior."

  Dong Zhiyu had a piece of mandarin fish stuck in her bowl, and her chopsticks hovered in the air before falling back into the bowl, unintentionally flipping it over.

  "Which department is Miss Huai in?"

  "A minor staff officer in the army, nothing remarkable."

  Everyone's face on the table was clearly stunned, and Eldest Aunt wanted to ask something, but Dong Ruo Shao intercepted her: "Miss Huai, try some of this Four Happiness Roasted Gluten, Wu Ma's specialty dish. Zhi Yu, take care of it for me."

  Dong Zhiyu quickly picked up the public spoon next to the roasted millet pot, carefully scooped up two pieces and put them into Huaijin's bowl. Huaijin thanked him and picked up a piece to taste, "It's indeed delicious."

  Everyone burst out laughing, and Wu Ma was especially delighted. "Relying on one's husband is the saying of our Alashan people. A girl's family still has to rely on her husband's family, and it's only prosperous if the husband's family is prosperous." She said with a smile.

  Hua Jin was at a loss for words for a moment, and smiled awkwardly.

  "Auntie, Hua Shenmou is particular about food and drink. It was she who took me to Dong Shu's Doufu boat in the first place." Dong Zhiyu changed the subject.

  Huaichen was startled in her heart.

  "By the way, Tuo Zhenji found me, the old steward of the Dong family, who is actually the chef of Dou Wenyuan. Isn't it a coincidence?" Dong Zhiyu turned to Huaiyin, "Our original chef in the Dong family was a master of Huaiyang cuisine, Uncle Dong had been eating for decades and secretly learned the art behind his back. Now he has opened a restaurant and it's become the best Huaiyang cuisine restaurant in Xuanwu City!"

  Huai Jin looked at Dong Zhiyu, with a smile in her eyes and thoughts turning in her mind. "How nice, this is really a coincidence. In that case, you should often go visit the old housekeeper to reminisce about old times."

  "That's right, Uncle Dong has been watching me grow up since I was a kid. He's no different from a real uncle, is he, Auntie?"

  "No, I know, in two days I should return to Xuanwu and go with you to see Uncle Dong."

  "Where is Miss Huai's hometown? Are there any other family members at home?" The aunt finally found an opportunity to ask the question she hadn't asked earlier.

  The question has been asked and cannot be taken back, Dong Zhiyu concentrated her mind. Where is she from? Why did she escape to Shanghai alone that year? Even if it were herself, she had never dared to ask before.

  "I was originally from Yan State, and when I was young, my family suffered a change in circumstances, and there are no longer any relatives in the world." Huai Jin had long known that he would be asked this question on the road, so he prepared a simple answer that was both factual and vague enough to brush off further inquiry.

  Everyone was shocked when they heard this. "It's also a child with a bitter fate," Dong Ruo continued, "In the future at Xuanwu, take good care of each other."

  "Aunt..." Dong Zhiyu felt that Aunt's words were unnecessary, and they weren't even on the same level, so how could they take care of each other? But she couldn't think of anything to say in response.

  Dong Ruo Zhao glanced at her niece and saw that she was hesitant, so she gave up.

  "She..." Huai Jin continued, "I will take good care of her."

  "Zhi Yu, you see how considerate Wei Miss is. From now on, you should also take good care of Wei Miss. In daily life, think of her when there's something delicious or useful. On holidays, gather with Wei Miss more often. You are both alone in Xuanwu."

  "Aunt... I'm taking care of her right now..." Dong Zhiyu's entire face was buried in the bowl, his voice getting smaller and smaller, until it was almost like a mosquito buzzing.

  She cast a glance at her and said, "Thank you, Auntie, for your kind intentions. Zhiyu has already taken good care of me. This is just the year he will take me back home to celebrate the New Year."

  "Dong Zhiyu, are you feeling hot tonight?" Zeng Jiali stared at Dong Zhiyu's flushed face and asked in confusion.

  Dong Zhiyu raised her face and bluntly stared at Zeng Jiali.

  Dong Ruo Zhao burst out laughing: "You two sisters have been fighting since you were little!"

  Huai Jin couldn't help but laugh, and this one smile didn't matter, Dong Zhiyu's face turned red again, and she vented all her anger on Zeng Jiali: "Huh? What about the fiancé you said you were going to bring today?"

  I almost bit my tongue off, how did my train of thought end up here? Is this an analogy? I'm so embarrassed, I just want to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

  Hua Jin was pondering this question and found it interesting, so she lowered her eyelids and continued eating.

  Everyone's attention was suddenly focused on Zeng Jiali, and the marriage was always the most concerned topic for elders at the festive dinner table, so you started asking questions about Zeng Jiali one after another.

  Dong Zhiyu raised an eyebrow at Huai Jin, who had a hint of a smile in her eyes as she seriously ate the Sichuan hot pot dish that Dong Zhiyu had just served her.

  "Is it delicious?"

  Huai Jin glanced at her and said, "Mm."

  "Then you come to my house for Chinese New Year every year from now on," she added, "until you get married."

  This time it was Huaijin's turn to blush slightly, "Don't talk nonsense," she thought for a moment, "If I can live to get married."

  Insert Bookmark