VFGRC Chapter 55

This morning, Xing Xing didn’t really care about celebrating the New Year. However, as soon as he changed into his new clothes and sat by the coffee table, watching Yu Bai one after another bring the well-prepared dinner to the table, his two round eyes became even rounder.

Cold dishes, hot dishes, main course soups, and a variety of snacks…

Considering that only he and Xing Xing were going to eat this meal, Yu Bai didn’t make a large quantity of each dish, but there were many different kinds.

Among them, quite a few dishes and snacks were things that Xing Xing had never eaten before.

Even the post-meal fruits were artistically arranged by Yu Bai to look like cute animals.

So many delicious things!

Xing Xing is a well-behaved child. Even though he’s tempted by the dishes on the coffee table, he doesn’t sneak a bite because he wants to wait for Dad to eat together!

However, the dishes Dad made are really too fragrant. He can hardly control his little hands anymore and wants to secretly taste the food…

Taking advantage of Yu Bai’s inattention, Xing Xing takes small sips of water, trying not to be noticed.

He stands up and follows behind Yu Bai like a little shadow.

“Daddy, let me help you carry things!”

Only by giving himself something to do can he divert his attention from the food!

Unfortunately, Xing Xing is still a small cub, short in stature and lacking the strength of an adult. He can only help Yu Bai a little bit.

“Then I’ll trouble Xing Xing to move this small jar of wine to the living room.” Yu Bai thinks for a moment and stuffs a small jar into Xing Xing’s arms. “This jar is made of ceramics and will break if it falls, so you must handle it with care and make sure not to drop it on the ground!”

Yu Bai doesn’t often drink alcohol. Occasionally, he’ll have a drink or two of his own homemade, low-alcohol wine on holidays or important occasions.

The small jar of wine Yu Bai hands to Xing Xing is truly just a small jar. Even a child like Xing Xing can move it effortlessly.

“Got it!” Xing Xing’s little face is filled with seriousness. “I promise to complete the mission!”

With his round and chubby little arms holding the small jar tightly like a lotus root, Xing Xing takes slow and deliberate steps, making sure the jar won’t slip from his embrace.

It wasn’t until Yu Bai had finished preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner that Xing Xing had just managed to move the small jar to the side of the coffee table.

“Daddy! I brought the wine over!”

“Xing Xing didn’t break the jar, impressive!”

Yu Bai praised Xing Xing a couple of times, and Xing Xing’s smile grew even brighter.

Because it was just Yu Bai and Xing Xing at home, they skipped many formalities and kept things simple.

At 7 o’clock in the evening, the annual Spring Festival Gala began right on time.

The Spring Festival Gala in the book was much like Yu Bai’s past life experience, with the performances lacking novelty and focusing more on form than entertainment.

In the beginning, Xing Xing was quite engrossed in watching the Spring Festival Gala, but after two or three programs, he found it boring and shifted his attention to the New Year’s Eve dinner on the coffee table.

New Year’s Eve was the last day of the traditional lunar calendar in China, and after this night, a new year would begin.

Therefore, throughout the year, every household would treat themselves to some delicious food to reward their hard work for the year.

Yu Bai had some free time recently and a bit of savings, so he didn’t want to just make do with a vague New Year celebration.

There were cold dishes like osmanthus candied lotus root, assorted marinated meats, and cucumber rolls… Hot dishes included squirrel-shaped Mandarin fish, tea-infused chicken, and braised pork elbow…

The soup Yu Bai made was the rich seafood prosperity soup that Xing Xing loved, and the snacks were traditional Chinese corn cakes.

After midnight, when Xing Xing had finished playing with fireworks outside and gotten hungry, Yu Bai prepared some dumplings and sweet rice balls.

Xing Xing loves sweets, and many of the dishes Yu Bai made are on the sweeter side, so Xing Xing enjoyed them so much that he couldn’t even lift his head.

On this day, apart from feeling a bit tired in the morning, Xing Xing had delicious food, fun activities, and could even watch TV without Dad scolding him… He was truly so happy!

With a playful expression in his eyes, Xing Xing holds a chicken leg in his right hand and a soup ladle in his left.

He takes a bite of the fragrant and crispy tea-infused chicken and then scoops up a spoonful of the flavorful prosperity seafood soup.

“Xing Xing, do you want some corn cakes?”

Yu Bai’s corn cakes were fried to a crispy golden brown, and a layer of sweet mayonnaise was drizzled on top.

Xing Xing nods eagerly, “Yes, yes, yes!”

But as soon as he finishes speaking and tries to reach out to take a corn cake, he hesitates.

Xing Xing looks at his hands – both hands are already occupied by the soup ladle and the chicken leg.

His slightly greasy lips purse in thought.

Should he put down the ladle to pick up the corn cake, or should he put down the chicken leg to pick it up?

Yu Bai chuckles, “Let me feed you.”

Xing Xing’s bright and round eyes twinkle, “Okay, okay, okay…”

Yu Bai holds the corn cake to Xing Xing’s mouth, and Xing Xing opens his mouth wide, taking a bite of the triangular corn cake.

Xing Xing’s eyes close in delight, and he earnestly enjoys the happiness brought by the delicious food.

But when he opens his eyes, he sees Yu Bai sitting next to him, taking out a phone and aiming it at him to take a picture.

Xing Xing’s dark eyes widen.

Dad is secretly taking a photo of him? No, no! Right now, his mouth is all oily, and he doesn’t look good at all. Dad can’t capture this uncool moment!

Xing Xing anxiously exclaims, “Dad, you can’t take a picture, I don’t look good right now!”

Yu Bai responds, “Not look good? I think Xing Xing looks quite handsome! You’re the most stylish little friend in Dad’s heart!”

Xing Xing isn’t foolish; he can tell that Yu Bai is deliberately trying to coax him with those words.

Xing Xing pouted his little mouth, raising it high, and he set down the chicken leg and the ladle, using his small hands to shield his face.

“I can’t, you can’t take pictures…”

Seeing Xing Xing’s strong resistance, Yu Bai reluctantly put down the phone.

He had never seen Xing Xing care so much about his image before. He really didn’t know where Xing Xing had learned this, becoming more and more conscious of his “idol image.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t take your picture.”

Only then did Xing Xing reluctantly lower his paws, but his small expression still held a trace of unhappiness.

Yu Bai coaxed, “How about I go make some sweet rice balls for you?”

Xing Xing asked, “What are sweet rice balls?”

Yu Bai explained, “Sweet rice balls… are sticky rice dumplings that can be cooked in water and eaten.”

Xing Xing absolutely loved eating the sticky rice dumplings that Dad made!

Sweet rice balls are sticky rice dumplings that are cooked in water, so sweet rice balls must be just as delicious as sticky rice dumplings, right?

Xing Xing nods eagerly, “Okay! I want to eat sweet rice balls!”

Xing Xing’s tone is excited, clearly dispelling the slight unhappiness he had from being secretly photographed earlier.

The plain sweet rice balls were prepared by Yu Bai when he had some free time. He just needed to bring water to a boil and cook the sweet rice balls in it for a while.

Considering that Xing Xing is still young and not suitable for foods with alcohol, Yu Bai made plain sweet rice balls for Xing Xing, while he made sweet rice balls with fermented rice for himself.

Yu Bai has been a Southerner in both of his lifetimes, so in his opinion, when eating sweet rice balls, they must be cooked with fermented rice to be truly flavorful.

Xing Xing looks at the two round and colorful sweet rice balls in his small bowl, then glances at Yu Bai’s bowl with four equally round and colorful sweet rice balls. Xing Xing blinks his round eyes.

Why do the sweet rice balls in Dad’s bowl smell even more delicious than the ones in his bowl?

There’s a sweet fragrance to it, but Xing Xing can’t quite describe the exact taste.

“Dad, your sweet rice balls smell so good…”

Xing Xing’s round gaze turns toward Yu Bai, his eyes clear and sincere, as if genuinely praising the fragrance of Yu Bai’s sweet rice balls.

How could Yu Bai not notice Xing Xing’s little scheme?

Xing Xing wants to use the excuse of praising Yu Bai’s sweet rice balls to try some from his bowl.

However, Yu Bai’s next words extinguish the star’s plan.

“My sweet rice balls do smell good, but you can’t eat them because I added fermented rice.”

“Fermented rice? What’s that?”

“Fermented rice is similar to alcohol. Children like Xing Xing can’t drink alcohol, so they also shouldn’t have fermented rice. You can only eat it when you grow up…”

Xing Xing knows that he’s still just a tiny child and there are many things he can’t eat.

However, the rich and sweet aroma of fermented rice sweet rice balls in Yu Bai’s bowl is truly enticing. Xing Xing smells the delicate sweetness and then takes a sip of the plain boiled water in his own bowl…

The contrast between the aromas of the two bowls of sweet rice balls is evident, and it dampens Xing Xing’s interest in eating them altogether.

“Although you can’t eat these fermented rice sweet rice balls, I can give you a little taste of the sweet soup inside. The sweetness of the soup.”

Xing Xing’s eyes, which had been tinged with a bit of disappointment, instantly brighten upon hearing Yu Bai’s words.

Xing Xing’s eyes sparkle, and his small hands rest on the table as he stretches his short and chubby neck, tilting his head slightly, waiting for Yu Bai’s “feeding.”

Yu Bai scoops a small amount of sweet soup from the bowl and after blowing on the spoonful, offers it to the corner of Xing Xing’s lips.

Xing Xing eagerly drinks the spoonful of soup.

Fermented rice is essentially a type of sweet rice wine made from glutinous rice fermentation. Its alcohol content is very low, almost negligible.

Fermented rice has a sweet taste, and after Yu Bai’s preparation, with the addition of ingredients like goji berries, its alcohol content has been reduced to a minimum. Therefore, even children can easily consume it without detecting any strong alcoholic taste.

The sweet soup, upon entering the mouth, is a burst of sweetness combined with a subtle wine essence that is not overpowering. Instead, it mingles with the sweet flavor, creating new and delightful sensations.

Delicious!

But little children shouldn’t drink too much…

Xing Xing hesitantly extends his pink tongue, delicately licking off the small amount of sweet soup on his lips.

Time flies, and as Yu Bai and Xing Xing eat their New Year’s Eve dinner while watching TV, it’s soon past eleven in the evening.

Perhaps due to the festive atmosphere of the New Year, Xing Xing, who would usually get sleepy around ten, surprisingly remains wide awake tonight, his round eyes full of energy.

“It’s almost midnight,” Yu Bai says, “Xing Xing, let’s go. Let’s go downstairs and light fireworks while making wishes…”

Making wishes?

Xing Xing blinks.

His current most fervent wish is to grow up quickly so he can enjoy all the delicious foods that only adults can eat!

 

Author’s Note:

【Xing Xing’s Wishes】

Past Xing Xing: Grow up to protect Dad!

Current Xing Xing: Grow up to eat tasty food!