Chapter 289: May Every Year Be Like Today
Yu Zhiyu carried all the chairs and benches from Chen Ye Chu’s side and placed two tables side by side, widening the space enough for all five of them to sit comfortably.
The sky had gradually darkened. To prevent it from becoming too dark to see and inconvenient to eat, Ning Xiyue lit two candles and placed them on the table.
As soon as the two candles were lit, their flickering glow brightened the entire dining area, illuminating the delicious spread before them.
“All right, everyone sit down and eat! Just looking at this feast is making my mouth water,” Ning Xiyue called out, urging everyone to take their seats on the benches before she hurried back into the kitchen.
“Hey, sis! What are you doing? Telling us to sit down while you run off yourself,” Ning Qingyuan shouted toward the kitchen.
“Just a moment!”
Ning Xiyue dashed inside, lifted a jar of yellow wine, and found a small long-spouted kettle to use as a makeshift wine pot. She filled it up, sealed the wine jar again, and carried the kettle out along with five small cups.
“How can we have such a rich dinner without some wine?” she said brightly. “This one’s mild—only nine percent alcohol. No need to worry about getting drunk. Let’s eat well and drink happily tonight!”
“Then I’ll have to drink more tonight!” Chen Ye Chu said enthusiastically, holding out her cup. “You said before that yellow wine is nourishing, and even the wine lees are good for you. Authentic yellow wine must be even better—pour me one first!”
“Sure, you get the first cup.”
Ning Xiyue tilted the kettle and poured. The sweet fragrance of wine drifted out from the narrow spout, spreading through the air.
Chen Ye Chu watched the stream of wine intently, heart aching even when a single drop spilled to the ground.
“Slow down, don’t spill! All right, stop—full!”
“Try it,” Ning Xiyue said, smiling as she held the kettle.
Chen Ye Chu eagerly took a sip. Her eyes narrowed in pleasure, and she sighed in delight. “Ah—so good!”
“As long as you like it. There’s plenty more,” Ning Xiyue said, filling everyone’s cup before sitting down.
Each of them took a sip, and one after another let out a satisfied sigh.
Ning Xiyue lifted her cup and said warmly, “Come on, let’s toast—to may every year be like today, every day like this moment.”
“Cheers—to may every year be like today!” they chorused, clinking glasses and laughing.
“Let’s eat!”
Ning Xiyue eagerly reached for the long-awaited crayfish she’d been eyeing.
Chen Ye Chu noticed and quickly introduced the dishes.
“I made two flavors today—this plate is garlic-flavored crayfish, not too spicy. The other is spicy mala crayfish, a bit hot. Pick whichever you like. Dip it in the oil underneath—it tastes even better that way. I’ll show you how to eat it.”
She picked up a spicy crayfish to demonstrate how to peel it and get to the meat.
“I love the garlic ones,” Liu Yao said immediately. “One bite of shrimp with one bite of garlic—so fragrant.”
She had already tasted them while cooking and couldn’t resist reaching for another garlic-covered shrimp.
Curious, Ning Qingyuan and Yu Zhiyu followed suit, using their chopsticks to pick up their first-ever crayfish.
Ning Xiyue held a spicy one. It was so neatly prepared—the head trimmed, gills and vein removed, tiny legs snipped off, even the back slit open. The meticulousness amazed her; she’d never eaten shrimp prepared so carefully. Each bite was all meat—easy to eat and full of flavor.
She dipped it in the sauce at the bottom of the bowl. The flavor deepened, spicy but not overwhelming—just enough heat to draw the taste into the meat.
“So good! This crayfish is amazing!” Ning Xiyue exclaimed, giving a big thumbs-up before quickly reaching for a garlic one.
She picked the shrimp with the most garlic, dipped it in the sauce, and took a satisfied slurp.
The garlic version was just as delicious—the spice level perfect, the flavor rich yet distinct from the spicy version. For someone who loved strong flavors like her, both were perfect.
These two plates were even better than any crayfish she’d eaten at roadside shops.
No wonder the female lead could capture the male lead’s stomach—her cooking really was top-notch.
And she, Ning Xiyue, got to benefit from it.
Her eyes sparkled as she turned to Chen Ye Chu. “I love both! Yechu, whatever special dish you come up with next time, let us know. I’ll go find the ingredients, and you cook. The way you transform ingredients from the mountains and rivers—it’s magical.”
“I can help find ingredients too!” Liu Yao said quickly, holding a shrimp in one hand and raising the other. “I caught a bunch of these crayfish today—they’re delicious!”
“Count me in,” Yu Zhiyu said with a grin, raising his hand.
Ning Qingyuan, who had been quietly drinking, set down his cup and raised his hand too. “Add me.”
“All right,” Chen Ye Chu laughed happily. “Whenever I find something interesting to cook, I’ll tell you all. We’ll do it like today—gather, cook, and eat together. The mountains and rivers are full of hidden delicacies!”
Her cooking being so well-received made her beam with joy. She pointed to the rest of the dishes. “Come on, eat up! There’s plenty more. Try the river snails—use the toothpicks here to get the meat out. I’ll show you.”
She picked up a snail and a toothpick and demonstrated how to eat them quickly and easily.
Ning Xiyue watched intently, pretending to be a beginner like her brother, and followed along.
The snail tails had been clipped, making them easier to eat, and the flavor was rich. No wonder it had been the spiciest dish while cooking—the oil was fiery enough that one dip required a few gulps of water to cool down. Eating the snails alone, though, was just right.
After finishing the snails, Ning Xiyue’s gaze drifted toward the drunken shrimp. Inside the bowl, the crystal-clear baby shrimp were still slightly alive, twitching faintly.
Under everyone’s curious eyes, Ning Xiyue picked one up and popped it into her mouth, chewing with a crisp crunch.
“How is it?” Liu Yao asked, chopsticks poised but hesitant, eyes on the still-moving shrimp. She’d never eaten anything alive before and looked torn between curiosity and fear.
“It’s good,” Ning Xiyue assured her. “The seasoning is excellent. Try one.”
Encouraged by Ning Xiyue’s calm tone, Liu Yao cautiously picked a motionless shrimp, closed her eyes, and chewed twice.
Her expression changed—surprised delight replacing fear. She grabbed another, eating eagerly now.
Ning Xiyue laughed. “No need to ask—your reaction says it all.”
“Mm, it’s really good! The flavor’s great, and the shrimp isn’t fishy at all—sweet and fresh. You all should try too!”
Ning Qingyuan, chewing on a fried shrimp, chuckled. “I made the drunken shrimp. If it didn’t taste good, I wouldn’t have served it. Don’t worry—eat up.”
Liu Yao, now fully converted, pushed the bowl toward Yu Zhiyu and Chen Ye Chu, eager for them to taste too. Under her enthusiastic recommendation, they both tried and agreed—it was delicious.
Her successful “sales pitch” made Liu Yao beam, grinning from ear to ear like a happy child whose friends liked her favorite treat.
Ning Xiyue shook her head, amused, took another sip of yellow wine, and picked up a stir-fried river clam.
“Mmm—”
Her brows suddenly furrowed, and her chewing slowed down…
