Chapter 264: Return Journey

The next day, Qu Jing asked for New Year leave and returned to Shan City in advance.

Everyone knew she was going back to pay New Year visits.

That night, Qin Huai saw a group photo of Qu Jing and Chen Tingting's family on his Moments. Chen's father and mother were already gray-haired and smiling very kindly.

The group photo was taken in the living room, and on a small table in the corner of the photo was a photo frame, inside which was an old photo.

In the photo, the young Chen father and mother were holding a little girl, the little girl was standing in the middle, wearing a beautiful dress, smiling very brightly.

At the bottom of the photo was a line of small words: Happy 10th Birthday to little Chen Shen'ai!

Qin Huai silently liked this Moments post.

Qin Huai thought, from now on every Spring Festival, the ordinary Chen Laoshi will have a student she taught many years ago come to pay a New Year visit with fruit gift boxes. This student will appear in all aspects of her life, will do volunteer medical work in the nursing home with her foster parents, and will occasionally meet her, chat, and visit her house.

There is one more person in this world who can understand the photo in their living room.

With Qu Jing's early return, more and more grandpas and grandmas, under the pressure of the New Year, boarded the high-speed rail for the return journey.

Fewer and fewer people were tasting at night.

Qin Huai did not reduce the amount of Four-Joy Tangyuan he made; he made so many Four-Joy Tangyuan every day, originally to brush up on proficiency and practice hard, striving to make A-grade Four-Joy Tangyuan before Han Youxin's birthday, so that his father Han Guishan could shine at his son's birthday banquet, thereby completing Chen Gong's side quest.

Although Qin Huai hadn't seen Assistant Chen for a long time, he always had him in his heart.

He also always liked Assistant Chen's Moments.

If he reduced the production of Four-Joy Tangyuan just because the number of tasters decreased, that would be putting the cart before the horse. Besides, fewer people doesn't mean they eat less; the remaining grandpas and grandmas are also very capable of fighting. If they really can't finish it, they can leave it in the refrigerator to freeze and eat tomorrow, and let Ouyang take the extra back as a New Year gift for his parents.

Ouyang has been mixing in Gusu for so many days, drinking a stomach full of hand-beaten lemon tea, researching a bunch of completely unnecessary recipes, and it's time to take some Gusu specialties back to honor his parents.

What? You say Four-Joy Tangyuan is a Changzhou specialty, not a Gusu specialty.

It's okay, after Ouyang's parents eat Four-Joy Tangyuan, they will naturally know what the real Gusu specialty is.

After all, many office workers near Cloud Canteen firmly believe that fermented bean curd mantou and Five Ding Bao are Shan City specialties, and when friends come to Shan City, they all recommend friends to come to Cloud Canteen to eat these two specialties.

If they aren't friends for life, they won't recommend it; this is the best stuff at the bottom of the box!

In the atmosphere of the New Year, the grandpas and grandmas who tasted every day were fewer day by day.

Xu Tuqiang persisted until the twenty-first day of the twelfth lunar month, Grandma Ding persisted until the twenty-second, and compared to these two, Old Man Qian was far ahead and persisted until the twenty-fourth.

Chen Huihong only persisted until the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The Little New Year had passed, so she had to go back; if she didn't go back, it would really be unjustifiable. She couldn't just leave her younger brother's family in the countryside to eat the bad buckwheat mantou made by her own mother. The Chen family has always paid attention to sharing blessings and hardships together; good food is eaten together, and bad food must also be eaten together.

Chen Yingjun was still in the countryside waiting to be fed, waiting for his dear sister to carry 40 jin of crispy cakes back for him.

Chen Huihong directly exceeded the task.

Qin Huai spoke up and helped Chen Huihong ask Zheng Siyuan for 60 jin of crispy cakes.

Well, actually it was 120 jin, because Qin Huai also needed 60 jin here, but Qin Huai would give his 60 jin on the twenty-ninth.

Zheng Siyuan made crispy cakes until he doubted his life, asking Qin Huai while making crispy cakes if he really only wanted crispy cakes, if his most presentable dim sum was crispy cakes, and why no one wanted fresh meat mooncakes?

Qin Huai told Zheng Siyuan that it was because crispy cakes could be stored for a long time, and fresh meat mooncakes didn't taste as good after being reheated as they did when they were just out of the pot. If Zheng Siyuan was willing to go back to the countryside with Chen Huihong or himself, he could make fresh meat mooncakes as long as he wanted every day, even for 18 hours.

The village is full of fellow villagers waiting to be fed.

To this, Zheng Siyuan replied to Qin Huai with six dots.

Besides 60 jin of crispy cakes, Chen Huihong also brought 60 jin of tangyuan, 30 Guo'er, 20 jin of fermented bean curd mantou, and 20 jin of San Ding Bao.

These are the dim sum that need to be distributed to Luo Jun, Qu Jing, and the welfare academy after returning to Shan City.

Fermented bean curd mantou and San Ding Bao were requested by Qu Jing from Qin Huai. Although Chen Laoshi's family all live in Shan City, they have never heard of Cloud Canteen, nor have they eaten San Ding Bao and fermented bean curd mantou. Qu Jing wanted her parents from her previous life to eat something good, so she rarely opened her mouth to ask Qin Huai for dim sum.

It wasn't a difficult task, so Qin Huai did it easily.

Because there were too many things to bring, Chen Huihong didn't take the high-speed rail, but let Chen Yingjun's assistant drive over to get the dim sum.

"Xiao Qin, Did Luo Luo, see you in Shan City after the New Year," Chen Huihong waved from the passenger seat, and handed a red envelope for Qin Luo out of the car window, "Did Luo Luo, Happy New Year."

Qin Luo never thought she would get a red envelope so early, and was so pleasantly surprised she almost jumped up on the spot, happily saying: "Thank you, Aunt Chen, Aunt Chen, Huihui, Happy New Year!"

Watching Chen Huihong's Maybach leave, Qin Luo happily opened the red envelope and wow-ed.

Qin Huai took a look, 6 red bills, quite a lot.

Chen Huihong is the kind of person who squeezes apple juice at home and if she finds there aren't enough apples, she has to go to Luo Jun's house to steal two apples, always following the policy that all her inheritance will be left to Huihui in the future.

Now giving Qin Luo such a big red envelope in advance can be considered very generous.

Qin Luo was even happier to the point of flying; when had she ever received such a big red envelope? Relatives usually give 5 or 10 yuan, and she would be very happy to receive a 20 yuan red envelope.

"Brother, can I spend half of this red envelope money myself, and use the other half to pay you back?" Qin Luo looked at Qin Huai with eager eyes.

"You've worked hard on remedial classes recently, spend all this money yourself," Qin Huai waved his hand and stabilized his status as the big brother.

On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Ouyang, afraid that if he dragged it for two more days he would really be beaten by his grandfather, dragged a suitcase of Four-Joy Tangyuan and boarded the high-speed rail for the return journey.

At this point, all members of the tasting group except Qin Huai and Qin Luo had returned to their hometowns for the New Year.

There was no one tasting at Qin Huai's place, and his time at night was free, but Zheng Da, who was always leisurely, was already busy flying.

This year, Huang Ji launched a New Year pastry dim sum gift box, with Zheng Da fully responsible and Zheng Siyuan assisting from the side.

From the Little New Year, Zheng Da almost lived in the kitchen, making dim sum as soon as he opened his eyes, and making dim sum in his dreams when he closed them. He arrived at his post at 8:30 am sharp to start work, and dragged his exhausted body off work at 8 pm sharp, letting Zheng Da live the life of an alternative 996 worker at an age of wealth freedom. Qin Huai, who had rested for a day, was surprised to find that he seemed to be unable to be idle.

He felt a bit empty and bored when playing with his phone on the night of the twenty-seventh, wanting to find some dim sum to make.

After staying at Huang Ji for two months, unknowingly, he had lived into the shape of a roll king.

On the last day of working at Huang Ji, Qin Huai decided to stick to his post until the last moment, work overtime, and give his colleagues a surprise.

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Qin Huai made a full 80 jin of Four-Joy Tangyuan, fiercely brushing up on the proficiency of filling adjustment. He distributed the tangyuan made to everyone at Huang Ji, not much, just a little bit of Qin Huai's heart.

After all, he was going to return home the next day, and wouldn't come back again, so the learning and exchange at Huang Ji came to a complete end.

Dong Shi, who received the Four-Joy Tangyuan, was so moved that tears were about to flow, shouting that Qin Huai didn't tell him in advance about preparing such a surprise small gift; if he had known, he would definitely have prepared... prepared... prepared...

Anyway, he would definitely have prepared something.

Unlike now, besides being able to cut a plate of translucent radish slices for Qin Huai on the spot, it seems he can't send anything.

"Qin Huai, don't worry, I will definitely save these Four-Joy Tangyuan for the New Year's Eve dinner; even if I eat two fewer bites of the dishes Master makes, I will eat these Four-Joy Tangyuan for you!" Dong Shi swore.

"That's not necessary; the New Year's Eve dinner is still important, eating it on the first day is the same," Qin Huai sincerely advised.

Although Dong Shi is Huang Shengli's closed-door disciple, he really doesn't eat many big meals personally cooked by Huang Shengli throughout the year, so it's not worth eating two fewer bites for B-grade Four-Joy Tangyuan.

Save his stomach for A-grade on New Year's Eve next year.

To be arrogant, eat S-grade!

Although S-grade most likely needs to be eaten in a dream, it doesn't matter; it's the New Year, can't people have a daydream?

At 10 pm, Qin Huai got off work so late for the first time, completely ending his exchange life at Huang Ji.

He bought a high-speed rail ticket for 10 am the next day, took the high-speed rail to Qu County, and then took a minibus back to the village.

The luggage was all packed, there was nothing to bring, there were change of clothes at home, mainly bringing some kitchenware newly added in Gusu and the homework left for Qin Luo by her tutors.

The homework left by the tutors wasn't much, just two test papers each, allowing Qin Luo to not throw away the lessons she had previously made up while happily spending the New Year.

On February 6th, which was the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, Huang Shengli, Zheng Da, and Gong Liang sent Qin Huai and Qin Luo to the high-speed rail station.

"Rest well when you go back, and send a text message to report safety when you get home," Huang Shengli said with a smile, taking out a thick red envelope from his pocket, "Originally this red envelope was to be given on New Year's Eve, but since you, Xiao Qin, are going back early, I will give it early."

"Happy New Year."

Qin Huai replied: "Happy New Year."

After speaking, Huang Shengli took out a less thick red envelope from another pocket and handed it to Qin Luo: "This is Did Luo Luo's red envelope, Happy New Year!"

"Wow, thank you Uncle Huang, Happy New Year!" Qin Luo felt this must be the happiest New Year she had ever spent.

Zheng Da was not to be outdone, and also took out two red envelopes from his pocket, one for Qin Huai and one for Qin Luo.

"Come, Did Luo Luo, Uncle Zheng also has a red envelope here!"

"Thank you Uncle Zheng, Happy New Year!"

Zheng Da said emotionally: "Xiao Qin, I won't say anything else, you know my heart, and I know your thoughts. I still say the same thing, although you didn't take me as your master, in my heart you are no different from my disciple, and your New Year red envelope must also be the thickest and largest portion; this is a little bit of your Master Zheng's heart!"

"Thank you, Master Zheng." Qin Huai also accepted the red envelope.

"Alright, alright, giving a red envelope and getting emotional," Gong Liang walked between Qin Huai and Zheng Da with a smile, and took out a stack of red envelopes from his bag.

"Master Qin, you know my hobby; I just love giving out red envelopes during the New Year. A small quantity is not my style; you take these red envelopes first."

"I have also prepared some New Year gifts here, it's not convenient to send them to your hometown, I will ask someone to send them to Shan City after the New Year."

Qin Huai was shocked looking at the stack of red envelopes; he had never received red envelopes like this since he grew up.

What Dong Shi said about Gong Liang giving out red envelopes for 5 minutes to ease the atmosphere suddenly became concrete.

Qin Luo was also stunned.

Gong Liang noticed Qin Luo on the side, waved his big hand, and took out another stack of red envelopes from his bag: "Come Did Luo Luo, this is yours."

Qin Luo gasped, looking like she was about to faint from happiness.

Seeing Qin Luo fiercely pinch her arm, hurting to the point of being ferocious, and then happily saying: "My God, it's not a dream!"

Qin Huai:...

Sorry, my sister watches too many TV dramas, let you laugh.

"Alright, let's not gather at the entrance of the high-speed rail station, the departure time is almost here, don't delay Xiao Qin and make him miss the high-speed rail," Gong Liang waved his hand, "Bye-bye, Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!"

(End of this chapter) ===== CHAPTER 265 =====