Chapter 1552: Birthday Cake

As time passed, more and more people gathered at the entrance; even those not attending the birthday banquet came over to join the festivities.

Around 11 o'clock, after the cold dishes were gradually placed on the tables, they invited the guests to go inside and take their seats.

The men of the Ye family stood at the entrance as usual, waiting to welcome guests.

Hundreds of people came in and out; the scene was bustling and lively, more so than ever before, a spectacle only seen during the Matsu birthday celebrations a few years ago.

"Dad, where's the cake? I want to eat cake..." Ye Ye Xiaoxi ran out, tugging on Ye Yaodong's arm and acting spoiled.

"I had someone take a boat to the city at midnight to pick it up; they'll be back soon, just wait. The banquet hasn't started yet."

"How long will it take?"

"Soon. Go inside and find your mother first; you'll get to eat it."

"Oh, alright then."

"Dongzi, are all your guests here?" Ye's father asked.

"About ready, I suppose."

"Then go inside first; you need to attend to the guests inside."

"Alright."

Ye Yaodong went inside to sit with the old lady; since the firecrackers hadn't been set off yet, the main dishes hadn't officially been served. With ten people at each table, once everyone was seated, they could start with the cold dishes on the table while waiting for all the guests to arrive before the main courses began.

If the time came and not everyone was present, they would still set off the firecrackers and then start serving the dishes.

The firecrackers were the signal.

The old lady held his hand and said happily, "We've made this too grand, haven't we? The whole family, up and down, is busy just for me..."

"Yeah, it's a rare occasion."

"Are all the guests here? Just now, a bunch of people came up to talk to me, and I didn't know who was who, hehe."

"It doesn't matter who they are; as long as they're here to offer congratulations, that's what counts."

"With so many people and so many tables, won't you lose money hosting this banquet?"

"Even if we lose money, you don't have to pay for it; why worry about that?"

"I'm just worried you're spending too much..."

"Don't worry blindly; we'll receive plenty of gifts, and the expenses won't be that high..."

Suddenly, the firecrackers went off with a loud crackling sound; the children screamed in fright but were also extremely excited.

Over sixty tables were set up; hundreds of people ate in the courtyard, the atmosphere noisy and chaotic, with constant clamor where one had to shout to be heard.

Before long, his father and the others came in and sat down at the reserved empty seats.

Ye Yaodong asked Ye's father, "Are all the guests here?"

"About ready; anyway, everyone from our side has arrived, and it's time. Missing two or three people is fine; they should arrive soon. If something comes up and they can't make it, there's nothing we can do."

After explaining, Ye's father smiled and called out to the people at the table, "Come on, everyone, eat, eat, eat! Don't be polite; eat more. Once the dishes are finished, we can clear the plates and make room for the next courses."

Everyone agreed; those who couldn't reach stood up to serve themselves, and everyone wore broad smiles.

It wasn't just Ye Ye Xiaoxi who was eager for the cake; Ye Chenghu and Ye Ye Chengyang were eager for it too.

The two stretched their necks, finished checking their own table, then looked at others' tables, then turned their heads toward the main entrance, and finally turned back to look at Ye Yaodong.

"Dad, didn't you say there was cake? Where's the cake?"

"Yeah, why haven't we seen the cake yet? The dishes are already being served."

The two brothers spoke one after another, and Ye Ye Xiaoxi also bit her chopsticks, looking at Ye Yaodong expectantly.

"Dad said he already sent someone to get it; it's coming soon, very soon."

Ye Chenghe, at the neighboring table sitting back-to-back with them, heard this and immediately showed off to Chen Xiuni.

"There's cake! Third Uncle even sent someone to the city to buy cake. Haven't you ever had cake? It's delicious, soft and fluffy, with cream, sweet and very tasty. I've only had it once in Magic City; I heard foreigners like it too. If it weren't inconvenient to bring back, I'd definitely buy some for you to eat."

"You won't buy it for your sister, only for Ye Ye Dasao!" Ye Ye Jingjing pouted in protest.

"Where did you buy it? Isn't it hard to get? If we could buy it, I'd definitely bring one back for each of you. Oh right, ask Big Brother to buy it for you; he's in the provincial capital, even closer. Big Brother..."

Ye Ye Chenghai just lifted his eyelids slightly. "I have no money; I'm a pauper."

"I'll give it to you! I have money!"

Ye Ye Dasao spoke up. "How much money do you have?"

"I can't tell you that." Ye Chenghe was extremely arrogant.

Ye Ye Chenghai teased, "Then I'll be relying on you from now on..."

"Easy to say; leave it to me!"

Ye Chenghu turned his head. "Then Brother Brother Ahai, remember to buy me cake next time you come back."

"No problem. Anyway, Ye Chenghe has money; later, have Ye Chenghe send some money to me, and when I come back, I'll bring it for you all."

Ye Ye Chengyang hurriedly added, "And me too."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi also shouted along, "I want some too, I want some too..."

"Then since everyone is included, do we have a share too?"

"Since we're bringing it, naturally everyone gets a share."

The two girls from Ye Ye Yaohua's family also chimed in, one after another.

Ye Chenghe looked left and right; why was everyone staring at him?

"Ah, you all want some?"

Ye Ye Chenghai said, "Didn't you say leave it to you? I have no money, so I can only contribute my effort; you provide the money."

Ye Chenghe slapped his own mouth, then painfully pulled out twenty yuan from his pocket.

"That should be enough to buy a big cake..."

"Take another ten yuan; what if it's not enough? I'll need to take a bus back and forth. We agreed I provide the effort and you provide the money; it's just that I have no money, otherwise how could I give you a chance to show off."

"Damn, blame me for talking too much."

"You've earned it all; I haven't even tasted it. You've been trailing behind Third Uncle, so you've eaten everything, right?"

"Ahahaha... then you've even eaten Dad's poop." Ye Ye Xiaoxi pointed at Ye Chenghe and laughed.

Lin Lin Xiuqing slapped her hand, telling her to put it down. "You empty-headed fool."

Ye Yaodong was also muttering, "How has it taken so long? The banquet has started, but the cakes haven't returned yet."

"Maybe they were delayed on the road. How can you time it that perfectly? Or maybe they couldn't finish making them in time."

"Let's eat the banquet first. It's good to fill the stomach early, so the little ones won't refuse to eat their rice when they see the cakes."

Just as his words fell, the three or four boys he had sent to the main gate returned, each carrying three or four large cakes in their hands. They looked around, hesitating about which table to walk toward.

Seeing them, Ye Yaodong stood up and waved at them.

The few of them found their anchor and immediately walked in his direction.

The children at the nearby tables cheered.

"The cakes are back..."

"The cakes are here..."

"What is a cake? Is it the chicken cake we buy in our town?"

"No way. A cake is huge..."

"What does it look like? What does a cake look like?"

"I heard someone from the city was sent to buy it. It must be delicious..."

As soon as the cakes were brought close, a crowd of children couldn't wait to surround them and tried to reach out and touch.

Ye Yaodong scolded, "No one is allowed to move recklessly. Sit properly in your own seats, or none of you will get to eat."

At his command, everyone became afraid and quickly returned to their seats to sit obediently.

Seeing how casually they carried the cakes, swaying back and forth, Ye Yaodong was worried they might have lost their shape inside.

But it wasn't their fault. Each person had to carry three or four, and they had rushed back. Even the boat ride on the way caused swaying.

"You've worked hard. Open these cakes first and check if any have shifted."

"Okay."

As they placed the cakes on the ground and opened them, everyone stretched their necks to look. Even those far away gathered around, discussing with a cacophony of voices.

"So this is a cake? What is the white stuff? It even has a peach of longevity painted on it..."

"Oh, these cakes are the ones Dongzi specially bought back?"

"This is quite festive and fitting. It even says 'May your fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea, and your longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountains'..."

Some were tilted, and the cake base had shifted position, but at least the messy decorations on top hadn't been ruined, otherwise the words and pictures on the cake would have been destroyed by now.

Ye Father asked, "We have over sixty tables here. Is this enough to distribute?"

"It's not enough to distribute. The shop couldn't make that many either. So we'll cut them into smaller pieces. For our own Ye family, two tables will share one. These are two-layer cakes, so it's enough. The rest will be cut into pieces for other guests who brought children, just to let them taste something fresh."

"That works too."

"This one is prettier and more intact. Put it on our own table for the Old Lady's birthday celebration. Take the others to their respective tables and tell them two tables share one. If there's any left, you cut and distribute them?"

"Fine, then I'll cut and distribute. Just don't cut them too big."

"Then you cut, and I'll distribute." Ye Mother said.

Ye Father rubbed his hands together, happily taking on the task of cutting the cake, unaware that distributing the cake was what truly brought glory.

Ye Yaodong said to the few who had just returned, "There are still empty seats. Find a seat, sit down, and eat with us. You worked hard running this errand and must be exhausted. Eat quickly first."

"Hehe, then we won't stand on ceremony."

"No need for ceremony. What ceremony? Hurry and find a seat to sit down. The dishes have just been served."

"Alright..."

Ye Yaodong placed a cake with a relatively intact appearance on the table. The children at the table squealed with excitement, and those at other tables who received cakes also cheered.

The children who hadn't received any yet, knowing they also had a share, squeezed over.

Some joy, some sorrow. The tables on the outside could only hear the commotion, but knowing the children all had a share, they were all content.

The Old Lady, looking at the joyful and lively scene, smiled so widely her teeth were visible. "So this is the cake you talked about? It's so big. How are we supposed to eat it?"

"Cut it into pieces with a knife and eat piece by piece. But we can't eat it right away. There are other things to do first."

After speaking, he took out the small candles that came as a gift, inserted eight of them into the cake, and explained the meaning of inserting candles to everyone.

"For eighty-eight years, we're just short eight to make the point. Later, when we light the candles, we'll also sing the birthday song. After singing the birthday song, we'll make a wish, and only then blow out the candles. Do you understand?"

These words were spoken to the Old Lady, and he raised his voice quite loudly.

Not only did the Old Lady nod repeatedly, but the children around also joined in shouting, "We understand!"

After shouting, they all followed suit, inserting eight candles each.

This was too new for everyone.

They had never celebrated a birthday like this before, had never seen a cake, and didn't know a birthday could be celebrated this way. The atmosphere soared, and everyone shouted and scrambled to insert candles.

After the candles were lit, Ye Yaodong shouted loudly to everyone again, "The candles are lit. We have to sing the birthday song..."

"Sing, sing, sing..."

"Happy Birthday to you..."

He started first, and the children one by one quickly followed along. Even those who couldn't sing joined in with their own version.

After the adults and children at these few tables started singing, the tables spreading outward felt the atmosphere and joined in too. Those who didn't know the song howled a few lines anyway, just to participate.

With just these few lines of singing, the birthday banquet instantly reached its climax.

The Old Lady's eyes were red, holding a handkerchief in her hand, constantly lowering her head to wipe away tears, yet her smile on her lips was huge.

"So lively... so happy..."

"Alright, the singing's done, make a wish."

Only after he finished singing and stopped did the singing around them and outside continue.

The old lady raised her head, smiling at him, "Want to make a wish? How do you make a wish? Should we toss the jiao cups?"

"No need to toss the jiao cups; it's not the same as making a wish before a Buddha."

"Then may it bless Dongzi and our whole family with peace and great wealth."

"No, you can't say it out loud like that. You must make the wish silently in your heart; if you say it, it won't work."

"Ah, like that? I've already made the wish, so how can it not count? Then I'll just make it a few more times in my heart to offset it."

After the old lady finished speaking, she immediately closed her eyes, her mouth moving nonstop.

Ye Yaodong let her be; with her hearing so bad now, explaining to her was a struggle. It was better not to explain at all, letting her follow Ji De Xiang Fa, which would at least comfort her.

"I've made the wish."

"Then blow out the candles, blow them all out..."

"I'll blow..."

"I'll blow..."

Several small mouths were already puffed out roundly, leaning in to blow out the candles on the cake.

"Oh oh oh oh~ Done, let's eat cake..."

"Let's eat cake..."

Ye Yaodong cut a piece for the old lady first, then let Ah Qing cut and distribute the rest to everyone.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi propped her elbows on the table and shouted at him, "Dad, when it's my birthday, I want to celebrate like this too..."

"Do you want a birthday cake, or do you want me to set up a few tables for you?"

"Of course I want a birthday cake."

Ye Ye Chenghai chimed in, "Simple, ask Brother Chenghe to arrange it for you; he has money!"

"Really?"

Ye Yaodong said with a smile, "Sure, let Chenghe buy it for you. He earned quite a lot last year; he's already earned back his bride price. Buying a big cake for his younger brothers and sisters to eat is only right."

Ye Chenghe cried out in despair, "I gave it, I gave Brother Brother Ahai 30 yuan to help everyone buy it."

"This is for everyone to eat, not just for Little Nine's birthday; you can't mix them together!"

"Big Brother, spare me..."

"You weren't calling me Big Brother just now; just now you called Brother Brother Ahai."

"Hahaha..."

Everyone laughed.

Ye Ye Chengjiang said with a smile, "Then I'll buy it. Little Nine's birthday is early, in March. I'll give you 30 yuan later, and you buy it."

Ye Ye Chenghai was satisfied, "Alright then, you provide the money, I'll provide the effort."

Lin Lin Xiuqing smiled as she handed out the cake piece by piece, "Eat quickly; once it's distributed, take it away, or there won't be space to serve the dishes."

Ye Yaodong lowered his head and asked the old lady, "Is it delicious?"

The old lady nodded with tears in her eyes, wiping them away as she ate, "Delicious, sweet, and soft and fluffy. I've never eaten anything this delicious in my life. Have you eaten it? Hurry and eat."

"You can have it whenever you want to eat it from now on."

"No need, no need, eating it once is enough; don't make it too troublesome."

"It's not troublesome; what's troublesome about this?"

"You have a kind heart. Even as I approach the grave, I can have such an unforgettable birthday. I've never had a birthday in my life..."

"When you turn one hundred, I'll throw an even grander one for you."

The old lady chuckled and nodded repeatedly, "Good, good, then I'll wait."

?? Will write a bit more tomorrow to make up for it.

? (End of Chapter)