Chapter 595: Let's Go New Year Visiting Together

After arriving at the cabin by the fields, Xia Qing asked, "Captain Hu, is there going to be snow later?"

While Xia Qing was impersonating Yan Ning yesterday, she couldn't listen to the weather forecast, and naturally couldn't hear the weather alerts for Territory One either.

Territory One has meteorological monitoring equipment, so Hu Zifeng was fairly clear on weather changes. "Yes, it should start soon. It'll last at least three or four hours, with snowfall no less than five centimeters. It'll cover the tracks the wolf pack left bringing you back—good news."

It really was good news. But what had brought her back wasn't a wolf pack—it was a single wolf, so there weren't many tracks left. Even if someone saw a lone wolf's tracks, they wouldn't connect them to her.

Xia Qing set the pot on the small stove, added water and boiled dumplings. Hu Zifeng used the hot water in the kettle to scald the bowls, chopsticks, and plates. When Xia Qing lifted the lid and stirred the dumplings, he glanced into the pot. "Pumpkin filling?"

It wasn't that he had penetrating vision as an evolved ability—it was because a few conspicuous pumpkin shreds were floating in the pot.

Xia Qing responded with a sound, then explained, "Auntie Shi said the pumpkins would go bad after the Spring Festival, so I made the last two Green Lantern pumpkins into dumplings and froze them."

She didn't know which step went wrong, but a few dumplings had cracked while frozen.

A smile crossed Hu Zifeng's rugged face. "I'm in luck today. My stored ones are finished. The pumpkins in the greenhouse should be growing soon, right?"

"They haven't even budded yet. After the first pest rain, I'll pinch off the tips of the pumpkin vines—that should force them to bloom."

When the water in the pot boiled, Xia Qing added more water and kept cooking. Neither of them mentioned Xia Qing's trip outside, as if she had never left.

Hu Zifeng began talking about what had happened in the territory. "Yesterday morning, Tang Huai was looking for you on the channel to team up for hunting, but Chang Li turned him down. Yesterday afternoon he called you again, saying he wanted to bring you some abalone. I picked up and told him to deliver today."

Abalone—she hadn't eaten it in over ten years and had forgotten what it tasted like. Xia Qing asked, "No movement from anyone else?"

"Everyone else was just chatting. Territory Seventeen's Wen Nengjie said he'd come by this morning to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Captain Tan asked territories planning to set off firecrackers this morning to report in advance. Only Territory Twelve nearby reported in."

Hu Zifeng had barely finished speaking when firecrackers started popping outside.

Xia Qing handed Hu Zifeng the spatula she'd been using to cook the dumplings, opened the door, and ran home. Meeting Sheep Boss and Sick Wolf at the village entrance, she immediately soothed her two companions' nerves. "Boss, Wolf Lao Er, don't be scared. Someone's just setting off firecrackers. It's fine—not an intruder."

Seeing Xia Qing safe and sound, Sick Wolf calmed down. Sheep Boss, furious, pawed at the snowflakes falling on the ground with his hooves.

"The first day of the New Year, the very first day, oh the very first day—everyone get up and wish a Happy New Year~~~"

From the walkie-talkie Xia Qing carried came Tang Huai's exuberant singing. Just hearing it made Xia Qing's fists itch, and Sheep Boss's hooves itch too.

Hu Zifeng got on the channel and started cursing. "You bug-digger, can you possibly be any earlier? It's only half past five, damn it!"

Tang Huai was in the best of moods. "So what if it's half past five? Is half past five not the New Year? If you don't like it, come over here! Come wish me a Happy New Year, and the two of us can have a go!"

"Moo!"

Sheep Boss was furious, pawing the ground wanting to find Tang Huai and have a go at him—the kind where he'd charge and kill him on the spot.

Xia Qing guessed the reason Tang Huai was so happy was that he'd learned the news of Tang Zhengsu's "suicide," so he was setting off firecrackers to celebrate.

Both companions had been startled and didn't want to be separated from Xia Qing again. When Xia Qing brought them to the cabin by the fields to carry the dumplings home to eat, Tang Huai stopped bickering with Hu Zifeng and started looking for her. "Xia Qing, Seeing Xin Yu, are you up? Let's go out together to wish people a Happy New Year?"

Like hell they're going New Year visiting together!

Before Xia Qing could press the walkie-talkie button, Zhang San's voice came through the Lord channel. "Tang Huai."

Tang Huai immediately wished Zhang San a Happy New Year with overflowing enthusiasm. "Third Brother, Happy New Year! Wishing you great fortune and success in everything in the new year."

Zhang San was in a terrible mood, his tone terrible. "If I hear you wandering around Territory Seven and disturbing my sleep, don't expect a single thing to go right for you this year."

The others who'd been woken up too...

Tang Huai immediately apologized carefully. "Third Brother, you sleep, you keep sleeping. I promise I won't come over."

In this territory, the only "elder" Xia Qing knew that Tang Huai would go visit for New Year was Zhang San. But before Tang Huai could even step out the door, he'd already been scolded by the elder. What New Year visiting was there left to do?

Xia Qing smiled and sent her idol a message, telling him she had already returned to the territory and to sleep easy.

Tang Huai quieted down, and the channel fell silent.

Xia Qing sat by the fireplace, ate over thirty dumplings while guarding the family portrait, then went outside to clear the snow.

Because the snow was falling hard, a thick layer had accumulated on the rooftops, the sheds, and the greenhouse tops, and needed to be cleared promptly.

When Xia Qing drove the micro-tiller out of the garage and, with her two companions aboard, began clearing snow, Hui Three's Deputy Base Leader Tang Zhengrong brought people and knocked on the door of his cousin Tang Zhengpo's house.

"Happy New Year, Uncle." Tang Ning beamed as she opened the door and invited Tang Zhengrong in, then turned her head and called out cheerfully, "Grandma, Uncle is here to wish you a Happy New Year."

Tang Zhengrong, who had come to deliver funeral news, had his carefully prepared expression and a bellyful of words completely blocked by Tang Ning's shout. He could only force a smile, step inside, and wish the old lady seated in the living room a Happy New Year. "Auntie, Happy New Year to you."

Old Lady Tang stood up with a faint smile. "You're so busy with base affairs, you didn't need to make a special trip. A phone call would have conveyed your regards."

Tang Zhengrong had used being busy with official duties as an excuse and hadn't come to wish her a Happy New Year for several years. For two of those years, he hadn't even made a phone call.

This old coot was putting on airs, picking a fight with him.

Before Tang Zhengrong could try to smooth things over, Tang Zhengpo, wearing an apron, walked slowly out of the kitchen carrying a plate of dumplings and smilingly gave Tang Zhengrong a way out. "Mom, A-Rong is here to wish you a Happy New Year and bring good fortune."

"Right." Tang Zhengrong personally took the plate of dumplings from Tang Zhengpo and set it on the dining table. "Auntie, may you enjoy good health and a long life in the Year of the Dragon."

Old Lady Tang walked to the dining table with a smile. "Why are you all standing? Sit down and eat dumplings together."

"I've already eaten. Auntie, take your time." Tang Zhengrong had no time for dumplings. He gave Tang Zhengpo a look, signaling him to come outside with him to talk.

Things were now a complete mess. Tang Zhengrong needed Tang Zhengpo to bring people out, help him stabilize the situation, and back him up.

Before Tang Zhengpo could respond, his wife Li Shumin walked out of the kitchen carrying dumplings and stopped her husband.

Her voice was gentle, but the words she spoke were chilling. "There are no outsiders here. Whatever you have to say, say it here. In the month-plus since Ningning's dad came back, he's been ambushed six times. He was injured right outside your office, and the wound still hasn't fully healed."