Alexander lowered his gaze. He kept brushing his teeth and washing his face. He didn’t quite grasp Evelyn’s cryptic words from earlier. Forget it. Her brain wasn’t big enough for that. Better not overthink it. Finally, she could lie down and sleep.
Evelyn hugged Alexander. She whispered in his ear, “What gift did you prepare for me?” “I don’t know!” Evelyn’s face burned. She answered sullenly. “Planning to surprise me with it tomorrow?” Alexander continued. “I’ll tell you tomorrow!” Evelyn replied. “Can I ask for an extra New Year’s gift?” “What?” Evelyn asked. “I’ll let you know when I think of it.” “...” Evelyn was speechless. How could this guy be so pushy? She had prepared a New Year’s gift for him. Even if he hadn’t prepared one for her, he was asking for an extra one. And he said he’d tell her tomorrow. In short, he was just talking nonsense!
Evelyn turned her back to Alexander. The next second, she felt the heat from his body. She immediately regretted turning over. Could she lie back?
The next day, they both woke up naturally. He didn’t have to go to work. She didn’t have to go to school. There was no rush to get up. It was a rare moment of peace.
On New Year’s Eve, Evelyn was busy all day. Most of the Sterling household staff had gone home for the Spring Festival. According to Sterling tradition, they had to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner themselves. So right now, they were busy washing and prepping ingredients. They were getting the feast ready.
Audrey watched Evelyn, who was very busy and sweating. She couldn’t help saying, “This girl is really sincere!” Then she heard Scarlett echo, “That’s fair to say. Otherwise, how could our mother have chosen Evelyn from so many girls?” Audrey shot Scarlett a look. Scarlett probably realized she had said something wrong. She changed the subject. “The dishes we’re preparing this year are more abundant than last year’s!” “Yes, there are several more dishes!” So they chatted while washing the dishes.
Evelyn wasn’t familiar with the family. She was afraid of saying something wrong. So she tried to listen more and speak less. Occasionally, she inserted a few words. But she never stopped working.
The Sterling family’s New Year’s Eve was very lively. All the family members came back to gather around the stove. Even those who usually worked abroad returned. Besides the sumptuous dinner and the festive atmosphere, the family was happier together. As the new bride, Evelyn helped prepare the reunion dinner in the kitchen.
Isabella was the head chef. Evelyn was her assistant. Harper also helped. Harper was an orphan. She grew up in a welfare home. After finishing middle school, she didn’t continue her studies. At sixteen, she started working as a caregiver and helper. Isabella had always been very kind to her. So even though she was a helper, Harper spent the Spring Festival with the family every year. After all, she had nowhere else to go.
The others were chatting in the living room. Isabella fried the dishes. Evelyn put them on plates and set the table. When Isabella fried a beef and mustard greens dish, she asked Evelyn to taste it. Evelyn put a piece of beef in her mouth and chewed. Then she nodded. “What does that nod mean?” Isabella asked with a smile. Evelyn gave a thumbs up and nodded again. On one hand, it was delicious. On the other, it was too hot to speak. “The thing I’m worst at frying is beef,” Isabella said with a smile. “It always gets tough.” “Not this time. It’s delicious!” Evelyn finally managed to speak. She felt her tongue burning. Alas, as the old saying goes, “Haste makes waste.” It was really true!
“That’s good! In a moment, you can fry the leek and tofu dish,” Isabella explained. “Huh?” Evelyn was stunned. “You don’t know how?” Isabella asked softly. “I’m afraid I won’t cook it well,” Evelyn said worriedly. “Never mind. Just cook it. Leek and tofu is a dish we prepare every New Year’s Eve. It’s stored in spring every year! Now that you’re here, you’ll fry this dish this year!” Isabella explained. “Then, sister-in-law, can you teach me how to fry it?” Evelyn asked anxiously. “Okay!” Isabella said.
So in the end, the leek and tofu was made by Chef Evelyn. Even though Isabella was guiding her, Evelyn was too nervous. Or maybe the fire was too hot. Evelyn’s tofu was almost fried into bean curd residue. It was almost burnt. Evelyn looked at the unrecognizable leek and tofu. She wanted to cry. “It’s okay. I cooked it like this the first time too,” Isabella comforted her. Evelyn didn’t know whether to nod or shake her head. She wanted to cry but had no tears. The first time her sister-in-law cooked this dish, it probably wasn’t for the New Year’s Eve dinner. In a moment, she would have to serve it. Well, everyone who cared about her family would know how bad her cooking was!
“All the dishes are ready. Harper, go tell everyone it’s time for the reunion dinner!” Isabella turned to Harper and said. “Yes, ma’am,” Harper said. She turned and walked out of the dining room. Evelyn still wanted to fry the dish again. But Isabella said there was no more tofu. She comforted Evelyn again, saying it didn’t matter. Evelyn could only nod helplessly. Now, she could only treat the dead horse as a live horse doctor.
The family members entered the dining room one after another. They surrounded the full table. Evelyn sat down in the empty seat next to Alexander. This was also the first time Evelyn had spent New Year’s Eve in a house other than her own. To be honest, it was a feeling she wasn’t used to. But fortunately, Alexander was by her side. As he said, no matter what the situation, there was still him! So if things went wrong, she would have to rely on Alexander to help her.
“Alexander, the ugliest dish is the one I fried,” Evelyn whispered to him. “Which one?” Alexander looked down at her and asked. “It’s the one you can’t tell what it is,” Evelyn replied embarrassedly. “Oh,” Alexander glanced at the table and answered.
After Eleanor said a few lucky words, she picked up a piece of tofu with her chopsticks. The meal officially began. When Evelyn saw Eleanor holding the tofu with her chopsticks, she clearly paused for a moment. It seemed she wasn’t sure if it was tofu or not. Evelyn’s face turned even redder. Isabella followed the old lady and picked up a piece of tofu. The New Year’s Eve dinner started with leeks and tofu.
Alexander took a bite of the leek and tofu. Evelyn watched him carefully. She was afraid he would spit it out. Unexpectedly, he said, “It doesn’t look so good, but it’s delicious!” After that, he reached out with his chopsticks to pick up more tofu. Because it wasn’t easy to pick up, he finally scooped it with a spoon. Evelyn looked at Alexander, who said it was delicious. She hesitated for a moment. Maybe her fried dish didn’t look good, but the taste was delicious! Evelyn then scooped up a spoonful. After one bite, she didn’t know how to describe her feeling. Let’s not mention the slight burnt smell. But she forgot to put in salt! She turned her head and looked at Alexander. He was looking at her with a smile. At that moment, Ethan muttered, “Mom, I forgot to put salt in the tofu!”