New Year's Eve.
Crackle, crackle…
The sound of firecrackers filled the air, and fireworks lit up the sky, illuminating all of Cangxi City.
The entire city radiated the joyous atmosphere of the festival.
At the Ye estate, most of the servants had gone home for the holiday, leaving only a few key members to remain on duty.
In the kitchen, Qi Yixuan was happily making dumplings for her husband.
For the Cult Leader of the Demon Cult, happiness was incredibly simple: doing little things for her beloved husband.
As long as her husband was happy and content, her own joy surpassed all else.
The Old Witch stood beside her, assisting with the preparations while quietly muttering to herself.
"We've already located the reincarnated living Buddha of the Buddhist Sect, yet you're not the least bit concerned. But when it comes to making dumplings for the Young Master, you've spent a whole month practicing, fretting over every little detail like your life depends on it."
As she pondered this, a man entered the kitchen. The Old Witch was about to greet him as "Young Master," but he waved his hand, signaling her to stay quiet.
"Granny Lan, bring me the seasoning I prepared a few days ago."
Completely engrossed in preparing the filling, Qi Yixuan didn't notice her husband's arrival.
"Is it this one?"
Ye Xuzhang handed her a plate of fragrant seasoning and asked.
Qi Yixuan let out a small cry of surprise. "Ah, Husband?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Go on, leave! The kitchen is no place for men."
Seeing the flour smudged on her face, Ye Xuzhang carefully wiped it off.
"It's New Year's Eve, and you're still working so hard."
"I heard from Xiaoyu that you've been preparing for this New Year's dinner for a whole month?"
Qi Yixuan blushed, her cheeks glowing red. "It's New Year's; of course, I wanted to make it special."
Ye Xuzhang removed her apron and said, "You're not allowed to overwork yourself today. Go, rest in the main hall. I'll handle this dinner."
"What?"
"How could I let you go through so much trouble?"
"Be good," Ye Xuzhang said firmly, leaving no room for argument.
"Oh, alright."
Feeling a surge of warmth in her heart, Qi Yixuan obediently left the kitchen with the Old Witch.
Ye Xuzhang had picked up some cooking skills during his time on Earth, but he was a bit out of practice after so many years.
All he could manage was making dumplings; the rest of the dishes were entrusted to Liu Dalu.
After much effort, the dishes were finally ready, and the dumplings were served.
"Dumplings are ready!"
Chun Mei, Xiaoyu, Uncle Chen, Ye Xuzhang, and Granny Lan brought plates of food and dumplings to the table.
The dining area had several tables, each with one person per table, except for a long table placed in front of Ye Xuzhang and Qi Yixuan, which they shared as a couple.
Every table was set with a plate of dumplings, various delicacies, and a jug of wine.
Ye Xuzhang poured his wife a cup of wine and smiled. "My dear, you usually don't drink, but today is New Year's Eve. Let's enjoy a small toast."
"This is to thank you for your hard work managing our household so well."
Qi Yixuan shyly nodded, lifted her sleeve to conceal her face, and downed the drink in one go.
She then called out, "Come, everyone, let's eat dumplings."
Chun Mei and Ye Xiaoyu couldn't wait any longer and immediately grabbed dumplings to eat.
"Wow, the filling Madam made is absolutely delicious!"
The two girls exclaimed in delight.
Uncle Chen nodded in agreement. "Indeed, Madam's cooking is a rare treat for us. Only on New Year's can we enjoy such a feast."
Ye Xuzhang quipped, "Don't just praise her; I made the dumplings, you know."
Ye Xiaoyu picked up another dumpling and said, "True, true. Madam's cooking is rare, but Young Master cooking himself? That's a first in history!"
Chun Mei added, "It's all thanks to Madam. If Young Master hadn't wanted to save Madam the effort, we wouldn't have this chance."
The group laughed and bantered, the atmosphere lively and full of joy.
After the feast, everyone stayed up late to welcome the New Year. As the clock struck midnight, Xiaoyu and Chun Mei rushed over to give New Year's greetings and ask for red envelopes.
Ye Xuzhang was generous, giving each of them a red envelope containing 100 taels of silver.
Qi Yixuan, however, was even more extravagant, gifting each girl 1,000 taels.
When they saw the denomination on the banknotes, Xiaoyu and Chun Mei exclaimed in unison, "Wow, so much!"
"Thank you, Madam! Madam is the best!"
Ye Xuzhang chuckled and shook his head. "Madam, don't spoil them too much."
"They've worked hard all year. They deserve it."
Qi Yixuan smiled faintly and handed two more red envelopes to Ye Xuzhang, who gave them to the Old Witch and Uncle Chen as rewards for their hard work throughout the year.
As for Liu Dalu, he never accepted red envelopes.
According to Xiaoyu, "He's just a fool!"
After the New Year's greetings, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. Qi Yixuan also bade her husband goodnight. "Husband, I'll head back to my room now. You should rest early too."
Ye Xuzhang gently grabbed her hand and smiled. "Dear, it's the first day of the New Year."
"Huh?"
Qi Yixuan's cheeks flushed red as she stammered, "But Husband, it's New Year's Day…"
"Isn't New Year's Day still the first day?"
Without another word, Ye Xuzhang scooped her up and carried her back to their room.
Qi Yixuan struggled a bit at first, but eventually, she gave up and let him have his way.
The Old Witch watched the couple's retreating figures, shaking her head repeatedly as she muttered to herself:
"Sigh, the Cult Leader is truly ensnared by him in this lifetime…"
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