Chapter 154: New Year's Day

After finishing her meal at the Yan residence, Zhong Yuxiu intended to help with the cleanup, but Song Man stopped her.

"Go play chess with the old man, let Dashan help me instead. A young girl’s hands should be well-cared for; girls are more delicate than boys, so don't shortchange yourself just for the sake of social etiquette."

Yan Guofeng had no objections and chuckled in agreement. "That’s right, come over here and keep me company with a game of chess."

"Coming." Feeling a surge of warmth in her chest, Zhong Yuxiu walked quickly to the sofa, helped Yan Guofeng set up the chessboard, and sat down opposite the old man.

After losing three consecutive games, Yan Guofeng was left with no pieces on the board and no complaints.

"Yuxiu is truly worthy of being called a genius. Her mind is clear and rational, always maintaining composure while analyzing the big picture. An old man like me can’t compete. They say that each generation produces its own talents, and that is certainly true." Yan Guofeng laughed heartily, feeling satisfied even in defeat.

Don't ask why; he simply admired her. When playing against someone prone to schemes and tricks, one might feel resentful or unwilling to accept defeat, but when playing against someone open and upright, losing is no disgrace—it is, quite simply, the charm of character.

"Grandpa Yan is too kind." Zhong Yuxiu set down her piece, noticing that Yan Guofeng no longer had the heart to continue. She shifted roles naturally and spent time chatting with him.

As they interacted, Yan Hejun occasionally chimed in. Having only spent a day with her, he found himself admiring the young woman more and more, coming to agree with his father’s assertion that Zhong Yuxiu was the most suitable choice for the Yan family's eldest grandson’s wife.

She was intelligent without being smug, generous in her actions, neither pushy nor easily taken advantage of. She handled social situations with grace, possessed great insight, and as a supportive partner for Rushan, she was more than qualified—not to mention the value she herself brought.

Right now, only Yan Rushan recognized her worth, but once others discovered it, the competition would surely be fierce. There was no shortage of men from good families with strong capabilities in the compound, but women as exceptional as Zhong Yuxiu were rare. Scarcity made her all the more precious.

After spending the day at the Yan house, Yan Rushan drove her home in the evening.

"Get some good rest. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Mm, you get some sleep early too." Zhong Yuxiu nodded with a smile, saw him out, locked the door, freshened up, and went upstairs to tuck herself into bed.

Goudan came upstairs, pushed the door open, walked to the bedside, and sat down slowly. "Master, did you have a good time at the Yan house?"

"I did." A muffled voice came from under the covers. Zhong Yuxiu pulled back the quilt to reveal her face. "The Yan family is very easy to get along with. Goudan, I used to worry about the complexities of mother-in-law, family, and spousal relationships."

In later generations, many women chose not to marry for various reasons—finances, in-laws, family, husbands, environment, children—there were so many factors that made young women fear marriage.

Yan Rushan had given her enough of a sense of security; his protectiveness, his attentiveness, and his steadfastness were everything she needed.

"Goudan, Yan Rushan opened up my heart in his own way. I’ve realized that one must experience these things to make life complete." In her previous transmigrations, she had never married, nor had she even dated, resisting romantic entanglement. She had lived each life in solitude; while she had the respect of younger generations in her family, something had always been missing.

She hadn't been able to put her finger on it before, but now she understood. Her life had been incomplete. A person’s life is filled with countless experiences, and one can never truly face the nature of love without trying it.

"As long as you are happy, Master. Whatever decision you make, Goudan will support you." Though Yan Rushan could be a bit of a rascal, he possessed the sense of responsibility a man should have.

Zhong Yuxiu smiled happily. "I know Goudan is the best to me."

"Master, go to sleep now, sweet dreams." Goudan leaned over to tuck her in.

"Goodnight, Goudan."

She lay flat on the bed and closed her eyes, letting Goudan adjust the quilt. Only after hearing him head to the laboratory and the sound of the door closing did she drift off to sleep. She slept soundly through the night, a smile still playing on her lips when she woke up.

"Good morning, Master. Happy New Year." The laboratory door opened, and the tall Goudan stepped out. "What would you like for breakfast, Master?"

Zhong Yuxiu stretched and rolled out of bed. "Happy New Year to you too. Just make something simple for breakfast; I’ll be eating at the Yan’s for the next two days. The food there is good, so it doesn't matter if breakfast is light."

"Understood. Please get dressed and wash up, Master. I will make steamed buns and noodles for you."

"Skip the noodles. I want red bean paste buns. Make a few extra so we can freeze them outside; when I want to eat them, I can just steam them."

Goudan nodded. "Very well, Master, I understand."

Goudan exited the room, and Zhong Yuxiu went to the wardrobe, dressed, and went downstairs. After washing up, she headed to the kitchen, where Goudan was already busy.

"Is there anything else I can do? I’ll help out. If I just eat and sleep all day, I’ll turn into a pig."

"Master, your vacation is short. You’ll be busy again on the twelfth day of the Lunar New Year. You should take these few days to relax. Once you get busy with your studies, it will be even harder." Having calculated her schedule, he knew she had about ten days to rest. Once the twelfth arrived and she took on her new class, she would also have to attend medical school; the days of hard work were still ahead of her.

That was why Goudan hadn't woken her up earlier.

Touched by the robot’s consideration, Zhong Yuxiu smiled warmly. "These little things don't even count as work, just helping out. Is it time to make the buns? Let me try."

Unable to refuse her, and lacking any programming to disobey his master, Goudan brought out three types of fillings: sugar and peanut, cabbage and pork, and pickled vegetable.

"I’ve prepared these three; the red bean paste will be ready shortly."

The red bean paste required frying with lard, which took some time.

"You go ahead with your work." Pushing Goudan aside, Zhong Yuxiu washed her hands and uncovered a large mound of white dough. It was well-fermented, large, and fluffy.

Goudan glanced back. "Master, please leave one-fifth of that for plain steamed buns."

"Got it, I won't finish wrapping them all at once anyway." Zhong Yuxiu nodded, pinched off a piece of dough, and used a rolling pin to gently flatten it into a thick wrapper. She added the filling and shaped the bun. It was a bit loose, but a quick squeeze fixed it.

She felt quite proud of herself; she wasn't a total failure when it came to cooking.

By the time Goudan finished straining the red beans and frying them into paste, Zhong Yuxiu had only managed to wrap eight, all of which had flaws.

Goudan brought the bean paste to the counter and said, "Master, perhaps you should stop. Your buns will surely fall apart when steamed."

"Will they?" Zhong Yuxiu didn't want to believe it, but fearing she would waste the filling and dough, she stopped.

"They will." Having said this, Goudan took the buns she had made and reshaped them one by one. The pleats Goudan made were tight and uniform, and the result looked like a beautiful flower.

By comparison, Zhong Yuxiu was stunned. She truly had no talent for cooking. Even her bun-making was outdone by Goudan. Fine, if the buns were a lost cause, she would just cut the dough for plain steamed buns.