"Listen, Taozi, that's where you're mistaken," Cai Bao'er declared. "Love, love—what do you even know about love? If a woman's affection for you is built purely on material wealth and status, you just wait; your relationship won't last. That's why we, like Tigers, must seek out a woman who genuinely loves us, not one who throws herself at us only because of who we are. Commander Zhu, don't be discouraged; true beauties are inexhaustible. We just need to immerse ourselves in the general public, and we'll discover gems far more stunning than Commander Zhao’s harem!"

The spicy skewer vendor, a few tables away, stared at Cai Bao'er intently. Cai Bao'er grabbed a freshly scalded bottle of beer, chugged half of it down, and roared, "What? You don't believe I have the ability either!"

The vendor just chuckled, ignoring him, and returned to preparing his skewers. I chewed on a piece of fried tofu roll. "I truly hope that the next time we gather, we all bring our families along. Tiger has found his target; now it’s just you two fatties left. As for Brother Ersha..."

Ersha, gnawing on a chicken wing, chuckled foolishly, "Heh... heh... wo-men... wo-men... po-ta-to veg-gie bun..."

The Village Chief waved him off. "Forget Ersha for now; let’s settle the lifelong matters for these two first. They’re almost thirty and show no concern for themselves. Han Fen asks me every day, saying, 'I’m so much older than you, yet I can't even help with these trivial matters.'"

I said, "Sometimes, others truly cannot help with matters of the heart."

"Woman! Woman!" Cai Bao'er suddenly exclaimed.

Zhu Da slapped him on the shoulder. "Are you dense? Have you started picking up habits from Ersha? Even settling down doesn't require this level of desperation."

Cai Bao'er pointed into the distance. "Oh, I meant Commander Zhao's two women."

Two young women approached from afar, dressed in luxurious attire. Their fur-trimmed collars stood high, framing faces of exquisite charm that could inspire both jealousy and pity. Behind them trailed a line of pristine white boot prints in the snow.

"Master, the sky is darkening, and the wind is picking up. Perhaps we should take everyone home for dinner," Linglong draped a large fur wrap she was holding over my shoulders.

Ma Xiaorui added, "Yes, the climate here is so hard to adapt to; it’s too cold."

Cai Bao'er scoffed. "A distinct change of seasons is what makes life interesting, unlike where you come from, hot and humid all year round. Only after enduring a harsh winter, when spring arrives and everything revives, will you feel a deep sense of hope rising from within—a feeling that you, citizens of the Twin Stars, can hardly comprehend."

Ma Xiaorui’s Mandarin wasn't entirely fluent. "Nonsense. Once the New Year passes, spring will be here, and then I’ll understand."

Cai Bao'er declared smugly, "Even if you spout nonsense, you still don't have that feeling now."

Ma Xiaorui leaned close to me. "If my Brother-in-law has it, then I have it. I won't get angry no matter what you say."

I turned to Linglong. "Don't go home yet. Let's eat something here. You don't have spicy skewers where you come from."

Linglong hesitated. "We should pack it to go. The elder sisters are worried."

Zhu Da interjected, "Little Linglong, your Master isn't running away! You have to know, eating the exact same thing here versus eating it at home creates two completely different moods. Hey, Boss! Re-fry all these skewers for us; they’ve gone completely cold. And bring us a few pots of soup, make it spicy! I want these two young ladies to properly savor them."

Because the overcast sky made it dark early, this intersection only had this one open-air stall. Even though it was snowing, people still trickled in for skewers, keeping the vendor busy. He shouted toward a storefront behind the alley, "Girl, hurry up and come out to help! You just sit inside watching TV. You graduated ages ago and still aren't worried about finding a job!"

"Dad, it's almost the eve of the New Year, what are you still doing out here? Shouldn't we close up and reunite as a family?" A beautiful face peeked out from the doorway, speaking while testing the air temperature. She then slowly emerged. The girl looked to be in her early twenties, very pretty, with a commendable figure. Even more striking was that another person emerged right behind her, looking like a mirror image of the first—much like Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang. The second girl said, "Right, Dad. With this much snow, can't we just close the stall tonight?"

The vendor faced the two girls. "Absolutely not! You two spend all day not working or earning money. If I don't open the stall, the whole family will be starving!"

The twin sisters ran up to their father, sweetly pleading, "Dad, we know you work hard, but it’s nearly the New Year. Next year, we guarantee we'll find jobs—big corporations directly under the Federation! Then you can just enjoy life with your daughters."

Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er exchanged a subtle glance. They moved to stand on either side of me, blocking my view, and declared, "Commander Zhao, we agreed this time! If you try to steal them from us brothers, we’ll have a major issue with you!"

Ma Xiaorui was staring blankly at a skewer of mao dan (developing bird eggs), unsure if they were edible. Hearing Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er, she looked up and asked, "Steal what?"

Zhu Da chuckled slyly. "Sixteenth Princess, haven't you heard? Your Master has snatched several wives from us, Cai Bao and me. He already has whole pairs of sisters at home! If these two beauties get tricked by him too, it would be truly unjust."

Linglong and Ma Xiaorui stared at me intently. I quickly explained, "Commander Zhu, what nonsense are you spreading? I never had any such intentions! Relax, brother swears this time, I won't even glance at them. If you two can win them over, I'll be waiting to drink your wedding wine. But don't forget your principles—character, character is the most important thing! Don't let beauty cloud your judgment."

The twin sisters started helping their father with the work, chattering away. A few more customers arrived, who casually barked orders at the sisters, almost as if looking for trouble. Yet the sisters didn't get angry, smiling as they fried the skewers and served them. Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er stared at their lovely figures and muttered to themselves, "As long as they don't hate that we’re fat, character can take a backseat."

"Manager Li, I didn't expect to run into you here," a soft, timid female voice suddenly interrupted the two suitors’ flirtation strategies.

The Village Chief, Li Tieniu, managed the People’s Shopping Group. The girl who greeted him gave him a slight, respectful bow; she was clearly an employee of the Group. She was beautiful, but her face always held a timid shyness, and she kept sneaking glances at Xia Huren sitting across from them.

The Village Chief was quite surprised. He stood up. "Why, it's Little Wan! What a coincidence. I’m just catching up with Little Xia and some friends here. Hurry over and sit down. Xia, greet Little Wan! Why are you sitting like a block of wood? A grown man should show some spirit."

Linglong and Ma Xiaorui sat on either side of me, looking at me confusedly. I whispered, "She must be the girlfriend the Village Chief introduced to Tiger."

Linglong murmured back, "She's very pretty and a good match for Brother Hu."

Ma Xiaorui, however, said, "Brother-in-law, you're not getting tempted again, are you? Honestly, she and those twin sisters are all beautiful, but they’re still a step behind the elder sisters."

I lightly tapped the back of Ma Xiaorui's head. "What are you talking about? I'm retired. Even if Diao Chan or Yang Yuhuan stood before me, I wouldn't bat an eye. Besides, she’s a friend’s potential wife. If they work out, I’d be thrilled for them."

Ma Xiaorui huffed, "Then what was that Fatty Brother said about you snatching other people's wives?"

I replied, "They were just joking. If those elder sisters of yours truly liked them, given my temperament, would I forcibly keep them?"

Ma Xiaorui snorted. "Hmph, I suppose. I knew they were just fooling around, taking advantage of the fact that we just arrived on Earth and don't know anything. I’ll make them pay for teasing us."

At this point, the girl named Little Wan, afraid to disobey her boss’s order, tentatively sat next to Xia Huren. Xia Huren’s face was flushed bright red—either from the drinks or perhaps from nervousness. The Village Chief broke the awkward silence first. "Little Wan, why are you here?"

Little Wan kept her head down. "Manager Li, a classmate of mine lives nearby. I just left her place and thought I'd grab a quick bite before heading back to rest."

The Village Chief asked, "Didn’t the company give you the afternoon off today? Why aren't you going back to your hometown for the New Year?"

Little Wan still looked at her shoes. "Manager Li, both my parents passed away. I don't have anyone else back home, so I wasn't planning on going this year."

The Village Chief was clearly taken aback by this situation. "I'm sorry, Little Wan; I didn't know your circumstances. Xia, you must take good care of Little Wan from now on. She is a good girl, and her background is similar to yours. You must give her happiness in the future."

Xia Huren's head was bowed even lower than Little Wan's. He could only nod, completely speechless. Cai Bao'er and Zhu Da, watching anxiously, forgot about their own plans and started making exaggerated faces, urging Xia Huren to make his move.

After a long pause, Xia Huren finally managed to stammer out, "Little Wan, what would you like to eat?"

Little Wan stared intently at the tips of her shoes. "Jus... just whatever."

"Boss, bring some what... whatever fried vegetables, and a milk beverage for the hot pot!" Luckily, Xia Huren hadn't actually said "a plate of whatever," or the embarrassment would have been catastrophic. Watching from the side, Cai Bao'er and Zhu Da sighed deeply, then gave up on Xia Huren and stood up to find an opportunity to chat up the twin sisters.

"Brother-in-law," Ma Xiaorui rested her arm on my leg. "If Brother Hu had half your nerve and thick skin, he’d already have a harem. Look how scared he is—is it necessary?"

I retorted, "Tiger’s courage isn't used for improper things like mine... Say, are you insulting me? Is my skin thick?"

Ma Xiaorui grabbed the skewer of mao dan she had been eyeing, stuffed it into my mouth, and then exchanged a look with Linglong before bursting into giggles. Perhaps everyone’s relaxed mood influenced Little Wan; she gradually let go of her tension and dared to look up at us. Xia Huren seized the moment and introduced everyone. Of course, Linglong and Ma Xiaorui were presented as my younger sisters, and our true identities were kept secret from Little Wan to avoid ruining things for Xia Huren. Both Linglong and Ma Xiaorui were cheerful and lively girls, and they quickly made Little Wan laugh aloud. The atmosphere at the table gradually became harmonious, and Xia Huren’s gaze toward Little Wan grew more resolute.

"You think a bowl of spicy soup is enough to dismiss me? You bitch, you think too little of Wu Jun. Believe it or not, I'll plaster your picture all over the street!" Just as everyone was enjoying their drinks, a discordant voice erupted from the table behind them. Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er’s expressions shifted, and they started to rise, but Xia Huren shook his head at them. He then glanced at Little Wan, who was sitting upright like a demure young bride. Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er understood and restrained themselves. They knew they couldn't stir up trouble today, as it might easily lead to a misunderstanding with Little Wan.