Han Tao glanced at the time, realizing it was about right, and tapped on Qi Qi’s door. “Qi Qi, are you ready?” Although he had a key to Wang Qi Qi’s place, Han Tao rarely used it, and when he did, he always knocked on the main door first.

Wang Qi Qi was bundled up in a thick down jacket. In the dead of winter, nothing was warmer, though she lamented that modern down jackets utterly lacked aesthetic appeal—just straight tubes with no curves whatsoever. More critically, they were bulky and heavy. But for Wang Qi Qi, who was terribly susceptible to the cold, enduring winter without one was simply impossible.

Wang Qi Qi rummaged through her bag, ticking off items, satisfied she had everything, even the large canvas tote. “Okay, I’m coming.”

Han Tao blinked when he saw Wang Qi Qi, completely encased like a massive, clumsy bear. “Why are you wearing so much today?” It wasn’t as if the temperature had suddenly plummeted this morning.

“We’re going shopping, hitting several places.” Wang Qi Qi pulled Han Tao toward the stairs. “We have so many places to go and so much to buy today…”

The Lunar New Year preparations were never easy; she needed couplets and groceries. Even by herself, there was a mountain of tasks. “Oh, right, Han Tao, remind me later when we get back to book the New Year’s Eve dinner.” She’d forgotten yesterday, and today couldn't be missed. She wondered if reservations were difficult now; her mother usually handled that.

Han Tao knew Wang Qi Qi’s family traditionally hosted relatives for the New Year’s Eve feast at a restaurant. Now that Uncle Wang and his wife were gone, he felt Qi Qi shouldn't have to host them; shouldn't they be hosting her? “What about your uncle?”

“I’m spending the New Year alone.”

Wang Qi Qi thought that even if Wang Dagui invited her, she wouldn’t agree to spend the holiday at his house, let alone when he hadn’t invited her. “Oh, right, Auntie won’t be working that day, you and Auntie can come eat with us.”

It was only eight people for the dinner, and empty seats felt like a waste. Besides, Luo Yi needed to save money for her son’s tuition and future wedding costs, so even during the Spring Festival, she would certainly be frugal. When Han Tao heard he and his mother were invited to the New Year’s Eve dinner with Qi Qi’s family, he waved off the kind offer. Although Qi Qi sincerely invited them, he had to consider what Wang Dagui and his wife would say. Wang Qi Qi might ignore outside gossip, but people would certainly tell his mother. They’d say he was being so good to Qi Qi just to trick her out of money by marrying her. His mother had been furious when she heard those rumors and had urged him to keep his distance from Qi Qi and stop tutoring her children. But Han Tao refused. If he stopped, the rumors would only escalate, suggesting he was guilty. Han Tao knew exactly who started the gossip, and thinking about an elder maligning a junior made him feel sick—even more so than his own relatives. “Don’t pay any mind to the gossip; let them talk. We are upright and do what is right; why worry about their rumors?” Wang Qi Qi waited for an answer that didn't come and turned to see a strange expression on Han Tao’s face. “Besides, we are neighbors, if not kin by proximity, are we not? You know what my relatives are like—give them money and flattery, and they’re sweet; deny them money, and they won't even acknowledge me. As for my aunt, why care so much about them?”

Han Tao thought, You don't need to worry, but the issue is they’re saying things about how greedy my family is. “Maybe not. My mother and I are used to eating dinner at home…” His grandmother never invited him, and if she did, it was usually to receive bad treatment or because she needed him to tutor one of his male cousins, or when she was sick—she expected his mother, as a daughter-in-law, to contribute financially. As for his maternal grandfather’s side, they had declared that his mother, being married off, couldn't return home for New Year’s Eve dinner, so they were accustomed to quiet holidays. “Alright then, but I’ll definitely pack up some leftovers to bring back.” Wang Qi Qi understood Han Tao’s insistence stemmed from his pride. Han Tao and Aunt Luo weren't like Li Cui; their faces weren't as thick as the Great Wall. Li Cui was clearly greedy but acted as if they were the ones trying to cheat her—truly shameless. “Oh? The restaurant is open?” Wang Qi Qi always passed the restaurant near the community entrance when shopping. Ever since her parents’ memorial service was held there, and despite it feeling slightly inauspicious, their food was excellent, reasonably priced, and possessed a certain class. Plus, it was close to the community. Business had been steadily improving.

Wang Qi Qi tightened her coat and walked in. Seeing the owner present, she greeted him. “Do you have any private rooms available for New Year’s Eve lunch?”

Zhu Dalong’s nephew checked the reservation book and saw only one room left. With only a few days left before the Spring Festival, what if someone else booked it… “There are a few rooms left for New Year’s Eve night; how about booking for the evening?”

He spotted Wang Qi Qi… “Wait, Qi Qi… let me check again, N…” He bent down, pretending to flip through the book again. “Hmph, you want the last one for the New Year’s Eve dinner?” Though the girl was young, she spent generously. Her patronage had helped his restaurant survive; otherwise, how would the community know his place was affordable and excellent?” “How many people will there be, and do you have the menu? It was too busy that day to properly order dishes…”

There was no room for compromise. First, they lacked staff as servers went home for the holiday. Second, many dishes increased in price during the Spring Festival. Ordering the menu early helped the chef prepare and allowed him to secure ingredients cheaply.

Wang Qi Qi knew that for the Spring Festival, dishes were strictly categorized, and substitutions were impossible. “That’s fine, but I want to order a few extra dishes. Can I pick them up around five o’clock on New Year’s Eve?”

This request was slightly excessive, but turning away business was foolish. “Yes, but they must be dishes already on the menu… If it’s not on the menu, we absolutely cannot prepare a separate dish; otherwise, there’s no profit in it.”

Wang Qi Qi nodded, relieved he hadn't outright refused the customized order. “Okay, let me see the menu then.”

Wang Qi Qi had initially intended to choose a mid-range set menu, but then she reconsidered. This was the first time she was managing the family reunion dinner herself, and if it turned out poorly, she could imagine the inevitable gossip. “I’ll take this one—the 1388 set package, and I’ll order the wine and drinks here too.” Wang Qi Qi then added five more large dishes. “Could I get a discount?”

The owner quickly calculated that the profit margin was decent. “I’ll include the soft drinks on the house. We’ll discuss the wine when you pick it up.” A discount was less appealing than giving something away. Wang Qi Qi understood his subtle maneuver. “Good. I’ll pay a five hundred deposit now, and you absolutely must reserve the spot for me.”

“Done.” The owner swiftly wrote out the deposit slip and made a separate note for the dishes Wang Qi Qi had ordered a la carte, which would be settled on New Year’s Eve lunch. Han Tao felt it was odd to have the reunion dinner at noon, but he knew questioning a restaurant owner inside was poor form, so he held his tongue. As soon as they stepped out the door, Han Tao asked, “Qi Qi, why didn’t you book it for the evening? Aren’t there more private rooms then?”

“I’m eating the reunion dinner at your place tonight,” Wang Qi Qi announced. “I’ll bring those few dishes over. Your place can handle the drinks and the rest of the food.” Wang Qi Qi was careful not to overcommit by saying she’d cover everything, which might make Han Tao feel pitied.

“Perhaps your uncle will invite you to his place for dinner?” Han Tao asked tentatively. If Qi Qi hosted dinner at his place, it would certainly be livelier than the rushed meals in previous years.

Zhang Qing held up a finger. “Impossible. My aunt is so stingy. I bet if I told her it was at noon, she’d faint from anger.” If dinner was eaten at noon, the evening meal could be simpler. But if they ate the main meal at noon, wouldn't Li Cui still have to buy groceries and cook for the evening meal? Even if simple, it couldn't be too simple. “Of course, if she doesn’t mind, she can take the leftovers home.”

It was just considered inauspicious. Taking leftovers home was fine on a normal day, but who eats takeout leftovers on New Year’s Eve? Moreover, if they weren’t finished, they’d be eating them on the first day of the New Year—eating leftovers all year long—and the worst part was that Li Cui wouldn't be paying for those leftovers.

Wang Qi Qi didn’t voice her full intentions, but Han Tao knew she hadn’t settled on a completely benevolent plan. Han Tao certainly wouldn't speak well of Li Cui; that woman, no matter how much you helped her, would always look down her nose. And now, he was the primary culprit disrupting her plans to leech off Wang Qi Qi for her daughter's sake and her own family’s benefit. “Leftovers are still food; we mustn’t waste them.”

“Exactly,” Wang Qi Qi beamed, happy that Han Tao was also a bit devious. He looked honest, but he was good at hatching mischievous schemes. Since the two of them were burdened with the heavy task of grocery shopping, coupled with the upcoming days packed with tutoring sessions, their schedule was extremely demanding. Wang Qi Qi checked things off her list as they bought them, while Han Tao trailed behind, carrying the bags.

Wang Qi Qi darted from one shop to the next, intensely longing for the large supermarkets of the future. While goods there might be pricier, everything was concentrated; you could acquire most necessities by visiting just one place, assuming you didn't have overly specific demands.

They started out in the morning and finally finished their errands at two in the afternoon, having made several trips back home already. Once back, Wang Qi Qi didn't want to move an inch. “Han Tao, help me sort these things out, please. I need to rest a bit; I have a parent-teacher meeting this afternoon.”

Han Tao murmured an acknowledgment, sat down obediently in the living room, and began distributing the items.