Chapter 470: Chapter 470: Reluctant to Part, Giving Back

Delicious snacks, fragrant tea, and pleasant company—Pan Ling’er felt this leisurely afternoon was simply wonderful.

After they finished the snacks and tea, Zhao Nuanyang cleared the table, cleaned the lunch boxes, and packed everything into his bag to take home.

Pan Ling’er knew she couldn’t stay any longer. She still had work to do, and Zhao Nuanyang had to leave as well.

But she was reluctant to go, reluctant to leave this clean office and its cozy atmosphere.

Her gaze swept around the room, landing on the bright red "Fu" characters pasted on the desk, the window, and the chairs.

Pan Ling’er guessed that Zhao Nuanyang must have written them. So, as he turned his back, she stealthily peeled one off, cupped it in her palm, and hid it behind her.

"Zhao Nuanyang, goodbye! I have to get back to work now," Pan Ling’er said with a wide smile, thinking she had hidden it perfectly and her actions had gone unnoticed.

Little did she know, Zhao Nuanyang had seen her every move!

Zhao Nuanyang looked at Pan Ling’er with the same expression he used for Little Red Carp. Little Red Carp was just like this—she’d do things furtively, thinking she was being clever, when in reality, everyone could see her. Since Pan Ling’er was having fun, Zhao Nuanyang decided not to expose her. He was happy to play along.

Clutching the red "Fu" character, Pan Ling’er left, overjoyed.

Watching her departing figure, Zhao Nuanyang smiled silently. ’So this is how simple it is to make someone happy.’

Perhaps all it took was a few tasty snacks or a simple "Fu" character. It was because they were kindred spirits who got along well, could be good friends, and enjoyed each other’s company so much.

After packing his things, Zhao Nuanyang went to the security gate. An old man wasn’t the only one on duty; several other staff members were there as well. Zhao Nuanyang was carrying his lunch boxes and some daily necessities that he needed to take home.

They inspected his belongings one by one to confirm he wasn’t taking anything else out. After Zhao Nuanyang signed the log, he was finally allowed to leave the museum.

He hadn’t ridden his bicycle for two or three days, and it was covered in a layer of dust. Zhao Nuanyang wiped the seat, hopped on, and headed home in high spirits.

When Zhao Nuanyang got home, Zhao Nuanyue and Little Red Carp weren’t there. He thought about how his sister usually did all the cooking. Now that he had learned how, he wanted to do something to help her.

Zhao Nuanyang hummed a song as he worked, feeling quite cheerful. The major incident at the museum hadn’t affected his mood or his life.

When Zhao Nuanyue returned, Little Red Carp darted inside before she even crossed the threshold, shouting joyfully, "Brother! You’re finally home! Little Red Carp missed you so much!"

Zhao Nuanyang, wearing an apron, was in the kitchen cooking. He had found a chicken, as well as some potatoes and onions, so he decided to make a simple version of "big plate chicken."

"I missed you too, and I made your favorite big plate chicken. Go wash your hands and tell Sis to come eat," Zhao Nuanyang said. Seeing Little Red Carp happily skip off to wash her hands, her bouncy movements reminded him of Pan Ling’er.

Zhao Nuanyue was carrying some cured meat from Madam Sun. Madam Sun had made it herself, and it was exceptionally delicious. Last year, she had noticed how much Nuanyue enjoyed it, so she made extra this year and had Zhao Nuanyue bring some back.

Following the principle of reciprocity, Zhao Nuanyue couldn’t just keep taking things from her mentor’s wife.

"Nuanyang, I have some cured meat from Madam Sun. We still have some garlic sprouts at home. I’ll wash them, and we can make stir-fried cured meat with garlic sprouts," Zhao Nuanyue suggested. Her mouth watered just looking at the cured meat. The taste was indescribable, something she could never forget, and the mere thought of it made her drool.

Zhao Nuanyang was, of course, well aware of his sister’s love for cured meat.

"Okay! My big plate chicken is almost ready," Zhao Nuanyang said with a laugh. "Sis, come check on it. I’ll go pull up some garlic sprouts!"

Little Red Carp scampered over and eagerly volunteered, "I’ll go! I’ll go pull up the garlic sprouts!"

In this household, whenever Little Red Carp was in the mood, she would do some small chores within her ability to make her brother and sister happy.

"Be careful then! Don’t cut your hand," Zhao Nuanyang called out after her, but Little Red Carp had already run off.

"That girl’s fiery personality is so different from ours," Zhao Nuanyue said, shaking her head with a laugh. "She’s going to grow up to be a very bold and straightforward young woman!"

"I actually think a personality like Little Red Carp’s is great!" Zhao Nuanyang didn’t mind. Everyone has a different temperament; that’s one of the things that makes people unique. Even as twins, his and his sister’s personalities were completely different.

"It is great. Living a life full of energy and happiness." A pang of envy rose in Zhao Nuanyue’s heart; sometimes she wished she could be like that, too. However, a person’s character was already formed, and with the experiences of her past life, she could never be as carefree as Little Red Carp.

"By the way, Sis, are you going to Madam Sun’s place again tomorrow?" Zhao Nuanyang asked. "The New Year is almost here. Shouldn’t we start preparing the New Year’s gifts?"

"Today is already the twenty-sixth of the last lunar month, and tomorrow is the twenty-seventh. I’ll stay home and prepare the gifts. After dinner, we can start getting the traps ready. We’ll use all the chicken innards as bait to catch some fish and shrimp. It would be best if we could get some big fish. They make for impressive yet practical holiday gifts," Zhao Nuanyue replied. So much had happened this year, and the people around her had helped her a lot. So, Zhao Nuanyue genuinely wanted to thank them.

The gifts themselves might not be worth much money, but they were the best she could offer, prepared with great care.

"Sounds good. And what about your shortbread pastries? Everyone, young and old, loves them. Let’s make a big batch. Tomorrow, I’ll also buy some paper for wrapping food. We can write auspicious phrases on red paper and include them in the packaging. They’ll be delicious, beautiful, and lucky," Zhao Nuanyang added, full of ideas. No matter what he did, he always wanted to do it perfectly.

"Okay. When your brother-in-law gets back later, you two can go get the fish. I’ll prepare the ingredients for the shortbread. I still have a lot left over from the last time I made them." Zhao Nuanyue readily accepted her brother’s suggestion.

The more she made them, the better Zhao Nuanyue’s shortbread-making skills became.

"Shortbread and fish... that’s two things already. Do we need to give anything else?" Zhao Nuanyang asked. "It doesn’t seem like we have anything else that’s very nice at home."

"Let’s wait for your brother-in-law to get here and ask him," Zhao Nuanyue said softly. ’Even if you have money these days, you can’t always buy good things.’ That was one thing Zhao Nuanyue disliked the most.

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