Chapter 593: Hah’Er’s So Bold?

"Huh, this must be about Hah’Er, right?" Sylvie’s Chinese proficiency was no joke; she could tell at a glance that the couplet was about Hah’Er. Black eye circles, a white belly—what else could it be but a panda?

"Yep, this is Hah’Er’s home too, so of course we have to put up couplets related to him!" Shen Yibin said, standing on a stool as he finished pasting the Spring Festival couplet on the main gate. "Alright, let’s go inside and keep going. After we finish up at home, we still have to go do the shop."

"Is the next couplet like this one too?" Sylvie asked curiously. She unrolled the second couplet and saw the words, "Rolling into the bamboo garden to find its nature, climbing out of the mountain yard to become black and white." This one was also about a panda.

"This one is great too!" Sylvie marveled. She followed Shen Yibin as he pasted this one onto the villa’s entrance door. Of course, Shen Yibin wouldn’t show favoritism. Since there were couplets describing Hah’Er, there were naturally ones for Xiaoliu, Maphario, and the others. The master he had found was an expert at writing couplets. With just a moment of thought, he had written a whole stack of them that both captured the pets’ characteristics and contained New Year’s blessings.

After bustling about for a good half hour, all the doors at home were adorned with couplets. "Alright, let’s make a trip to the shop, put some up there too, and then we can come back for New Year’s Eve dinner!"

The streets were exceptionally empty of cars and pedestrians today, and with Carmen left at home, they arrived in no time at all. He opened the shop, fed the fish and shrimp in the tank, watered Maphario’s orchard and bamboo grove, then locked the door again and started pasting the Spring Festival couplets. The next time they’d come back would be in three days.

Back home, he turned on the TV to the Spring Festival Gala and started getting ready for New Year’s Eve dinner. Today, Shen Yibin had put forth one hundred and twenty percent effort; every dish was exquisitely made, a true feast for the senses in color, aroma, and taste. The tantalizing smells had Hah’Er and the others leaning over the edge of the table, drooling nonstop. Their eyes kept darting toward the kitchen, as if urging Shen Yibin to hurry up and serve the meal.

"Hah’Er, should we sneak a little bite first?" Sylvie had been coveting the "Phoenix Spreading Wings" dish in the center for a long time. After waiting for ages without any sign of Shen Yibin, she couldn’t hold back anymore.

"Hmph!" Hah’Er was having none of it. ’Bin hasn’t even had a taste yet, how could anyone else eat first?’ It immediately stood up on the stool, craning its neck to watch Sylvie warily. Xiaoliu also picked up a pair of chopsticks; if Sylvie tried to sneak a bite, it would immediately knock her chopsticks away. Even though the little guy gave Shen Yibin plenty of trouble on a normal day, deep down, it held him in high regard.

"My bad, my bad! Let’s just wait for Bin to come out and eat together!" Sylvie burst out laughing. ’Bin’s pets are so considerate of him! Ah, when will I ever get the chance to have a pet this smart?’

"Alright, the last dish is ready!" Just as she was thinking this, Shen Yibin came out carrying a large tureen of soup. "Come on, let’s eat! The old year is about to pass. Happy New Year, everyone! Cheers!" He was the first to raise his glass. The wine for the day was the best batch from Xiaoliu’s personal collection.

"Cheers!" Sylvie, Hah’Er, Xiaoliu, and the others raised their glasses at the same time.

"Hah’Er, I won’t limit your drinking today. Drink as much as you want. But we’re going to set off firecrackers later, and if you get drunk, you probably won’t be able to join in the fun." It was the New Year, after all, so Shen Yibin decided to relax his rules for Hah’Er.

"Ngh..." Hah’Er was torn. The day Shen Yibin bought the fireworks and firecrackers, he had shown it videos of them being set off. It was very interested in the colorful fireworks. On one hand, there was fine wine; on the other, fun toys. It truly was a difficult choice for Hah’Er.

Sipping on Monkey Wine and savoring the delicious food Shen Yibin had painstakingly prepared, time passed without them realizing it. As midnight drew closer, Shen Yibin’s phone started buzzing nonstop with New Year’s greeting texts, WeChat messages, and calls, to the point where he barely had time to eat or drink.

Director Kong from faraway Xiangjiang; Sakai Kaori from Japan; Xia Shixuan, who was vacationing on a Pacific island; and Sun Qian, Li Shiqing, Bai Yanni, Xu Ye, and others who had returned to their hometowns all called to send their greetings. It was countless times more lively than the last New Year’s, and Shen Yibin felt quite gratified.

While he was on the phone, Hah’Er was on the side, cradling its wine glass and taking tiny sips. It was still planning to go play with the fireworks and firecrackers later, so it didn’t want to get drunk so early. Beside it, Xiaoliu curled its lip in disdain, raised its own glass, and drained it in one gulp. It then took the wine pot and poured itself another full glass. It could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk; Hah’Er’s low tolerance was no match for it at all.

The calls finally ended, and it was nearly midnight. The faint sound of firecrackers could already be heard from outside. Shen Yibin stood up, ready to go out. "Let’s go! Time to set off some fireworks!"

"Yeah!" Hah’Er was the first to jump off the table, following along on its short little legs. As it left, Xiaoliu didn’t forget to grab the wine pot. Maphario and the Bald Qiang couple were a bit timid and seemed to have been frightened by the sound of the firecrackers. Maphario huddled in Hah’Er’s pocket, not daring to move, while the Bald Qiang couple hugged each other for comfort. As for Carmen, Shen Yibin kept it close by his side, afraid it would get stuck somewhere again.

Shen Yibin had already moved the fireworks and firecrackers to a designated spot he had cleared out. Once there, he took out a lighter, lit a few sticks of incense as thick as a finger, and handed them to Sylvie, Hah’Er, and Xiaoliu. The other critters either couldn’t hold them or were too timid to try. It looked like this game was just for the few of them.

"Here, Hah’Er, watch. Point the lit end of the incense right here, and as soon as you see it start to spark, run!" Shen Yibin went forward to give them a demonstration. He leaned in, lit the fuse, and immediately ran back.

There was a FIZZ, and the sparks quickly shot into the firework. With a dull THUMP, the first rocket shot into the sky and immediately exploded into a beautiful flower of light.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Seeing this, Hah’Er got excited at once, holding its incense stick as it started to rush toward the next firework.

"Wait, wait! That one hasn’t finished yet! It’s not safe for you to go over there!" Shen Yibin grabbed it and pulled it back. ’Aren’t you usually pretty timid? Why are you so bold today?’

After twenty-four shots, the first firework was completely spent. Just as Hah’Er was about to make its move, Xiaoliu zipped past it, bounded over to the second firework in a few leaps, and, without even looking, gave its paw a little flick. The lit tip of the incense touched the fuse, which began to FIZZ with sparks!

"Ngh! Ngh!" ’He beat me to it!’ Hah’Er was beyond frustrated.