Chapter 594: Panda Dumplings

After Hah’Er’s vehement protests, Xiaoliu reluctantly gave it two more tries. But after that, Hah’Er lost all interest in the fireworks. It wasn’t that they weren’t fun, but having to light the fuse and then dash back every time was simply too much effort. For the perpetually lazy Hah’Er, the reward just wasn’t worth the work, so it simply squatted to the side and watched Xiaoliu play.

Xiaoliu, however, only got more and more into it. After the large fireworks and strings of firecrackers were all gone, it grabbed the loose ones, squatted in a tree, and started lighting and tossing them everywhere. It specifically aimed to scare Hah’Er and Carmen, turning into a complete little terror. The rest of the evening was spent amidst Xiaoliu’s chaotic bombardment and the loud protests of Hah’Er and the others.

When they woke up the next day, Shen Yibin began teaching Sylvie how to make dumplings. While Sylvie worked on the most basic kind, Shen Yibin started crafting all sorts of fancy varieties. He used glutinous rice and black rice flour to create black-and-white panda-shaped dumplings, golden monkey-shaped dumplings, and of course, ones shaped like dogs, hamsters, and beavers. This attracted the animals, who squatted on chairs, craning their necks and watching without so much as a blink as Shen Yibin’s nimble fingers formed one lifelike creation after another.

"Bin, you’ve made them so beautiful! How am I supposed to bring myself to eat them later?" Eventually, Sylvie gave up on her own work, ran to get her camera, and started snapping away, taking a whole series of photos of the dumplings. CLICK CLICK CLICK.

Shen Yibin also snapped a few photos to post on his social media and share with his friends, adding the caption, "Has everyone had their New Year’s dumplings yet?"

This little bit of showing off immediately drew a flood of protests. "After seeing your dumplings, I took one look at mine and completely lost my appetite. That’s just cruel, Bin! Are you trying to stop us from having a happy New Year?"

"Sigh, if it wasn’t the first day of the New Year, I’d be over at your place to crash dinner right now!" friends like Xu Ye also messaged him. "Just you wait! As soon as I’m done with my family visits, I’m coming to stay with you. I don’t want anything else this time—I’m coming just for the dumplings!"

He chuckled at the messages for a moment before starting to boil the dumplings. While they cooked, he prepared small dishes of vinegar for Sylvie, Hah’Er, and the others. The animals stared intently at the pot, practically drooling. ’Dumplings that look this good must taste amazing!’

"Alright, let’s try Sylvie’s first." Shen Yibin had boiled her dumplings first. ’If they try mine before hers, I’m afraid no one will want to eat these afterward. Sylvie would be so heartbroken!’

Sylvie may have wrapped them, but Shen Yibin had prepared the filling. The minced meat was the perfect size, and it was mixed with aspic that melted into a savory broth inside. The wrappers were thin yet chewy, making the dumplings absolutely delicious. In no time at all, they had devoured every last one. They all looked up again, staring expectantly at the pot. ’What kind of dumplings are next?’

"Time to try the panda dumplings! No vinegar for these—just eat them plain once they’ve cooled down a bit." Shen Yibin placed a platter piled high with black-and-white dumplings in the center of the table and used his chopsticks to push their little vinegar dishes aside. The flavor of the panda dumplings was unique and wouldn’t pair well with vinegar.

"What’s the filling in this one?" Sylvie picked one up and brought it to her lips, but she stared at it for the longest time, unable to take a bite. Instead, she started complaining to Shen Yibin. "Ahhh! Bin, you’re just the worst! Why did you have to make them so cute? I don’t have the heart to eat it!" Even after being boiled, the dumpling’s shape remained perfect, without the slightest distortion.

"Hm?" Hah’Er rested its chin on the table, its eyes fixed on the panda dumplings on the platter. One had to wonder if it was experiencing the same awe Tang Sanzang felt when he first saw the Ginseng Fruit at Master Zhenyuan’s Wuzhuang Temple.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Maphario’s reaction was the most striking. The little creature squatted by the edge of the platter, staring at what must have looked like a gigantic dumpling. A single one would probably be enough to fill its tiny belly.

"You’ll know once you taste it!" Shen Yibin said with a laugh. By now, he had served everyone. He popped one into his own mouth and his eyes narrowed in bliss. ’It tastes incredible!’

"Alright, I’ll try it!" Finally giving in to the temptation, Sylvie gently bit off the panda dumpling’s ear, revealing the filling inside. She looked closely and saw that the filling was black, too. A sweet, fragrant flavor bloomed on her tongue, compelling her to take another bite.

"It’s sesame paste!" Sylvie was quite knowledgeable about food, so she quickly identified the ingredient. It turned out Shen Yibin had used a sweet filling typically found in *yuanxiao*, the glutinous rice balls eaten during the Lantern Festival.

’That gives me an idea,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’I could make panda-shaped *yuanxiao* for the Lantern Festival, though I’ll use a different filling.’ He was already starting to brainstorm ingredients.

There were only a few of each type of dumpling; Shen Yibin wanted everyone to be able to sample more flavors. In just a little while, everyone except for Maphario had finished their panda dumplings.

"Hm?" Hah’Er looked at the empty platter, then turned its head toward Maphario, who still had more than half a dumpling left. The big panda sidled closer, apparently hoping Maphario would share a little.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Maphario was instantly on alert. It clutched its panda dumpling protectively, absolutely refusing to share with Hah’Er.

"Here, here, try these!" Shen Yibin chuckled, bringing the monkey-shaped dumplings to the table and saving Maphario’s portion in the nick of time.

"It’s a tofu filling, but it tastes so much more flavorful than usual. Bin, how in the world did you make this?"

"It’s mainly because of the tofu. This particular tofu is one I..." Shen Yibin began to explain with a chuckle.

One after another, they sampled the dog-shaped dumplings with beef filling and the beaver-shaped dumplings with seafood filling. The animals ate until they were in heaven. Afterward, they all lay around clutching their bellies, too stuffed to even get up.

Shen Yibin had to force them to get up and take a long walk along the Yunshui River to digest. By dinnertime, no one seemed to have much of an appetite; they were all content with just a little bit of thin congee.

According to the customs in Yunzhong City, New Year’s Eve was for family reunions, and New Year’s Day was for staying home with family. On the second day of the New Year, however, it was time to go out and visit friends and relatives. So, on the morning of the second day, Shen Yibin opened his car doors, loaded them with bags of gifts, and piled in with Sylvie, Hah’Er, and the others, ready to make their visits.

First, they returned to the shop. He opened the doors, went over to the large tank, and fed the fish and shrimp inside so they could have a happy New Year, too. Then, he got back in the car and drove off toward another part of the city.