Qiao Residence.
On New Year's Eve, the residence was filled with joy and festivity; spring couplets were pasted, red lanterns were hung, and people bustled about in a lively atmosphere.
To tell the truth, this was the most festive Spring Festival Xiaomai had ever celebrated in both of her lifetimes combined—this year, the residence had two hundred guards, and the commotion they made was comparable to putting on a grand opera.
After returning from the Palace, Xiaomai had gone into the kitchen and hadn't come out since.
Those two members of the Guard Team followed her and suffered alongside her, for during the New Year, she wanted to showcase her culinary skills as a token of her appreciation for them.
There were pastries, dumplings, sweet dumplings, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and various stir-fries; such as Braised Pork, Stewed Pig's Feet, and Stewed Chicken—to put it simply, she wanted everyone to eat to their heart's content.