Seeing how enthusiastic they all were, Xu Mumu couldn’t be bothered to say much. Is it even possible to find a store during this time? It’s almost New Year.

In the end, they found nothing, leaving everyone a bit frustrated.

With the New Year approaching, there weren’t any shops for rent nearby, so Madam Chen and the others had to go back and prepare for the New Year.

This year, they’re not going back to their hometown for New Year; Xu Jiang and his brothers can come to the provincial capital to celebrate together instead.

The family’s income has been pretty good lately, so Madam Chen generously bought a lot of meat.

Xu Mumu helped marinate the meat and hang it to dry; they had prepared a lot already, enough for the New Year. Grandma bought so much more that it’ll last a long time.

Yin Yang had Zhou Yunhong bring back dried fruits from other places, and Xu Mumu especially liked cashews; they’re particularly tasty.

While holding her younger brother at home, Xu Mumu asked about Duan Yunkai and the situation back in their hometown. From a phone call with Professor Song, she found out Duan Yunkai hadn’t returned yet, and the dean was considering going to drag him back to the Imperial City.

"They still have a lot that hasn’t been excavated over there, limited by technology, but they’re planning to build a museum to house the unearthed relics," Yin Yang said calmly. He knew something about what was going on with Duan Yunkai since he occasionally went back to the village to check things out.

The farmhouse renovation is complete, and they can officially start operations after the New Year.

The tomb cluster there is quite large, and if they used their current equipment to excavate everything, it would certainly destroy many things, so they had to give up. They plan to wait until the technology is mature enough to continue the excavation.

"Oh, a museum! Where’s it going to be built?" Xu Mumu asked curiously. This hadn’t been mentioned before, so it must be a recent decision.

"They just discussed it recently; it’s going to be built in the county town, and the location has already been chosen. Construction will start after the New Year," Yin Yang said with a smile, noting that if you have enough connections, it’s easy to find out a few things.

"That’s a great thing," Xu Mumu said with a smile. Building a museum in the county town would also make it more prosperous, and constructing a museum is very meaningful.

"It really is a good thing. Huo Qingze’s dad even got him a deputy director position," Yin Yang laughed, acknowledging that Huo’s father was really putting effort into steering Huo Qingze’s career in politics.

Huo Qingze didn’t turn it down, treating it as an additional salary. He didn’t plan to get involved with the affairs here; he was already overwhelmed with his own matters.

"To have climbed to the position of deputy director, Huo Qingze isn’t doing bad at all," Xu Mumu laughed, thinking about the father-son relationship in the Huo Family, and couldn’t help but feel a bit schadenfreude.

"He’s doing quite well; I congratulated him personally back then," Yin Yang said, squeezing Xu Mumu’s hand.

"He must have given you a dirty look," Xu Mumu said, amused at the thought.

"Not really. His face is so deadpan, it’s hard to tell anything," Yin Yang said gently. Except when Huo Qingze had significant mood swings, he always seemed cold, treating everyone the same.

"True," Xu Mumu nodded.

"By the way, it’s almost New Year. Has he gone home yet?" It had been a while since Xu Mumu heard about Huo Qingze, making her a bit curious.

"No, he doesn’t plan to go back," Yin Yang shook his head.

"Should we invite him to ours for the New Year? It’s quite pitiful for him to spend it alone," Xu Mumu asked Yin Yang, letting him play with her hand.

"It is pitiful. I’ll ask him tomorrow," Yin Yang said with a smile.

"How are he and Xu Xue getting along?" Xu Mumu couldn’t restrain her gossiping heart.

"Still the same. I don’t think it’ll work out; Huo Qingze isn’t interested. It’s just your cousin’s one-sided effort," Yin Yang laughed, shaking his head. He knew his wife was particularly intrigued by the gossip between these two, so he paid extra attention to it.

Previously, when he asked Huo Qingze, Huo thought Yin Yang was acting as a mediator for Xu Xue.

But he had no interest in that. Watching the drama was more fun; he didn’t want to meddle in Xu Xue’s affairs, even if she was a sister-in-law. They weren’t close, after all.

When Huo Qingze realized Yin Yang was just there for the spectacle, he was speechless; he didn’t expect this guy to gossip too.

However, Huo Qingze didn’t hide his thoughts. He wasn’t interested in Xu Xue, and there was no reason to keep it a secret. Xu Xue always wanted to cling to him whenever she had time off, which was starting to annoy him.

So, he planned to find a partner to stop Xu Xue from clinging to him, but finding the right person seemed challenging.

Xu Mumu almost spit out her water, surprised that these two were so incompatible. Did Xu Xue, the supposed leading lady, have no charm on Huo Qingze?

"Cough, cough, cough," Xu Mumu choked.

"Be careful; you even choke on water," Yin Yang said helplessly.

"So Huo Qingze is looking for a partner? That’s unbelievable," Xu Mumu remarked. She had long suspected the two wouldn’t work out, but hearing that Huo Qingze was actually tired of Xu Xue was quite surprising.

"Just as expected," Yin Yang calmly replied. He knew better than Xu Mumu that Huo Qingze needed someone who could genuinely assist him, and although Xu Xue might have made her restaurant somewhat successful, anyone with a bit of knowledge could see her lack of ability; she’s just riding a wave to make some money.

However, Xu Xue’s culinary skills were quite good, which allowed her to retain some customers.

"Does Xu Xue know?" Xu Mumu asked curiously.

"She knows; Huo Qingze made it clear to her. She hasn’t been clinging to him lately," Yin Yang said with a laugh.

"What a pity, I didn’t even get to see the drama," Xu Mumu said, feeling a bit disappointed.

"If you had been there for the drama, Xu Xue would have hated you to death," Yin Yang said with a helpless smile.

It’s true; ever since Xu Xue reincarnated, she’s been very strong-willed and prideful. If Xu Mumu had watched, she would definitely resent her.

"That’s true. If my mom knew that Huo Qingze was looking for a partner, she’d be interested. She knows so many good girls," Xu Mumu said, smiling. In the past half-year, besides matchmaking Zhou Yunhong and Wang Ling, she reportedly brought several other couples together, making her passionate about it.

"Then I’ll mention it to Mom during the New Year; she’ll be delighted," Yin Yang said, also smiling. If his mother-in-law really started matchmaking for Huo Qingze, Huo might go crazy, and might even become his enemy.