On New Year's Eve of the twenty-second year of Shengping, it was destined to end unrestfully. During such a festive occasion, some people enjoyed family reunions while others suffered casualties, yet no one dared to wander around outside. This was because soldiers were searching everywhere for rebels, and no one wanted to be dragged to prison for interrogation during the New Year.
The closer it got to midnight of the New Year, the fewer people traversed the streets. Some shops, like medicine stores or clinics, had long closed their doors. However, a steward or an assistant, still concerned, would occasionally go to inspect the shops to prevent any trouble, in case the premises were vandalized or sullied. Encountering filth at the start of the New Year would indeed be considered bad luck.
