Regardless of whether Laicai would be attending school, the New Year still had to be celebrated. The family didn't want the matter to dampen their spirits, so they dropped the subject.
All four members of the family were capable workers. This year, because they had prepared plenty of New Year's goods, they were in high spirits and bustled about with extra enthusiasm.
On New Year's Eve, the family started bustling about early in the morning. Mrs. Yang and Juhua were holed up in the kitchen, boiling and stir-frying, the fragrant aromas wafting outside. Zheng Changhe and Qingmu pasted red paper inscribed with "Prosperity to the Livestock" on the pigpen and chicken coop.
