Backup arrangements—once the Twelfth Lunar Month arrived, the once-leisurely days seemed to hit fast-forward, passing faster with each day. In the blink of an eye, two days had hurried by.
Twenty-sixth of the Twelfth Lunar Month, evening.
The scent of food drifted above the river dam's row houses, drawing Teacher Qian, Zhang Butcher, and Uncle Tang, who were chatting by the entrance, to look toward the westernmost household.
Aunt Gu was off work today. As she had in previous years, she fried meatballs, fried leaves, and little fruits, making a huge basket of each.
Now that the family was doing better, Aunt Gu had also fried dried fish and little crispy meat.
The New Year atmosphere grew even stronger. Tongtong, dressed in a little padded jacket, carried a small basket filled to the brim and cheerfully delivered her family's fried New Year treats to the neighbors.
Their family was no longer what it used to be, and it honestly would not have mattered if they gave nothing away. But Aunt Gu was, at heart, still a simple and honest country woman who hoped to maintain good relations with the neighbors and live in harmony.
Zhang Butcher was bragging about the glorious feat of crushing a pork guy who had tried to steal business from him at the farmers market. Then he caught sight of Tongtong coming from the west, especially the basket in her hands, and his eyes immediately widened!
Zhang Butcher had been tricked by Jiang Ning plenty of times. So many carefully prepared racks of ribs had been swindled away by that brat, and every time it broke his heart.
Xue Yuantong walked up to her neighbor's door and said in a crisp voice, "Uncle Zhang, my mom fried some New Year treats. I brought you some."
Zhang