The new year began with the crackle and pop of firecrackers.
Li Ping'an and Old Ox walked along the street for a while and found a shop that had yet to open for business.
They ordered two bowls of tangyuan, at two dumplings for one copper coin.
The round dumplings held filling at their centers, symbolizing yin and yang embracing and encompassing all things.
Above all, they expressed a wish for reunion.
They ate the tangyuan and sipped the broth.
Children ran past them in groups.
They ate as they chased one another, chatting about what they had seen and heard along the way, full of merriment.
For children, the new year meant not only visiting other villages but also eating all kinds of delicious food. This was their happiest time.
A smile tugged at Li Ping'an's lips, and suddenly he wanted to play with firecrackers too.
"Hey, where's my money?"
The child running at the front suddenly cried out. He searched every pocket but could not find the lucky money his parents had given him.
"Did you drop it in the alley?"
"Hurry back and look."
By the time Li Ping'an finished his bowl of tangyuan, the children had returned.
The child leading them had lost his earlier joy, his face full of worry instead.
"Where's my money...?"
It seemed he had not found the lucky money his parents had given him.
Li Ping'an beckoned him over.
The child walked over in a few steps.
"How much money did you lose?"
"Fifteen copper coins."
Li Ping'an pulled fifteen copper coins from inside his robe. "What a coincidence. I just picked up fifteen copper coins by the roadside.
"I don't know if they're yours, but I found fifteen copper coins, and you lost fifteen copper coins. Fate must have brought