On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Li Long got up early.
Habit was a frightening thing. Even though he no longer needed to get up early to hitch the horse cart, he had spent the past two or three weeks getting up before dawn every day. Now, even without work to do, his body clock had set itself, and he woke up at the appointed time.
He could not even sleep in.
There was no sound of firecrackers outside yet. Li Long got dressed and went to the West Room. Liang Yuemei had already set up the stove and was making dumplings.
"Xiao Long, go get the firecrackers ready. When your sister-in-law calls out that she's putting the dumplings in, light them."
Li Long answered, took a thousand-shot string of flash firecrackers from the heated wall, and went outside to unwrap it.
Li Juan and Li Qiang had also got up and put on their new clothes. Seeing Li Long go out, they immediately followed.
Li Long tied the firecrackers to a long pole with thin wire, then raised it high.
"Qiangqiang, dare to light them?"
"No." Seeing how big the flash firecrackers were, Li Qiang really did not dare-he knew these were different from last night's double-bang firecrackers. His uncle had set these off before.
"Haha, then stay here and brace the pole with your foot." Li Long leaned the pole diagonally against the courtyard wall, letting the firecrackers hang outside. All they needed on this side was someone to brace the pole.
"Okay."
Li Long took out his Kerosene Lighter, went outside the courtyard wall, and caught hold of the end of the firecrackers.
When Liang Yuemei opened the door and called out, Li Long lit them.
The tremendous noise made his ears ache. He