On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the nursery closed for the New Year holiday.
It had been so long that Ding Ding's memories of celebrating the New Year were still stuck in his childhood, when he and Ding Shu would sneak into the kitchen to steal the meatballs their mother was frying.
After that, the New Year had meant nothing more to Ding Ding than going from earning triple pay to paying other people triple wages.
Now that he had someone by his side, of course he wanted to celebrate properly.
But aside from preparing a good spread for New Year's Eve, Ding Ding had absolutely no idea what else he needed to do.
"I know!" Bai Congming blinked. "For New Year, eat good food!"
"..."
Back when his mother was around, the New Year holiday had been like a feast that never ended for Bai Congming.
Almost from the moment he opened his eyes in the morning, his mother would keep plying him with delicious things.
Sometimes she had him taste something, and sometimes she gave him snacks just for fun. His pockets and mouth were always bulging.
It was as though all the money she had earned throughout the year was meant to be eaten up during those few days.
After his mother was gone, all that holiday left in his memories was one stubborn thought: eat a little better.
Very few restaurants opened during the New Year, but there were still some.
There was a beef noodle shop on Hongfang Street, tucked away in an out-of-the-way spot. Most of its customers were old neighbors, with very few outsiders.
The elderly couple who ran it owned the premises and kept casual hours. They even opened for half a day on New Year's Eve.
When Bai