About ten people had been busy for nearly two hours before all the ingredients were clean, cut, and placed in clean large pottery basins, nearly filling up the backyard.
By this time, the villagers who had been invited to the warming house began to arrive one after another, with Lin Yong and others arriving first. They each prepared a string of firecrackers and set them off at the entrance of the courtyard.
The unceasing sound of firecrackers was deafening, and as the noise was about to subside, Lizhong quickly lit the firecrackers in his hand to keep them going. Mo Qingze stood at the doorway with a smile, welcoming the guests and ushering them into the hall.
On the table, steaming hot water and fine tea leaves had been prepared early on, and after Mo Qingze invited them to sit, he brewed a cup of tea for each of them.