The Su family's preparations for this year's festival included three meat dishes: braised pig's head, white-cut whole chicken, and steamed whole fish. The three vegetarian dishes were scallion tofu, leek sprouts, and boiled seasonal vegetables.
With just two people in the kitchen, the six dishes were prepared efficiently. As soon as the cooking was completed, a commotion arose outside. Su Bing went to answer the door, welcoming Aunt Zhang and her family who had come to help carry items.
By this time, daylight had broken. It was a special day, and the entire village had already awakened. From inside the house, the intermittent sound of firecrackers could be heard.
Su Bing and Su Li had taken leave from school to help at home that day. They had a formal task: to hang and set off firecrackers.