Uncle's home was just in the next village over from Lin Yang's, a half-hour bike ride away.
When Lin Yang arrived outside Uncle's courtyard and parked his bike, he heard a burst of joyful laughter and chatter coming from inside, lively and bustling.
Such scenes were quite common in the countryside. In the past, those who went out to work or do business would only come back close to the New Year.
But now things were different. With the diversification of transportation and the prevalence of private cars, people visited each other more frequently on important days.
Arriving at Uncle's gate, Lin Yang saw a few electric scooters parked there, and there were also two sedans to the side.
A white, older model Golf was recognizable to Lin Yang—it belonged to his little aunt, Xiao Peng's mother.
The little aunt could be considered a strong woman; she owned a clothing store in the city and had become wealthy relatively early, so she was the first among the sisters to drive a private car.