Lin Fengying brought her village habits to Kyoto, making a lot of dumplings two nights before the New Year's eve to be eaten on New Year's eve and the first day of the year. It was cold, so the dumplings wouldn't go bad.
Before, making dumplings during Chinese New Year was the happiest time for the family. The three children would help her, the family would chat and laugh together, but now it felt particularly cold and lonely.
After all, she was a mother and the thought of Si Chen spending the New Year alone in the staff quarters made her heart ache. She was thinking of sending him some dumplings tomorrow, taking the opportunity to ease the mother-son relationship.
No matter how harsh her arguments were with her eldest son, deep in her heart, she never wanted to break ties with him.