The second morning was pretty cold. Xiao'er stepped out of her room, her breath forming a cloud of white fog in front of her nose. She headed first to the kitchen to boil a pot of hot water, ready for when Jingrui and Jinghao woke up to wash and freshen up.
At this time, everyone in the Shen house was still asleep. Assured, she fetched the breakfast she prepared from the kitchen – a plate of pan-fried dumplings and a pot of lean meat porridge. After switching the plate and pot, she placed them on the stove to keep warm.
She then sat beside the stove, using the firelight to begin making her toys. As she sewed, she organized her plans for the day: soon, Uncle Fu would bring part of the materials for the toys. She'd then have to ask the village chief's wife, along with her fourth aunt, to recruit some women skilled with needlework to help out. After that, she'll have to rush off to town.