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After the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month passed, the atmosphere of the New Year grew even denser. On the twenty-fourth, we swept the house, and on the twenty-fifth, we pasted paper on the windows; every day there was something to be busy with.
On the twenty-sixth, we began boiling meat at home, and this year we slaughtered two pigs, meaning there was a great deal of meat to prepare. Hence, a large pot brimmed with meat, spreading its savory aroma throughout the courtyard. Mrs. Zhu watched over the pot, constantly keeping an eye on the broth and adding some seasoning as needed.
Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Xue were busy preparing dough for steamed buns. It's commonly said that you should leaven the dough on the twenty-eighth, but actually waiting until then to steam the buns would be too late. Starting from the twenty-sixth, we had to steam the buns, doing three or four pots each day, and by the twenty-eighth, we were to steam the date-filled buns offered up for the New Year.
