After night fell, it didn't take long before someone set off the first string of firecrackers. As if in response, bursts of firecrackers rang out one after another over Liu Yang Village. Amidst a long string of firecrackers, the Mo Family, along with three animals, sat together and noisily finished off two whole pots of dumplings.
There was no need to stay up late on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve, so after the family chatted around the brazier for a while, they each carried hot water back to their rooms, planning to rest after soaking their feet in warm water. Mo Yan, too, returned to her small courtyard with the three well-fed beasts. The other local dogs had been chased back to their homes by Little Flower to celebrate the New Year earlier that day.
