Affected by the virus, the Chuxi Village Committee received a notice from the higher authorities that during the New Year period, entry to the village was restricted, but departure was not.
The New Year's Eve dinner originally planned to be had in the village had to be shifted to the family home in Lianhua Courtyard.
But the two-bedroom, one-living room house couldn't accommodate Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle, so this year's New Year's Eve dinner had to be shared with the Xia family.
Xia Guofu and Lin Jing were from neighboring villages. Now that Chuxi Village was to be locked down, they naturally couldn't escape it either.
From the kitchen came the fragrant south-milk braised mutton, stewed with refreshing sugarcane and water chestnut to whet the appetite, making Xu Qingfan's mouth water.