After the separation, I took my whole family to eat delicious food and drink spicy

Time passed quickly, and several snowfalls followed. The snow piled up thicker and thicker. The diligent people in the village would sweep the snow in front of their doors every day to prevent the snow from piling up too thickly and making the roads difficult to walk on.

Li Xiaoxiao was worried that her thatched house could not bear the weight, so she specially called Uncle Li and his son to help clear the snow from the roof twice.

Li Xiaoxiao was extremely grateful that she had renovated the house again, otherwise she would not have survived the winter given the weather this year.

Fortunately, there was the charcoal that Yun Che had sent earlier. When the family had nothing to do, they would burn the charcoal in the house to keep warm. Bai would also take out needle and thread to sew clothes for Li Xiaoxiao and the others to wear next year.

Now that the weather is cold, Li Xiaoxiao moved directly to Bai's room to sleep. It is warmer for the four of them to sleep together.

Soon, it was the day of Little New Year.

Early in the morning of the Little New Year, the sky was as blue as a mirror, and the sun shone through the mist, shining on the quiet little village of Lijia Village, adding a bit of warmth to the cold winter day.

In the yard of Li Xiaoxiao's house, a faint fragrance of glutinous rice and the sweetness of red dates are intertwined, permeating every inch of the air, foreshadowing the joy and warmth of the festival.

"Mom, the sugar melons are steamed. I'm going to take some to the village chief, Aunt Chen, and Aunt Zhang." Li Xiaoxiao, wearing a thick new cotton-padded jacket and holding two bamboo baskets filled with steaming sugar melons that had just come out of the pot, said to Bai with a smile.

Sugar melon is a traditional food unique to the Little New Year. It symbolizes sweetness and auspiciousness, and also embodies people’s good expectations for the New Year.

Mrs. Bai sat in front of the stove, wiped her hands with her apron, and said with a smile, "Okay, go and come back soon. We have to prepare the reunion dinner at noon." After that, she turned around and continued to work. The chicken that Li Xiaoxiao loved most was stewing in the pot. The aroma filled the air, filling the whole house with the smell of home.

Li Xiaoxiao walked along the village path. Although the snow had stopped falling, the ground was still covered with a layer of white, and the sound of crunching under her feet was crisp and pleasant. She first visited the village chief's home, Aunt Zhang's home, and Uncle Li's home. At each place, she was warmly welcomed and received words of gratitude.

At Aunt Chen's house, Li Xiaoxiao also saw Sister Guihua. Her belly was more than four months pregnant. Aunt Chen said that she would give birth around May next year. Looking at Aunt Chen, Li Xiaoxiao could feel her joy from her words, and Li Xiaoxiao was happy for them from the bottom of her heart.

The atmosphere of the Little New Year becomes even more intense with the sweetness and care that are passed on to each other.

In the afternoon, there was constant laughter and joy in Li Xiaoxiao's courtyard.

Li Xiaoxiao took Li Fang and Li Linlin to hang lanterns and put up Spring Festival couplets. The red scene made people feel happy.

Mrs. Bai was busy in the kitchen, preparing a sumptuous dinner.

After pasting the window decorations and hanging the lanterns, Li Xiaoxiao, Li Fang and Li Linlin went into the kitchen to help Bai prepare the meal. Li Fang and Li Linlin lit the fire while Li Xiaoxiao helped to cook. Li Xiaoxiao even went to the cellar to get a few sweet potatoes, washed them and threw them directly into the stove, saying that she wanted to eat roasted sweet potatoes.

The table was filled with a variety of dishes, including fish that symbolizes abundance every year, meatballs that symbolize reunion, and various local side dishes, each of which exuded an enticing aroma.

As night fell, the sound of firecrackers rang out in the village, and children chased and played in the yard, laughing and talking happily.

Li Xiaoxiao's family sat around the table, enjoying this rare reunion. Although Yun Che was unable to attend in person, the blessings and gifts he sent through letters made this reunion more complete.

Li Xiaoxiao read the letter, tears glistening in her eyes, her heart filled with gratitude and longing.

"Xiaoxiao, Fang'er, Lin'er, come, let's have a drink. I hope that everything will go well for our family in the new year, and that you will be safe and healthy." Mrs. Bai raised the bowl, which contained the soy milk that Li Xiaoxiao had ground herself.

"Yes, come, let's make a wish together." Li Xiaoxiao said as he raised the bowl. The bowls clinked together, making a crisp sound, which was a beautiful wish for a new life.

After dinner, a bonfire was lit in the Li family's courtyard. Aunt Chen, Aunt Zhang, and other close friends of Li Xiaoxiao's family gathered around the fire, sharing memories of the past year and their hopes for the future. Li Fang and Li Linlin also played with firecrackers nearby.

In the light of the fire, everyone's face was filled with happy smiles. The simplicity and sincerity made this New Year's Eve particularly warm and memorable.

As the night deepened, the bonfire gradually went out, and Aunt Chen and others also dispersed one after another and returned to their warm homes.

Li Xiaoxiao stood in the yard, looking at the starry sky, her heart filled with tranquility and satisfaction.

Yun Che, who was far away in the capital, was also standing in the courtyard at this moment, gazing at the same bright moon in the sky, thinking of his loved one far away. He knew that although they were thousands of miles apart, their hearts were always closely connected.

Li Xiaoxiao turned around and went back into the house and saw Bai packing some food.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Li Xiaoxiao asked.

"Young Master Yun is far away in the capital, and we don't have any good things to eat. Let's send him some homemade food so that he can taste our cooking skills." Bai said with a smile.

Li Xiaoxiao nodded, feeling warm in her heart. The next day, the weather was still as cold as before.

In the morning, Li Xiaoxiao opened the window and shivered at the cold breeze. Despite the chill, her heart felt warm. The previous day's Little New Year's Eve had made her feel the deep bond of family and friendship.

After breakfast, Li Xiaoxiao picked up the things that Bai had packed yesterday, and the family of four planned to go to town to buy some New Year's goods. They all put on thick hats and scarves and walked out of the house.

The market was bustling with people. Li Xiaoxiao and the others first delivered the goods to Xiangmanlou to Shopkeeper Zhao, asking him to arrange for someone to deliver them to the capital to Yun Che. Shopkeeper Zhao accepted the goods with a smile on his face.

Afterwards, Li Xiaoxiao and Bai took Li Fang and Li Linlin for a walk in the town. They bought some candies, cakes and other things needed for the New Year. They also bought four big meat buns and gave one to each of them. After eating a bun, Li Xiaoxiao felt warm all over.

After walking around and buying a lot of things, the basket on Bai's back was full. The whole family carried the bags and walked to the town entrance, got on Lin Bo's ox cart and went home.

After lunch, while the sun was still shining, Li Xiaoxiao and her family cleaned the house together and washed all the items they used, preparing to welcome the New Year.