After An Ning's hearing returned to normal, the family watched another round of firecrackers at Jiang Xia's house. Once they were all finished, they returned to the An family's home.
When they got back, Lin Cuihua had finished cooking the dumplings. An Guoping took a bowl to the neighbors and brought back another bowl of dumplings, a customary exchange.
The steaming hot dumplings were eaten in less than half an hour.
They followed it with a bowl of hot dumpling broth, and drinking it left them feeling warm all over.
Full and satisfied, everyone stood up to move around a bit, waiting until after midnight to go to sleep.
An Ning took the small sparklers Jiang Xia had given her and lit one in the courtyard.
As she waved her arm, it was as if a brilliant, dazzling meteor streaked across the courtyard. It was very beautiful.
"It's twelve o'clock!"
At An Guoming's shout, the siblings, as if on cue, knelt on the ground in unison and kowtowed to An Sancheng and Lin Cuihua.
