The fourteenth day of the first lunar month saw every household busily preparing for another full day. Time quickly passed, and it was the morning of the fifteenth. This morning's breakfast was prepared by Grandma, along with Cui Mama, Liu Mama, and Chuncao.
The breakfast was exceptionally lavish. There were dumplings filled with cabbage and meat, a pot of sweet glutinous rice balls, and a large pot of sauerkraut stew with vermicelli.
Chen Lan mused that the 1950s were indeed different from her previous life. In her time, the fifteenth of the first lunar month was merely marked by buying some tangyuan from the supermarket. With improved living conditions, people seemed to attach less importance to festivals, and the festive atmosphere wasn't as intense as it was now.
Grandma and the others were still quite particular and valued the fifteenth of the first lunar month. Eating dumplings in the morning, with both vegetables and meat, provided good energy to combat the harsh northeastern winter.
Eating sweet glutinous rice balls on the fifteenth was for good luck and peace, wishing for a year of sweetness and a prosperous start.
A bowl of sauerkraut stew with vermicelli was not only delicious but also a perfect way to cut through the richness of the New Year's feasts. A hot bowl of it could also ward off the cold.
After a lively breakfast, everyone went to prepare for the lantern riddle event in the evening.
Chen Lan and her mother stayed home, playing with the children.
Once the children were settled, Chen Lan told her mother, "Mom, I'm going to see how everyone is preparing for the lantern riddle event tonight."
Her mother smiled and said, "Go ahead! Go and see! Lan'er, it's still quite cold outside, so wear more clothes."
Chen Lan happily put on thicker clothes and went out. As soon as she stepped out the door, she saw a pair of bright red lanterns hanging on the doorposts on either side of their main gate. Underneath each lantern, a riddle was covered with red paper, to be unveiled only in the evening. Uncle De and Uncle Fu mentioned that these riddles were specially prepared for the adults and children of the reading society, and anyone who paid attention in class should be able to solve them.
A row of slightly smaller red lanterns was also hung around the house, each with a riddle beneath it.
Walking into the courtyard, she saw that all the fruit trees in the front yard were adorned with red lanterns. The goji berry bushes in the front yard were strung with small red lanterns containing light bulbs. Moving to the backyard, she found more strings of small red lanterns with light bulbs hanging from the Sichuan peppercorn trees and the rose bushes.
If all these lights were lit at night, she imagined it would create a breathtaking scene of a bustling spectacle, like a forest of trees sparkling with silver and flowers.
Chen Lan thought to herself, no wonder Uncle Fu had asked her to find ways to procure more red lanterns, big and small. She had been quite puzzled then, wondering what he needed so many lanterns for. Fortunately, she hadn't asked any questions and had bought plenty as per Uncle Fu's request.
Seeing all this, Chen Lan eagerly anticipated the arrival of the evening.
As darkness fell, all the red lanterns in the valley were lit, making the entire valley appear like a sea of lights. The five houses were enveloped in red light, creating a stunning and picturesque scene.
Uncle De, Uncle Fu, and the young men of the household went out to set off fireworks in the courtyard. Chen Lan stayed inside with the twins and a few other children, watching the fireworks display from the floor-to-ceiling window. Soon, colorful fireworks began to explode.
The sky was instantly painted with vibrant colors by the diverse fireworks. Some shot up like colorful butterflies, scattering gracefully as they descended. Others transformed into chrysanthemums, and some into peonies. Some even formed large "smiling faces." Others resembled a beautiful meteor shower.
Under the glow of the colorful fireworks and red lanterns, Grandma, Chen Lan's mother, and the others had smiles of contentment on their faces. The younger boys laughed and played.
Inside the room, the children also looked delighted, their mouths wide open in joy. They clapped their hands, cheered, and bounced their bottoms, as if about to jump for joy.
Watching the beautiful fireworks, Chen Lan was suddenly reminded of a quote, "Fireworks bloom and disappear in an instant, but they leave behind a memory of beauty."
The next morning, after helping the twins get ready, Chen Lan took them downstairs. She noticed that the surroundings were quiet, and the lanterns in the courtyard were still lit. She guessed that everyone must still be asleep.
Chen Lan thought that perhaps they had stayed up too late last night. That's why everyone was sleeping in this morning. Chen Lan, due to the twins, had gone to bed early at her usual time and didn't know what happened later.
After settling the twins on the sofa with their cloth books, Chen Lan went to the kitchen, pondering what to make for breakfast. Just then, Chuncao entered.
Chen Lan casually greeted her and asked, "Sister Chuncao, why are you up so early? Didn't you sleep in a bit more?"
Chuncao replied softly with a smile, "Little Douzi wanted to sleep at his usual time last night, so I went to bed early. I woke up on time today and couldn't fall back asleep."
So, the two of them decided to make a pot of hot and sour soup and steam a batch of mixed-flour steamed buns. Breakfast was ready. They then returned to the living room and chatted quietly.
They found themselves talking about the lantern riddle event last night. Since Chen Lan had to look after the twins, she hadn't gone out after dark. Chuncao told her about some of the interesting things that had happened.
Seeing Chen Lan's keen interest in the local customs of the Northeast, Chuncao continued softly, "Actually, in our Northeast, there's an old custom passed down from generations called 'rolling on the ice' on the sixteenth of the first lunar month."
Upon hearing this, Chen Lan immediately got excited and asked, "Sister Chuncao, quickly tell me, what exactly is this 'rolling on the ice' custom?"
Chuncao said with a gentle smile, "Here, every year on the sixteenth of the first lunar month, as soon as it gets dark, women would lie down by the well embankment and roll back and forth from left to right. Or they would carry lanterns and lie down on the open ice and snow, rolling from side to side, or playfully tussling with each other. It's believed that this can 'shake off bad luck,' and it's also called 'rolling away illness.'"
Chuncao paused for a breath and looked up to see Chen Lan waiting for her to continue. So, she didn't dawdle and went on, "There's even a folk song here that sings about this."
With that, Chuncao began to sing softly: "Roll, roll on the ice, no back pain, no leg pain; Roll, roll on the ice, light and light all over; Roll, roll on the ice, relax your heart; Roll, roll on the ice, sleep soundly till dawn..."