Song Tan had no idea that the out-of-town guest was getting tangled up over clothing.
After all, she'd been busy all morning, still wearing a pair of oversized rain boots that anyone in the family could slip into!
She couldn't help it; there was simply too much prep work to be done. Just setting up the stove and slathering yellow mud on it took ages, especially since there were so many mouths to feed—the stoves had to be arranged in a whole row.
Seeing that it was almost mealtime and the work was still unfinished, she just rolled up her sleeves and jumped in.
Meanwhile, out in the yard, stacks of crispy, golden fried leaves were laid out to cool, waiting to be bagged and stored away once they were ready.
If the bags stayed sealed properly, the fried leaves would stay crisp and fragrant all the way until the New Year.
But of course, such a delicious treat left right out in the open, fresh from the fryer—who could resist sneaking a piece as they walked by?
