After the exam, Zhang Guoqing's house welcomed a peak of visitors.
In the past, around this time, various markets would have started, and adults and children could visit to enjoy the bustle, making it a good place to go.
Today, the markets were closed, and the children were on holiday. Besides playing with sleds in the snow, there was no corn to shell at home. All of the Zhang family grandchildren and a few other grandchildren crowded into the courtyard.
The weather was brutally cold with the heavy snow. Unlike the other households, Zhang Guoqing's home was as warm as spring inside, thanks to the heated walls and heated beds, requiring few layers of clothing.
Xi Zi and the others were determined not to return home. Every night in the west room and study, small and large heads lined the heated beds, a sea of children.
