From the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Zhong Family Compound received a constant stream of visitors day after day. Family after family arrived, and their busy footsteps—some familiar, others strange—were on the verge of wearing away the very threshold.
The continuous banquet tables in the dining room were never cleared; as one table departed, another took its place. In the living room, guests came and went endlessly, tea sets were washed over and over, hot water was replenished again and again, and pastries were served afresh.
Aside from the relatives and friends who visited every year, there was an exceptional number of new and old merchants calling at the door this season. Seeing that the Zhong Family Compound was already packed to capacity, Zhong Ziheng led them over to Nanyou Garden instead, receiving and entertaining them separately there.
Chapter 448