New Year was approaching, but many households had not yet prepared for it in the traditional order. For one thing, material goods were now abundant and most things could be bought readily; for another, most families had members away working odd jobs, and everyone returned at different times.
Spring cleaning, for instance, was supposed to take place on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, but the Fu Family had only managed a part of it and had no time for the rest.
Today's main event was smoking bacon. The fresh meat to be eaten during the first lunar month was left unsalted, while the salted pork all had to be smoked.
Chapter 233