The nights in the county seat were much livelier than in the village. With the new year approaching, the CRACKLE and POP of distant firecrackers could be heard from time to time. If you listened closely, you could even make out the excited shrieks and yells of children, as well as the shouts of adults telling them to go back home to bed.
The weather had been warm during the day, even a little hot around noon, but by nightfall, the cold was enough to make one's hands and feet go numb.
Chen Wanqing washed up, threw on her robe, and hurried to bed. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the neatly spread-out quilt on the bed, but a moment later she shivered, lifted the covers, and slipped underneath.
When she had come over to tidy up during the day, she hadn't noticed there was only one quilt on the bed.
When it was time to make the bed and prepare for sleep, she realized the problem and rushed to her mother's room to grab another one for the time being.
