Why is it necessary to have lavish feasts for the New Year? Her family's meals were good year-round. Whenever she had the time, she would select ingredients from the supermarket. If she found something suitable and cheap, she would stock up, store it in the space, where it neither expired nor spoiled, keeping it fresh for whenever they wanted to eat. Why should she go through the trouble of jostling with crowds during the New Year, when prices were sky-high?
When it was just the two of them, they usually had two dishes and a soup. If she was in a good mood, she'd make a couple of cold dishes too. The mix of meat and vegetables was already balanced and nutritious, so there was no need to be so fixated on whether it was New Year or not.
But deep down, the Chinese valued the Spring Festival, so she would also buy some Spring Festival couplets and festive decorations to adorn her house and would drag the lazy Ling Yao to help clean the house.
