The snow had been falling nonstop for two full days, and all throughout that time everyone was continuously sweeping the snow.
Finally, when the snow subsided, they could rest.
The four youngest children, with rosy cheeks, ran to the kitchen to boast to Feng Qingxue, "We've cleared all the paths in our yard, so grandma (sister) won't slip."
Feng Qingxue was just boiling a pot of water to soak some dried kidney beans. She praised them, "Oh, the children in our family are so well-behaved!"
She washed her hands, opened the cupboard, took out six pieces of malt sugar, and gave one piece to each child. She asked the eldest, Lu Tianzhi, to deliver the remaining two pieces to Lu Tianjun and Guan Cheng, "Don't huddle in the kitchen anymore, I have no space to move around. You kids can go play in the yard." Taking the candies outside would draw too much attention; a piece of malt candy was too large to be simply stuffed into one's mouth.