In short, all these trivial family matters amount to nothing but a pile of chicken feathers. But now, these destitute households, rehabilitated offenders, orphans and widows who can't stay at home, and grandparent-grandchild pairs without a family pillar all had "relatives" coming to visit them.
Moreover, it was on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
In Sancha River Township, the custom is that Day Twenty-five is for daughters returning to their Mother's Family or nephews visiting their uncles and sons-in-law visiting their mothers-in-law. Visits to other relatives must wait; these are the relatives you're supposed to see on Day Twenty-five.
Since they had come, and there was no shortage of food for the table anyway, they might as well provide for them!
What was frustrating, however, was that all these visitors had brought their children—after all, you had to give out New Year's money, didn't you?
