Sunrise on New Year’s Day washed Sky-Crown City in brilliant crimson and molten gold.
The winter morning air was crisp as cracked ice, yet not a single household in the capital stayed indoors. Across all thirty-six avenues and along the nine warm, steaming canals, five million citizens of the newly founded Great Qian Warm-Hearth Commonwealth packed the streets, marble bridges, and outer ramparts.
Ten thousand festive red paper lanterns swayed from the eaves. Embroidered silk banners bearing the golden wok-and-spatula emblem of the Gu Family fluttered above every gate tower alongside red scrolls wishing the three Gu children a happy birthday.
Inside the open gates of Willow-Breeze Courtyard on South Canal Street, Gu Changsheng , at Rank 4 Peak, stood before the family caravan with a warm smile on his face.
Today was a milestone morning for the household. With the ringing of the New Year’s dawn bell, Gu Nian had officially turned ten years old, Su Nuannuan had turned eight years old, and Gu Ye Xiao had turned eleven years old!
All three children wore brand-new winter travel coats sewn by Auntie Qin from crimson dragon-silk lined with snow-white rabbit fur at the collars. With their three yellow schoolbags—plus the fourth yellow schoolbag packed for seven-year-old Jiang Tuntun—strapped neatly across their shoulders.
