In the morning, before the sun grew too intense, He Liping showed up. And as if on cue—upon seeing the gifts He Xiaotong and Xu Changqing had prepared—he also had a remark.
"Making a fuss over nothing."
Getting no special treatment, he earned a "Get lost!" from He Xiaotong. The dumbfounded look on He Liping's face made Shen Weimin, who was standing nearby, roar with laughter.
Amid the laughter and conversation, the group of five took advantage of the mild sun, grabbing their bags and leaving the courtyard house to catch a public bus to the compound.
When they arrived, Uncle He and his wife hadn't gotten off work yet. At home, a housekeeper arranged by the logistics department, Aunt Li, was busy in the kitchen preparing the ingredients.
Dried sea cucumbers were soaking, as were wood ear mushrooms and shiitakes. A kitchen knife, wielded by Aunt Li, went CHOP, CHOP, CHOP on the cutting board.
