Chen Lian's smile was uglier than a grimace. He greeted her awkwardly, "Aunt."
"Oh, you poor child, what happened to you? You're so lethargic, you look like you haven't eaten in days. Go on inside and sit with your uncle. Auntie will make you something to eat."
In truth, Chen Lian's condition was more than just simple lethargy. The boy looked as if something had frightened him out of his wits. His face was wan and dull, the skin beneath his eyes was dark and swollen, his pupils were dilated, and his expression was vacant. It was clear he'd had a terrible scare.
'When Qing'er was little, she'd look just like this whenever she got a fright, and she'd wail all night long. Li'an looks even worse now than Qing'er did back then.'
Xu Su Ying hurried off to cook.
They still had some flatbreads at home, which she had originally planned to serve with some simple soup for breakfast the next morning. Now, she could only heat them up to give the boy something to tide him over.
