At noon, they stayed at Auntie's house for lunch.
Stewed chicken, fried hairtail, meatballs, cold dishes, and steaming dumplings fresh from the pot filled the table to the brim.
Zhang Zhifang was afraid she hadn't hosted them well enough. One moment, she urged them to eat more; the next, she was hurrying to the kitchen to bring out more dishes, heat up soup, or fetch small plates of vinegar. Her feet barely stopped moving.
The smile on Li Guangyuan's face never faded from beginning to end.
He was so attentive that he practically wanted to carry the entire table over to Tang Song.
Zhang Yan sat there quietly eating, occasionally responding with a few words, without the slightest hint of tension on her face.
Some things were better left unspoken.
But once they were truly laid bare, they no longer felt quite so daunting.
The meal did not last very long.
Once the dumplings on the table had been finished, the two of them got up to say goodbye.
Zhang Zhifang and Li Guangyuan walked them all the way to the silver Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
The winter afternoon wind brushed against their faces, carrying a dry chill.
Tang Song was in no hurry to get into the car. He bent down to open the trunk and took out two more gift bags, handing them over.
Zhang Zhifang and Li Guangyuan refused a few times out of politeness, but in the end, they accepted them carefully with smiles.
The car doors closed.
The silver Mercedes-Benz slowly started up and made its way out of the village along the somewhat bumpy concrete road.
Zhang Yan turned her head and glanced at the rearview mirror.
Her aunt and uncle were still standing at the entrance, gifts in hand, watching them leave.
Only after the