Municipal Party Committee Courtyard.
That afternoon, at Yang Zhaode's home.
Za Xiaoping sat on the sofa and put down her phone with a grave expression. Yang Zhaode, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen.
"Xiaoping, who was that?"
"Xiao Bin."
"Oh? Tell him to come over for dinner. It's almost ready."
"He has work at his office. He's not coming."
"Hm? What's wrong with you? You were smiling just a moment ago."
"Something huge is about to happen. How can I still smile?"
Za Xiaoping immediately repeated everything her son had told her on the phone, word for word, to Yang Zhaode.
After hearing it, Yang Zhaode frowned. "Animals behaving abnormally? Why haven't I noticed anything? Did the dogs in our compound bark? Even if they did, that's normal. That doesn't prove anything, does it?"
Za Xiaoping got angry as soon as she heard that. "Are you saying my son is lying?"
Yang Zhaode hurriedly said, "That's not what I meant. Cats and dogs do cry out before an earthquake, but it has to happen over a large area. I'm saying Xiao Bin may have analyzed it wrong. It can't be such a coincidence."
Za Xiaoping said impatiently, "My son said there'll be an earthquake! Then there'll definitely be one! My son wouldn't joke with me about something like this!"
"Xiaoping." Yang Zhaode was rather helpless. He knew his wife's personality. Xiaoping trusted her family unconditionally, which was both a strength and a weakness. "How about this? I'll call the Earthquake Bureau and have them come inspect things again. What do you think?"
"They won't be able to detect it!"
"Then what do you think we should do?"
"The article my son wants to publish—find someone to get it approved for him."
"This isn't a trivial matter. It's not