That afternoon, a little after one, in the Courtyard House.
Dong Xuebin had bought some Juewei Duck Neck outside and was gnawing on it for lunch, killing time as he watched a movie and ate duck necks in the East Room study.
Bang bang.
Someone knocked on the door.
Someone outside the courtyard called loudly, "Little Dong, are you home?"
Dong Xuebin hurriedly pulled off his plastic gloves and wiped the grease from his hands. As he kicked open the door, he called outside, "I'm here, Aunt Zheng. Hold on, I'll be right there." A large courtyard had its advantages, but its one drawback was that the walk was too long. He had to cross the long courtyard, turn a corner, and walk a few more steps to reach the gate. He had even considered installing an electric gate like those at villas, but that would ruin the atmosphere of the Courtyard House. Besides, this was a protected area. The state certainly would not allow him to remove the wooden gate. It was just a thought. The simplest solution was not to lock the outer courtyard gate when someone was home, so visitors could simply push it open and enter.
At the courtyard gate.
The gate opened with a creak.
Dong Xuebin smiled. "Aunt Zheng, Big Sister Ci, you're here?"
Big Sister Ci smiled. "Were you taking an afternoon nap?"
"No." Dong Xuebin raised a hand. "I was just eating. Duck necks. My hands were covered in grease, so I had to wipe them with paper before I could open the door."
"Why aren't you eating properly? Can duck necks count as a meal?" Aunt Zheng grumbled.
Dong Xuebin said, "Well, I'm alone, so I just make do."
Aunt Zheng took his hand and placed a lunchbox in it. "Perfect