Tongtong, who had been lounging in bed, finally got up in the face of Chuchu's threat to eat without her.
Outside, the sky was a brilliant blue, like a canvas. Clouds drifted and unfurled, and the sunlight was just right.
Wrapped in her little padded jacket, she felt warm all over.
Xue Yuantong's mood brightened along with the weather. She loved days like this. She remembered that after moving to River Dam, there had been one New Year's Eve when freezing rain fell for days on end, staining the entire holiday with cold, damp memories.
Standing in the yard, she called out, "Mom, I'm hungry!"
Only after shouting did she suddenly remember that her mother had gone back to their hometown with Aunt Hua to help pack things and would not be home until the afternoon.
With her mother gone, only the capable Chuchu was left to help cook, which was why she had been at someone else's mercy.
With a sigh, Xue Yuantong washed up and got herself ready, then dashed over to Chuchu's kitchen.
She had thought Chuchu would already be crazily stuffing herself behind her back. Instead, Chuchu sat quietly beside the stove, which still retained some warmth, silently reviewing her vocabulary notebook.
She was merely sitting there as usual, yet the temperament she exuded was something Tongtong could never learn in a lifetime.
Xue Yuantong said cheerfully, "Chuchu, I knew it. You were definitely waiting to eat with me!"
As expected of her best friend, never leaving her side.
Xue Chuchu raised her face, glanced at her, and said, "I've already finished eating."
"Huh?" Xue Yuantong froze. She took several quick steps to the stove, lifted the lid off the big pot, and a cloud of steam rose up. On the steaming rack sat two big