At the old man's teasing, Zhou Tongtong merely smiled shyly without answering and obediently took her place at the end of the line.
After a while, it was finally her turn.
Tilting up her little face, Zhou Tongtong said sweetly to the auntie selling steamed buns, "Auntie, I want two meat buns."
"Coming right up." As the bun seller deftly wrapped the piping-hot meat buns in oiled paper, she smiled and looked over the Little White Cat and Little Black Cat.
"The two little cats you're raising are so adorable—one snow-white and one pitch-black, like a pair of little black-and-white reapers. They're only a few months old, right?"
"Yes, they're just over five months old." Zhou Tongtong answered obediently, then took out a ten-yuan bill from her pocket and handed it over.
The auntie accepted the money, then handed Zhou Tongtong the paper bag of buns along with four yuan in change, thoughtfully reminding her, "The buns just came out of the steamer, so they're very hot. Be careful when you eat them—don't burn your mouth... And don't feed the kittens anything too hot either. Their tongues are delicate."
"Thank you, Auntie." Zhou Tongtong sweetly thanked her, then carried the paper bag away and headed toward the park.
The Little White Cat and Little Black Cat followed close behind her, their little tails held high. Every now and then, they raised their heads to sniff the fragrance of the buns in the air, their steps noticeably lighter as they soon vanished together at the end of the road.
The weather was bright and clear today. Not a single cloud floated in the deep blue sky, which looked like a flawless sapphire.
Quite a few people were doing morning exercises in the park. Some elderly men practiced tai chi, their movements