"I—"
Uncle Zhang swallowed the words he'd been about to say. His gaze passed over the people in front of him and settled on the figure being supported by the woman.
"Old Master Li?"
"You're out?!"
He exclaimed in surprise.
"Old Master Li, are you hungry?"
Auntie asked with concern. "I made some porridge."
"Have a little, at least."
"It'll warm your stomach."
"Or is there something else you'd like to eat?"
"Just tell me, and I'll make it for you."
Auntie rolled up her sleeves, looking ready to show off her cooking skills.
Old Master Li shook his head.
"I can't eat."
It wasn't that he wasn't hungry. He just couldn't eat.
The old man's words were calm and weak, yet tinged with resentment. For a moment, the air around them grew still.
"Heh, you can't eat, huh?"
Auntie smiled, as if she hadn't picked up on Old Master Li's pointed remark at all, and urged him kindly, "Old Master Li, even if you feel like you can't eat, you should make yourself have a little."
"Your body needs nourishment right now."
"Nourishment?"
Old Master Li tugged at the corner of his mouth, wearing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "What nourishment? I'm going to die anyway."
The old man's increasingly sarcastic tone made the air, which had eased somewhat after Auntie spoke, even more stifling than before.
Everyone exchanged glances without drawing attention to themselves.
They knew Old Master Li had taken a grudge against Xiao Xiao.
"Old Master Li."
Auntie slowly lowered her sleeves. "It seems you don't care for our cooking."
"Then I won't force you."
"You haven't recovered yet, so it's not good for you to stay outside too long."
"Would you like to sit a little longer, or