"People—and cats—couldn't be brought back to life."
The petite old woman almost misspoke.
She hurriedly corrected herself.
"Mm."
Grandma Zhang replied softly, "It'll just take some time."
Her voice grew softer still.
The petite old woman hadn't heard her. "What?"
"Nothing."
Grandma Zhang shook her head.
This time, the petite old woman didn't press her.
She knew Grandma Zhang needed some time to come to terms with the little cat's passing.
Grandma Zhang blinked at Xiao Xiao, signaling for him not to call attention to what she'd said earlier.
Xiao Xiao gave a slight nod.
Seeing that the old woman seemed to have recovered somewhat, he felt relieved too.
What she'd said earlier hadn't been enough to make him waver.
He wasn't that uncertain about what he'd done.
But it was impossible to say his mood hadn't been affected at all.
Now, seeing that the old woman seemed to hold no grudge against him, the corners of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
"A Ming, I'm planning to make dumplings this afternoon."
The petite old woman remembered why she'd originally come to see Grandma Zhang. "Why don't you come over?"
"We can chat while we make dumplings."
"Or you can just sit beside me and keep me company."
Considering Grandma Zhang's health, the petite old woman suggested, "It'll be a little lonely doing it all by myself."
Grandma Zhang's face creased in a wry smile. "I told you, I'm not that frail yet."
"It's not like I can't move at all."
"I'll make dumplings with you."
"It's been a while since I've had any."
"Even better."
The petite old woman narrowed her eyes. "Then you can have dumplings at my place tonight."
"I made mung bean soup yesterday, too."
"Have some of that as well."
"Young man."
She