One word at a time, he answered with crystal-clear certainty.
"How many times are you going to ask?" The old woman was getting impatient...
"But..." The old man tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"This is strange..." The old man didn't understand.
"I clearly heard the pipa playing..."
"The music was still playing when you went out onto the balcony."
"...The pipa stopped later." The old man had heard it clearly... The old woman sat down beside him.
She'd been standing for a while and was getting tired...
"You really heard it?" As soon as the words left her mouth, the old woman realized she'd already asked the same question over and over.
But... she couldn't help it. His answer didn't match what she'd experienced. She didn't know whom to believe.
"I really did hear it!" the old man cried. He really, truly had heard it. More than once, too.
Why hadn't his wife heard it? He didn't understand. He really didn't understand...
"Don't get worked up." The old woman hurried to soothe him.
"Why are you shouting so loudly?"
"I'm right beside you."
"You don't need to raise your voice."
"Besides..." The old woman pursed her lips slightly.
"Does being loud make you right?"... The old man pressed his lips together. He fell silent, but his expression remained unpleasant.
"I told you to lower your voice, not to stop talking..." The old woman found it a little amusing. Was the old man angry because she'd complained he was too loud?
"...You didn't even hear the pipa..." The old man didn't want to seem petty.
"What am I supposed to talk to you about, then?"... Uh... The old woman blinked. That was true. If she hadn't heard the pipa, what could she discuss with him?
Their