Their voices grew louder and louder. The women working in the fields glanced up, then lowered their heads again, utterly unsurprised.
At noon, Su Li returned from the smithy.
A rich scent of meat hung in the air, mixed with the distinctive sweetness of carrots stewed until soft. He followed the smell to the kitchen door. The instant the lid was lifted, steam rushed into his face.
Saina stood stirring the pot with a ladle. The carrots, cut into chunky rolling-cut pieces, had turned nearly translucent, rolling through the thick broth alongside large chunks of ribs.
"Stewed with the new carrots?" Su Li leaned over for a look.
"Pulled them this morning. Try some." Saina scooped up a piece of carrot and held it out to him.
Su Li took the spoon and bit into it. It melted in his mouth. The sweetness was twice as strong as he had expected, carrying an indescribably fresh fragrance.
He chewed twice and nodded. "Way better than the ones at the market. This stuff really is worth money."
Saina gave a smug little snort and turned back to stir the pot.
A gray-white shadow slipped in beneath the threshold. Silver crouched by the foot of the stove, stretching his nose upward with all his might, his tail swishing across the floor with a whooshing sound.
Saina did not notice.
Su Li did, but said nothing.
Silver planted his front paws on the edge of the stove and poked his head over the rim of the pot. While Saina turned around to fetch bowls, he snatched the tip of a carrot sticking out of the soup in one bite.
"SSS..."
The cat's mouth was scalded. The carrot fell back into the pot, splashing up two drops of broth.
Saina turned around.
She saw