Su Yuan and the little blonde girl looked toward the ball of light at the same time.
Green specks of light danced in circles around Elonore's fingertips like two glowing fireflies. With a sweep of her hand, she sent the ball skimming along the ground, where it made three turns beside the vegetable patch.
The two children shrieked and chased after it.
The courtyard instantly erupted into chickens flying and dogs leaping.
Saina came out of the kitchen carrying a large basin of stewed ribs and nearly stumbled when her grandson dashed past her.
"Slow down! Don't run!"
No one listened.
Chasing the ball of light, Su Yuan plunged headfirst into the vegetable patch, his hands and face covered in mud. The little blonde girl stood beside him, clapping and giggling.
Elonore chased after them from behind, shouting for them not to trample the vegetables. Saina set the ribs on the table, rolled up her sleeves, and went to scoop up her grandson. Elena sat in a chair along the corridor and tapped her cane twice against the ground.
"Elizabeth. What is three times seven?"
"Mother, she's only four."
"Start early. You could do it when you were four."
Elizabeth rubbed her forehead helplessly.
Su Li leaned back against the ginkgo tree trunk again. He watched the courtyard descend into utter chaos.
It had been the same thirty years ago.
Noisy and bustling, voices everywhere.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
On the day they left, Saina stuffed all the cured meat from home into the carriage.
"This is way too much..." Little Stone looked at the jars of dried meat piled across the back seat, and a vein twitched at his temple.
"Not too much. Eat it on the road, then share it with