Things on His Mind

Ding Jiali cried out and hurried forward to help him up. Mei Sinan got to his feet awkwardly, the hem of his raincoat and his pant legs smeared with mud.

"What happened to you?" Ding Jiali laughed, patting the rainwater from Mei Sinan's shoulder. "You're way too fragile!"

Mei Sinan coughed a few times and, somewhat embarrassed, reached for Ding Jiali's bag, trying to pick it up again. Ding Jiali shoved him aside.

"Forget it, I'll do it myself." Ding Jiali lifted the bag one-handed, balanced on one leg, and pressed it against his thigh as he pulled out two keychains. "Sinan, you're seriously made of glass!"

Ding Jiali's hand, holding out the keychains, hovered in the air for a moment. Before things could become any more awkward, Eucali reached out and took them.

"...Thank you."

"You and Jane can register your names here." Ding Jiali took out another list. "Then put a check mark after your names."

"Okay... Do you have a pen?"

"Sinan, lend me your pen!"

Mei Sinan handed over a pen. Hesta recognized it as the very one that had accidentally played a nursery rhyme at the hospital earlier. Remembering how absentminded he had been at the hospital last time too, she could not help finding it amusing.

"How long are you planning to stay here?" Ding Jiali asked again. "It's almost noon. Everyone's going to cook together at that little inn over there. Once you're done looking at the scenery here, come over and lend a hand."

"I'm fine with anything." Eucali looked at Hesta. "Do you still want to stay here a while longer?"

"Let's go," Hesta said.

The four of them slowly made their way from the stone monument toward a cluster of blue-gray brick houses in the distance. Mei Sinan could