Ding was a prominent surname. Though it lacked the grandeur of the great clans in the city, it carried a certain authority in this seaside village.
Ding Ding's branch of the family was not part of the main line. An ancestor had served as a navigator aboard the main family's old patriarch's ship and, by chance, saved his life. In return, they had been granted land and property, allowing them to settle here.
As the generations passed, by the time of Ding Ding's father, almost nothing remained.
Before Ding Ding left, a fishing boat and an old house were all they had.
With so little property, he had no idea what there was to fight over.
Neither adult paid the child any attention. Ding Pan Di ushered Ding Ding inside, made tea, and washed fruit, playing the host very well.
Ding Ding felt uneasy. He called her over and asked her to sit down.
"You..." Ding Pan Di seemed a little awkward. "You came so early. Have you eaten? Shall I make you some noodles?"
Before Ding Ding could speak, the short, dark, chubby boy beside them, Ding Xianzong, spoke up.
"I want noodles! With a chicken drumstick!"
Calling him imperious would not have been an exaggeration. He sounded as though he were speaking to a servant rather than his own older sister.
Ding Pan Di nodded obediently, then looked at Ding Ding again.
"Would you like some?"
Feeling irritated, Ding Ding checked the time and asked where their parents were.
"Dad, he... Mom's at the hospital with him. Once you've eaten, go see him."
"I won't eat." Ding Ding stood straight up. "Which hospital? I'll go now."
Ding Pan Di gave him the name of a hospital. "You should still eat a little, otherwise..."
"No," Ding Ding interrupted her.