The little girl might have inherited her family's genes. Her features were beautiful, especially her eyes, which were big and round.
But her skin and hair were somewhat yellow and dull, and she was very small and thin. Clearly, their lives were not very prosperous.
Wei Donglai took the little girl by the hand and led her into his courtyard.
"Is your name Momo?"
There was still some fear in the little girl's eyes. When Wei Donglai asked, she nodded.
"I'm going inside to change my clothes. Will you wait out here for me for a little while?"
The little girl nodded again without speaking.
Wei Donglai didn't know whether that was simply her nature or whether she was shy around strangers.
He went into his room and took off his soaked clothes. After drying himself with a towel, he put on clean ones.
When he came out, the little girl hadn't moved from her spot in the courtyard. She was just looking around with some curiosity.
"Momo, you can come in now."
Hearing him call, the little girl slowly walked into the house.
Wei Donglai found her a small stool to sit on.
Then he went back into the room and made the little girl a cup of sugar water.
The water in the flask had been boiled the night before. Wei Donglai tested the temperature with his hand and found it wasn't so hot anymore.
He also wanted to find the little girl some snacks, but after rummaging around for a long time, he couldn't find anything to eat.
Looks like I'll have to buy some candy and snacks to keep on hand next time.
The little girl sat obediently on the stool. Looking at the sugar water Wei Donglai held out to her, she seemed a little unsure what to do.
"I made you some sugar water. It's nice and sweet. Give it a try."
The little girl carefully took the cup and had a tiny sip.
The sweet taste brought a touch of color to her eyes.
"Take your time drinking it. I'll get the vegetables ready, then make you something to eat."
The little girl nodded obediently, and much of the fear in her eyes had faded.
Wei Donglai set aside enough of the cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, and other vegetables he'd brought from his mother's place to cook that evening, saving the rest for tomorrow.
While he was washing the vegetables in the courtyard, two figures walked in side by side.
"A Lai!"
The newcomers were Li Changfeng and He Dongliang.
Seeing that the two of them were carrying quite a few things, Wei Donglai couldn't help shaking his head.
"I've got everything ready for tonight. Why did you bring so much more?"
"I only brought some chestnuts and two bottles of liquor. A Liang brought the rest."
"I just bought two bottles of liquor this afternoon."
"If we can't finish it, we'll leave it here and drink it next time."
He Dongliang lifted the things he was carrying.
"I've got roast chicken and char siu here. The rest are some braised dishes. If they're not good enough for you, I'll keep them for myself."
Before Wei Donglai could answer, Li Changfeng snatched them away.
"Don't! They might not be good enough for him, but they're good enough for me. I can go without seafood, but roast chicken and char siu are a must."
Watching the two of them play off each other, Wei Donglai felt rather helpless.
"All right, I'll serve it all tonight. Eat and drink as much as you like. I won't be able to stuff the two of you full."
The two went into the house with grins on their faces. When they saw the little girl sitting inside, they grew curious. "A Lai, whose kid is this?"
"She's from next door."
Wei Donglai answered and then gave them a rough account of what had happened.
When the two heard how Wei Donglai had saved her, they couldn't help giving him a thumbs-up.
"You two sit down. I'm going to the kitchen to cook."
"Do you need a hand?"
"No, I can do it myself. You two just rest."
Li Changfeng had eaten the breakfast Wei Donglai made that morning, so he no longer had any doubts about his cooking.
But He Dongliang didn't know that, and he had never seen Wei Donglai cook before.
"A Liang, even though you work at a state-owned restaurant now, A Lai's cooking might be every bit as good as yours."
Hearing that, He Dongliang was a little skeptical. "Really?"
Li Changfeng patted him on the shoulder. "You'll know when A Lai's finished cooking."
Wei Donglai didn't explain himself. He picked up the things He Dongliang had brought and headed for the kitchen.
"A Lai, look at her."
Hearing Li Changfeng's voice, Wei Donglai turned around and saw that the little girl, Momo, had followed him.
"Momo, I'm going to cook. How about you stay here and play with these two big brothers?"
The little girl said nothing. Her little hands clutched his pants, and her whole body pressed close against his leg.
Wei Donglai could feel her unease.
Clearly, the little girl was shy around strangers. As for why she was willing to stay with him, Wei Donglai guessed that the cup of sugar water just now might have made her feel a little more at ease with him.
"Forget it, let's all go over together. A Feng can tend the fire for you, and I'll give you a hand. We can chat while we're at it."
"All right, let's all go over together."
With that, Wei Donglai handed the things he was carrying in one hand to the two of them and took the little girl's hand.
Feeling her little hand gripping his fingers tightly, Wei Donglai felt as though something in his heart was a little different.
In the kitchen, Li Changfeng lit the fire behind the stove, Wei Donglai did the cooking, and He Dongliang helped.
Seeing how easily Wei Donglai handled himself, He Dongliang finally believed that he could cook.
"A Lai, I never saw you cook before. When did you learn?"
"A Liang, you have to believe there's such a thing as talent. I learned just by watching."
"I don't know whether you have talent, but I do know your skin has grown a lot thicker."
Li Changfeng chimed in at that point. "A Liang, have you noticed that A Lai's mouth has gotten slicker and slicker?"
"It really has."
"What? Have you two formed a united front now?"
"Of course. After today, you'll probably be the hero everyone in the village talks about. As for A Liang and me, we might end up becoming the two scourges of Moon Bay."
"Don't be envious and jealous. Now that we have reform and opening up, with the idea that those who get rich first should help those who get rich later, I'm setting an example: I'll become good first, then help you two become good afterward."
"You really have no shame!"
Wei Donglai's words made the two laugh. Little Momo watched the three of them curiously from the side. She seemed to be caught up in their laughter too, and the corners of her mouth curved up slightly.
After the three had joked around for a while, they began talking about their careers.
Of the three, only He Dongliang had a proper job now. He and Li Changfeng could only be considered unemployed drifters.
"My dad said he wants me to go to Guangzhou next month and work with my brother-in-law."
Wei Donglai knew that Li Changfeng had an older sister who had married and moved to Guangzhou years ago.
"Wasn't your brother-in-law a team leader at a soda factory? Are you going to work at the factory?"
At He Dongliang's question, Li Changfeng shook his head. "My brother-in-law quit nearly half a year ago without telling his family. He's doing a little clothing business of his own over there now. A few days ago, my sister came over and called to ask me to go help."
Hearing that, He Dongliang was a little surprised. "Your brother-in-law even gave up being a team leader at the factory?"
"I don't know what he's thinking either. Anyway, my sister is very supportive of him, but his family has been making a fuss about it, and things have been pretty unpleasant. They even said my sister put him up to quitting."
"What about you? Do you want to go?"
There was uncertainty in Li Changfeng's eyes. "I don't know either."