Lu Zhenping rode his bicycle home with Lu Mingkai, who had a sour expression on his little face the entire way. As they neared home, he hurriedly tugged on the man pedaling in front.
"Dad, should we tell Mom?"
"Of course, what's there to hide? If we don't mention it now, we'll be in trouble once your mom finds out later."
Hearing his dad say this, Lu Mingkai's face grew even gloomier.
As the early winter afternoon darkened, Shen Meng yawned and lifted the lid of the pot; the meat had stewed until it was falling apart, so she doused the still-burning fire a bit.
Steaming buns made from a dough of wheat and millet flours sat atop the coal stove, with sweet potato tea simmering beneath them.
