Xing'er sheepishly pulled back her hand and looked around. The straw was nearly all laid out. 'I can't just go snatching it from someone else, can I?'
Xing'er returned empty-handed. Ms. Qian asked her, "Where's the straw you were supposed to get?"
"There's none left," Xing'er said, shaking her head.
Without a word, Ms. Qian slapped Xing'er across the face. "You useless girl! You can't even handle a simple task like this. What good are you?"
Clutching her face, Xing'er ran out crying.
She was already fourteen or fifteen, and a girl her age cared about her dignity. With so many people watching, it was utterly mortifying.
Shanzi watched Xing'er run out. He hesitated for a moment, then put down the straw in his hands and started to leave. Shanzimama's voice drifted over, "Shanzi, what are you doing? Hurry and help your mother with the bedding."
Shanzi sullenly grunted in reply, then turned, took the mattress, and started spreading it on the sleeping platform.
