Xiao Hong answered, then picked up a water bucket and went with the others to get water.
Once Gu Qing had finished building the stove, Uncle Ma found Gu Fei. "What about the rabbit meat?" he asked.
Gu Fei shook her head. "Uncle Ma, I'm afraid we can't eat it today. Just look around."
Uncle Ma didn't need to look; he knew they were surrounded by refugees. He slapped his forehead. "Look at me. When I get a craving, I forget everything else. Another day. We'll eat it another day."
Mrs. Chen had Lian'er cook a pot of porridge with some dried vegetables and then handed out buns to everyone.
As they were eating, Xiao Hong's voice came from where Ms. Qian was. "Ma'am, you forgot to give me a cornbread bun."
Ms. Qian's face was grim. "What cornbread bun? There is none!"
"Our family is almost out of food; we can't afford to keep you. Go find another family to serve. I've kept you for this long—I've done right by you."
