At noon, He Lang called his father over to their house for lunch.
"Dad, we're planning to head back tomorrow. You should get ready and come with us."
Mr. He waved his hand. "No, I won't. Your mother is here, and I'm not going anywhere. The village is fine. I can go to work with your uncle and the others, and when I'm free, I can chat with them. I won't starve."
He Lang said firmly, "No, you have to listen to me this time. Mom is here, and we'll come back to see her during the holidays. But I can't rest easy leaving you here all by yourself. Big Brother and the others are in town and have to work, so it's impossible for them to come back every day. Do you even know how to cook? Don't tell me you're going to learn now. Forget it. You haven't cooked in decades, how could you possibly learn in a flash?"
