Li Changming saw his mother sitting under the dim oil lamp, a pancake stuffed in her mouth, staring at him in stunned silence. She clearly hadn't expected anyone to show up at this hour. Although the cloth strips had been removed from her face, her slightly crooked nose was perched comically above her mouth, almost as if her sheer desire for the pancake had twisted it out of place.
He sighed inwardly and said softly in resignation, "Mother, even though this is our own home, you can't be sneaking food. What kind of behavior is this? Meizi has kept count of these pancakes. You ate… Never mind. I'll just say I ate them. How many did you have?"
Mortified with shame, Granny Hua hurriedly pulled the pancake from her mouth and said, "Two."
Li Changming shook his head. "Don't eat any more. You won't be able to sleep if you eat so much." With that, he drew some hot water and turned to head back to their room.
