Meizi cut a full basket of tender wormwood and hurried home. She was learning how to manage a household now, walking with such a sense of purpose that she seemed to have the wind at her back. Anything to get home faster.
Before she even reached the courtyard gate, she called out in a bright, clear voice, "Ma—"
Granny Hua was clutching a shoe sole, taking a breather. She hadn't sewn a single stitch. When she heard Meizi's call, she shot right up—she'd been caught slacking!
Flustered, she set the shoe sole aside and ran out to meet Meizi, terrified she would ask how much sewing she'd gotten done. Meizi could remember exactly how many rows she had stitched, and would cry out in alarm if she saw Granny Hua had fallen short.
