A few more days passed, and on the first day off since the start of the term, Chen Chuan paid a visit to his aunt's house.
This time, Nian Fuli was home. When Chen Chuan entered, he found his uncle sitting in an armchair, listening to the radio and reading a newspaper with his legs crossed. Meanwhile, his two younger cousins were playing happily off to the side.
Chen Chuan greeted them and went to pour himself a glass of water.
Nian Fuli looked at Chen Chuan, then at Yu Wan. He patted his chest and said, "I'm out of cigarettes. Yu Wan, go buy me a pack, will you?"
Yu Wan glanced at her husband, then said to Chen Chuan, "Look at that. Your uncle's a captain now and already ordering people around."
Nian Fuli sounded exasperated. "It's just one pack of cigarettes. What's that got to do with anything? Even as a captain, I'm still limited to one pack a day..."
"Fine, Captain Nian. I'll go buy them for you."
