After splashing around with his aunt, Xiao Hu put on the new knit shirt his grandma had laid out for him. He sat at the table on the heated brick bed with a thick quilt draped over his shoulders, a pencil stub clutched in his hand. He scratched his head as he worked on math problems with his uncle-in-law.
He stared at his workbook for a long time before hesitantly writing down a four. Then he looked up at his uncle-in-law, his eyes asking, 'Did I get it right?'
Xiao Furen said nothing, simply picking up the eraser and wiping away the answer he had just written.
Xiao Hu's brow furrowed again. He knew he'd gotten it wrong, so he went back to staring intently at his workbook.
The old lady leaned against the bedding on the kang, needle and thread in hand. She would sew a few stitches, then look up at the two who were studying.
