"By the time you bike to Xiao Wang's house and back, I'll have already gotten Xiao Mei to the hospital. Xiao Mei, hold on tight." With that, Mrs. Xie pedaled away on her bicycle with Qin Mei, and they quickly vanished from the courtyard gate.
Mr. Xie's face darkened, filled with irritation. He untied his apron, threw it on the ground, and gave it a frustrated kick. After calming down, he picked the apron back up, retied it around his waist, and turned to walk back into the kitchen to continue washing the dishes.
Mrs. Xie pedaled faster than usual. By the time they reached the black market, the sky hadn't even darkened yet. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law squatted outside, bored, drawing circles in the dirt.
Gradually, the sky darkened, and people began to sneak into the black market. Some who passed by shot them a few extra glances. The more timid folks mistook them for undercover agents lying in wait and held back, while the bolder ones ignored them completely.
