The woman took out four bright orange oranges and, in a gesture that brooked no refusal, stuffed them into An Ning's hands and onto the children's laps.
"Eat up. They're very sweet."
"Don't be shy with me."
The woman watched An Ning with a simple, honest gaze, but An Ning was unmoved. She placed the oranges she was holding onto the small table between them.
Seeing this, the children copied An Ning and placed their oranges on the table as well.
The four oranges sat neatly in a row. The woman, with a look on her face that said, 'What's all this unnecessary politeness about,' pulled another one from her pocket and stuffed it into her own daughter's hand.
"Hua'er, you give these to them. Honestly, you're all just kids. Go on and eat, it's fine."
The woman was insistent. The girl named Xiao Hua had a timid look in her eyes, but she obediently took an orange and offered it to Sunny first.
"Mister... you eat it. It's sweet."
