Hannah was led by him, holding only two bags of mushrooms and green onions, not having had time to pay for the eggs she'd picked earlier.
"I can't cook meat," she said.
Arnold Simmons ignored her, adeptly selecting from the vendor, from slaughtering to plucking feathers, to dealing with the innards, only paying after everything was handled.
All Hannah could do was obediently follow behind him and watch.
Then she murmured softly, "I don't know how to cook any of this stuff you're buying."
Getting no response from Arnold Simmons, she changed her approach and asked, "Would it be simpler to make soup with this meat? What seasonings should I use? Can I add the green onions and mushrooms I bought?"
Arnold Simmons took the fish that the vendor had prepared, "Do you spend New Year's alone?"
"Yes," Hannah replied.
Arnold Simmons hesitated for a long while, then changed his phrasing at the last moment, "I'll teach you how to cook."
Hannah was surprised, "You can cook?"
