Tang Qingyun called for Wu Xiaowen before turning to find Wu Xiaofeng. He patted him on the shoulder, and the two went out to the balcony for a smoke.
The house was cramped, so at night, Mother Wu had Wu Xiaofeng and his family stay elsewhere. On New Year's Eve, everyone was busy cooking and catching up. On New Year's Day, they took the children to see some of the city's scenic spots and historical sites. Because of all this, Tang Qingyun hadn't had a chance to speak with Wu Xiaofeng alone.
Wu Xiaofeng knew what Tang Qingyun wanted to ask. He lit a cigarette for his brother-in-law and spoke up first. "I told Mom about it. Dad's health isn't great, so we didn't bring the child over this time. We didn't want him to get too worked up and have another incident. We're heading back tomorrow. We left Xiao Man with the neighbors. She's doing fine and has gotten used to living with the three of us. She's sensible, hardworking—a good, well-behaved kid."
