"What's this kid doing up in the middle of the night, making such a racket?"
In the dead of night, someone downstairs was moving things. Hollow metal pipes knocked and bumped against each other, clanging and clattering.
If it had been one quick burst of noise, that would've been one thing. But this stopping and starting, like a thief sneaking around, was just infuriating!
Shui Sulan tossed and turned, unable to stand it any longer. Yawning, she sat up, grabbed the alarm clock on her nightstand, and squinted at it. Great, it was only four-thirty!
She was seething.
'That kid is always showing off!'
'I'm going to have to teach him a lesson!'
But just as she reached the door, before she could unleash her fury, the savory aroma of cooking oil wafted up from downstairs.
It was a scent she had smelled quite often lately.
Guessing that her son was most likely frying his Ni Family secret-recipe beef jerky again, Shui Sulan was suddenly wide awake.
