After the couple came to an agreement, Lin Cuihua lay down to sleep.
But the more she tried to sleep, the more awake she felt.
Lin Cuihua finally just sat up. She told An Sancheng to go on and sleep while she got dressed, got out of bed, and went to knead some dough.
To avoid making any noise, Lin Cuihua brought all the ingredients for the next morning—vegetables, flour, and the like—into their room and worked on them slowly.
She kept at it until around ten o'clock at night. Finally feeling a little drowsy, Lin Cuihua blew out the nearly burnt-down candle and prepared to get some sleep.
She used a candle mainly because she was afraid a brighter light would disturb the children's rest.
The old couple was a perfect reflection of many parents with children taking the exam. They wished they had soft pads on the soles of their feet, like cats and dogs, so they wouldn't make a sound when they walked.
