the distant noise from the
streets, the backup power unit was running steadily, and the family had
gathered around the table after finishing a small repair to the kitchen
water line. Bai had been explaining why the new seal would last longer
than the old one, while Yan pretended to listen and quietly moved the
bowl of sliced fruit closer to Lili. Mother Yan had been reviewing the
supply sheet, checking what they had used during the previous few days
and what could be stretched a little longer. It was ordinary household
work, the sort of thing they had repeated so often that nobody had to
decide who would do what.
Lili was telling a story about the indoor plants. One of the smaller
leaves had bent toward the window, and she had decided it must be trying
to look outside. She wanted to know whether plants missed the sun when
they had to grow indoors. Yan answered that plants did need light, but
that they did not think about it the same way people did. Bai added that
