The elder boy quietened. A gradual uneasiness fell. The rain seemed to beat the roof harder. The noises disquieted Mei.
Not only was she deeply grieved by Bing but was now upset by her elder son’s concern. She wondered how much he could understand if he’d overheard the whole conversation. After all, she always made up a story to tell the boys that Bing had been traveling somewhere, doing important business and earning money. It’d been such a beautiful lie. Now it seemed no longer beautiful. She felt like a fool, and lying was fooling herself. Mei suddenly realized it was ridiculous to think kids are kids, like when she was a kid. But they appeared to know far more things than she thought. They were much smarter than she was at that age. No wonder, The pupil outdoes the master like blue from the indigo plant is bluer than the original. Mei, with her incapability, sensed the impossibility. She was left behind, even by her own children.