Xiao Qinghe's room door was bolted from the inside, and the windows were also tightly shut. She tried calling out, "Fourth young master, are you in there?"
The silence inside meant no response came.
Tao Meijiao knew he was inside.
She strained to peer through the cracks in the door and windows, but from what she could see, there was no sign of Qinghe.
She feared he might be hiding in a corner again.
In the yard, villagers gathered, with thirty tables laid out in the front and back yards combined. Several aunts who had come to help kept boiling water, serving tea to guests, while in the kitchen, two chefs hired from town were busily frying up dishes, waves of delicious scents wafting from the kitchen.
On such a lively and joyful day, Qinghe was all alone, huddled solemnly in his room.
She hoped he wouldn't do anything foolish...
She could feel that his heart must be bleeding...