When A Yin returned, the food on the table had been half-eaten; A Yin went into the kitchen and filled a small bowl with white rice, telling Li Shiyi about the matter of the old tomb on Mount Jinyun as she plucked up vegetables. Everyone listened without a word; only A Luo paused the motion of her chopsticks when the two characters of "A Ping" appeared, looking at A Yin profoundly. Having finished eating, Li Shiyi returned to her room without any explanation, closing the door and making preparations for a full day; the second day, she ate only a single plain mantou in the room; only when the skies had been tinged with sunset hues did she emerge with slightly swollen eyelids, hands in her pants pockets, descending the stairs in small steps, and behind her followed Song Shijiu, lightly packed. In the remaining glow of the sunset, A Luo was listening to an opera, the gramophone turning in circles, the high, sharp voice belying her tender expression. Li Shiyi walked over, turning...