Li Li's mom listened, paused for a moment, and sighed, "Ah, you're all grown up now, you've got your own opinions. I wouldn't dare say anything. If it were a few years ago, I might've tried to persuade you. But now, let's just leave it alone..."
Li Li was puzzled. "Why could you persuade me a few years ago, but not now?"
His mom rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "You and Manman have been fighting like crazy these past few years. Whenever you meet, it ends in bickering; after a handful of sentences, it's either yelling or arguing. Your dad and I have seen it all—there's no way you two could live together."
Li Li held his cup without saying a word.
Over the past few years, the arguments had indeed been frequent. He knew the reasons well enough—at their age, trying to interact the way they did before made conflict inevitable.
