The adults sat in small groups on little stools in front of their doors, chatting about neighborhood gossip—whose kid had aced a test, which mother-in-law was feuding with her daughter-in-law again. All the while, they kept their heads down, mending clothes and stitching shoe soles, their needles and thread darting ceaselessly in the dim yellow light.
Watching these ordinary yet warm scenes of daily life, the tension in Song Qingya's heart slowly began to ease.
"Village Chief, Ma'am, what should we do with Wang Kang?"
Cheng Peng asked in a hushed voice, keeping it low for fear of disturbing the peace, and also for fear of saying the wrong thing and displeasing his superiors.
Before Fei Jin could speak, Song Qingya said, "Lock him up for now."
After a pause, she added, "And Song Chenglu. Lock her up with him."
At her words, even Fei Jin shot her a sideways glance, clearly not expecting her to bring up that name so quickly.
