"Yes, yes..."
Facing Hu Ma's smiling face, the thin, dark-skinned woman, unaccustomed to strangers, instinctively shied away and stammered, "Sir, it's wonderful you're here. My husband... I don't know what's wrong with him, but he can't do any work anymore."
"My child and I have been looking after him, and I've also been feeling a bit unwell these past few days..."
"..."
"No worries, I'll take a look for you," Hu Ma said with a smile, politely bowing to the woman, maintaining proper decorum.
But the rural folk had never witnessed such formality, and the woman became even more flustered. She vaguely remembered she ought to return the gesture but was too shy to do it properly and found herself tongue-tied. In her haste, she helped Hu Ma push open the door, inviting him inside to have a look.
By now, night had fallen. No oil lamp was lit inside; it was pitch black, impossible to see a thing.
