Luo Cheng wasn't staying in the yard; after he waited for Madam Rong to enter the kitchen, he left...
By the time Tie Zhu came to his senses, he realized Luo Cheng was no longer there, and there was no one outside either.
Tie Zhu:...
Great, where did this unfamiliar fellow wander off to?
If you leave, at least say something, so I could have followed you for a stroll...
***
The three people had already seated themselves in the main hall, falling into silence for a time because, at the moment of truth, they didn't know where to begin.
Neither Rong Yan nor Qin Ye were in any hurry to speak; they didn't intend to be the first to break the silence.
After a while, Mr. Qin broke the quiet.
"Qin Ye, I presume you already know that your grandmother's real name was Jiang Hua, and she wasn't from around here, nor do you truly belong to this village."
On the way here, he had pumped Tie Zhu for information, albeit not much of it was useful.
