The quiet sound of a wooden door opening stopped the morning chatter as Fu Teng stepped out of his room. He had his heavy cloth work bag slung over his shoulder.
His face looked much less pale than before, and the dark, tired look in his eyes was finally gone.
The moment Fu Li and Fu Fei saw him, their argument over the vegetables stopped completely.
"Brother Fu Teng!" Fu Li shouted, her eyes big with happiness.
"You're outside!" Fu Fei cried out, putting her wooden spoon down on the table with a huge smile.
Both sisters were so happy to see him up and about. It felt like everything in their family was finally going back to normal.
Bai Ming quickly walked over to the table. She set down a warm bowl of porridge and fresh bread, pulling out a chair for him.
"Fu Teng, come sit down and eat!" Bai Ming called out warmly. "The food is fresh and hot today."
