The village, teeming with elderly and children, saw wisps of cooking smoke gradually rise from a courtyard.
From a distance, the sight of the smoke told everyone that it was time for dinner, and so groups of elders paired up or took by the hand children too small to walk alone and headed toward the courtyard.
"Old Man Li, are you just going to have some porridge? You haven't collected your share of the coarse grain cornbread yet!"
One of the women serving meals spoke out.
But Old Man Li simply waved his hand and said, "No need, no need, save it for the young ones, I'm not hungry."
There were many other seniors like Old Man Li who merely glanced at the place where the coarse grain cornbread was distributed and then squatted by the courtyard wall, beginning to drink their thin porridge.
"Ah!"
The woman serving meals wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.
