"Hmm," Lao Hei nodded and went upstairs.
As he walked into the room, he glanced at Shi's father sitting on the edge of the bed. Without saying a word, he began to estimate the weight of two large cardboard boxes and considered how to move them all at once.
Still seething, Shi's father stared at him: "Are you her boyfriend?"
Lao Hei did not respond, and Shi's father took it as an affirmation: "She has a bad temper, just like me. Be patient with her."
After hitting Shi Nian'an, Shi's father regretted it as well. He hadn't expected such consequences before acting; after all, she was his own daughter, and he was distressed.
By the time Lao Hei finished moving the belongings, Shi Nian'an was saying goodbye to her mother and younger brother.
Shi's mother, with tears in her eyes, was holding a tissue stained with blood.
