```
Manbao cradled the rice in one hand and, with the other, gently pressed the old woman's belly over the cloth, nodding, "Okay, let me eat, and then I'll do the acupuncture for you."
The elderly woman didn't expect her to agree so readily and was momentarily stunned.
Manbao shared some dishes with Zhou Lijun, and then quickly shoveled down her rice. Zhou Lijun felt a pang of heartache watching her eat so fast.
In her family, they only ate like this during the busiest farming seasons, and even then, it was the adults' affair; when had the little girl ever suffered like this?
However, Zhou Lijun said nothing.
She knew that the little girl was already formidable; she was learning a skill. The more formidable she became, the better her days would be in the future.
