Old Zhou, with his hands clasped behind his back, took a walk around the village, even having his midday meal outside. He finally completed his visits to all the families that had exchanged seeds with them last year and had agreed upon terms. Then, he headed home with a pair of red, swollen hands.
The redness was from helping others rub wheat; one simply couldn't just squat there and smoke while others were hard at work, could they?
And he didn't even have that much tobacco to indulge in constant smoking.
Old Zhou felt that he had never worked so vigorously even when rubbing his own wheat.
With his hands still clasped behind his back, he walked home where Manbao had returned from school and was squatting in the courtyard teaching her nieces and nephews to read. Seeing her father arrive, she immediately said, "You guys just memorize this part for now; I'll explain the meaning to you in a bit."
