Mrs. Yao returned Mrs. Lu's glance, equally critical of her best friend: "With all sorts of troubles nowadays, how can one rely on men for everything? Women should at least hold up half the sky themselves."
When Manman came out carrying a teapot, she saw the exchange of looks between the two women who seemed to be squabbling a bit. Startled, she slowly smiled and said, "Godmother, have a taste. This is a new flower tea my mom personally experimented with. She said it's especially suited to your taste."
Mrs. Yao then took the opportunity to cough and ceased to argue with Mrs. Lu.
The affection between the two ladies was born of shared hardships, closer than sisters. Their usual bickering, like the most intimate of people playfully teasing one another, added joy to life and was not taken to heart as a grudge. When outsiders posed a threat, they would readily defend each other to the death.
