On the following morning.
"Bang bang bang."
"Young fellow, are you up yet? Young fellow..."
The forceful knocking and Liu Mang's booming voice woke Yang Ge from his sleep.
He wanted to get up, but felt weak in his limbs and dizzy, so he could only support himself on the bed and struggle to sit up slowly. After gasping for breath, he finally slipped on his shoes and slowly made his way to the door.
"Squeak."
When Yang Ge opened the door, he saw Liu Mang standing outside with a pair of cured pork legs, his towering figure almost blocking the doorway completely.
"What took you so long to open the door... Your face looks awful!"
Yang Ge braced himself against the doorframe, stepped aside to clear the doorway, and forced a smile, "I might have caught a cold; it's just a little chill... Please, come in and have a seat!"
He let go of the door and reached out to brace himself against the wall.
