In the afternoon, Xu Yang rode the tricycle, taking the two dogs for a stroll around the village.
He stopped by the family shop on the way to pick up some items.
After all, it was free.
Once at the store, Little Black dashed off to play with Big Yellow.
"Mom, I'm taking our rooster and two hens later,"
Xu Yang said.
"Sure, take them, I was planning to stew them anyway,"
Mrs. Xu immediately agreed.
In Xu Yang's yard, there were a rooster and several hens, which was typical for rural homes—every household had them.
This rooster served as Xu Yang's alarm clock, though not a very punctual one.
It would crow two hours after sunrise each day.
Some roosters crow at four, others reliably at just past six, but this one at eight.
It was a rooster that disliked waking up early.
Conveniently, Xu Yang, on vacation, didn't want to wake up early either, so he would get up whenever he heard the rooster, which worked out just right.
It suited his schedule perfectly.
