After their meal, her mother and father quickly rushed the siblings to bed, insisting tomorrow would be an extremely tiring day and that they must get as much sleep as possible. Her brothers believed them without question and quickly drifted off. Li Hua, however, lay awake, her instincts attuned to every sound.
Hushed footsteps and muffled voices drifted from next door as her parents moved about with careful deliberation, likely gathering items for their meeting. When the almost silent creak of their bedroom door reached her ears, Li Hua sprang into action.
She had spent the previous night considering her options. Following them with qigong was too risky—if caught, her parents would be upset. After dismissing several equally problematic plans, she'd settled on the most effective strategy available to her current form: catching them in the act and crying. It wasn't the most graceful approach, but she knew her parents wouldn't be able to refuse a tearful five-year-old.
