The iron gate creaked open, and several people began to climb the stairs.
Unlike the new Zizhu Community, which had uniformly installed motion-sensor lights, this older complex just had low-wattage bulbs between floors.
The dim yellow light cast long shadows of the adults and child against the wall.
The shadows swayed unsteadily as if blown by the wind.
"Be careful, hold onto our hands," Yue Xiaofang cautioned Qingqing.
Wei Rong’s mother also held her daughter’s hand.
Wei Rong gave Qingqing a cheeky look and mimed taking a deep breath.
From the first floor to the second, the scent became increasingly noticeable.
As they ascended the floors, the faint initial smell thickened until it seemed to saturate the air.
It clung to the face masks, almost choking them with each breath.
But it seemed only the two children could smell it.
Yue Xiaofang and Wei Rong’s mother kept their eyes fixed on the steps, cautiously minding where they stepped.
A small insect hit the tungsten bulb, and with a pop, it fell.
The bulb flickered momentarily.
"We’re here!" Wei Rong’s mother, leading the way, knocked on door 203.
After three raps, an impatient mutter was heard from inside.
The sound of slippers came closer and closer.
An old lady with drooping eyes and brows opened the door.
The moment the door opened, the smell was so strong that Wei Rong coughed twice through her mask.
Yue Qingqing suddenly realized what it was.
It was the smell of incense candles.
Qu Ruorui had mentioned that her family kept a spiritual tablet of her brother in a small room, and her grandmother would light incense every morning, afternoon, and evening.
Could it be that the smell of the candles lingered after accumulating day by day?
Yue Qingqing pondered this with curiosity.
Yue Xiaofang had already explained their purpose for visiting.
But to their surprise, the old lady squinted her eyes and harshly said, "She’s not at home."
With that, she began to close the door.
The two adults were taken aback.
Even if they weren’t allowed to sit for a visit, the attitude seemed especially unwelcoming.
Just as the door was about to shut, Yue Qingqing suddenly stepped forward and braced her hand against the door.
The old lady’s attempt to close it stopped abruptly.
Yue Xiaofang got a fright and quickly swept Yue Qingqing into her arms.
If that door had closed hard, it would certainly have hurt Qingqing’s hand.
Yue Qingqing’s face, hidden behind a mask, was unclear, but her eyes, sharp and distinct, fixed on the old lady.
"We came to see Qiuqiu. Where is she now?"
The old lady replied irritably, "Hospital."
Yue Qingqing continued to inquire, but the old lady slammed the door shut, not caring if it pinched anyone’s hand this time.
Wei Rong’s mother, always outspoken, fumed, "What kind of person is that? What an attitude!"
Wei Rong echoed her mother’s sentiment with a heavy grunt.
Yue Qingqing explained, "Qiuqiu said that because she’s a girl, her grandmother never liked her."
And the affection she held for that spiritual plaque far outstripped whatever she felt for her granddaughter.
Wei Rong’s mother, being a woman herself, knew well the cruelty daughters-in-law who bore girls could face from spiteful mothers-in-law.
Yue Xiaofang had heard about this classmate from Yue Qingqing before and felt anger on behalf of the girl she had never met.
Filled with resentment, the two adults led the children back downstairs, without knocking again to ask further.
What was there to discuss with such a backward old lady?
Wei Rong asked Yue Qingqing, "Are we still going to see her?"
Yue Qingqing looked up at Yue Xiaofang, "Auntie, this side is closer to People’s Hospital, where my friend should be. Can you take us there?"
Yue Xiaofang and Wei Rong’s mother exchanged a look, ultimately unwilling to let the children down.
Oh well, since People’s Hospital was just another ten minutes’ walk, they decided to go and take a look.