"Bang bang bang!"

Early morning.

A burst of urgent knocking came from outside the bedroom.

Old Xu and Old Zhang were both jolted awake by it, and a second later Xu Ye's voice came through the door.

"Mom, if you don't get up and make your son something to eat, your son is going to starve to death."

Old Zhang couldn't quite make sense of it, because Xu Ye hadn't told her in advance that he'd be coming home over National Day. She'd assumed he would be spending the seven days with her future daughter-in-law.

Old Xu, hearing the voice outside, rolled out of bed and opened the door. Finding Xu Ye standing there, he swore at him cheerfully. "You little wretch. When did you get back?"

"Last night."

"Last night?"

Old Zhang came out of the room complaining. "Coming home without so much as letting the family know. Every time it's the middle of the night. Anybody who didn't know better would take you for a burglar."

Xu Ye steered her toward the kitchen, talking as he went. "Mom, stop going on. I didn't eat last night. I'm so hungry my legs have gone weak. Do me a kindness and make your precious son something to eat."

"Old Xu."

"Yes?"

"Take the scooter and go to Lan-jie's for some radish pancakes. And a bowl of small wontons while you're at it."

Xu Ye added quickly, "Dad, remember, no seaweed and no dried shrimp in the wontons."

Old Xu walked to the door, changing his shoes as he went, and laughed ruefully at the pair of them. "When you're not home, it's only your mother ordering me about. When you are home, that's one more of you at it. I must have owed the pair of you something in a past life. Your old man was born unlucky."

"Hey. It's first thing in the morning. Watch your mouth."

Old Xu gave an embarrassed smile, grabbed the scooter key and went down to the breakfast shop.

Old Zhang wasn't idle either. She went into the kitchen, ladled two scoops of cold…