Engineer Li Xiao sighed reluctantly, "Alright then."
"Achoo." Chenxing rubbed her nose.
Li Xiao asked, "Chenxing, do you have a cold?"
"No, someone must be speaking highly of me behind my back." She patted the little boy's head and engaged in a simple conversation with him in the local dialect.
The rain had eased up a bit by now, but it was still difficult to drive. The last stretch of road to the village was too narrow for vehicles. Chenxing slipped on a raincoat and picked up the medical kit, preparing to trek on foot with the boy. Li Xiao didn't allow her to go alone, pulling on his raincoat quickly and joining in.
While walking and chatting, he said, "Chenxing, I never asked you; why did you go to the American sector? Are you a Chinese American? But your accent sounds like that of a Canadian Chinese from Vancouver."