A Ke lowered his head, taking small bites of the oil pancake. He ate very slowly, savoring it, as if afraid that if he didn't pay attention, the oil pancake in his hand would be all gone.
Granny Chen sat beside him, eating nutrient solution while watching A Ke with loving eyes.
There were other people around, all sitting and eating, mostly nutrient solutions. Only a few strong men like Uncle Liang held a small porcelain cup in their hands, sipping it carefully, even more cautiously than A Ke with his oil pancake.
This was white alcohol, a beverage mixed with alcohol, but Uncle Liang and the others treated it like a delicacy, wishing they could even lick the bottom of the cup.
Before Uncle Chen, Granny Chen's son, had his accident, he often would, like Uncle Liang and the others, grit his teeth to buy a pound of white alcohol after a good harvest. Uncle Chen even gave A Ke a sip, and after trying it, A Ke thought it was spicy and bitter, choking his throat, not good at all.
