Second Uncle He, He Zhiyuan, didn't come alone. As he jogged closer, a young man and a woman could be seen following in his wake, the latter bearing a slight resemblance to him.
This woman, who looked young enough to be the young man's older sister, was dressed in a sharp, simple style. She carried herself with an air of efficiency and discipline, yet she also possessed a gentle, scholarly grace.
It was a contradictory mix, but one that gave her a particularly refined air. She was vastly different from the elderly woman, long bedridden, that existed in Xu Changqing's hazy memories of the future.
If she hadn't been lucky enough to see a photo of a younger Second Aunt He, Xu Changqing would have had a hard time connecting the woman before her to the elderly lady she would become.
