"You seem to know Cecilia quite well." The old woman gestured for him to drink his tea.
"It's bitter. I don't like it."
The old woman said, "Cecilia bought it."
Titus Shaw picked up the teacup and took a small sip. It was bitter at first, then sweet—the taste was surprisingly good. "Cecilia is a better shopper than I am."
"She didn't know how at first. She got swindled so many times that she slowly learned from experience how to be a discerning shopper. Sigh, Cecilia has had it so tough, especially after her maternal grandparents passed away. I remember one time very clearly. She was coming back from selling mountain goods in the city when she met a pregnant woman who told her she was having stomach pains. Out of kindness, Cecilia offered to walk her home, but who would have known the woman was luring her into a trap? She tricked Cecilia into the house and locked the door.
The woman's husband was waiting for her inside.
