Grandma was the quickest to react. "Xiaoju, are you saying you want to sleep in the same bed as Xiao Man tonight?" she asked.
"Yes. And not just tonight. From now on, while I'm living here, I'm sleeping with her!"
Xiao Man was speechless but kept quiet. All she wanted right now was for Xiaoju to pick up her bowl so they could start eating. Local village customs were strict; as a sign of respect, the hosts would wait for the guest to take the first bite before anyone else began to eat.
Even though Xiaoju was young, she was still a guest. Otherwise, Grandma wouldn't be trying so hard to coax her into eating. If it were up to Xiao Man, she would have ignored her long ago.
Grandma coaxed her, "How about we eat first? Look, our house is so spacious now. We have several rooms and plenty of beds. You can sleep wherever you like!"
Xiaoju was stubborn. "I don't like the other rooms. I like her room!"
