Lin Mo walked back into the sunny dojo courtyard.
The warm afternoon breeze swept away the smell of scorched ozone and crushed stone. A dozen dojo apprentices were already sweeping up broken roof tiles.
Grandmother Chen hurried out of the side kitchen, wiping her flour-dusted hands on her apron. “Xiao Mo! Are those noisy mountain men gone?”
“They went for a long walk, Grandma,” Lin Mo said with a gentle smile. “They won’t be back.”
Little Guo’er ran across the clean flagstones. Her twin pigtails bounced as she held up a red candied hawthorn on a wooden stick. “Big Brother Lin! Grandma made sweet hawthorns! Eat one!”
Lin Mo knelt down and took a small bite of the crispy sugar glaze. “Delicious. Sweeter than honey.”
Little Guo’er beamed with pride. Her bright, pure eyes sparkled with clear light.
Lin Mo sat down at the heavy stone table under the ancient cedar tree.
