After the Village Chief and the others had left, Father Gu noticed Aran beginning to shrink back toward the kitchen and started in, his voice tinged with displeasure: "Don't try to back away now. You really think you’re something, don't you? Is your life worth so little to you?"
Aran knew that Father Gu was about to start his lecture. She had no choice but to stick out her tongue and stand perfectly still, just as she had done when she made mistakes as a child. Father Gu never hit anyone, but his endless supply of moralizing sermons could make her ears ring with drowsiness. *Oh well, no escaping this,* she thought. *Just listen and hope Father wraps up the lesson quickly.*
When Father Gu’s voice finally began to lose its steam, Aran smiled and said, "Father, Aran knows she was wrong. I promise I will never put myself in danger like that again. Since you’ve finished your lecture and I’ve given my word, can we eat now?"
Chapter 45