In the dead of winter, the biting wind whipped by like a knife. Wang Jianguo stood at his doorway, gripping the basket he had just brought home, his gaze fixed on the meatballs inside. They were round, plump, and white, giving off an enticing aroma. In such frigid weather, the mere sight of them warmed him from the inside out, as if the surrounding chill had been largely dispelled.
Wang Jianguo’s lips curled into a smile, his wrinkled face filled with happiness and contentment. He let out a soft sigh, as if touched by this hard-won moment of warmth, and was just about to reach out to close the door and head inside.
"Knock, knock, knock—" A series of urgent knocks rang out, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet hallway.
Chapter 502