"Everyone, it will be opening time soon; let's get to work. Please keep your mouths shut about this matter, and don't go spreading it to my mother-in-law; it would only upset her," she instructed Scholar Wen and the others in as calm a manner as she could manage. Standing up, she turned and entered the kitchen.
...
Hua Xiaomai didn't linger in Daoxiang Garden until closing time. After the busiest period, she called for Old Lady Meng to accompany her back home to the south of the village.
The matter of Tang Maolin's disappearance was naturally something she wouldn't dare to reveal a word about in front of Old Lady Meng. The two chatted idly in the courtyard; after dinner, they tidied up and each returned to their own room.
It wasn't until after the hour of Hai that Meng Yuhuai returned from the city.
It was eerily silent all around; a single lamp shone in the room, and a thin layer of ash covered the fire basin, with just a few sparks of light visible.
