For a moment, Mei felt that she was nowhere.
Bing got out of the taxi, rang the bell twice without looking around and knocked the door at random, as if an old habit.
The road was not broad but single-tracked. Mei’s driver carefully pulled over in front of a skinny tree with fans of branches that bore the glorious weight of fl ourishing leaves.
Both taxis stayed still like two snipers having diff erent bases but aiming at the same target. A serious man in a brown jacket with a round, puff y, unpleasant hog face and a similar height to Bing, answered the door. With no hospitality whatsoever, he immediately turned away with two hateful eyes stabbing at Bing’s sockets. It was as though Bing had invaded his land.