The Shen Family didn't linger long in Pingjiang, staying for three days before catching the earliest flight back, planning to return when Elder Tang underwent surgery in Beijing.
The old man, however, said directly,
"I might have surgery after the New Year, you don't need to go back and forth."
Shen Lao kept reminding Tang Yunxian and Tang Wan to notify him immediately if anything happened, but after setting the date for the trip to Beijing, they didn't inform the Shen Family.
The surgery was scheduled for mid-twelfth lunar month, but the trip to Beijing was set for the day after Winter Solstice.
A cold wave struck from the north, and temperatures in Pingjiang plummeted several degrees.
On Winter Solstice day, a thick fog blanketed the early morning, and Tang Wan received a yellow fog warning for the Pingjiang District on her mobile phone when she left the house.
"Wanwan, be careful when you go out," the old man advised. "Or wait until the fog clears before leaving."
