Madam Cheng kept talking on and on without end, and Lin Wei felt as if a hundred flies were buzzing incessantly in her ears, her head swelling with the noise.
When Lin Wei heard Madam Cheng even refer to herself as her "mother," she felt as though she was sitting on pins and needles and just wanted to flee as quickly as possible.
"Madam, madam," Lin Wei stammered, "I'm not even eleven years old yet. Isn't it a bit too early to talk about this matter?"
"Not at all!" Madam Cheng grabbed Lin Wei, who was attempting to slip away, holding her hand tightly in her own and speaking very earnestly, "Haven't you heard the saying? 'Childhood sweethearts, innocent of worldlier ways,' meaning that the two people have been inseparable since childhood, developing feelings of affection for each other. You're both eleven, and Xuan is already thirteen or fourteen, not young at all. In some places, kids get married early—there are those your age who are already married and have children!"
