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thought, if you won’t speak to me, then you can at least eat with me.” He held out one of the sticks.
    We walked on but it was hot and we stopped to sit on a wall and finish our food. He finished quickly and continued talking to me while I took smaller and smaller bites, content just to listen to him.
    “I also heard that your sister is getting married. At home a marriage is celebrated by everyone in the town. The groom’s family bring many presents, such as sheep, goats, pigs, and ducks. They also give the bride’s family fruit, jewelry, money . . . the list is extremely long. I don’t think your family will receive many goats and pigs, do you?” He laughed, pressing his nose to make himself look like a pig, and I laughed with him.
    “The wedding celebrations there last a week, but after the first night the bride becomes part of her new family. I think it must be strange to become part of a different family.”
    Suddenly I had to ask something.
    “But what does the bride’s family give?”
    “The bride’s family? Oh, suddenly you are speaking to me! I don’t want you to stop . . . Well, the bride’s family accepts the gifts and gives many of them back. These are very old traditions. It is respectful not to keep them. I don’t think the bride’s family gives anything except the dowry, but I know that when the bride goes to her new family she will take a chest that contains a quilt and other things for the house. Why do you ask?”
    “My family is giving all the gifts.”
    “Well, maybe your family is very rich.”
    I hesitated.
    “I don’t think we are.”
    “Well, my mother tells me that the traditions change from place to place and can be different with each family. I think people just make them up.” Bi laughed again and shook his head.
    He paused and looked away from me then suddenly looked back at me.
    “Did you like the dofu stick?”
    “Yes, it was tasty, but wait until you have eaten the dumplings made by our cook.”
    I wanted to keep talking to him but did not know what to say.
    “Would you like to come and eat dumplings at my home?” I asked.
    “I remember you said you had a cook. Does she make them very sweet? Because dumplings have to be sweet.”
    He licked his lips and rolled his eyes playfully.
    “Yes, they are delicious, very juicy and sweet,” I promised.
    “Good. But I must warn you, I can eat many dumplings.” He stuck out his chest and rubbed his stomach.
    “They are the best.”
    I did not know why I had said this; I had forgotten all the lessons on good manners I had received. Bi had already accepted my invitation before I realized that Grandfather should be the one asking him, and because I was too young and a girl, Grandfather would not agree. We stood up and continued home. Bi was excited by the busy streets and was constantly looking at people and what they were doing. We walked in silence as he looked around. When we neared my home he turned to me.
    “I think I should leave you to walk alone from here. Your family does not know me so I should not be seen with you.”
    I nodded.
    “Remember to come and eat dumplings with us,” I reminded him.
    It was his turn to nod and then he walked away toward the gardens.
    When I told Grandfather what I had said to Bi he was not pleased.
    “Feng Feng, it is not right at all that you should invite a boy to our home. It is not your place to ask and brings shame on our family.”
    I thought he would refuse me then.
    Instead he sighed. “However, I introduced you to the boy, and as he has already accepted the invitation it would be completely wrong to take it back.”
    A few days later Grandfather asked Bi properly, and shortly afterward we all sat down together in the kitchen, eating tasty dumplings prepared by our cook from Beijing. They had plenty of juice and oil inside, which needed to be sucked carefully so that not even a drop was wasted. I liked the way Bi nimbly manipulated the dumpling between his chopsticks and