After crossing, we turned left into a dreadful street. On both sides stood rows of ground-fl oor, shop-front ugly buildings, each with a gloomy guardroom next to the gate. There were billiard tables outside each shop. Beside some of the tables was large Chinese chess boards made of fl attened cartons with fading white-chalked lines. Before I tried to ask something curious, mother said in a fi ne comic tone, “You are too skinny. Your body lacks nutrition. Let me cook you some good food tomorrow.”