Chapter 6:
The servers streamed to and fro. Each carried a small bamboo basket filled with the delicate treats or an extra bottle of the clear liquor. Phoebe laughed as Helena and Rosa tried to manipulate the chopsticks and failed, resorting to stabbing the food before shoveling each bite into their mouths.
Helena wanted a fork but didn’t know how to ask for one. More than once she resorted to using her fingers to shovel the bites in. Even if she had asked, there were probably few forks to be found in this part of China. Chopsticks ruled the day.
Pork, shrimp, and crab—Helena wasn’t sure what each bite contained, but she found them delicious. Each basket contained a different taste experience: some spicy, some savory, a few sweet. And as more of the clear liquor flowed the louder the la
