The next morning, Tao hurried out with her jug and stopped. Three seedlings hung their heads. Their dry leaf tips looked like crumpled paper. Ahe stared too. But they were standing so tall yesterday!

At first Tao thought the day had been too hot. She looked from one side of the bed to the other. This one had the same sunshine. Why is it still healthy? She pointed to the far-right seedling, its green leaves moving in the breeze.

That one... I didn't pull, Ahe said quietly. Tao followed a crooked stem down to the white roots above the earth. Instead of scolding, she said, Let's ask Grandpa Song to look with us.