Ran Yan curved her lips into a faint smile and looked back, saying, "It's a bit warmer here; you all come up."
Liu Qingsong and Wan Lu felt puzzled but climbed up as told.
"It's too cold, let's talk for a while," Ran Yan said.
"Talk about what?" Liu Qingsong, seeing the look Ran Yan gave her, though still not quite understanding her intentions, started to tell a story as instructed, "Let me tell you a story."
"All right," Ran Yan responded, while using the sharp end of a small hammer to begin prying at the edge of the wooden planks that were blocking the entrance.
Liu Qingsong understood her motives and began to tell the story with great enthusiasm, using the techniques of traditional storytelling - now imitating the sounds of horse hooves, now the howl of the wind - doing her utmost to make the sounds loud, to cover the slight noise made by Ran Yan prying at the wooden planks.
