I Think It Was Worth The Pain

Two posts ago I reported on Cooper's painful biting experience with his cute little friend, Yi  Hung (pronounced YEE HUNG). 

Yi Hung's sweet momma brought us some lovely fruit, which was delicious.

I thought that the fruit gifting was the end of the biting incident. Really, kids are kids. Stuff happens. Kids move on... I'm pretty laid back and hold no grudges. Yi Hung is way too cute to dislike :). Today I came home from a day out on the town with the kids to discover that the biting incident was far from over. Much to my amazement and embarrassment, Yi Hung's parents had delivered the following reconciliatory gift:

Seriously? Beautiful little toy laptop that teaches English and Chinese. I can't imagine how much it cost; it even has a mouse that plugs in and a stylus. Wow! I immediately asked our housekeeper what the proper etiquette would be. How should I respond to such a gift? What is the proper Chinese custom? Her response was "Nothing, they have a lot of money. They own several houses. Don't do anything." Of course, my proper (achemm) Southern upbringing would not allow for such non-response. I immediately did what any self-respecting Southern woman would do in such a similar situation. Three hours later we delivered homemade crescent rolls with homemade strawberry jam delicately wrapped in pink fabric, then placed in a little basket. I hope it conveys the message that we still love little Yi Hung :). We are learning new things everyday!

On a side note, I learned today that if you invite guests to sleep at your house, and if you offer them your bed to sleep in, the guests MUST leave money after spending the night. This money (if I understood correctly) is to welcome in good luck and good fortune to the home. Interesting! My housekeeper and our neighbor's housekeeper gave me this cultural lesson this afternoon, while we were waiting for the bread to rise. We love our housekeeper, Ying, and while I won't claim to dislike all the wonderful cooking and cleaning she does, we mostly keep her around for all the amazing Mandarin she teaches us and for the cultural insights that I could never get on my own.