The icy snow melted from my boots. My numbed legs, thawing out, ached painfully. I stamped to help the circulation.
Cheng-Yu waved his hand warningly. I understood. He was afraid I'd wake his baby sister.
"You really take good care of your sister," I commended. "Mama says my job is to look after her. When mama comes home, I can knock off."
"So, you're on the job every day?" I hugged him. "What does mama do?" He pointed to the road below the cave.
I could see a person standing by a telephone pole beside the road. Covered with snow, she looked like a white stone image. Apparently she was directing traffic. The road, not very wide, had been blasted through the rock. Ordinarily, carts, mules, donkeys and people........ no doubt streamed in both directions along that road twenty- four hours a day. Someone had to keep the traffic in order.
Question 1: Why does the narrator stamp his feet?
Answer: The narrator stamps his feet to help circulation and alleviate the pain in his numbed legs as they thaw out.
Question 2: What does Cheng-Yu do when the narrator stamps his feet, and why?
Answer: Cheng-Yu waves his hand warningly because he is afraid that the narrator's stomping will wake up his baby sister.
Question 3: How does Cheng-Yu explain his responsibility towards his sister?
Answer: Cheng-Yu explains that his job is to look after his sister until their mother returns home, after which he can take a break.
Question 4: How does the narrator praise Cheng-Yu's care for his sister?
Answer: The narrator commends Cheng-Yu for taking good care of his sister.
Question 5: What does Cheng-Yu reveal about his mother's job?
Answer: Cheng-Yu points to the road below the cave and indicates that his mother stands by a telephone pole, covered in snow, directing traffic.
Question 6: What inference can be made about the narrator's observation of Cheng-Yu's mother's job?
Answer: The narrator infers that Cheng-Yu's mother plays a crucial role in managing traffic on the road, which is likely busy with various modes of transportation.