The next day, Neil returns to Jo-Jo's, leaving Huck at home. Huck complains noisily at the injustice, but Neil ignores him. He walks into Jo-Jo's.
“You! Crow man, go-way!" Jo-Jo says.
“I brought you these," Neil replies, unwrapping the cookies and opening the bag of walnuts. Jo-Jo wants to tell Neil to leave. To show him how much contempt he has for a man who has a pet crow and who bakes in his own home. That is woman's work. But the bittersweet fragrance of amaretto and almond remind him of home. He cannot resist sampling the five-spice walnuts. One bite and his eyes fill with tears, recalling how as a boy, Xiangzi, his beloved puppy had mysteriously disappeared, only to reappear later that evening as dinner. The dog had been given to Jo-Jo's family as a present but was too expensive t
