The Fair Price

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She came home from the playground with dust on her knees and laughter in her hair.

Her mother scrubbed the dust off her daughter's legs before they stepped inside.

Her grandmother looked up and smiled.

"Good... at least some of the colour has gone. Wish the rest would go off too."

She chuckled, crushing a betel nut between her teeth.

The child stared at the brown water swirling around her feet...

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