I turned to Luo Luo. "Is it really that hard to break?"
She frowned slightly. "No… I don't think so. I mean, at first, yeah, it was super tough, but I managed to break it into a few more pieces. Still... it's definitely not as easy as you made it sound."
"Oh," I said, watching her struggle. Maybe she just wasn't doing it right. Luo Luo pushed down on the pestle with all her strength, her movements stiff and forceful.
I studied her posture—her elbow was at an awkward angle, and she wasn't using her legs to generate enough force. Carefully, I tilted her elbow upward and adjusted the pestle diagonally. She sat patiently, letting me reposition her without complaint.
"Alright," I said, stepping back. "Try now. See if it's any easier."
Luo Luo took a focused breath. The moment she pressed down, the ore fragments scattered effortlessly under the right pressure.
She froze, staring at the mortar, then at me.
