The rhythmic sound made by the blood drops was like the steps of someone walking away. - Liu Cixin

This is the difference between an ordinary scribe and a literary writer. The highest level of literary creation is when the characters in a novel possess life in the mind of the writer. The writer is unable to control them, and might not even be able to predict the next action they will take. We can only follow them in wonder to observe and record the minute details of their lives like a voyeur.

this old woman, who had weathered so many storms and become as gentle as water,

Whatever they were dealing with was too important for them to care about keeping up appearances.