We were thoroughly wrung out after yesterday, and slept accordingly. A mid-morning walk got us moving, and then lunch was a plate of Shanghai soup dumplings — the ones that hide molten broth inside and all but guarantee a scalded mouth, and are worth it every time.
After that: a spell of ball games, then full Melbourne-trip preparation, then dinner, and somehow it was already time for bed. No grand travelling arc today — just a quiet reset before the next leg.
The molten trick isn’t magic. Those dumplings — xiao long bao, born in Nanxiang on the edge of Shanghai — are filled with a lump of savoury stock that has been set into a jelly. Steaming melts the jelly back into hot soup inside the wrapper, which is why the first bite must be approached with respect.