The excitement invested in anticipating the trip to China and meeting SC, her husband and their children, was eclipsed by the nature of our one and only encounter. We sat in front seats of the Landrover, then they opened the passenger door, quickly pushed past us, and made their exit through the driver’s door. On the way out they dropped the tiniest of their children. Then they disappeared into the night.

So now I was left to look after a miniature Chinese rag doll baby. I didn’t even know how to feed such a child – if, indeed, it needed feeding at all.