"Grandma, take it slow, I'll help you up! Be careful..." Bai Xue supported the elderly woman from under her arms, almost dragging her to stand up.
"Thank you, young lady..." The elderly woman was in so much pain, she almost broke into a cold sweat, leaning her whole body against Bai Xue.
Bai Xue looked at the well-dressed elderly woman appearing near the health clinic all alone, not knowing what she was there for.
"Grandma, where are your family members? Why are you out alone? The snow is so heavy, and the roads are slippery, it's dangerous! Where do you live? How about I take you home?" Bai Xue looked around but couldn't see anyone.
"I came here to visit my granddaughter, it's almost the New Year. The child threw a tantrum and is staying at this staff dormitory, not coming home, so I had to come and see her myself!" The elderly woman spoke with some sadness. "Young lady, just help me into the clinic!"
"Alright, I'll take you to the clinic!" Bai Xue supported the elderly woman and didn't forget the sack beside her, dragging it with one hand as they trudged forward.
Luckily, there was snow on the ground, and the sack could slide by itself, saving some effort.
They were near the health clinic, so after a short walk, they arrived. Bai Xue helped the elderly woman into the clinic.
"Grandma? Xiao Xue... Grandma, what's wrong?" Just as they entered the clinic, Chen Qiyue at the nearby payment counter saw them and quickly ran over.
"My dear granddaughter! Grandma finally sees you! You got upset with your parents, but you can't just ignore grandma!" Seeing Chen Qiyue, the elderly woman happily opened her arms, but due to her tailbone pain, she could only bend over, with Bai Xue supporting her.
"Grandma, what happened? How did you end up here with Xiao Xue?" Chen Qiyue hurriedly supported her.
"Sister Qiyue, I came to town to buy New Year goods, and happened to see grandma fall over, so I helped her over! So she's your grandma, huh? Better take her to see a doctor, she had a hard fall!" Bai Xue chimed in from the side.
"So you two know each other? What a coincidence! Your name's Xiao Xue, right? What a good child! A very good child! If it wasn't for Xiao Xue, who knows how long grandma would've stayed lying in the snow! You might've never seen her again!"
"Grandma, what are you saying! Stop it! Come on, I'll help you to the doctor!" Chen Qiyue covered her mouth, "Xiao Xue, thank you! You saved my grandma! Don't leave yet, come have dinner with us later!"
"Oh no, oh no! Helping grandma was the right thing to do, respect the old and cherish the young! I need to rush back home; it's far, and the days are short. If I don't hurry, it'll be dark!" Bai Xue quickly waved her hands when Chen Qiyue invited her for dinner.
"Xiao Xue, my dear, you must come over for a meal and to get to know the place! If you can't make it back, spend the night, and grandma will have someone take you home in the morning! I'm not comfortable with a young girl like you carrying such a big sack back!" The elderly woman wouldn't let Bai Xue leave and grasped her hand, "Your parents are something, letting you, a young girl, out to buy New Year goods alone?"
"Grandma, Xiao Xue's father got injured a few days ago, and her mom is probably at home taking care of him. Xiao Xue, after dinner, I'll have my dad arrange a car to take you back! Don't worry!" Chen Qiyue glanced at the large sack Bai Xue was carrying and said.
"Really, there's no need, I came with our team on a bicycle, the person might already be waiting outside for me! Next time, I'll come back!" Bai Xue said to Chen Qiyue and then to the elderly woman, "Grandma! Take care and visit the doctor well, falls are no laughing matter for the elderly! I'll come to see you next time!" She deftly removed her hand from the elderly woman's grip.
"Little Snow..." The elderly woman could only call out once before Bai Xue, carrying the large sack, ran outside.
"Grandma, let's quickly find a doctor! Xiao Xue's father is nearly ready to have his stitches removed, she will surely visit again in a few days, we'll thank her then, and have a meal together!" Chen Qiyue spoke while coaxing the elderly woman towards the doctor's office.
Meanwhile, Bai Xue, just out of the health clinic, saw Zhang Yuan pushing a bicycle coming from the west, with half a sack of stuff on it.
"Zhang Yuan, I'm here!" Bai Xue walked over with the sack on her back.
"Why are you carrying so much stuff? Is it heavy?" Zhang Yuan hurried over two steps to Bai Xue's side.
"The supply and marketing cooperative had cheap clothes today, I bought some for my family! What did you buy?" Bai Xue glanced at the sack on Zhang Yuan's bicycle and asked.
"Cotton! A friend was selling it, so I bought some. We don't need it, do you? If you need it, take it!" Zhang Yuan said casually.
"Need it! Definitely need it! If you don't need it, sell it all to me! My family was just thinking of making quilts!" Bai Xue was overjoyed.
"Making quilts? Aren't you going to make a cotton coat to wear? You're dressed way too thinly, make a coat to wear!" Zhang Yuan got anxious hearing Bai Xue wanted to make quilts, he had gotten the cotton from Zhao Qiang with difficulty, intending to make this girl a coat, and she was now going to make quilts.
"I'm getting a coat soon, but we're really short on quilts, it's hard to sleep at night when it's cold, need to make those quickly. How much is it? I'll pay you!" Bai Xue said as she reached into her pocket.
"But this bit of cotton, is it enough to make quilts?" Zhang Yuan asked without mentioning money.
"It's enough, it'll work! Just a little is enough!" Bai Xue said offhand, but she regretted it immediately. She looked at Zhang Yuan's suspicious gaze, stammering to explain...
"It's just... we still have some at home, so with these, it'll be enough! Hehe..."
"Oh, I see! Then take it! Never mind about the money, when I visit your house for a meal, you have something tasty, we'll share it. Consider this cotton my gift to you!" Zhang Yuan subtly gave the cotton away.
"How can that be right, you tell me how much, I must pay you!" Bai Xue insisted.
"Are you really rich?" Zhang Yuan asked.
He remembered that a few days ago, when her dad got injured, it was her second uncle who went to the team and exchanged work points for ten yuan. This girl spoke like she was quite wealthy, not faking it, and bought so many things.
Zhang Yuan looked Bai Xue up and down, extremely puzzled.
"No... I'm not rich, but I can't take your cotton for free..." Bai Xue had already messed up several times in front of Zhang Yuan, feeling overwhelmed.
"Can you knit a scarf?" Zhang Yuan didn't press Bai Xue on her inconsistency and suddenly changed the topic.
"Yes... yes!" Just from looking at Zhang Yuan's face, Bai Xue felt nervous enough, now she stammered even more.
"If you don't want to take it for free, then knit me a scarf! I'll give you the yarn later!" Zhang Yuan said earnestly, looking at Bai Xue.
"Don't you already have a scarf? It's... right here!" Bai Xue tugged at the scarf around her neck.
"This one is for you! I want you to knit me one by hand! Is that okay?" Zhang Yuan took a step closer to her, his eyes full of anticipation.
Bai Xue suddenly felt like the two of them were exchanging tokens of affection, and at that thought, her face flushed completely red.
"Can you knit me a scarf?" Zhang Yuan took another step forward and gently coaxed her. Bai Xue took a step back, almost unable to breathe.
"Yes... I can!"