I caught up with her, put the sack on the ground, and said, "Grandma, you can take these empty bottles. They were left by guests at my inn, and I don't need them."
"Young man, this can sell for quite a bit of money..."
“It’s fine, it’s just taking up space on my shelf… I can’t find anyone to buy bottles anyway, you can take it and sell it.”
As I spoke, I hoisted the sack onto my shoulder and urged the old woman, "This bottle is quite heavy. Where do you live? I'll deliver it to you."
The old woman hesitated, probably because the value of these empty bottles was not a small amount in her eyes.
I said again, "Grandma, how about this? You can take the bottle and sell it. After that, we'll split the proceeds in half. Neither of us will lose out."
The old woman nodded... and then led me toward her own place.
...
The old lady's house is the kind of old wooden house commonly seen in Dali. The walls are very thick, but the windows are small, with a few pieces of smoked meat hanging on them. At first glance, it feels a bit oppressive. However, the small courtyard is quite refreshing, with a bougainvillea planted inside, its flowers in full bloom, bringing a touch of liveliness and vitality.
I found a corner, put the bottle down, and then said to the old woman, "There are quite a few bottles here already, so don't bother picking any more tonight."
"Okay, okay..."
"Then I'll be going now."
The old woman called out to me and asked, "If the bottle is sold, how can I find you?"
“I often wander around that area. If I happen to run into you, just give it to me.”
"That won't do... You're not being sure about what you're saying."
As she spoke, the old woman turned and went back into the house. When she came out, she was carrying a net bag filled with eggs. She said to me, "These eggs were laid by our own chickens. Take them home and eat them... I'm not blind, I know what you're thinking, but you young people have it tough too. I can't take advantage of you like this."
I smiled and said, "It's been a long time since I've had free-range eggs, Grandma. Your idea is great... I won't stand on ceremony with you."
Just as I took the net from the old woman, the door of the old house was suddenly pushed open, and I saw a woman in a police uniform... We were both surprised by each other's appearance, and then we looked at each other...
How to describe her? Perhaps because she works outdoors for long periods of time and the ultraviolet rays in Dali are strong, her skin is a bit dark, but her overall temperament is very clean and she looks very capable. However, if you have to judge a woman's beauty, she is not a beauty... With her short, ear-length hair, she has a very ordinary appearance.
The woman was very wary. She quickly stood beside the old woman, protecting her while asking, "Grandma, who is this person? What are they doing in our house?"
"The young man is a good person... He gave me a lot of bottles, and because he was afraid I couldn't carry them all, he brought them home for me."
The woman complained, "I was worried about you, that's why I came back to check on you. I didn't expect you to still go out and collect bottles... It's so dangerous for you to be out alone at your age!"
The old lady remained silent, like a child who had done something wrong. I guess the two of them had argued about this many times, while I stood awkwardly to the side...
The woman named Xiaoling finally turned to me and asked, "Are you a local?"
"No, I run an inn here. There were a lot of empty bottles left by guests, so I brought them over for the old lady."
"Oh... thank you, but if we meet again, I can't give her these things, otherwise she'll be even more attached to them."
“I understand what you mean... but you also have to understand the old lady. She just wants to help you share some of the burden.”
She looked at the old woman and couldn't bear to scold her anymore.
She pulled me aside and whispered, "I know you innkeepers don't go to bed early. Could you please keep an eye on her? I've been working the night shift lately and can't look after her much. If you see her picking up bottles in that area, call me... My name is Wang Xiaoling, and I'm the local police officer at the Gucheng Police Station. Write down my phone number."
"Okay, I'm willing to help with this."
As I spoke, I wrote down Wang Xiaoling's phone number on my phone.
...
I got back to the guesthouse at three in the morning. Even after taking a hot shower, I was still in a daze and couldn't fall asleep. I felt like everything that had happened that day was a dream.
If Ye Zhi hadn't gone very far, she should have gotten off the plane by now. I wonder if she'd replied to Nicole's message yet; I'm afraid she had, but Nicole was already asleep.
Thinking of the proud and arrogant Ye Zhi, I inexplicably thought of the policewoman named Wang Xiaoling whom I had just met. Compared to Ye Zhi, she was just an ordinary woman. I knew that being a police officer didn't pay very well, not to mention that she had an elderly lady to support at home. I imagined that her life must be very difficult.
But I don't understand, we share the same flesh and blood, the same race, so why is there such a huge gap between people... I knew that some elderly people didn't have a easy life, but actually encountering them was truly shocking...
So far, I've seen all sorts of people in Dali, this melting pot of culture. I don't know if we'll have any deeper interactions in the future, but I've come to see myself more clearly. Compared to some people, I'm actually very lucky!
At least I have room to work hard and ways to make money, but most people don't have these things... All they can do is the most primitive thing: rummage through trash and collect bottles. Whenever I see these people, I'm always puzzled. For example, where does the luxurious prosperity of a city like Shanghai come from? And where does the humility of these people come from?
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