Chapter 127 A Piece of Candy
District 48 has only one main street, similar to the towns and villages Zuo Shan had seen before, but the road is relatively wider.
The streets were bustling with people, and every numb and sorrowful face was replaced by joy and excitement.
The children were jumping and playing around, while the adults were constantly looking around.
Surprisingly, there were people setting up stalls to sell things in the central square, which is something that would never happen normally.
The administrators were all mobilized, wearing uniforms, and mercenaries were on patrol to maintain order.
It's no wonder that some people dare to set up stalls to sell things; otherwise, they would be worried that their goods would be stolen.
Pan Duole saw someone selling homemade vegetable dumplings and couldn't help but feel a little envious: "Sister, can we make some cassava balls to sell? Our cassava balls are guaranteed to be a hundred times tastier than the wild vegetable dumplings they sell!"
"But have you thought about how much our cassava balls should cost? And what if we run into someone like that ruthless trio who secretly watches us and tries to ambush us when we go out to collect them, forcing us to hand over the recipe?" Zuo Shan said.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think that much about it. Let's just eat it quietly by ourselves," Pan Duole said apologetically.
"It's not your fault, you just didn't live in a good era."
"If this were before the Great Cataclysm, the whole world would be peaceful and tranquil, everyone would have enough to eat and wear, and children your age would only need to go to school and study hard, without having to worry about making a living," Zuo Shan sighed.
"Sister, is what you're saying true? Does such a world really exist? If it were such a world, would my mother not have died?" Pan Duole asked, her eyes wide.
“What she said is true. Such a world really exists, but you were all unlucky and didn’t get to experience it.” Suddenly, an old woman’s voice came from behind.
Zuo Shan instinctively shuddered. It was the very first day after she transmigrated that the old woman had taught her a profound lesson through the death of the original owner of the body, so much so that she still had a lingering fear of the old woman.
She turned around and saw an elderly woman in her sixties or seventies with a full head of silver hair. Unlike the other elderly scavengers that Zuo Shan had seen, this old woman had a straight back, her hair was neatly combed, and she tied her hair into a bun at the back of her head with an antique bronze wooden hairpin.
She has striking features, and beneath her silver-white eyebrows, a pair of intelligent eyes sweep over you, seemingly capable of revealing all your thoughts.
Her clothes looked ordinary, just a loose-fitting khaki thermal suit, but Zuo Shan, with her modern fashion sense, could tell that her clothes were of better quality than any thermal suit she had ever seen.
In short, she is an elderly lady with exceptional temperament and understated luxury.
In a small place like District 48, Zuo Shan was quite surprised to see such a person. Just like Xiao Bai and his two followers, their temperaments were completely out of place in this place.
Pan Duole clearly didn't notice her unusual behavior and asked with longing, "Grandma, have you heard the elders in the family mention such a world? It must have been the world before the great catastrophe three hundred years ago, right?"
Unfortunately, like us, you never had the chance to see that kind of world with your own eyes.
"Seeing it will only make you sadder; it's better not to have seen it at all. People! If they haven't experienced good things, they won't realize how bitter and hopeless life is now," the old woman sighed, her expression complex.
"Grandma, but I think that seeing beauty gives me more motivation to strive."
If all you do every day is scavenge and fill your stomach, and there's no hope in living each day, what's the difference between living one day and living a hundred?
"Only when people are full of hope can each day of their lives have meaning," Zuo Shan retorted.
"Girl, you've got some ideas. No wonder you still have the courage to have a child even though life is so tough," the old lady said, looking at her with interest.
“I will work hard and raise the baby with my sister,” Pan Duole said.
"Is this baby all the hope in your hearts, you two sisters?" the old lady said.
"It's hope, but not everything. We're willing to work hard so that our baby can live the wonderful life we dream of, but the effort itself is also to make the most of our time on earth as human beings," Zuo Shan said with a smile.
Suddenly, the old lady reached into her pocket and pulled out a small round ball wrapped in colored transparent cellophane. Pandora stared at it wide-eyed, completely unaware of what it was.
Zuo Shan recognized it at a glance; it was a fruit candy.
The old lady placed the candy in her palm and asked Pandora, "Have you seen this before?"
"No." The little girl shook her head honestly.
"These are fruit candies, a snack that every child could eat anytime before the Great Cataclysm. Now, I'm afraid only the children in the Inner District 10 can get them."
"After tasting it, I wonder if you can still tolerate the bitterness of wild vegetables, sigh!" The old lady stuffed the candy into Pandora's hand, then turned and left without saying a word.
"Hey! Grandma, don't go! I can't just take your things for nothing. What do you want me to give in return?" Pan Duole ran a few steps behind her and caught up with her to ask.
"What good things do you have to give me in return?" The old lady rolled her eyes.
“I have some delicious fruit that I picked yesterday at home. I can trade it with you,” Pan Duole said.
"I don't care about your fruit," the old lady said dismissively.
"Then I can't take this, here you go." Pan Duole looked at the candy with reluctance, then steeled himself and stuffed it back into the old lady's hand.
"Goodbye, Grandma! May you live a long and healthy life!" Pan Duole waved to her, then turned and ran back to Zuo Shan's side.
The old lady watched her departing figure, her thin lips slightly upturned.
It's been a long time since I've seen a child with such a pure heart. Today's walk was truly different from usual.
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