Without any unnecessary worries, Xu Qinghe asked for directions and headed towards the place full of stories.
When she stood in front of the garbage disposal station, what she saw was not so much a garbage dump as a well-organized recycling center.
An old man who is in charge of the garbage, despite his advanced age, still insists on sorting all kinds of garbage neatly. Although there is a slight odor in the air that is hard to ignore, the overall environment is much cleaner than expected.
Xu Qinghe's arrival did not disturb the tranquility around her. She called out softly, "Excuse me, is anyone there?"
As soon as the words fell, a gust of wind blew across the empty space, causing a slight echo.
Soon, a steady voice with traces of age came from not far away: "What's going on?"
Xu Qinghe looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man with a slightly hunched back carefully sifting through piles of waste, picking out those items that were still valuable one by one and carefully stacking them together.
Xu Qinghe made a hopeful request to the old man: "Uncle, I want to buy some furniture, but I'm short of money. I heard that you can occasionally find treasures here, so I wanted to come and see if there is any old furniture you can sell me?"
Her voice was soft and sincere, trying to impress the other person with her sincerity.
However, the old man didn't turn around and responded directly: "You have to go to the market to find second-hand furniture. What I have here is only junk!"
Xu Qinghe was not surprised by the old man's directness and slight impatience.
The old man in the novel has a quick temper, which is a well-known characteristic.
Faced with the old man's indifference, Xu Qinghe did not give up easily, but decided to take more practical actions.
Without saying a word, she rolled up her sleeves and began to silently help the old man sort out the garbage, proving her sincerity and determination with practical actions.
Sometimes, the most direct action speaks louder than a thousand words. Xu Qinghe believes that sincerity is her best stepping stone.
The old man thought that the girl had slipped away quietly, but when he turned back several times inadvertently, he was surprised to find that she not only did not leave, but instead spontaneously buried herself in the pile of messy garbage, meticulously sorting it.
The old man's brows twisted into an inextricable knot, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness. Finally, he sighed and said, "I've told you this so many times, but you just won't listen, girl? You know, these are all your responsibilities. Don't keep trying to get any extra benefits from me."
The old man's inner anxiety turned into hurried footsteps. He took two steps at a time and hurried to the girl's side, muttering to himself, how could this girl be so unromantic? He had hinted at her many times, but she still stayed here and refused to leave, as if she was determined to help.
Xu Qinghe sensed the old man's arrival and gently wiped away the beads of sweat on his forehead. A gentle smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "Uncle, please don't take it personally. I just feel sorry for you, at your age, still having to deal with this mountain of garbage. I figured since I have some free time today, it would be nice to help you lighten the burden."
Her smile is pure and warm, which makes people feel comforted in their hearts.
The old man was dazzled by this pure and untainted smile, and the words in his throat became a little dry and stiff: "I'm busy for you, and I don't have anything valuable to give you!"
Xu Qinghe knew very well that beneath the old man's seemingly unkind appearance, he had a soft heart.
She said nothing, but responded with a smile. She had already made a plan in her mind - if it doesn't work out today, she can always find an opportunity tomorrow.
The garbage dump seemed like a never-saturated black hole. Even a whole day of hard work could only slightly reduce the sharpness of the mountain of garbage.
Xu Qinghe looked at the slightly shorter but still majestic "mountain" and felt a sigh in her heart. She saw the old man's daily hardships and felt pain in her heart that he had to bear such heavy labor in his old age.
Fortunately, not all efforts were in vain.
Furniture abandoned by wealthy families, such as stools and tablecloths, were ruthlessly thrown away just because of a little wear and tear or stains.
In Xu Qinghe's eyes, these are just treasures that need some minor repairs. After cleaning and renovation, they can be given new vitality.
Rich people pursue convenience and disdain to waste energy on transforming old things, so they just throw them away easily. However, they don’t know that this just gives Xu Qinghe the opportunity to "turn waste into treasure."
She held up the "treasures" she had found, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and asked the old man, "Uncle, these little gadgets can still be used after a little repair. Can you sell them to me at a low price?"
Although the old man was extremely reluctant, he witnessed her hard work that day, and these "treasures" were originally hers. His defenses were quietly loosened, although he still refused to give in: "You are the only one who likes those scrap metals. If you want to take them, take them away. Just don't let them get in my way!"
Xu Qinghe was pleasantly surprised when he heard this. This was like a free gift!
She quickly thanked him: "Thank you, sir, you are such a kind person!"
The old man snorted in feigned disdain, turned around and walked into the simple but cozy cabin without saying anything, and poured himself a glass of water.
Xu Qinghe did not take the old man's reaction to heart and continued to happily devote himself to the classification work, during which he unearthed many unexpected treasures.
One of the large lace curtains was particularly eye-catching. Although there was a small hole on the edge and the threads were scattered, it looked discarded and useless, but under Xu Qinghe's skillful hands, it was given a new life.
She carefully cut off the damaged part, and the remaining fabric was transformed into an elegant window decoration after her skillful sewing and modification. It fit perfectly with the medium-sized window in her home, providing both sun protection and light protection.
Not to mention the high-quality material of the lace. Even if it was newly purchased on the market, it would probably cost dozens of yuan. Xu Qinghe felt very satisfied with this and secretly rejoiced at his good luck.
"There are treasures in the garbage dump, digging and digging..."
Accompanied by the melodious and discordant tune, Xu Qinghe felt extremely happy.
"Grandpa, I'm back!"
A crisp call broke the quiet afternoon air.
Just as Xu Qinghe was immersed in the waste pile, searching for treasures that might have been forgotten, a familiar voice suddenly penetrated the rustling of the surrounding debris and lightly jumped into her ears.
She looked up suddenly and saw a nimble figure breaking into this small world, carrying a seemingly heavy basket on his shoulders, without saying a word.
And he seemed completely unaware that the encounter he had been waiting for for a long time was quietly happening nearby.
Xu Qinghe's gaze seemed to pass through the mist of time and instantly focused on this young man.
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