When he said that, Fangzheng's heart tightened. The lass in front of him was probably smaller than a slightly larger cardboard box, right? Imagining her rummaging through the trash outside to pick up the items made Fangzheng's heart ache.
However, the lass shook her head and said with a smile, "I only pick up the small ones. I can't pick up the big ones. Those large cardboard boxes were given to me by the uncles and aunties in the estate. They bought huge televisions, huge refrigerators, etc. The leftover cardboard boxes will be sent to me. Some of the grandfathers and grandmothers who also pick up items will also share some with me. They say that it's a rule that we split it in half when we meet. They are really nice people … "
With that said, the lass smiled.
Fangzheng didn't say a word when he saw the lass's smile. All he felt was a little stifled. He didn't know if it was because of the hardships the lass had suffered in the past, or if he was touched by the love of those nameless kind-hearted people who silently helped the lass. He looked up at the sky. Although there wasn't any heating in the south during winter, it didn't seem too cold … The golden sunlight scattered down on him, making him feel warm enough to take a nap.
At that moment, there was a clanking sound from downstairs, as well as the sound of trash being collected. Fangzheng looked down and saw a dark-skinned elder riding a tricycle into the alley. The moment he entered, he looked up and shouted, "Keke, is there anything? Grandpa, come up and get it! "
Keke immediately replied, "Grandpa, there is. There's a lot!"
The old man downstairs chuckled. "Alright, I'll be right up."
Keke hurriedly jumped off the stool and ran to the door to open the latch. Then, she began to check the number of cardboard boxes and bottles she had. At the same time, she calculated her bill. "Ten cents, twenty cents, thirty cents …"
Fangzheng looked at the serious Keke and went over to ask, "Keke, are you afraid that the grandpa downstairs won't give you enough money? You are so meticulous in your calculations. "
However, Keke shook her head and said seriously, "No, Grandpa Lu always gives me more money. Mommy says that I can't accept that kind of money. Therefore, I have to calculate it ahead of time. I've done it several times, so I'll do it again to confirm it. It's just that I can't calculate the weight of the newspapers … "The lass felt a little vexed when she said that.
Fangzheng was stunned when he heard that. Then, he rubbed the troubled girl's head and said, "You have a good mommy."
Then, Fangzheng began helping Keke count the mineral water bottles on the ground.
However, they obviously couldn't finish their calculations so quickly because Grandpa Lu, the junk collector, had arrived. The moment Grandpa Lu entered, he didn't say a word. He directly took a huge bag and stuffed it in. As he did, he counted. "Ten cents, twenty cents …"
As he counted, Fangzheng realized that the old man had an extra bottle.
At that moment, the vigilant Coco cried out, "Grandpa, it's too much, too much. You've counted wrongly."
The old man was like an old child. He puffed his beard and glared at him. "That's impossible. You must have lost because you didn't learn math well. I'll count as many as I can … "
Then, the old man continued counting. At the same time, his beady eyes sneaked peeks at Coco. Whenever Coco was distracted, he would immediately add one.
Fangzheng looked at the old and young duo. One was seriously cheating to increase the money, while the other was seriously staring at him not to increase the money. Fangzheng immediately found it amusing and infuriating. Even if the old man gave more, how much more could he give? A few cents couldn't even buy a bottle of mineral water outside, right? But here, a few cents was as heavy as Mt. Tai. It was as warm as a tiny stove.
Grandpa Lu was very fast. Soon, he finished tallying the pile of items. Coco stood guard by the side, but she was ultimately too young. She hadn't learned much to begin with, and accounting was her weakness. Naturally, she fell for the shrewd old man's schemes and was stuffed with more than ten yuan.
After stuffing the money, Grandpa Lu began carrying the cardboard cases and bottles downstairs. Fangzheng hurriedly helped when he saw this. Lone Wolf helped as well.
On the way down, Fangzheng asked Grandpa Lu, "Bottles aren't worth that much these days, right? Ten cents a bottle? "
Grandpa Lu glared at Fangzheng. "Are you the junk collector or am I? Why don't I give you the bike, and you take it? "
Fine, the old man still had a stubborn temper. Fangzheng rubbed his nose and said immediately, "I can't take it. I can't."
Only then did Grandpa Lu happily stuff the items into the bike.
The two of them made two trips to and fro before finally moving everything down. Grandpa Lu got on the bike and glared at Fangzheng. "Don't you tell the little girl nonsense!"
Fangzheng was left speechless. Only after repeatedly assuring him did Grandpa Lu peddle the tricycle away.
When they returned upstairs, Coco waved the thirty plus yuan in her hand like she was presenting a treasure. She exclaimed, "Daddy! Daddy! Look! I have money! "
Fangzheng smiled. "Wow, so much money? Coco has become our family's little tycoon. "
"Hehe, that's for sure." Coco laughed happily.
After playing for a while, Coco felt sleepy. She ran into the room to accompany Zhang Huixin to sleep. Fangzheng lay on Coco's tiny bed and looked at the ceiling. His mind was filled with the day's events.
Lone Wolf lay by the side and whispered. "Master, don't you have medical skills? You should be able to treat Patron Zhang's illness, right? Why aren't you treating it? "
Fangzheng glared at him and turned around. "What do you know? You don't know anything. Silly dog, sleep! "
Lone Wolf was dumbfounded. Why was he silly? Was there something wrong with what he said? Then, he looked at Fangzheng as though he was the silly one. Following that, he lay down and fell asleep. This fellow woke up the moment there was a commotion, and he slept the moment he stuck to the bed. In a blink of an eye, he began snoring …
Fangzheng couldn't fall asleep when he heard the snoring behind him.
He obviously could treat Zhang Huixin's illness, but he also knew that once she was treated, he would have to leave. Although Fangzheng wasn't reluctant to part with the mortal world, Coco gave him a very different feeling. It was a warmth that came from a child's cuteness, mischievousness, and warmth. It made him feel a little reluctant to part with her.
Therefore, Fangzheng didn't take action. Instead, he wanted to wait. The reason he gave himself was that if he suddenly claimed that he could treat the illness, what if Zhang Huixin treated him as a lunatic?
It was supposed to be an afternoon nap, but Fang Ke ended up sleeping in Zhang Huixin's arms the entire afternoon. She looked extremely serene, and occasionally, the corners of her mouth would curl up as though she was smiling.
Zhang Huixin woke up after a short nap. When she heard footsteps at the door, she knew that Fangzheng had come. She smiled. "This child hasn't had such a good night's sleep in a long time. In the past, she would wake up early at this time and go downstairs to pick up bottles. "
Fangzheng said, "She's a good child."
Zhang Huixin hugged Fang Ke with a look of satisfaction. "Yes, she's my little darling. With her around, I have the motivation and hope to live on."
Fangzheng pressed his palms together. "Amitabha."
The dinner was prepared by Fangzheng. After making a meat dish, Fangzheng realized that it wasn't much. All he needed to do was throw it into a pot and fry it until it was cooked. All he needed to do was add oil and salt.
Therefore, at night …
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