“I actually made it over!”
Yun Zhen breathed in the fresh air, her stifling mood easing.
The snow here wasn’t heavy; snowflakes twirled through the air one by one.
The wind here wasn’t fierce; it didn’t feel like a blunt knife slicing at her flesh when it blew against her face.
Sister Huang Li had said she would come again today to throw away unwanted things, and Yun Zhen’s heart swelled with anticipation.
She found the spot where she had scavenged the large cotton quilts.
In the clearing stood a massive metal dumpster, with several large blue bins standing next to it.
The people of this world threw all their unwanted belongings into these dumpsters and bins.
Yesterday, she had managed to scavenge three thick cotton quilts without even digging through them.
Could there be more good things inside?
Not seeing Sister Huang Li around, she climbed into the metal dumpster.
She spotted a broken wooden chair—she could take it back and dismantle it for firewood.
“An iron pot!” Yun Zhen saw something and immediately ran over to pick it up, making sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her.
“An intact iron pot?”
She had actually found a two-handled iron pot!
An iron pot was a rare treasure in Taoyuan Village.
Such a thing was so precious that everyone in the village used clay pots.
Only the village chief’s family used an iron pot for cooking, and it was said to have been passed down from their ancestors.
The people of this world were too capricious!
They even threw away completely intact iron pots.
Joy swelled in Yun Zhen’s heart.
Her parents would definitely be thrilled if she brought this back.
She found an oversized gunny sack.
It was slightly torn but still usable.
Placing the iron pot and her other finds inside, she continued to dig through the trash.
Opening a heavy box, she discovered a brand-new set of cups.
“They look just like the glazed glass from the legends, so crystal clear.
They’re too beautiful.”
After clearing out the metal dumpster, she moved on to the blue bins.
“Books!”
The moment she opened the lid, she saw a box of neatly stacked books.
Yun Zhen could no longer remain calm.
If an iron pot was a family heirloom, then books were absolutely priceless.
Any random book in a bookstore would cost one or two taels of silver.
“Monkey King of the Water Curtain Cave in Mount Huaguo?”
It turned out to be a storybook.
It felt incredibly smooth to the touch—had it been coated in a layer of oil?
There were very few words in the book; the vast majority of it consisted of vividly illustrated monkeys, mountains, rivers, and plants.
She pulled the entire box of books out.
Her father would definitely love this.
Besides the box of books, she found a pair of women’s winter shoes with leather on the outside and thick fur on the inside.
They were a bit too small for her, so she would take them home for her mother to wear.
“A woven bamboo basket?”
“Porcelain!”
She dug out a porcelain figurine of a long-necked animal.
A little bit of glaze had chipped off the edge, but she could take it back for Xiaobao to play with.
Ignoring the strange looks from passersby, Yun Zhen found quite a few treasures in the blue bins: exquisitely patterned porcelain plates and bowls, an old wooden comb, and unopened chopsticks.
The only regret was that she didn’t find any food.
But it made sense when she thought about it—who would throw away food?
“Little Yun Zhen!” A familiar voice rang in her ears.
Yun Zhen immediately knew it was Sister Huang Li.
She looked up, and it was indeed her.
Huang Li parked her little red car by the side of the road, and Yun Zhen dragged the heavy gunny sack over.
“Sister Huang Li.”
Seeing her dragging the sack, Huang Li said in surprise, “You’ve collected so many things!”
“I have two more quilts here, and the rest are daily necessities.
Take a look and see if there’s anything you need.” She pointed to the truck bed, which was packed to the brim.
A smile blossomed on Yun Zhen’s dusty face.
“Sister Huang Li, thank you for saving these things for me.” This woman was her benefactor.
Huang Li waved her hand dismissively and laughed.
“No need to thank me!
From now on, just call me Sister Huang.
‘Sister Huang Li’ is too formal.”
Yun Zhen nodded.
“Okay!”
“I brought you some winter clothes.
They belong to my daughter.
She’s fifteen this year and a little plumper than you.
These are her clothes from a couple of years ago, so they should definitely fit you.” Huang Li felt great pity for Yun Zhen.
After going home, she had packed up the clothes her daughter could no longer wear, intending to give them to Yun Zhen when she came to throw things away.
Yun Zhen’s face flushed red.
“Sister Huang, I couldn’t possibly accept this.”
Huang Li lifted a large, bulging bundle.
“I told you, it’s destiny that we met.
You call me your sister, so what’s wrong with a sister bringing a few pieces of clothing for her younger sister?
Hurry and see if there’s anything else you need in the truck bed.”
Unable to refuse such gracious hospitality, Yun Zhen felt incredibly grateful for Sister Huang’s help.
However, having nothing to her name, she couldn’t offer any token of gratitude in return.
It made her feel a bit ashamed.
She rummaged through the back of the truck.
She found a kitchen knife and a cutting board, two thick quilts, a square bed-desk, and a large bundle of thick, colorful yarn.
Nestled inside the yarn was a thin, brightly colored book and a few hook-like tools.
She didn’t recognize the rest of the items, nor did she know how to use them.
“Sister Huang, I’ll just take these.”
After making her selection, Yun Zhen nodded to Huang Li.
Together, they moved the remaining items into the metal dumpster.
After everything was done, Huang Li wiped the sweat from her forehead.
“You’ve taken even more today than you did yesterday.
Why don’t I give you a ride back?”
Yun Zhen had indeed taken a lot today.
The contents of the gunny sack looked larger than she was.
She tactfully declined.
Sister Huang couldn’t travel to her world, so she told a white lie.
“My uncle went to run some errands.
When he gets back, we’ll carry these things back together.”
Huang Li looked relieved.
“It’s good that you have someone to help you.”
Yun Zhen suddenly thought of a pressing issue.
“Sister Huang, do you know how to find work around here?
I want to earn some money to buy food.
My family ran out of food a long time ago.”
Sister Huang had given her winter clothes and two more quilts today.
The biggest problem her family faced now was starvation.
If they could eat a little more and put on some weight, they just might survive the winter.
“Your family is struggling that much?” Huang Li was shocked by Yun Zhen’s words, staring in disbelief.
Had she misheard?
Ran out of food?
What kind of phrase was that?
She knew that despite how much society had developed, there were still poor people living in dilapidated houses who could barely secure basic food and clothing.
But to say they had “run out of food” was far too frightening.
To think she would actually hear such an archaic and extreme phrase.
In a family, as long as the parents weren’t completely lazy, the children almost never went hungry.
She evaluated Yun Zhen anew, observing how she was dressed even more shabbily than a beggar.
Something wasn’t right!
“Yun Zhen, tell me the truth.
What do your parents do for a living?
Do they really not earn any wages at all?” Huang Li wondered uncertainly if she had stumbled upon a tragic scenario where the mother was paralyzed and the father had run away.
Confused, Yun Zhen answered honestly, “Wages?
Do you mean a daily wage?
My parents aren’t here.
I just scavenge for things.
I don’t get wages.”
“Oh my god!” Huang Li gasped anxiously.
“Yun Zhen, are you a street kid?”
A street kid?
Yun Zhen had no roots in this place.
Feeling that the term suited her current situation perfectly, she answered, “I suppose so.”
Case closed!
Huang Li had been wondering why a child would wander the streets in such ragged clothes, looking like a refugee.
So she was an orphaned street kid!
Everything made sense now!
No wonder she treated snacks and milk as precious commodities, looked as thrilled as if she had found gold when she saw the quilts, and vaguely evaded the topic of her parents.
As for the uncle she mentioned, Huang Li mentally filled in the blanks, assuming he was a fellow homeless scavenger.
After all, she had heard that some homeless people formed groups to keep themselves from being bullied.
The snow began to fall heavier, bringing a biting chill to the air.
Huang Li asked, “How old are you?”
“Seventeen,” Yun Zhen replied.
Huang Li pursed her lips.
“It’s not safe or convenient for a young girl like you to live outside in the dead of winter.
The temperature is going to drop in a few days, and it’ll get even colder.
Do you want to find a new place to stay?”
Yun Zhen looked at her in confusion.
Huang Li continued, “I’ll take you to Sister Zhang’s charity organization.
They specialize in helping minors like you and women who have a hard time providing for themselves.”