A glance at the skin visible beneath the person’s ragged clothes revealed large patches of frostbite. It was a pitiable sight.

The auntie from across the way was clearly a soft-hearted woman. At the sight, she slapped her thigh and said, "Oh dear, I forgot! My husband had a big padded jacket a couple of years ago that was too ripped to be mended. I put it away. I’ll go get it now. At least it’s something to wear."

As the auntie headed home, the beggar seemed to have truly reached his limit. He could no longer hold his staff; his hand went slack, and he collapsed onto his hands and knees.

"Kind people, have pity on an old woman like me. Please, just a sip of hot water. If... if I stay out in this cold, I’m really going to freeze to death."

Mrs. Zhao had never seen anything like it.

She was a compassionate soul by nature and couldn’t bear to see people suffer or weep. Back when her family ran a private school, she would often sneak her own cakes to children who had nothing to eat, and that compassionate nature had only grown stronger.

At first, she thought it was an elderly man, but it turned out to be an old woman. To be so old, and so miserable on top of it all... Mrs. Zhao sniffled, on the verge of tears.

"Qing’er, look..."

Chen Wanqing sighed. "Mother, step aside. I’ll help her into the house."

"Alright, alright. Xiang’er’s here now. Have her help you."

Together, the two sisters-in-law managed to move the woman into the kitchen.

It was still early, so of course, the kitchen stove wasn’t lit. But the old woman wanted hot water, so they had no choice but to quickly boil some for her.

While they were waiting for the water, the auntie from across the way brought the torn padded jacket.

It truly was a tattered jacket, the kind that was beyond repair. Not only had the cotton padding inside hardened into lumps that could no longer be fluffed out, but the outer shell was a patchwork of patches, looking terribly shabby.

The auntie had a young child to look after at home, so she dropped off the jacket and left.

By this time, Chen Wanqing had just about finished boiling the water. She quickly grabbed a bowl and filled it for the old woman.

With trembling hands, the old woman drank the water, crying and muttering, "Such kind people..."

Mrs. Zhao said, "If you just walk a bit further, you’ll reach the county town. The Lord County Magistrate is a good man, capable and accomplished, and he treats the common people well. There’s even an orphanage built in town that takes in people with no children and no one to rely on. Once you get there, you’ll be taken care of."

The old woman cried, "I’m not alone, I have two grandsons with me. One of them had both his legs crushed, and I had to drag him out with all my might. The other has a terrible stomach illness from eating something cold and hard. He’s so sick with diarrhea he’s about to collapse."

"Kind lady, I beg you, please have pity on me. Give me some food so I can go back and look after my grandsons."

At that moment, Chen Wanqing’s head, which had been clouded with sympathy, suddenly cleared.

’I’ve never even heard of Qi County. This place must be in the middle of nowhere.’

’A lame old woman traveling with two children... The more I think about it, the more unbelievable it sounds...’

She furrowed her brow in deep thought, her eyes fixed on the old woman.

And yet, the old woman truly looked the part of a destitute beggar. She wore only a single layer of clothing and straw sandals on her feet, and she was so thin she was nothing but a bag of bones. The skin showing on her body was purple and blue with frostbite, so shiny and translucent it looked like you could poke a hole right through it.

’It would be wrong to say she isn’t a beggar. But it also feels wrong to believe her situation is as tragic as she claims.’

Chen Wanqing kept her thoughts to herself.

On the surface, she continued to busy herself. She went along with her mother-in-law’s instructions and started cooking some noodle soup for the old woman. Meanwhile, Mrs. Zhao went to find a waterskin, intending to let the old woman fill it with hot soup for her grandsons. Chen Wanqing then sent Xiang’er down to the cellar to get some of the flower buns and steamed buns they had made.

The whole family was bustling about.

Only Chen Wanqing and the old woman were left in the kitchen.

Chen Wanqing was busy at the stove while the old woman, meanwhile, was shifting her body bit by bit.

Chen Wanqing turned to look at her. The old woman said, "The pain in my legs is unbearable, and my chilblains are itching terribly now that they’re warm. This damned weather really gives a person no way to live."

Chen Wanqing asked, "What about your son and daughter-in-law?"

"They’re both dead. Crushed by the snow. It was a good thing this old woman woke up startled, sensed something was wrong, and dragged my two grandsons out. But what’s the use? I’m a crippled old woman. I can’t even take care of myself. I saved the children, only to have them eat dirt and drink snow with me. If I had known, it would have been better to let the children go with their mother and father..."

"What are you doing!"

Chen Wanqing whipped her head around and swiftly grabbed the old woman’s arm.