55: When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue.

Just after exiting the mountain gate, the black Toyota Alphard Mona Lisa edition was parked quietly in the waiting area by the roadside.

Driver Old Chen had been keeping an eye on the exit, and seeing Jiang Yuan come out, he immediately got out of the car and opened the automatic door.

"Mr. Jiang, it seems you had quite a fulfilling trip?"

"Not bad at all. The scenery is beautiful, and hiking is good exercise."

Jiang Yuan smiled, bent down, and sat inside the car.

The enveloping sensation of the airline seats instantly relieved the soreness in his legs, and the faint cool air inside the car dispelled the slight stuffiness of the afternoon.

"Let's go to Dujiangyan."

Jiang Yuan adjusted the angle of his seat and said while half-reclining.

"You got it! We'll head straight to the Guanxian Ancient City area, and I'll park the car at the head of South Bridge for you."

Old Chen stepped on the gas, and the car smoothly slid into the traffic.

It was not far from Mount Qingcheng to Dujiangyan.

Shortly after, the Alphard stopped at a parking lot not far from South Bridge.

As soon as he got out of the car, before he even saw the sights, his ears were filled with sound.

It wasn't the sound of people, but the sound of water.

It was the roar of thousands of troops and horses galloping past, vibrating one's eardrums until they faintly resonated.

"This is the grandeur of Dujiangyan."

Jiang Yuan took off his sunglasses and looked at the magnificent covered bridge spanning the torrent not far away—South Bridge.

With flying eaves and upturned corners, carved beams and painted pillars, the various colorful paintings of figures, flowers, and birds seemed so vivid under the sunlight that they were about to leap out.

But the most shocking sight was the rolling water of the Min River beneath the bridge; it really was "a torrent like an arrow." The water vapor and chill rushing toward his face were even more intense than at Mount Qingcheng.

Above South Bridge, the noise was boiling.

This was the throat of Dujiangyan and the place where the hustle and bustle of ordinary life was most intense.

In his ears was the thunderous roar of the Min River water crashing against the bridge piers, and before his eyes were countless smiling faces speaking in accents from all over the country.

Some held long selfie sticks while livestreaming, others carried heavy baskets on their backs while peddling fresh fruit, and some couples leaned on the railings, pointing at the torrent below in amazement.

By day, South Bridge, lacking the embellishment of lights, revealed a somewhat rustic and even aged texture.

Just as he was about to cross the covered bridge to find food, his peripheral vision suddenly caught a very incongruous corner.

At the edge of the busy and somewhat crowded walkway, a small figure was huddled.

It was a little girl who looked to be only seven or eight years old.

In front of her was a faded blue cloth spread out, with a dozen or so slightly crooked yarn dolls laid out on it.

Jiang Yuan paused his steps and walked over.

The little girl was wearing old clothes that were clearly too big for her and had slightly frayed cuffs, but they were exceptionally clean, and even the hem of her clothes was pulled straight and neat.

In this noisy environment, she didn't shout, nor did she look around; she just quietly guarded her stall.

Seeing Jiang Yuan approach, she hurriedly looked up.

Her eyes were as clear as a pool of spring water, revealing a sense of maturity that made one's heart ache.

"Big Brother, these are all handmade dolls that I made. Would you like to buy one?"

Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying a trace of timid anticipation.

Jiang Yuan crouched down, bringing his line of sight level with hers.

The dolls on the ground were clearly hand-knitted.

There was a baring-its-teeth Pleasant Goat, a Pikachu with one ear larger than the other, and a goofy-looking Briar Bear.

Although the stitches were naive and not as refined and smooth as machine-produced ones, one could see the care of the creator in every stitch and thread.

"Your craftsmanship is good."

Jiang Yuan casually picked up the Pikachu and squeezed it; it felt solid.

He looked around and asked with some confusion, "Are you setting up this stall alone? Where are your mom and dad? Are they watching you nearby?"

Normally, if such a young child came out to set up a stall, the parents would definitely be watching from a corner not far away.

The smile on the little girl's face clearly stiffened for a moment.

Afterward, she shook her head gently, her tone so calm it was startling: "Mom and Dad passed away in a car accident."

She said this sentence lightly, without any trace of crying or grievance, as if she were talking about something that happened to someone else.

Jiang Yuan's fingers holding the doll suddenly tightened.

The smile that had been on his lips instantly froze on his face.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds at this moment.

"...I'm sorry."

Jiang Yuan's voice dropped a few notches, and his heart felt as if it had been heavily blocked by something.

That feeling was unspeakably bitter.

"It's okay, Big Brother!"

The little girl seemed to have long been accustomed to such reactions from others and comforted him in turn.

She tried to puff out her thin little chest and said earnestly like a little adult: "I'm used to it. I have my grandma with me now, it's pretty good!"

Although she was smiling, Jiang Yuan clearly saw the glistening flash in her eyes.

"Big Brother, which one do you want? If you buy two, I can give you a discount~"

The little girl didn't want the atmosphere to become heavy, so she hurriedly changed the subject and started promoting her small wares.

Jiang Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the sudden soreness at the tip of his nose.

He was also an orphan and grew up in an orphanage.

He understood this feeling of "children without umbrellas must run hard" all too well, and he understood all too well how many nights of tears were hidden behind this "it's pretty good."

"I'll take these two. How much?"

Jiang Yuan picked up the Pikachu and Wolftail, trying to keep his voice as gentle as possible.

"It's twenty in total, Big Brother, you only need to give me fifteen."

The little girl held out her thin, slender fingers to gesture, her eyes filled with a trace of anticipation, as if afraid that Jiang Yuan would think it was too expensive.

She even offered a discount.

Jiang Yuan's heart felt even more bitter.

He glanced at the QR code sign standing nearby with crooked handwriting; the WeChat profile picture on it was a lotus flower, which must have been her grandmother's account.

He took out his phone and opened the scanner.

He entered the amount: 2000.

Confirmed the password, payment successful.

"The extra is just me treating you to something delicious."

After paying, Jiang Yuan picked up the dolls and, before the little girl could react, stood up and prepared to leave.

"When you're growing, eat more meat. You must accept it!"

After saying this, he turned and plunged into the bustling crowd, taking quick steps as if afraid the little girl behind him would chase after him to return the money.

"Goodbye, Big Brother! Thank you, Big Brother!"

The little girl's clear voice came from behind.

Not until Jiang Yuan's figure completely disappeared into the sea of people did the little girl take out the old-fashioned smartphone with a cracked screen and severe lag from her pocket.

That was what her grandmother left for her to receive money.

She lowered her head and lit up the screen.

When she saw the long string of "0"s in the text message notification, she was completely stunned.

"Two... two thousand?"

She rubbed her eyes and counted several times in disbelief.

The little girl suddenly stood up, stood on tiptoe, and looked anxiously into the crowd, trying to find the figure of that big brother.

But the crowd on South Bridge was like a weave, and where could Jiang Yuan's shadow be?

For a long time.

She slowly sat back down on the small stool, clutching the phone tightly, and tears finally couldn't help but fall in big drops onto the blue cloth.

"Thank you..."

She said softly in the direction where Jiang Yuan had disappeared.

"Now... I can buy something nutritious for Grandma."