In a remote and uninhabited place halfway up a mountain, a large area has been dug out in front of a simple thatched house to grow vegetables. At this time, a burly man in gray clothes, who looks to be about 40 years old, is turning the land with a hoe in his hand. Sweat is oozing from his tanned forehead, dripping down his cheeks and onto the soil.
The man was working in the field, and every time he swung his hoe, he would sweat. The sound of the hoe digging up the soil became a unique sound in this quiet place.
In the thatched hut, a white-haired old woman came out, carrying a bamboo basket in one hand and a kettle in the other. She had white hair, her face was full of wrinkles, her back was slightly bent, and she was thin. She walked very slowly with every step.
When the man swinging the hoe saw the old woman walking towards him with something in her hand, he quickly put down his hoe and walked over to her. He took the things from her hand and put them aside. He held her hand and said in a reproachful manner, "Didn't you say that you don't need to bring me water or food? It's so close. If I'm hungry or thirsty, I'll go home to drink."
As he spoke, he took her hand and took the cloth covering the basket and placed it on the ground as a cushion: "Come, sit down."
The old woman smiled and said gently, "I can still lift this little thing. It's not heavy." Then she poured him a glass of water, pulled him to sit next to her, and said, "Have a glass of water! You've been sweating so much." Then she took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his face.
The man sat beside her, looking at her tenderly, letting her help him wipe the sweat off. Seeing her tender eyes, carefully helping him wipe the sweat off, he held her hand and said, "Okay, no need to wipe it off. The sweat will dry after sitting for a while." As he said that, he drank the water in the cup in one gulp, poured another cup and handed it to her: "You should drink one too! It's hot today, drink more water."
The old woman smiled, took the teacup from his hand, and held the cup with both hands. Due to her old age, her hands were shaking slightly, and the water in the cup was shaking gently. The man in front of her felt a pain in his heart and a trace of pain in his eyes.
However, the pain in his eyes flashed away for a moment. When he saw her drinking the water and looking at him, a smile appeared on his face again, and he picked up the steamed buns in the basket and ate them.
The old woman sat next to him, one of her hands held by him. She looked at the vegetable patch in front of her and said gently in her old voice, "These vegetables are growing really well. We can pick them in a few days. Then I'll dry them and make them into dried vegetables for you to eat later."
"Dry it and make it into jerky. We can eat it later." The man who was eating the steamed bun emphasized this and looked at her.
Hearing this, the old woman smiled helplessly: "Okay, we'll eat it together after it's dried."
Hearing this, the man laughed and pointed to the half-turned empty land in front of him, saying, "By evening tonight, I will have turned this new land over. Then I will move two fruit trees to the left and right sides. Next year, we can eat the fruits we planted. What do you think we should plant in the middle?"
The two of them sat in front of the vegetable garden, talking and chatting. It was quiet around them, with only the sound of the wind and their low voices.