The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

From noon to dusk, Zhao Lin and Xu Xi pulled their old trailer, going from house to house along the ridges of the fields into the village.

Besides delivering mail, when she encounters elderly people living alone or struggling financially, Zhao Lin always takes out a few bundles of vegetables she grows herself from her trailer and gently places them in the corner of the yard.

The sun sank below the mountain peak, casting long shadows of the two men. The once bulging parcel now contained only one last letter, lying forlornly inside.

"Linlin, I'll deliver this last one." Xu Xi reached out her small hand and took the letter out of the parcel.

Zhao Lin shook her head and took the letter from Xu Xi's hand.

"This letter is not acceptable."

"Why?" Xu Xi blinked her big eyes in confusion.

Zhao Lin hesitated for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts.

After a long silence, she sighed and said, "Come with me, and you'll see."

The two walked around the wheat field and arrived at the home of an old man.

The courtyard walls here are dilapidated, and the roof tiles are loose due to years of neglect.

In the very center of the courtyard sat an elderly woman with a full head of white hair.

Her eyes were vacant, staring blankly at the door. Even when the two girls walked right up to her, she didn't move her gaze at all.

Zhao Lin tiptoed and squatted down beside the chair: "Grandma Li, I've come to deliver a letter."

Upon hearing her voice, the old woman finally smiled and gently placed her rough hands on Zhao Lin's knees.

Zhao Lin quickly took out the letter and placed it in the old lady's hand.

The old woman felt the envelope with her hands, clutching it to her chest as if it were a precious treasure, but her eyes did not look at the letter; they remained fixed on the direction of the door.

Xu Xi, who was standing nearby, noticed that the envelope of the letter did not have the recipient's name or the sender's address.

Unaware of the truth, she wanted to step forward to warn them, but Zhao Lin quickly stopped her.

"Who is it?"

Hearing the second person's footsteps, the old woman asked in a hoarse voice, "Is that Teacher Qi?"

Xu Xi froze for a moment, her little hands even hanging in mid-air.

She was indeed a visitor from outside the mountains, and it was normal for the villagers not to recognize her, but to mistake a girl for a boy was a bit too outrageous, wasn't it?

Seeing the unfocused look in the old woman's cloudy eyes, Xu Xi's heart skipped a beat.

Could she... be blind now?

"She is not Teacher Qi."

Zhao Lin held the old lady's hand, then held Xu Xi's hand, and brought their hands together.

The old lady touched Xu Xi's delicate and smooth skin and smiled, her wrinkles at the corners of her eyes crinkling together.

"It's a little girl."

"Hello, Grandma. My name is Xu Xi, and I'm Linlin's friend."

Xu Xi introduced herself to Grandma Li with a smile.

The old lady smiled kindly, her hands tracing down Xu Xi's slender arms and touching her delicate cheeks.

"Very good, very good, she's a very well-behaved girl."

"She said you're very pretty," Zhao Lin explained from the side.

"Thank you, Grandma. You look beautiful too."

Xu Xi smiled, her eyes crinkling, "I bet you were the prettiest girl in the village when you were young."

Grandma Li beamed from ear to ear: "This girl is not only beautiful, but she also speaks so gently and sweetly."

She released Xu Xi and tried to reach for the letter on her lap, but found nothing.

She released Xu Xi's hand and reached for the letter on her leg, but found nothing.

She hadn't noticed when the letter had fallen to the ground. She fumbled on her lap with both hands, her brows furrowing and her face showing anxiety.

Xu Xi quickly squatted down, picked up the letter, and gently placed it in her palm.

The old lady's brows slowly relaxed as she touched the envelope.

Seeing her like this, Xu Xi felt a pang of sadness, confirming her earlier suspicions—she had indeed lost her sight.

Grandma Li groped around to the corner of the envelope, carefully opened it, and tremblingly took out the letter inside, handing it to Zhao Lin.

Because she has lost her sight and cannot read letters, Zhao Lin has been reading the letters she receives to her for many years.

After receiving the letter, Zhao Lin read it aloud with great familiarity.

"Grandma, how are you? Is your eye problem acting up again? Is your back pain better? Don't worry, I'm doing well here."

Grandma smiled helplessly, her laughter tinged with a hint of sadness.

"How many times have I asked this...?"

Zhao Lin suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and her voice began to choke.

She couldn't continue reading, so she handed the letter to Xu Xi and quietly wiped away her tears.

Xu Xi took the letter and was about to continue reading from where Zhao Lin had paused when she was shocked to find that the letter was actually a blank sheet of paper!

She was momentarily at a loss and looked to Zhao Lin for help.

Zhao Lin gave her a wink, signaling her to continue making things up.

Tears welled up in Xu Xi's eyes. As clever as she was, she had already guessed that there was probably a tragedy behind this.

So she wiped her eyes, forced a smile, and fabricated a beautiful lie.

"My dear Grandma, it's been so long since I wrote to you. Are you thinking of me again?"

"I'm doing well here, so please don't worry. And don't always skimp on food and clothing; your health is the most important thing!"

"My job is very stable now. My boss and colleagues are all very nice and take good care of me. I'm happy to go to work every day, and it's not hard at all."

"Also, I've learned to cook for myself now. Although it's not as delicious as yours, and I sometimes burn it, I can still eat my fill and stay warm, and I'm in great health! Don't worry about me."

"The city here is so lively, with lots of tall buildings. When the lights come on at night, it looks like stars, it's really beautiful."

"When I'm off work, I go grocery shopping with my colleagues. I bought a lot of snacks you've never seen before. I'll bring them all for you to try next time I come home!"

"Oh, right, I've saved up a little money. When I come home next time, I'll buy you some nice new clothes and dress you up so you can look as pretty as you did when you were young."

"Grandma, please take good care of yourself at home. Wear more clothes when it gets cold so you don't catch a cold. Eat on time and don't always eat leftovers. The doctor said that it's not healthy to eat like that."

"I especially miss the cured meat you made, the stories you told me while sitting in the yard, the little courtyard of our house, and the scenery of the hill behind it."

"I will work hard to save enough money so I can come home to see you and spend time with you often."

......

At this point, Xu Xi could no longer contain her sorrow, and tears streamed down her face like pearls, wetting the letter.

So she hastily fabricated an ending for the story.

"I'll stop here for now. Grandma, please take good care of yourself. I'll write to you often. I love you, my dear Grandma."