The elderly woman took their hands with a look of concern and sat them down by the stove. Then, she took a few sweet potatoes from a basket by the door and tucked them into the stove's chamber.
"Heh heh, Grandma knows exactly what I like to eat!"
Zhao Ke said happily, reaching over and grabbing the tote bag next to his backpack. He pulled out the gift they had prepared for their grandmother.
"What does an old woman like me need new clothes for? You boys can wear them."
"Grandma, it's just a small token from us."
Zhao Ke quickly got up and helped his grandmother put on the jacket.
"It's a perfect fit. Grandma, this outfit makes you look years younger."
"Oh, you silly child, always spouting nonsense."
The wrinkles on the elderly woman's face gathered with her smile, piling up like the growth rings of a tree, before slowly dissolving into the passage of time.
Of course, Zhao Rui had also brought a gift: a pair of cotton-padded shoes.
