Chapter 45 Grandma
Fan Yue and her husband, Cui Pei, celebrated their second wedding anniversary with the significant act of moving into a new home. Because Cui Pei liked houses with a yard, they jumped at the opportunity to rent part of an old courtyard house. It was something of a housewarming celebration, so Tu Hengsha brought a housewarming gift too.
Fan Yue’s new home was in an alley with a strange name, one that Tu Hengsha hadn’t managed to remember. Holding a Bangbangtang, she navigated through the network of alleys using the address Fan Yue had given her. After three laps, she finally saw a small alley’s entrance marked with a rusty bronze plaque: Yangrou Geda Alley. Due to the age of the sign, the words were mostly corroded away. She had to guess and check to match it with the address she held.
The alley was narrow and in disrepair, a bit different from the way Fan Yue had described her new home. She thought she’d walk into a courtyard from a period drama, yet these faded doors and windows, and the randomly nailed wooden slats, indeed marred the scene. Some houses had been repaired, but the hastily painted mud walls and unattractive paint jobs would have been better left untouched.
As she looked for the right house number, she heard an "Oh dear" from behind her.
She turned around to see a grandma had fallen on the ground, her two large shopping bags spilling fruits and vegetables everywhere.
She quickly ran over, put the Bangbangtang down, and helped the grandma up, asking, "Grandma, are you okay? Should I call an ambulance for you?"
"No need, no need!" The grandma waved her hands repeatedly. "I’m fine, just getting old and useless, can’t even carry two bags!"
Tu Hengsha saw that the bags were indeed heavy. She would find it difficult to carry them herself, one on each shoulder!
The grandma stood up, took a couple of steps, and her legs seemed steady. It appeared she truly was fine. Relieved, Tu Hengsha helped pick up the items, tied a string to Bangbangtang, and lifted the two bags. "Grandma, I’m headed to this alley too. Let me help you!"
"No need, no need! I can manage! They’re heavy!" The grandma insisted.