The wind of the twelfth lunar month carried broken snow and blew through the old alleys paved with bluestones. Su Wan wrapped herself tightly in an old cotton-padded jacket that had turned white after washing, her fingertips were red from the cold, and she still clutched the brown paper envelope in her arms. Inside the envelope was her mother's hospital bill. The red word "arrears" was like a soldering iron, which made her heart feel tight.
The grocery store deep in the old alley was still dimly lit, and the proprietress stuck her head out and shouted: "Girl, you haven't collected enough money yet? Why don't you get some turnover from me first?"
Su Wan shook her head and forced out a dry smile: "Thank you, Auntie, no need. I'll think of a way."
She walked forward through the snow, her thin figure stretched very long in the alley. My mother suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was hospitalized. She emptied all the family's savings and owed a large amount of foreign debt. Her father died young, and she had just graduated from college. She had no background or experience. The resume she submitted came to nothing. Her only hope was the publishing house where she interviewed this afternoon. But at the end of the interview, the interviewer's hesitant look made her feel unsure.
