The two elderly people sprinkled soil over the petals together.
Soon, the hole they had dug with their own hands was filled in again by those same hands.
The old woman raised her head.
Sparse branches and flowers reflected in her eyes.
A few rays of sunlight fell through.
They only made the flowers' decay stand out more.
The old woman's lips were clearly pressed together.
Yet Xiao Xiao suddenly felt he could hear the old woman sigh.
So faint.
So soft.
The wind blew, and it vanished without a trace.
"Grandpa, wait a moment. Let me help Grandma up first."
Seeing the two elderly people start to rise, Xiao Xiao spoke before they could.
Even young people needed to be careful of dizziness when standing up after squatting for a long time.
Let alone the elderly.
Xiao Xiao's gaze swept over the two old people's faces.
The neighbor's words from earlier came back to him.
These two elderly people had only just passed fifty.
But their heads of white hair, the wrinkles on their faces...
And the cloudiness in their eyes, the air of twilight around them...
They really didn't look like they were only just over fifty.
Xiao Xiao helped the old woman and then the old man to their feet.
He helped them sit down on the chairs in the courtyard.
The old woman pressed a hand to her forehead.
She hadn't felt anything while crouching.
But after standing up, her vision had gone blurry.
If this young man hadn't steadied her, she might have fallen again.
Even now, she still felt a little dizzy.
The old man sat expressionlessly.
He seemed perfectly fine.
But the hand gripping his cane had clearly tightened.
The veins on the back of his hand stood