As I stood in line waiting to cash out at a “pack your own” kind of store, where customers pack their items by themselves, I stared at the customer in front of me reading the magazines. She was young, but she already had a tired look to her, with head bent forwards—as if life had beaten her down too many times.

Her face looked pale from extreme tiredness. Her winter coat was thin and unbuttoned. The well-worn scarf around her throat probably did little to protect it from the cold weather. Her hands turning a few pages, were rough and red. When I looked down at her boots, I could see a small piece of a clear plastic bag partially visible through a hole in her left boot.

The items in her cart (购物车) included the cheapest cuts of meat and some things like rice and potatoes. There were also lots of noodles. Day-old bread, inexpensive soap, and tissues on sale—well, almost. In a far corner sat a little toy and a pretty dress that was 50 percent off.

She continued to look at the magazines as we waited, and more people lined up behind us. She finally took one out and turned it over several times, trying to find a price before finally turning to me.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” she began in a shy and nervous tone. “But can you tell me how much this is? I forgot my glasses at home.”

“Of course” I said with a smile.

When I finally found the small print and told her, she shook her head and put it back.

“They’ve become so expensive, haven’t they?” I said sympathetically.

“Next!” The cashier called in a gentle voice before she could answer, and she moved forward to begin her transaction(交易)

When told the cost, the woman’s face paled.

I approached the cashier and whispered “Include her removed items in my bill, please.”

Erie raised his daughter Riley alone. One day, Eric noticed a young teenage boy standing in front of a drugstore. He approached him, and found out that the boy wanted to buy medicine for his sick mother, but had no money. The boy cried out, “if I don’t bring home medicine, my mom will die. But I won’t be able to handle it.”

Upon hearing this, Erie didn’t hesitate to pay for the medicine. “I’ll pay for the medicine on his behalf,” he said, handing the pharmacist (药剂师) a couple of bills from his pocket. The boy looked at Erie with grateful eyes, and cried, “Thank you so much. You are heaven-sent.”

“There will always be people willing to help you, son,” Eric told him before handing him two portions of food. “Here, take this to your mom and have a hot meal with her,” he said before letting the boy go.

His daughter Riley saw the whole scene and said, “Dad, we have barely enough money. Why did you pay for the medicine?” “Riley, the good you put out into the world will eventually find its way back to you. Just keep doing good,” Eric told his daughter.

When Riley turned thirty, she needed an operation urgently after being told there was something wrong with her heart. With difficulty breathing, Eric rushed Riley to the hospital in an ambulance. “You’ll be alright, Riley.” he cried. “Don’t worry, Daddy is here. We’ll get through this together,” he promised her.

Eric did try his best to find the money for bis daughter’s operation. He asked all of his friends, but it was still not enough. Therefore, Eric decided to sell their house. It was enough to pay for her operation, but they would be left with nothing, “it’s okay,” he told himself. I will be able to earn money again, but if I lose my daughter, nothing will ever bring her back.”

By the time Erie made it back to the hospital, Riley was in her hospital room, weak and pale. He sat beside her bed and held her hand. “You’ll be okay, my sweet daughter. We’ll soon have the money for the operation,” he promised her.

Para 1: Eric suddenly noticed an envelope on the bed.

Para2: He ran to the doctor’s office and hugged him.