The old vendor watched her, "Why not a little of both? A bite of each, one after the other," he suggested.
"Mmm, yes!" Zhenxi beamed at the suggestion, her earlier dilemma resolved by this sage counsel.
She took an experimental lick from the vanilla cone, her face lighting up with delight. "Delicious!"
As she alternated between the two flavors, her joy was infectious, drawing smiles from passing pedestrians who momentarily forgot the morning rush.
They watched as this small girl, in her soiled lavender dress, found a paradise in her ice cream, her happiness a balm to the hurried souls around her.
The vendor leaned casually against his cart, his experienced eyes watching the young girl's delight in her ice creams.
As the moment extended, a thoughtful look crossed his face, and finally, he broke the comfortable silence. "Kid, are you lost? How about following this old man...?" he ventured with a gentle tone.
