The bone-chilling coldness still clung to Joey like a tenacious leech. He felt like a beast abandoned in an ice cellar, his body stiff and unable to move, his consciousness flickering like a candle in the wind. He tried hard to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt like they were filled with lead, too heavy to lift.
He vaguely remembered jumping out of a garbage truck and then hitting his head. After that, he had completely lost his memory. He felt like he was having a long, long dream filled with blood, violence, and fear. Those scenes, like countless invisible hands, were constantly tearing at his consciousness, making him feel incredibly tired and painful.
He vaguely heard a gentle voice calling to him softly, the voice like a ray of sunshine, piercing through the boundless darkness, bringing him a trace of comfort.
"Are you awake? Are you okay?"
The voice was getting closer and clearer, and Joey felt his consciousness gradually returning. He struggled to open a slit in his eyes and saw a blurry figure. It was a young girl with a simple ponytail, wearing a plain cotton dress, and a gentle smile on her face. Her eyes were bright and clear, like two obsidian stones sparkling, making people feel inexplicably at ease.
This girl was Jane.
Through her blurry vision, Jane saw Joey lying on the ground, covered in dirt, and couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness. She had been selling flowers this morning, and while passing by a small road near Sunset Pier, she had seen him lying on the side of the road.
At that time, Joey's face was pale, his body covered in mud, and his clothes were tattered, making him look very disheveled. His furrowed brows and pained expression made her feel pity. She had originally wanted to simply walk away, but his appearance reminded her of how helpless she had felt when she was sick before.
"Who is this person? Why would he be lying here?" Various guesses floated in Jane's mind. She worried that he might have encountered some mishap, but also felt that she was being nosy. After all, in this day and age, people's hearts were treacherous, and she, a weak woman, should stay away from trouble.
But in the end, kindness prevailed over reason. She tried to lift him up, but found that his weight exceeded her expectations, and she couldn't help him up alone at all. Fortunately, a neighbor she knew from the flower stall, and also her best friend, Steel, happened to be passing by today as well.
Steel was a burly, warm-hearted young man. When he saw Jane's plight, he immediately decided to help carry Joey back to Jane's home in the town.
Jane lived in Sunset Town, a town located near Sunset Pier. It was far from the hustle and bustle of the city, but it had a unique pier culture and breathtaking scenery.
Sunset Town, what a poetic and romantic name! It was like the gentle hometown of the setting sun, a perfect place where dreams and reality intertwine. The town was nestled by Sunset Pier, where fishing boats of all sizes were moored. They gleamed golden in the setting sun, like dancing notes, composing a moving fishing song.
Most of the town's residents were simple and kind fishermen and vendors. They worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, living simple and fulfilling lives. Although they were not rich, they were self-sufficient and lived in peace and contentment.
The people in the town were full of passion for life. Their faces were always full of sincere smiles, and their voices were clear and full of vitality. In the evening, the streets of the town were filled with the sounds of children playing and adults laughing, creating a warm and peaceful scene.
At the pier, fishing boats full of fish and shrimp could often be seen coming ashore. The fishermen would unload their catch and carry it to the market on the shore. The freshly caught fish and shrimp still smelled of the sea, and were the most common delicacies on the tables of the townspeople.
The streets of the town were lined with various small shops, selling seafood, fruits, and handicrafts. When night fell, the streets of the town would light up with lanterns, their light gentle and bright, illuminating the way for every person returning home.
Sunset Town was a place full of human warmth. Here, people helped each other, cared for each other, and jointly protected this warm home.
Jane was born in such a warm town. She grew up living with her grandmother and running a small flower stall. Every day, she would go to the flower market by the pier to buy fresh flowers, and then sell them on the streets of the town. She supported herself and her grandmother with her hard-working hands.
Her home was located in a quiet alley in the west of the town. The exterior walls were a bit mottled, but they were decorated with climbing ivy, making them look vibrant. As soon as one opened the door, they were greeted by a fresh floral scent, the scent of jasmine and daisies she had personally planted in the small courtyard.
The interior space was not large, and the furniture was very simple, but everything was neat and tidy. The old wooden floor was polished to a shine, and stepping on it one could hear a gentle creaking sound, but it felt extremely reassuring. Several simple landscape paintings were hung on the walls. The frames were a bit faded, but they exuded a warm atmosphere of life.
At this moment, her grandmother was not at home, but had gone to the town's pharmacy to get medicine. Her grandmother had always been weak and ill, but she still insisted on doing some tasks that she could manage every day.
She and Steel placed Joey on the bed in the guest room. The guest room had an old wooden bed, a simple wardrobe, and a simple shelf, but the bedding was clean and the quilts were neatly folded.
After Steel took Joey to Jane's home, he said goodbye and left. He instructed Jane to be careful and said that she could look for him anytime she needed help.
Jane wiped the dirt from Joey's face. Her movements were gentle and careful, as if afraid of accidentally hurting him.
She looked at Joey lying on the bed, and more guesses popped up in her mind: "Who exactly is this person? Although his clothes are dirty, the material is very good, he shouldn't be an ordinary person. And he's so good-looking, could he be from a rich family in the city who ran away?"
Jane put her hand on his forehead to test the temperature, and found that his forehead was burning hot. She quickly got up, ready to go to the kitchen to make some fever-reducing medicine.
On the stove in the kitchen was a set of simple ceramic tableware, and a few freshly picked wildflowers were inserted into a glass bottle next to it, adding a touch of life to the simple space. The sunlight outside the window shone through the window, dyeing the room in a soft golden color, making the whole space look warm and comfortable.
Jane grabbed some herbs from a jar, put them into the earthenware pot, and soaked them in water. Then she skillfully lit the stove and slowly simmered the medicine over a low heat. While simmering the medicine, she occasionally stirred the herbs in the pot to make sure they didn't stick to the bottom.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Jane, are you home? I didn't see your flower stall today, and I was a little worried about you, so I came over to see." A kind voice came from outside the door.
Jane got up to open the door and saw that it was Aunt Freya, who lived next door. She was a plump woman with a particularly kind smile, her round face flushed with a rosy complexion, making people feel friendly at first sight. Her eyebrows and eyes were always smiling, and there were some fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes from the passing of time, but this did not affect the warm light shining from her bright eyes.
"Aunt Freya, you're here, please come in and sit down." Jane quickly invited Aunt Freya into the house.
When Aunt Freya saw that there was a strange man lying in Jane's house, a worried look appeared on her face.
"Jane, who is this person? Why is he lying in your house?" Aunt Freya asked with concern.
"I found him by the side of the road this morning, and when I saw that he seemed sick, I brought him back." Jane explained.
"You're such a good child, but the world is so dangerous, you have to be careful." Although worried, Aunt Freya didn't blame Jane, she just instructed her to pay attention to her safety.
"I know, Aunt Freya, thank you for your concern," Jane said gratefully.
"Sigh, you child are just too kind." Aunt Freya sighed and then asked carefully about Joey's situation. She instructed Jane to be careful and said that she could tell her anytime she needed help.
"You go ahead and do what you have to do, I'll go back first." Aunt Freya exchanged a few more pleasantries with Jane and then bid her farewell and left.
After seeing Aunt Freya off, Jane returned to the stove to continue simmering the medicine.
At this time, Jane's grandmother slowly walked back from the pharmacy, carrying a basket filled with various herbs. Her petite figure was slightly hunched over, and although she looked a little old, she walked with a steady pace. She wore a plain dark scarf on her head, and a few strands of gray hair were vaguely visible from the edge of the scarf.
The corners of her grandmother's mouth were always slightly smiling, revealing a few mottled teeth. That smile was filled with an unspeakable kindness and warmth.
"Grandma, you're back?" Jane quickly went up to take the basket and helped her grandmother sit down in a chair.
"I just heard Aunt Freya say that you saved a man who was unconscious?" Her grandmother asked with concern.
"Yes, he looked pitiful, so I brought him back." Jane replied truthfully.
"You child are just too soft-hearted." Her grandmother looked at Jane kindly, her eyes full of affection. Her face was full of wrinkles of varying depths left by the years, and her skin was dark, but it glowed with health. Her eyebrows and eyes carried an innate warmth and kindness. Although her eyes were slightly dim, they still shone with a gentle light, as if they had seen all the storms in the world, but still chose to be gentle.
"It's okay, grandma, you keep an eye on him, I'll go make the medicine." After saying that, Jane focused on the medicine pot.
In his sleep, Joey felt a trace of warmth again. It was a faint herbal scent, and a soft touch. He wanted to open his eyes, but found that his eyelids were too heavy to lift. He could only feel that warmth in his sleep, and in his heart, silently thank this kind girl.