人间自有真情在：超市偶遇，陌生人暖心之举

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 heads 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 included the cheapest cuts of meat and some things like rice and potatoes. There were also a lot of noodles. Day-old bread, inexpensive soap, tissues on sale-well, almost. In a far corner sat a little toy and a pretty dress that was 50 per cent 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 am 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 have become so experience, 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.

When the woman was told the cost, her face paled. Gazing at the items she needed to pay for one by one, the woman could hardly help frowning a little and shaking her head, as if unsure which one was the least significant. Meanwhile, people behind us grew impatient, coughing and stamping their feet to imply that she should hurry. Eventually, she had no choice but to remove the toy and the dress from her cart, leaving only enough money to cover the remaining items. Genuine sympathy was evident on my face, compelling me to offer assistance. I approached the cashier and whispered, 'Include her removed items in my bill, please!' Immediately, I took out money from my purse and handed it to the cashier. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her stunned expression, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. As I left the store and walked a little further away, I felt a gentle pat on my shoulder. It was the young woman, tears welling up in her eyes. 'Thank you for buying the toy and the dress. They are for my daughter, whose birthday is tomorrow.' In that moment, I had a profound realization. Even a small act of kindness can make a difference.