When Juhua saw he was indeed wearing a pair of worn-out, unlined shoes, she also took off her cotton-padded shoes and changed into a dilapidated pair of her own. Instantly, the cold, hard soles made her shiver. Steeling herself, she pulled straw sandals on over them, then joined Qingmu under a shared oil-paper umbrella to step out into the flurry of snow.
Qingmu carried Lanzi and held the paper umbrella. Seeing Juhua hunched over and leaning against him, his heart couldn't help but ache. "How about I carry you?" he offered. "It's not far, anyway."
Juhua quickly replied, "Oh, goodness, no! We'd be a laughingstock if anyone saw. Just walk faster. It'll be fine once we get there."
Qingmu had no choice but to quicken his pace. Juhua had no heart for the snowy scenery; she just clutched her brother's sleeve and trudged ahead with her head down, focused only on reaching Mr. Zhou's place so she could change her shoes and catch her breath.
