赵晓慧的丈夫那日卖红薯回来，便生病了，那几日天气阴寒，他冒雪出门，披雪归来，病来如山倒，进屋后便倒地不起。已经躺在床上三天了。

家里米缸空了，赵晓慧一早起来，看了眼床上的丈夫，便去地窖里搬了几框红薯，骑着三轮车就出门了。

从山村到镇上，要骑约一个小时的车。连日的雪，使得道路非常湿滑，她小心翼翼的骑着，这是她第一次出门摆摊，以前都是她丈夫去卖。

赵晓慧和丈夫都年过半百了，几个子女都外出打工，常年不在家。赵晓慧一辈子都生活在这个山村里，镇上也就逢年过节时去几次，繁华的小镇让她感觉恐惧，她裹着厚厚的头巾，骑到了一个小区的门口。依着一个卖菜的老人，她摆开了一切货物。

枯黄的脸，一看就是个朴实无华的乡村妇女，没有背景，没有钱财，只有她的红薯。她默默无言，也不说什么，把红薯往旁边拢了一拢。她不像其他几个卖菜的人那么巧言滑舌，她安静地等待客人自己来挑选。

可奇怪的是，不知怎样连续半天都没有卖掉一个红薯。她有点焦躁，看着小区里车来人往热闹，而身旁卖菜老人的忙碌身影，以及自己的摊前冷清清，她失落地叹气。这时，有个中年男子戴着头盔，在她的面前问：“这红薯怎么买？”

Zhao Xiao Hui's husband was sick after selling potatoes. For several days, the weather was cold and snowy. He went out in the snow, but came back with a serious illness that left him bedridden for three days.

At home, there was no rice left. Zhao Xiao Hui got up early to look at her husband on the bed and then went down to the cellar to fetch some potatoes before riding off on her tricycle.

The road from the village to town took about an hour. The continuous snow made the roads very slippery, and she rode carefully - this was her first time going out to sell potatoes; before that, it had always been her husband who did so.

Zhao Xiao Hui and her husband were both over fifty years old; their children worked outside all year round. Zhao Xiao Hui had lived in this mountain village all her life; she only went to town a few times during festivals because she felt scared of its hustle and bustle. She wore a thick headscarf as she arrived at one small community entrance beside a vegetable seller where she set up shop.

Her face was dry and rough-looking like any ordinary rural woman without background or wealth - just plain red potatoes. She didn't speak much nor say anything as she gathered some of those around into one corner quietly while waiting for customers themselves come forward choosing what they wanted.

However strangely enough, no matter how hard it tried half-day long since not even sold one potato yet! Frustrated now looking at bustling people coming & going inside this housing estate area nearby another vendor busy working around his stall by side hers…her stand remained quiet & empty still sighing dejectedly...then suddenly appeared an older man wearing helmet asking “How do I buy these red potatoes?”