“I’m sure!” Vera pulled Charlie onto the cobblestone bridge. In the center of the bridge, she pointed to a chipped bluestone slab and told Charlie, “This damaged piece was caused by a frightened horse. Its owner was a stonemason who came to deliver two stone sculptures to the new mansion of the chieftain of Stoneridge. The horse had some difficulty crossing this cobblestone bridge, so the stonemason whipped it harshly. The horse got anxious, slipped, almost fell down, and then struggled forward as if crazy, overturning the cart it was dragging. One of the stone sculptures smashed into this bluestone slab, leaving this chip here.”
As she spoke, Vera continued, “Coincidentally, I accompanied my grandfather from Digerro town that day to congratulate the chieftain here. So, I happened to witness the entire incident of the horse causing trouble at the bridge.”
As Charlie listened to her description, he couldn't help but imagine the scene she described.
At that moment, a girl about seven or eight years old wearing a traditional outfit came bouncing onto the bridge with a candy apple in her hand with small steps. Her mother followed closely behind, taking photos of her with her phone, while her father carried two bags and held two drinks as he followed them leisurely.
Vera's eyes followed the little girl's movements, and a smile appeared on her face involuntarily. She said to Charlie, “Back then, I was even younger than her.”
Vera winked at Charlie playfully, then continued, “But the clothes I wore back then were prettier than hers. The traditional outfit my grandmother embroidered for me was one of a kind in the whole of Yorkshire Hill. It’s unlike the traditional outfits worn by young girls now. Most of them look nothing like the real thing, lacking the charm of a true traditional outfit.”
Charlie recalled seeing Vera in her exquisite traditional outfit in Northern Europe, and he couldn't help but ask her curiously, “Where did you buy the clothes you wore that day in Northern Europe?”
Vera blushed, then smiled and replied, “The first time we met, I wore a Western-style embroidered dress that I made myself. I learned my embroidery skills from my grandmother, but she passed away early, so I only mastered about sixty or seventy percent of her skills.”
For the next few hours, Charlie accompanied Vera as they toured the town. After Vera had enough, the two of them went to an outdoor equipment store and purchased the camping gear they needed.


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