By Lu Jiang, Junior Reporter
Grocery shopping is always on my weekly schedules.
As an international student with little income, being thrifty and making sure every penny is spent where it counts the most have become required skills. That’s why I always stop by the clearance section to see if there’s anything useful at a discount.
Yesterday was another shopping day.
Near the spice aisle, a small clearance shelf caught my eye — it had brown sugar on it.
In Chinese tradition, brown sugar is believed to be good for women’s health. I’ve never really studied where that idea comes from or whether it has scientific support, but it’s something most Chinese women do — especially during their menstrual period or after childbirth — because it’s said to “replenish the blood.”
I’d never bought brown sugar in Canada before. It’s not exactly a necessity for me.
But since it was on sale, I started hesitating.
I kept staring at the brown sugar, debating whether I should spend those three dollars.
Just then, an elderly lady standing nearby noticed me. She was also looking at the same shelf.
Seeing my eyes fixed on the brown sugar, she said warmly: “This is brown sugar. It’s good for you—you should have more of it.”
I was surprised. I didn’t expect people beyond China to say that.
I nodded politely, “Yes, yes.”
But she continued, very seriously, “You should buy it. It’s really good for you. I drink it often.”
She didn’t seem like she was just making small talk, so I became curious.
“Does it taste good?” I asked.
She paused, thinking hard. “Well… not exactly good. It’s just — how should I put it — it’s sugar.”
I understood and said, “So, it’s just sweet, right?”
“Yes, just sweet,” she said, “but it’s good for your health.”
I smiled. “Yes, that’s what I believe too.”
Maybe happy to have someone to chat with, she then pointed to the nearby canned fruit section and said, “These are on sale too. You should buy some. It’s all fruit.”
“Canned fruit?” I thought to myself. There were discounted fresh apples and oranges right beside us — why would I buy canned ones?
Thinking I didn’t understand her, she explained again, “They’re delicious. You can make a salad with them.”
I asked, “Just open the can and mix with dressing?”
She said, “You don’t even need dressing — you can mix them with fresh fruits and vegetables.”
I thought again: why not just use the fresh ones directly?
Seeing me hesitate, she added, “You should buy them — they’re good for your skin. I eat them all the time.”
I looked up at her. Her skin really did look great. So I complimented her, and she accepted it naturally.
Then she said, “I have two younger sisters. One is 91, and the other a little younger. The 91-year-old never uses any lotion, while the other one is very particular about skincare. But in the end, their skin is just as good. As for me, I eat fruits and vegetables — and my skin’s good too.”
I was genuinely amazed. If her younger sister is 91, that means she must be in her 90s as well or even over 100.
I started complimenting her more sincerely. Her skin was firm, her face unspotted, her mind sharp, and she walked steadily.
She told me she bought the canned fruit for a family party — they were going to celebrate a holiday together. She went on to tell me stories about her family. One of her sisters married an Indigenous man, and their children, she said proudly, all have beautiful skin. She even explained to me what “Indigenous” means.
So there we were — two strangers at a supermarket shelf — chatting for nearly half an hour.
As I left, I couldn’t help thinking of my grandmother.