I once lost my wallet while skiing in Switzerland, and rolled down the cliff together with my credit card that had been placed separately. In the end, I only had some U.S. dollars left with me, but it was Christmas and I couldn't find any place to exchange for euros (I thought this situation might last until New Year's Eve).

I took the EU train pass to Vienna, then to the village of Hallstatt, where I checked into a hotel I had booked in advance, and wrote weekly diaries and drew architectural sketches every day. Heavy snow closed the mountains, and in the end I had no money for food. I was cold and hungry, and I didn’t even have the courage to go downstairs.

One day, the heating in the house was too high. When I went downstairs to take a breath, I saw a few people who looked like Chinese uncles standing on the pier by the lake. They looked at me from a distance, and I looked at them too, and got closer. Only then did I realize they were speaking Shaanxi dialect. So I took the initiative to go up and talk, saying that I heard that you were fellow villagers, why did you come here to play in the cold weather? They seemed startled and said that they were a motorcycle team traveling together in Europe. They had just been betting on each other whether I was Japanese or Korean. Unexpectedly, I came here speaking Xi'an dialect. I couldn't laugh or cry. While chatting and laughing, we talked about my current predicament, being trapped in the mountains and unable to move. They said happily, otherwise we can pool a few dozen yuan each to help her. Then I watched a few people take out some fifty and twenty from their wallets and place them in front of me. At that moment, I really experienced the legendary "warmth" and the feeling of being given a lifeline at a critical moment.

I declined out of politeness. They said there was nothing they could do to help me and I was about to go to the next city, so they could only give me money to help me. It was a piece of cake.

The money given to me by a few strangers was enough for me to live in Europe for a long time. I still remember this incident until now. Although I have not found a way to pay them back, I have been trying to pass on this kindness to other strangers on the road.

I have also encountered other strangers lending a helping hand in various difficulties, ranging from the red potion given by an American couple on the roof of Tel Aviv, to a few cups of hot tea in Tasmania, to the big ones in Russia The couple pretended to be my friends and took me away from Jordanian profiteers. When we were crossing the rainforest, the German guy gave me his sleeping bag.

Sometimes it is not necessarily financial assistance that gives people warmth. There is also the transmission of language, guidance, books, art, and experience. I think this is the best way to let kindness flow.