In summer afternoons, the asphalt pavement seems to flow out under the bright sun. Minh – a truck driver carrying goods from Hanoi to his hometown – turned on the air conditioner as much as possible but still felt hot. On the national highway, the traffic gradually thinned, only the steady sound of the engine and the sound of the wind whistling through the door gap.

Suddenly, far away on the side of the road, Minh saw an old woman in her 70s, with her back cuffed, wearing a torn hat, and carrying a heavy cloth bag in her hand. Her steps were slow, seemingly tired.

Minh lowered the gas and pulled over:
“Grandpa, why are you walking alone in such a sunny day? I got into the car and drove a section to cool down.

The old lady hesitated a little and nodded, her eyes shining with gratitude. Minh stepped down to help her climb into the cabin. The cool air conditioning made her breathe a sigh of relief.

The wheelchair, the old woman said that she had just gotten off the bus, abandoned nearly 5 kilometers from home. Not wanting to bother anyone, she planned to walk home. Minh smiled as he listened, feeling relieved that he had done a good job.

Less than 10 minutes later, when the car drove through the empty road, the old woman frowned, took a deep breath and said:
“Uncle, I smell a burning smell… like the smell of burning wires or rubber.

Minh was startled for a moment. His nose was familiar with the smell of engine oil, but it really smelled strange. He hurriedly slowed down, pulled over to the side, and opened the door to check.

As soon as he walked out, Minh saw thin smoke coming from the left rear wheel socket. Bending closer, he found that the tire was abnormally inflated, the rubber trough was hot – just a few more kilometers at high speed and it could explode. Not to mention, a nearby piece of electrical wire was rubbed against the frame, the shell was scorched, just about to touch the metal and create a spark.

If the old lady did not remind her, Minh would definitely continue to run through the pass in front of her – where the slope and sharp corners were turned. At that time, as long as the tire explodes or an electric short is inserted into the engine oil, the consequences will be unpredictable.

He sighed, his heart still beating fast:
“Grandpa… Fortunately, he smelled it. Else… I don’t know what happened anymore.

The old lady smiled kindly:
“I’m old, my nose is very sensitive, and I know strange smells right away.

Fortunately, there is a small car repair shop nearby. Minh called and asked them to bring their tools. While waiting, the old lady took out a bottle of filtered water from her pocket and handed it to him:
“Drink it, it’s easy to get tired in this heat.

Minh picked it up, his heart surged with gratitude mixed with respect. He thought he was simply helping the old lady to go and ask for help, but he didn’t expect that she herself would save his life.

After nearly an hour, the car was patched tires, replaced wires and rechecked the system. Minh drove the old woman to the end of the alley. Before getting out of the car, she put a few peaches in his hand in a cloth bag:
“From the farmer, not much, but heart. You took it for me.

Minh initially refused, but the old woman insisted. He accepted, laughing and feeling a warmth spread throughout his body.

That afternoon, when the car stopped on the road, Minh thought about her words:
“Sometimes, helping others is also helping yourself.

And he knew, from now on, whenever he saw someone in need of help on the road, he would never hesitate.