They continued walking for quite a while in the specified direction. Along the way, Clara unexpectedly spotted a few cotton plants that had just started flowering. She was familiar with cotton since many families in her hometown grew it. She dug up the few plants she found, but it was unfortunate that there were only a few.
She decided to look for more later. Finding a large patch of cotton would be more fulfilling, allowing them to make cotton quilts for winter.
"Mateo, how do you guys endure winter here?" Clara's hometown experienced snowy winters, and it was tough without air conditioning. Her worry was always for her grandmother, who might struggle through the winter without it. She wondered if winters here were similarly hard.
Thinking about winter, Mateo shivered and said solemnly, "Very cold! Many people freeze to death in winter. Don't worry, Cla. I'm here for you in winter."