"Hurry up, hurry up! We still need 200 more dumpling wrappers. What are you dawdling for? The customers will be here any minute. If you don't pick up the pace, I'm not giving you leave!"
After they shouted, a deep, short reply came from inside, "Okay, I got it."
Zeng Hui didn't pay it any mind and continued eating. Halfway through, the kitchen, which had quieted down, suddenly heard the sound of a heavy object falling. Immediately after, there was a chain reaction of falling objects.
The boss and his wife cried out.
"Ow, you're going to die! Can't you watch where you're going? You spilled it all!"
"Ow, you're really going to die! Pick it up quickly! The customers will be here soon. You, I'm truly fed up with you!"
The man's voice became even deeper, and he apologized in a hurried tone.
There was a lot of commotion inside. By the time Zeng Hui finished the remaining dumplings, the proprietress finally came out from the back with a grim face.
"I told you not to keep this kind of person here, but you insisted! Bad luck. All day long, just looking at him annoys me!"
Zeng Hui wasn't interested in other people's business. She asked the proprietress where to scan the QR code. The proprietress quickly put on a pleasant expression and pointed her to the counter.
"Finished eating, so quickly. Are you full?"
"Yes, full. It tasted quite good."
"Good that you're full. Welcome to come again next time."
Zeng Hui replied with an "Okay" as she looked down to enter her password.
Just then, that deep voice suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Sister Wang, can I..."
The proprietress's face immediately turned sour again.
"Ow, you still have the nerve to mention it? Look at what you've done back there. Customers will be here soon. What will we do if we don't have enough dumplings to sell!"
"You, all day you only think about your own trivial matters, and you don't consider that besides us, who else would want you? What good will it do you if our business suffers? Do you think you'll have a good life away from us..."
Blah blah blah, the woman chided him incessantly. She pulled some cash from her apron pocket.
Impatiently, she counted out eight hundred yuan in small bills for him.
"Alright, go, go, go! Come back early tomorrow to make up for what you wasted today. You're really so annoying!"
The man was very tall, Zeng Hui estimated about 1.8 meters.
His skin was dark, and his hair was cut very short, almost close to his scalp.
He wore a black sleeveless vest and black trousers, and simple flip-flops on his feet.
Very cheap, very common attire.
But his features were well-defined, and he was very young. His exposed arms were strong and muscular. On his left bicep, there was a winding scar, more than ten centimeters long.
He didn't look like someone to be trifled with.
He was clearly a head taller than the proprietress, so why was he so submissive to her?
Taking the money, the man nodded gratefully to the proprietress again and subconsciously glanced at Zeng Hui before turning to leave.
Only then did Zeng Hui understand.
He was a cripple, his right leg clearly not bearing much weight when he walked.
Perhaps it was due to his physical defect that he had lost half his dignity.
Zeng Hui was staring at him, seemingly curious about him. To attract customers, the proprietress deliberately said to Zeng Hui.
"Look at him, having been to prison and being disabled. Besides kind establishments like ours, who else would take him in?"
"We provide food and drink, and even give him a salary. Yet, all day long, there are so many problems, either asking for leave or messing things up. Oh, we're practically doing charity work."
This man had been to prison?
For others, hearing such a dark past, the first reaction would be to stay away from him.
But Zeng Hui was different. She was currently in need of some unconventional resources.
If he had been to prison, he would surely have connections in that regard.
Judging by his current need for money, if she could get along with him, wouldn't she be able to find someone to help her soon?
Zeng Hui didn't know if the proprietress was doing charity work, but she was certainly drawn to this peculiar man.
While the proprietress was still rambling, Zeng Hui unhurriedly followed him out.
Zeng Hui walked towards the subway, and the man seemed to be heading in the same direction.
Summer had arrived, and the sun was still blazing at a little past five o'clock.
Seeing his muscles glistening in the sun, Zeng Hui felt a sense of powerlessness for him.
"Hey, hello."
After following him for a few minutes, she finally mustered up the courage to walk up to the man and greet him proactively.
Hearing her voice, the man looked down at her with a wary expression.
"Are you calling me?"
"Yes. I just ate at your shop."
"What is it?"
"Nothing much. I just felt that your proprietress spoke quite harshly and wanted to tell you that you don't need to be like her."
Perhaps the man hadn't encountered such obvious kindness in a long time. The way he looked at Zeng Hui clearly changed, and he immediately stopped walking.
"Thank you. Is there anything else?"
Zeng Hui said no. "I'm planning to take a taxi home. You seem to have some difficulty moving, would you like a ride?"
The man replied politely, "No, thank you for your kindness."
Zeng Hui noticed his sensitivity and smiled. "You haven't even said where you're going, what if it's on the way?"
The man said calmly that he was going to the hospital.
Zeng Hui thought of his scattered 800 yuan and her heart stirred.
"What a coincidence, I'm going to the hospital too. Let's go together."
Perhaps it was because her invitation was hard to refuse, or perhaps the man was in a hurry, but he didn't refuse too much and got into the car with Zeng Hui.
In the car, Zeng Hui asked him why he was going to the hospital.
"To see my mother."
"Is Auntie hospitalized? What's wrong?"
"Nothing much, a minor illness." The man didn't want to say more and instead asked her why she was going to the hospital.
Zeng Hui said her stomach was uncomfortable and she was just getting some medicine.
The taxi stopped at the hospital entrance. The man thanked Zeng Hui and hobbled inside.
Zeng Hui ran to a nearby fruit stall and bought some fruit, then went inside to find him.
He walked so slowly that she caught up with him again.
As she walked, seeing Zeng Hui with the fruit approaching him again, the man looked somewhat surprised.
"How could you..."
Zeng Hui said, "It's fate that we met. Since I'm at the hospital anyway, let's go see Auntie."
The man was very surprised.
Zeng Hui was very young. Although her attire was ordinary, upon closer inspection, her features were very立体, and she was physically sound.
Women nowadays were so materialistic and realistic. She should look down on someone like him and even feel ashamed to speak to him for more than a few words. Why was she so enthusiastic?
"Miss, are you..."
Zeng Hui lied, "It's nothing. I have a younger brother who looks a lot like you. Seeing you reminded me of him, but unfortunately..."
"If you feel I'm being too presumptuous, take this and I'll leave."
His appearance was like a light in the dark for the man.
Finally, someone seemed to care about him. How could he bear to let her leave?
The man instinctively reached out and stopped her. "Don't go, I didn't mean that."