bookmarkrole Chapter 109 What makes Old Liu so special?
Chapter 109 What makes Old Liu so special?
Old Liu's right hand, stuffed in his pocket, had his fingertips digging into the seams of the paper package.
If he just put a little more force into the soft kraft paper with his fingernail, it would definitely break, and the powdery substance inside, enough to tear one's intestines, would fall out.
He stared intently at the bowl of freshly cooked braised pork in front of him.
The bright red sauce was still bubbling away, and the pork skin trembled slightly, reflecting a cruelly alluring color under the warm yellow light.
Old Liu's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, his left hand gripping the edge of the table tightly.
As long as I sprinkle it in, eat it all, and make a fuss, my noodle shop will be saved...
Just as his thumb was poised to tear open the paper package, a very faint, pattering footstep came jogging along the slightly noisy shop floor and stopped beside his bench.
Old Liu froze instantly, his hand, which was hidden in his pocket, frozen in place.
He turned his head away somewhat flusteredly and mechanically.
There stood Mengmeng, with her hair in two topknots and wearing overalls with a small floral print, standing beside him, her short legs dangling.
The little girl held a pink tissue with pink bunnies printed on the edge carefully in her two hands.
She was looking up with her chubby little face upturned, her big eyes so clear and pure, staring intently at Old Liu.
Old Liu's fleshy and gloomy face shrank back somewhat awkwardly the moment he met those eyes.
"Uncle, wipe your sweat."
Mengmeng took a small step forward, and carefully handed the little rabbit tissue forward with her two small hands, finally laying it flat next to Lao Liu's withered left hand.
The little girl's voice was soft and delicate, with the unique babyishness of a child, but it was like a heavy hammer that slammed into Old Liu's forehead.
Old Liu stammered, his left hand awkwardly pulling back: "I...I'm not hot..."
"Uncle, you're lying. There's such a big water droplet on your forehead, it's about to fall into the bowl!"
Mengmeng pointed to her forehead with her little finger, then sighed like a little adult, put her little hands behind her back, and shook her little head.
"Dad said that the sun is strong outside today, and all the guests who came in to eat must be tired."
Uncle, please eat quickly. The meat Dad made is piping hot and sweet.
Dad also said that as long as you have a hot meal, you don't have to worry about anything in the world!
Mengmeng tilted her head and gave Lao Liu a sweet smile, her little dimples filled with the purest sunlight in the world.
After saying that, she turned around and skipped away towards the kitchen, calling out in her childish voice:
"Daddy! Mengmeng wiped the guests' sweat! Isn't Mengmeng a good girl!"
"Good girl, Mengmeng is the best. Daddy will give Mengmeng a little red flower to stick on her later." Chen Feng's smiling voice came from the kitchen.
Old Liu sat on the bench, completely frozen in place, unable to move.
His gaze slowly moved down and landed on the tissue with a pink bunny printed on it.
The little rabbit above, which wasn't drawn very elaborately, was grinning, as if it were mocking him, or perhaps looking at him.
The hand clutching the croton powder in his pocket began to tremble uncontrollably.
Old Liu felt that the small paper package was as heavy as a mountain, pressing down on his right arm as if it were about to dislocate.
Clear eyes. The child's eyes were so clean, without a trace of pollution.
Old Liu has lived for over fifty years and has dealt with all sorts of people. He has seen people steal scales, people cheat, and people argue for half an hour on the street over a few dollars.
He thought he had long been used to the harshness and indifference of this world. What's wrong with using some tricks to survive and make money? Isn't that how everyone has been through it?
But he happened to meet a pair of eyes that looked exactly like those.
"I'm a beast... How could I do something so destructive to my lineage in front of my child..."
Old Liu let out a wail in his heart, a sound so hoarse that even he himself found it disgusting.
His right hand clenched tightly in his pocket, using all his strength, but he managed to stuff the packet of croton powder back into the deepest part of his pocket.
When he pulled his hand out of his pocket, his palm was empty.
Old Liu lowered his head weakly and picked up the pair of wooden chopsticks on the table with trembling hands.
He shakily picked up the top square piece of pork belly, his hands trembling violently.
Old Liu opened his mouth and stuffed the piece of meat into it.
The moment he took the first bite, Old Liu completely collapsed.
It didn't have the cheap artificial flavor I expected, nor did it have the lingering bitterness of soy sauce that's always present in hand-pulled noodle stew.
That's the rich flavor from simmering rock sugar and dark soy sauce into the meat.
The fatty meat melted on the tip of my tongue like snow water, sliding down my throat and carrying its warm, sweet flavor all the way into my stomach.
The lean meat is tender and soaks up the broth perfectly, making every bite incredibly delicious.
As Lao Liu chewed, a tear suddenly fell into the bowl of noodles with a "plop".
Having spent most of his life in the catering industry, he knows all too well the culinary skill behind this bowl of meat.
This flavor cannot be achieved with additives; it requires painstaking effort and dedication to simmer and refine.
This tastes amazing.
It's so good that even sitting here, Lao Liu can't muster the energy to be jealous.
They earn money with their skills and cook with a clear conscience. Even a young child knows to care about the people traveling to their shop.
What gives Lao Liu the right?
Why should you resort to such despicable means to ruin someone else's livelihood just because your own business is not doing well?
"Ugh... Ugh..."
Old Liu lowered his head and bit his lip hard to stop himself from crying.
He lowered his head so low it was almost touching the rim of the bowl, and with a spoon in his right hand, he frantically stuffed braised pork and rice mixed with broth into his mouth.
He didn't even savor the taste of the meat that followed; he just mechanically swallowed, gulping down his tears, snot, and the cleanest, warmest bowl of braised pork.
It was a taste mixed with shame, despair, and emotion, stuck in his throat, burning him to the core.
"Uncle, would you like more rice? We have unlimited rice here."
Su Chen's voice came from across the aisle, and he was holding a wooden bucket full of white rice.
Old Liu suddenly woke up with a start. He didn't even dare to lift his head. He waved his hand in a panic and mumbled indistinctly, "No...no need, I'm full."
After saying that, Old Liu suddenly stood up, and the bench behind him made a jarring creaking sound on the ground.
He didn't dare look at Su Chen, shoved the shattered phone haphazardly into his pocket, and rushed out towards the wooden door with his head down.
Because he was in such a hurry, he tripped hard as he stepped out of the door, staggering half a step and looking extremely disheveled.
On the dimly lit table where he had just sat, an old blue cloth bag with frayed edges lay quietly at the far end of the chair, looking all alone in the warm yellow light.