Chapter 218: Frustrated

Chapter 218: Chapter 218: Frustrated

"How strange. Brother, Sister-in-law, have you two noticed that the front of our shop has been exceptionally clean these past few days? And this door panel." It was barely dawn. Zhang Minzhen and her sister-in-law, Lin Qin, got off the electric tricycle Zhang Wei Qiang was driving. She carefully inspected their surroundings, then ran a hand over the door panel, feeling that it was still damp. A look of confusion crossed her face. "Someone must have washed this early this morning. Who could it be? Why would someone be so kind as to do this for us?"

"Right? And Little Sis, look up at the sign—hasn’t it been polished extra bright, too? I’ve been puzzling over it for ages but can’t make heads or tails of it. It’s so strange." Lin Qin looked up as well, pointing to the sign for Zhang Minzhen. "Mom and Dad were muttering about it yesterday. If it had been just a day or two, that’d be one thing, but it’s been five or six days like this. You just can’t figure it out."

"If you can’t figure it out, then don’t. Let’s open the door first. We still need to hurry and move all this inside so I can make another run." Zhang Wei Qiang got off the electric tricycle. "I’ll just come a bit earlier tomorrow and see what’s going on. Isn’t all this guessing back and forth just annoying?"

"Mmm, it’d be good to see who’s playing Good Samaritan. Otherwise, letting someone work for us for free without knowing why... it just doesn’t sit right, you know?" Zhang Minzhen nodded in agreement.

"Exactly," Lin Qin agreed with a nod.

「Early the next morning.」

"Brother, did you see anyone?" Zhang Minzhen looked up and asked as Zhang Wei Qiang returned. She was busy helping load steamer baskets onto the electric tricycle’s cargo bed.

"Yeah, did you see who it was?" Zhang Dazhuang, Wen Xiu, and Lin Qin all turned their attention to him.

"I was too late, didn’t see anyone." Zhang Wei Qiang shook his head. While parking the tricycle, he added with determination, "I’ll go even earlier tomorrow. I refuse to believe I can’t find out who it is!"

"Haha, the person is coming to do a good deed. Don’t act like you’re hunting someone down." Lin Qin couldn’t help but laugh at Zhang Wei Qiang’s fierce expression.

"That’s right. They’re doing something nice for us, we should be thanking them. Don’t you go scaring them away with that look on your face," Wen Xiu added with a laugh.

Their comments made Zhang Wei Qiang laugh too. "Ma, you think I don’t know that? As if I’d actually go and scare them."

The next day, Zhang Wei Qiang got up extra early. Arriving at the shop to find it had not yet been swept, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He hid the tricycle he’d ridden over, then concealed himself and waited. He didn’t have to wait long before he was astonished to see a short, young beggar run up to the entrance of Zhang’s Bun Shop, carrying a broken bucket, a tattered rag, and a broom so worn it was nearly bald. The boy first glanced around furtively, like a thief. Once he was sure no one was watching, he started by sweeping the ground. Then, he wrung out the rag and began wiping the door panels. He was meticulous, not even sparing the hard-to-reach places high on the door or the shop sign above it all. For the highest spots, he tied the rag to the broom handle to scrub them, then took it down, rinsed it, and tied it back on to continue. Only when everything was spotless did he gather his things and leave without looking back.

Zhang Wei Qiang didn’t startle the boy. Instead, he followed him all the way to the river outside of town. He watched as the boy washed his rag and bucket downstream, then entered a nearby abandoned bridge culvert. The entrance was blocked by a makeshift screen of tattered cloth, old fertilizer sacks, and branches. Only after the boy went inside and didn’t come back out did Zhang Wei Qiang finally appear.

Walking into the culvert, Zhang Wei Qiang saw the young beggar curled up in a nest piled high with all sorts of rags, old clothes, and torn sacks. The rest of his worldly possessions were laid out on the ground—a broken pot, a chipped bowl, a pair of chopsticks made from peeled twigs, and the very same broken bucket, worn-out broom, and tattered rag. His expression grew heavy. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at the young beggar and asked, "Why?"

"’Why’ what? Who are you? I don’t know you." The moment Zhang Wei Qiang pushed aside the cloth at the entrance and stepped in, just from the sight of the tips of his leather shoes, Luo Xiaohu had already guessed the man’s identity. ’This is the inevitable consequence of what I’ve been doing these past few days,’ he thought. ’Now’s the crucial moment. It’s all or nothing.’

He didn’t even dare to take a deep breath, but luckily he had been rehearsing this moment in his head for days. He remembered his boss saying that Zhang Wei Qiang was a martial artist, and that people with real Kung Fu can’t stand cowards.

’So, I can’t seem too weak or timid. Besides, we might end up living together for a long time. People who’ve trained in martial arts are sharp observers. To avoid raising suspicion, my best bet is to just be myself.’ In an instant, he collected himself, sat up, and stared right back at the man, his gaze wary but not fearful.

"Zhang’s Bun Shop." Zhang Wei Qiang squatted down. He noticed that although everything looked tattered and broken, the place was surprisingly free of the foul odor he’d expected. ’This little guy is actually pretty hygienic,’ he thought. A smile couldn’t help but touch his lips, and he asked again, patiently, "Why? What’s your goal?"

"Who are you? I don’t know you. Why should I tell you? Can’t I do it just because I feel like it?" Luo Xiaohu’s face and tone were thick with defensiveness and a defiant streak.

"You’re quite the interesting character, kid—" Zhang Wei Qiang looked at the young beggar before him with amusement, shaking his head with a sigh. "Zhang’s Bun Shop is my family’s business. You go there every day to help us sweep and wipe down the doors. Why do you think I’m asking?"

"Your family’s? Then how come I’ve never seen you at the shop?" Luo Xiaohu eyed him skeptically, clearly not believing him.

"Haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Come on, come back with me. I’ll treat you to some meat buns." Zhang Wei Qiang saw Luo Xiaohu instinctively gulp when he heard the words "meat buns," but the boy was still clearly on his guard. So, he gave him a look of mock disgust. "What are you afraid of? You’re so scrawny and dried up, there wouldn’t even be a few ounces of meat on you to sell. You think I’d get any satisfaction out of tricking you?"

"..."

Luo Xiaohu stared at Zhang Wei Qiang with pure indignation. ’This guy’s tongue is as sharp as my boss’s!’

"Alright, alright, just come with me. I’m really not a bad guy." Zhang Wei Qiang stood up and, in one motion, pulled Luo Xiaohu out of his nest of rags. He led the boy away with a forcefulness that brooked no further refusal. As they walked, he kept pressing, "I’ve been asking you this whole time. Why won’t you answer?"

"It’s for no reason. It’s just... a kind lady at the shop gave me water to drink, helped me wash my hands, and gave me meat buns, congee, and two eggs." As Luo Xiaohu thought of Zhang Minzhen, a wave of warmth spread through his heart. Suddenly, in that moment, he felt like what he was doing was no different from deceiving her. A pang of guilt made him feel awful, and he lowered his head, his voice shrinking to a mumble.

"Just for that?" Zhang Wei Qiang had seen the change in Luo Xiaohu’s expression. He raised an eyebrow, growing suspicious of the boy before him.

"Mhm." Luo Xiaohu nodded, head still bowed, feeling even worse. He completely forgot the answer he had prepared and subconsciously blurted out, "That lady was good to me... she even told me to wash my hands. Ever since my mom... no one else has ever cared whether my hands were clean before I ate..." He suddenly realized he’d misspoken. How could he have been so foolish as to say what he was really thinking? He froze, mouth agape, before clamping it shut, his lips pressed into a tight line.

"..."

Zhang Wei Qiang looked at Luo Xiaohu, whose head was still bowed, looking utterly miserable from every angle. Suddenly, for some reason, his own eyes grew moist. He paused for a long time before finally speaking, his voice a bit hoarse. "How old are you? Where are you from?"

Luo Xiaohu was already dejected, feeling he had given the wrong answer. Now that Zhang Wei Qiang was asking a different question, it felt like he wouldn’t even have a chance to fix his mistake. Despair washed over him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, wanting to say something but holding back. Finally, he gave up, dejected. In a listless voice, he answered the questions truthfully, one by one.

Besides, he had never planned on lying about his identity in the first place. That was something you couldn’t lie about anyway.