"It's ready, Qingyuan. Try it on."
I was busy marinating food when Rachel Lan and Sylvia Blue walked into the shop, carrying a pale yellow pouch embroidered with beautiful blue patterns. I stood up, and after Rachel Lan put it on me, she tucked it into my chest.
"Thank you, Rachel."
A week had passed, and I was feeling much better. Every day, when I wasn't busy, Rachel Lan and Sylvia Blue would drag me out shopping with them.
I hadn't opened the shop for days. Some old customers saw me open the door and came in, saying they'd be back tonight to hang out. I planned to open two hours early and prepared plenty of food.
"Sylvia, these vegetables aren't washed properly. Look, there's still dirt on them."
"What's the problem? It'll be the same once it's in your stomach. It's not a big deal."
At that moment, Rachel Lan grabbed Sylvia's hand and pulled her over, teaching her how to wash the vegetables. I shook my head helplessly; maybe this was a good experience for Sylvia. She protested at first, but soon sat obediently next to Rachel, continuing to wash.
"We're out of seasoning. I'll go buy some. Come with me, Qingyuan. Tell me again what you need."
I wiped my hands and followed Heavenly Soul out of the shop.
After a while, Heavenly Soul and I arrived at a back alley lined with shops selling spices. As soon as we approached, several shop owners greeted us. I noticed that the door of the Spicy Flavor Shop was tightly locked. I always bought chili powder from Mr. Woo there because he was meticulous—he ground the chili peppers thoroughly and stored them with care, so the powder was always dry.
"Where's Mr. Woo?"
I asked, and the owner of the neighboring sauce shop shook his head and sighed.
"He caught the Stilled and was taken away."
My heart tightened, and I blinked in disbelief. Mr. Woo was always cheerful and never showed any sign of illness. For these synthetic humans, once their emotions collapsed and they suffered the Stilled, it was as good as death—irreversible. I had asked the Sleeper about it; he said there was no way to recover. When Boss Li entrusted his shop to me, it was the same. Even if you restore them, you can only implant similar memories, but they are no longer the same person. Everything from the past is wiped away.
I stood quietly at the shop entrance. At that moment, Mr. Sun came over, unlocked the door, and smiled at me.
"Boss Chang, before Mr. Woo left, he gave me the key. You come by every few days to buy chili powder, so he already prepared some for you. He said this would be the last time, and it's free for you."
Eyes wide, I looked inside the shop. Two large glass jars were filled with chili powder; everything else was gone. According to Mr. Sun, Mr. Woo knew he would soon lose consciousness, so he gave away everything in his shop to the neighbors.
Carrying the big jar, I walked down the street, feeling empty inside and somewhat uncomfortable.
"It seems everyone here has their own troubles. After all, they're real people. No matter where or when, people are always like this—troubles never end."