My hands trembled slightly as I stared at the blisters covering them—painful, itchy, and callused.
A huge pile of freshly washed dishes sat beside me. I was seated at the back of the shop, quietly smoking, watching people come and go in the alley. It felt like I’d been living here forever.
Everything here is free, comfortable, without any restraints. All I need is to make money and keep living—there’s no end point. Except for illness, my body doesn’t seem to age.
Lately, I’ve been wondering what the point of days like these is. Maybe I’m overthinking it. For now, I’m satisfied—the pay is decent, just a bit exhausting each day. I managed a faint smile.
My head was filled with thoughts of my wife. Maybe the only reason I do any of this is because I have a beautiful, loving wife. As long as she’s here, nothing else matters.
I was starting to get used to the work in the shop these past few days. I hadn’t made any big mistakes and rarely got scolded by the boss. But lately, the boss, Lee Gee, seemed troubled. That vicious real estate developer, Redmond, kept coming by, pestering him about selling the property. At first, Lee Gee refused, but now he’s growing indecisive and hesitant.
With the price rising again and again, selling the place would mean Lee Gee could finally stop struggling and live comfortably for years to come.
It was obvious that many people on this street were exhausted, worn down. Even if you love your work, doing the same thing for twenty or thirty years pushes you to the limit. They say Lee Gee has run this shop for over fifty years.
“Ethan Zhang, finish your cigarette and hurry up with those dishes. Clean up the tables.”
Lee Gee’s voice sounded behind me. I stood up, stubbed out the cigarette, and carried a stack of dishes inside. The shop was still packed—it was already ten o’clock, just two more hours until I could go home.
Lee Gee started mixing ingredients and grilling again, but tonight he looked especially heavy-hearted.
Finally, midnight arrived. I was exhausted and starving, just about to leave when Lee Gee stopped me. He closed up the shop, brought out a small brazier, and laid out food and drinks, telling me to sit down.
“What’s wrong, boss?”
“Eat. I need someone to drink with tonight.”
I ate nervously, watching Lee Gee. It looked like he’d finally decided to give up the shop—one and a half million, a huge price. My monthly salary was only three thousand, enough to get by and save a thousand. That money would let Lee Gee, who had no wife or children, live freely for a while.
“I’ve decided to quit, Ethan Zhang.”
Lee Gee drank gloomily and patted me on the shoulder.
“If you’re unhappy, don’t do it.”
Lee Gee nodded and kept drinking. Honestly, his grilled food was always delicious. I’d only tasted it once, a long time ago.
“You’ve been here four or five months now, Ethan Zhang.”
I grunted in response, but in my head I was confused—has it really been that long? I could hardly remember.
“How about I leave the shop to you?”
I had just taken a sip of wine and nearly spat it out, but managed to swallow. I was excited, but also deeply puzzled—what did Lee Gee mean by this?
“I’m just taking a break for now. The shop is yours, just pay me fifty thousand a month in rent. The rest you keep. Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you how to grill and mix ingredients. Interested?”
I immediately nodded in agreement. It was like a pie falling from the sky—this could really improve life for me and Rachel Lan.
“Do your best, Ethan Zhang. You seem honest. Maybe in twenty or thirty years I’ll come back and do this again, but for now I want to see what else is out there for me. I’ve done this too long—it’s getting dull.”
I nodded again.
By the time I got home, it was past one o’clock. I tiptoed inside, careful not to wake Rachel Lan. The place smelled of medicine. As soon as I went upstairs, I saw Rachel Lan asleep on the sofa under a blanket. I walked over and gently patted her face.
“Rach, let me carry you to bed. I’ll shower and join you soon.”
Inside, I was thrilled—I wanted to tell Rachel Lan everything.
The next morning, I told Rachel Lan the incredible news. She hugged me, beaming with joy. Her illness had cleared up and she looked much healthier—Old Cat’s medicine had worked.
I planned to bring him a good bottle of wine in a few days.
“Let me help you out, Qingyuan.”
“The kitchen’s full of smoke and grease. You’re a woman.”
Rachel Lan just murmured and leaned into my arms.
“You handle the heavy work—I’ll take care of the cash and sweep up. That way, we’ll save on hiring help and earn a bit more each month.”
I couldn’t argue with Rachel Lan, so I agreed.
Just as he said last night, Lee Gee started teaching me everything. He put me in charge of the grilling while he watched closely, strict with every step. I practiced over and over. Anything I messed up, I had to eat myself, and the cost was deducted from my pay.
For more than ten days straight, I got up early and worked till late, coming home only to sleep, then heading right back to the barbecue shop.
Lately, I noticed Lee Gee was in good spirits because I was learning quickly. But his complexion was starting to look worse each day.
Tonight, Xu Fu came by the shop for a rare visit and ordered a bunch of food. I got busy grilling for him.
“I hear you’ll be the boss soon, Ethan Zhang. Congratulations, Boss Zhang! When you’re officially in charge, I’ll bring my colleagues from school to support you.”
I thanked him quickly, feeling full of hope.
After hustling for a while, cleaning up several tables, a car pulled up outside. Redmond showed up again, strutting in, and slammed a box down on the table I’d just cleaned.
“Here’s the deal—two million. If you sell, pack up and get out tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll have the place torn down.”
Staring at the pile of cash, I swallowed. Redmond’s secretary, Yuna Ji, giggled and walked over, beckoning me with a finger. I scratched the back of my head, confused.
“Miss, can I help you?”
“Come with me—I’ve got something nice for you.”
As she spoke, Yuna Ji tugged at her shirt, revealing pale skin. I immediately refused.
With a loud smack, a stack of cash landed in front of me—probably ten thousand, three months’ wages.
“Just do me a little favor and the money’s yours.”
I grunted and glanced at Lee Gee. He nodded, so I followed Yuna Ji out of the shop. She led me down the street for a while, and I grew more and more confused—we ended up in an alley.
“Miss Ji, what exactly...”
Suddenly, Yuna Ji leaned against the wall, looking surprised. Then she grabbed my head with both hands and twisted it back and forth.
“What are you doing?”
I immediately pushed Yuna Ji’s hands away. She sighed helplessly.
“You really don’t remember who I am, Ethan Zhang.”
“Have we met before, Miss Ji? I don’t know what you want, but someone like me—poor—couldn’t possibly know you...”
Suddenly, Yuna Ji clamped her hand over my mouth, her eyes serious as she stared outside the alley. After a while, I felt a sharp pain in my neck. I pushed Yuna Ji away and realized I was bleeding. I glared at her angrily.
“You really are a blockhead, Ethan Zhang! Hurry up and remember, damn it.”
Yuna Ji was frantic, pacing back and forth. The rest was unpleasant—I returned to the shop, and Redmond actually handed me ten thousand. I stared in disbelief as the two of them left.
I didn’t tell Lee Gee what happened—honestly, I couldn’t make sense of it myself.
“Go home, Ethan Zhang. The day after tomorrow, I’ll be gone. Time to change the sign to Zhang’s.”
“Thank you, boss.”
I bowed respectfully.
Back in the slums, I bumped into a guy head-on. I jumped, clutching my pocket. It was my cousin, Zhang Hao. I never really understood why he was my cousin.
“Hey, it’s my little cousin! Off work already? Come have a drink with me?”
I shook my head. Zhang Hao’s eyes stayed glued to my pocket. He was notorious around here for loafing and wasting time, but for some reason he was popular with girls. He had one bad habit though—always borrowing money. I’d lent him plenty, but he’d never paid me back.
“Little cousin, I’m a bit short on cash lately...”
“Forget it.”