indianbanksassociation Chapter 51 The Figure Waiting in the Early Morning
Chapter 51 The Figure Waiting in the Early Morning
In the early morning in the old street, the mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the bluestone pavement still had a slight chill that made people shiver.
Outside the shop, the steps, which should have been deserted due to the "Closed" sign, were now densely packed with people sitting around.
They were the "rabbit friends" who arrived after Lin Xiaoyu left.
Lu Ming didn't bring his guitar today. He skipped his morning class and huddled in a corner of a stone bench, his hands in his pockets and his nose slightly red from the cold.
Standing next to him was the fat guy who had been complaining in the group chat all night about wanting to eat steamed buns, and the young man who called himself a "night owl" with dark circles under his eyes, but was staring intently at the closed wooden door.
"Brother Lu, aren't we going to knock?" the fat man asked in a low voice, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"I could smell the aroma of scallion oil even through the crack; it was so tempting it made my stomach ache."
Lu Ming turned his head, glared at him, and put his index finger to his lips to make a shushing gesture: "Shh—didn't you see the photos Teacher Xiaoyu posted?"
Chen and his team went to buy goods early in the morning, and before they even had time to eat, they were urged to finish the first batch of goods.
"We've only just had breakfast. If we go in now, won't that put pressure on them? Can't we just let them have a peaceful, hot meal? The owner has it tough."
"Exactly." The young man from the cultivation group nodded, gesturing towards the crack in the door. "Look, Brother Chen is mixing noodles for that young lady. It's so heartwarming. If we barge in now, given Boss Chen's temper, what if he thinks we're a spoilsport and decides to close down tomorrow? Are you going to take responsibility then?"
The fat man shrank his neck and shut his mouth sheepishly.
Thus, an extremely rare sight appeared on the old street: a dozen or so hungry diners stood silently waiting in front of that small shop.
They were all there to spend money, yet no one made a fuss or knocked on the door. Everyone quietly guarded a fragile and precious ritual.
Even if a newly arrived customer tries to ask a question, they are immediately silenced by the glares of these "veterans."
In this silent understanding, time slowly slipped towards nine o'clock.
Chen Feng put down the clean bowl of noodles in his hand, took out a tissue to wipe his mouth, and then carefully wiped the little bit of oil residue left on Mengmeng's lips.
"Qiangzi, that's about right." Chen Feng stood up, patted Zhang Qiang on the shoulder, and said, "It's nine o'clock. Let's open the door. We can start preparing now so we can welcome the next group of people."
"Alright!" Zhang Qiang jumped off the high stool nimbly, still chewing on the last half of a pickled vegetable, and mumbled indistinctly, "I want to see how many hungry wolves will come next."
Chen Feng stepped forward, reached out and pulled open the thick wooden bolt, then yanked the door hinge inward.
"Creak—"
The moment the door opened, Chen Feng, who was ready to welcome the sunshine and fresh air, froze on the spot.
He looked at the large group of people outside the door, at those familiar and unfamiliar faces, at how they all smiled warmly at him the moment they saw him, and his mind went blank for a few seconds, a rare occurrence.
"You guys..." Chen Feng was stunned for a moment, his lips moved a few times, but the "Welcome" he had prepared was forced back into his throat by this situation.
"Good morning, Brother Chen!" Lu Ming was the first to stand up, stretching and joking with a grin.
"Is the noodle soup good? You're eating it so deliciously, we really resisted the urge to go in and disturb you. Aren't we nice of you!"
"That's right, Brother Chen, isn't our sincerity enough? You have to give us a big portion later!" The fat man grinned from the side, and his stomach let out a loud bang at the right time, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
Looking at the group of diners who had waited in the cold wind for half a day without complaint, Chen Feng felt as if someone had stuffed a freshly baked sweet potato into his heart, warm and cozy, even a little hot to the touch.
He quickly realized what was happening, turned to the side, and with a wave of his hand, completely opened both doors.
"Everyone, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Please come in!"
There was no rush as expected, nor any pushing or shoving to grab a spot.
After yesterday's "baptism," the group of diners lined up naturally, as if they had rehearsed, and headed towards the cashier one after another.
At this moment, a busy and serious little figure appeared behind the cashier.
Mengmeng had taken off her pink dress and put on a pink bunny outfit that Chen Feng had specially made for her. It was a little business suit with an apron, and Mengmeng still had two long bunny ears on her head.
Perhaps sensing the large number of people outside, Mengmeng's chubby little face tensed up, her originally plump cheeks puffed out slightly, and her big, round eyes stared intently at the approaching crowd, as if she were conducting some kind of sacred military parade.
"Um... little friend, hello there, I'd like a serving of shredded pork with garlic sauce." The young man who was cultivating immortality walked to the front of the table, his voice, which had been carefully chosen to be gentle, unconsciously lowered, and even carried a hint of "flattery" that he himself was unaware of.
Mengmeng looked up, and although there was still a little nervousness in her eyes, she still imitated Chen Feng's usual manner and asked seriously, "Uncle, one serving costs thirty-eight yuan in total. Please scan here."
After she finished speaking, she pointed precisely to the signboard with the QR code printed on it.
"Okay, all done!" After paying, the young man's heart melted at the sight of Mengmeng working so diligently. He wanted to reach out and rub those two bunny ears, but seeing Mengmeng's "serious" little expression, he didn't dare touch them, and could only roar inwardly:
"My goodness, this little mascot girl! That serious little expression paired with that outfit is just irresistibly cute!"
The diners behind them all had the same "older man, younger woman" mentality – "older man" referring to their mindset, and "younger woman" referring to their almost doting affection for Mengmeng.
Although everyone was very hungry, they behaved with more order in front of this cute pink housekeeper than they would in a company meeting.
In the open kitchen, Xingruo was standing by the sink that used to belong to her.
Through the semi-transparent partition, she could clearly see the scene outside. She watched as Mengmeng, though nervous, was able to handle the adults' requests independently, and saw the adults showing kind smiles to Mengmeng. Xingruo's eyes shone brightly at that moment.
"This adorable little sister is amazing..."
Xingruo silently muttered to herself. Although she was older than Mengmeng, she felt that she was far inferior to that five-year-old girl in terms of being around crowds, even though she was also a very shy little girl.
She turned her head and saw Chen Feng's busy figure in front of the stove. Thinking of the "debts" she had heard about last night, the helplessness and unease of not being able to help gradually transformed into a strong motivation.
"I can't just stand here and watch; I need to get my current tasks done. I need to be faster; I need to help my mentor."
Xingruo gritted her teeth, and her subordinates gradually quickened their pace in processing the black fungus, but she was also very careful.
She followed Chen Feng's example, carefully inspecting the texture of each piece of wood ear fungus to ensure there was no dirt or sand before letting it go.
She wanted to become as capable as Mengmeng, and one day stand outside to shield her master from the noise and clamor, becoming her master's most capable assistant.
Chen Feng stood in front of the stove but did not immediately pick up the sliced meat.
He looked at the diners in the shop, who were sitting and rubbing their hands to warm themselves, and who, despite their exhaustion, were still maintaining order. He turned to Zhang Qiang and said:
"Qiangzi, don't rush to submit the order. First, pour them some hot water. It's chilly in this mountain town in the morning; let them warm up first."
"Okay, all right!" Zhang Qiang picked up the large water jug that had been prepared in advance and quickly moved between the tables and chairs.
Chen Feng then turned around and pulled a huge stainless steel bucket from the cabinet. He didn't start cooking right away, but instead turned on a high flame.
"Qiangzi, they've been waiting for us outside for quite a while. They didn't even knock on the door, just so we could have breakfast in peace."
As Chen Feng spoke, he grabbed three large pieces of old ginger and smashed them instantly with a few "smacks" as the back of the knife vibrated against the cutting board.
"Fengzi, these guys are really something," Zhang Qiang replied as he returned after pouring the water.
"So, we have to be particular too." Chen Feng grabbed a handful of red dates and a whole piece of dark brown sugar and threw them directly into the boiling bucket of water.
He smiled at Xingruo and explained, "Xingruo, the last group was in such a rush that I didn't have time to catch them. This time, we have plenty of time. Since we've received a favor from someone, we should return the favor with a gift. This is called 'repaying a debt of gratitude.'"
Xingruo nodded, seemingly confused.
The aroma of ginger candy quickly filled the kitchen. The spiciness mixed with the sweet fragrance of brown sugar washed over the open kitchen counter like a tide, rushing towards the waiting diners.
Lu Ming smelled the aroma and looked up in surprise: "Brother Chen, this isn't the smell of shredded pork with garlic sauce. Why does it smell like ginger?"
Chen Feng picked up a long-handled spoon and stirred it in the bucket a few times, watching as the brown sugar completely melted and the spiciness of the ginger juice was fully released.
He ladled out the brown sugar ginger soup into individual bowls, and together with Zhang Qiang, they carried it out.
When bowls of piping hot brown sugar ginger soup were served, the atmosphere in the shop instantly reached an unprecedented high.
"Oh, Brother Chen, you're too kind!"
"This soup is just in time; my knees were numb from sitting outside."
"Brother Chen, you're so particular!"
The fat man picked up the bowl and took a big gulp. The feeling of warmth spreading from his throat to his stomach made him feel completely comfortable, and he let out a long "ha".
Seeing everyone's reactions, Chen Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the bowl of prepared ingredients.
"Xingruo, now it's time for us to officially 'open fire'."