Yushanfang

Chapter 5 Five: The Invisible Contradiction
The shopkeeper sent away a few brawny men who were making trouble, and then his face darkened instantly, "Where is the cook?" She asked with a hint of anger.

The waiter's wee Nuo Nuo bowed his head and dared not speak.

"Come out to pick up things!" There was a shout from outside the restaurant, and for a moment, a fat and honest uncle walked into the hall slowly carrying a large basket of vegetables.

The young man in the hall felt a "thump" in his heart, glanced out of the corner of his eyes, and secretly thought that something was wrong.

Sure enough, the shopkeeper turned around and walked towards the door angrily.

……

The hall was quiet at the moment, and a group of people stood side by side with their heads bowed.

The shopkeeper was sitting on the stool, holding a cup of tea in his hand, with a blank expression on his face, he suddenly asked: "Who is in charge of buying today?"

Lin Xiang looked sideways at the side, the white and tender little girl moved forward a little slowly, lowering her head: "It's me..."

There was a sound of "boom", only to hear the teacup collide violently with the table.

"You are so courageous!" The shopkeeper stood up and reprimanded angrily, pointing at the little girl: "What do you think you are? You can't do your homework well. Could it be that this restaurant can't hold you!?"

Immediately, I heard the little girl sobbing softly.

The shopkeeper moved his fingers and pointed at the white and fat uncle, with a sarcastic smile on his lips: "What do you think you are? Ah?"

"I hired you to cook, not to do chores. You are lucky. You ran away without a trace, and the guests couldn't order a dish. If Lin Xiang was not here today, you would be able to drink the northwest wind tomorrow!" As he said that, the shopkeeper took a few breaths, looking furious.

The uncle hung his head and muttered in his mouth, appearing quite complaining.

"What are you talking about? Speak up!" The shopkeeper's most annoying person said directly.

"If there is no one to buy in the kitchen, and the ingredients are gone, how can I cook... Besides... I didn't do it on purpose... I called a few times and no one answered, so I didn't go... I'm not the only one... "Hearing this, the uncle seriously increased his volume and said, "... Lin Xiang, how can a child know how to cook? I'm afraid it's wrong... I think the customer didn't take it seriously at all..." There was a bit of tone in his tone Not convinced, and then looked sideways at Lin Xiang.

"Fart!" The shopkeeper stood up suddenly and said angrily: "Everyone is watching well today. Once Lin Xiang's two dishes are served, the troublemakers will stop. You have been doing it for a few years. I don't know how many catties and taels?" There was a bit of sarcasm in his mouth.

Something was wrong in secret, Lin Xiang lowered her head, she felt that the painting style was turning a little too fast, and somehow the flames of war burned on herself.

Sure enough, the uncle who was reprimanded didn't dare to refute again, but occasionally turned his face and looked at Lin Xiang with a bad look in his eyes.

The shopkeeper angrily scolded all the fellows in the hall one by one, scolded the purchasing girl and the uncle cook, and finally threatened: "If you don't work hard, you won't be paid next month's wages!" He didn't even dare to lift his head.

"Lin Xiang—" the shopkeeper suddenly waved to her after finishing his reprimand.

Hearing this, Lin Xiang stepped forward a few steps, but the other party had already held her back, with a half smile on his face: "You did a good job today, but I didn't know you still have such skills. When you have time later, you can do it." Give me a taste of two dishes." Smiling, he glanced at the trembling uncle cook from the corner of his eye.

"As long as the shopkeeper likes it." Just look at the shopkeeper patted his hand and nodded: "Good boy!"

The reprimand and dialogue gradually changed. Everyone was being scolded, and only Lin Xiang was praised. What should have been a harmonious scene instantly made Lin Xiang feel more and more uncomfortable being mixed in.

……

"Is she the little girl who got the shopkeeper's eye today?" A waiter at the side whispered.

Lin Xiang pretended not to hear, lowered his head and went about his work in a muffled voice, reaching out to add a handful of firewood to the stove.

"That's right, the shopkeeper has been boasting for a while... Maybe..." The other person paused, and whispered: "Tomorrow, the chef in our restaurant will be replaced..."

"Why are you blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!"

"Originally!" The young man in the waiting hall darkened his face, annoyed: "Do you think I'm someone? You're always pointing fingers, maybe you'll drink the northwest wind tomorrow!" With a face, he left the kitchen without looking back.

Hearing this, the uncle cook's expression first panted a few times with anger, then his expression changed, and he lowered his head to look at the small body bent over the fire.

His hair was withered and yellow, his clothes were tattered, and his arms, which were stretched out to add firewood, were raised, and they looked as thin as firewood sticks.

He grinned sarcastically, and said to himself: This girl probably got it wrong today!Even this kind of little girl wants to compete with him for a job, and live another hundred or eighty years.

Lin Xiang lowered his head, and could feel someone's eyes patrolling his body over and over again, but the other party didn't speak, and after standing quietly for a while, he returned to the stove.

A bead of sweat dripped slowly from his forehead, Lin Xiang took a breath, shook his head and stopped thinking, and then continued to do his own work.

……

As night fell, the last group of guests who held a banquet today scattered away. Before leaving, they laughed and said, "The food is good today, brother..." Patted the uncle cook who was scooping up wine.

"That's, how many years have you guys been cooks..." Seemingly pointing at something, the uncle cook smiled, raised his voice a bit, and then looked sideways at Lin Xiang, who was silently picking up the guests' leftover dishes .

Everything was tidied up, and it was already night on the street outside the restaurant, the shopkeeper said: "Call work." Everyone dispersed.

Lin Xiang thumped his sore little arm, stretched his waist, and went into the kitchen to clean up the mess of firewood before leaving.

After washing his hands with the little water left in the bucket, Lin Xiang wiped his body casually, then suddenly remembered the steamed buns in the morning, and immediately turned around to look in the kitchen.

Looking left and then again in the empty kitchen, Lin Xiang went to the stove and looked down carefully. For a moment, he couldn't help frowning, then turned around and looked at the surrounding ground again. voila.

Strangely said: Where is the shadow of the steamed bun that the cook uncle said?Not even a basket!
Looking around in distress, his mind suddenly froze, as if thinking of something, Lin Xiang immediately raised his head, and suddenly realized: Come on, that uncle probably hated himself.

……

Immediately, she stopped looking for those steamed buns that made her reluctant to part, and tidied up in a hurry, and walked away from the restaurant, but she was a little worried about what to do with dinner.

Passing by a shiny steamed stuffed bun shop on the way, Lin Xiang suddenly remembered that he still had four copper coins in his pocket, and went there to buy a few steamed stuffed buns without thinking too much.

Lin Xiang felt warm with the warm paper bag in his hand, and the person who sold the buns gave him two more today.

She was a little relieved: it seems that there are still kind-hearted people in this troubled world.

Before arriving at the small dilapidated temple in the alley, Lin Xiang vaguely saw a dark and thin figure standing and turning around in the street from a distance. After a while, the figure turned around suddenly and said in a startled voice: "Sister, you are finally back."

(End of this chapter)