章 4: On the First Day of Coming Down from the Mountain, a Whole Day of Dish-washing
Holding a bowl bigger than her face, Zhouzhou finished the last sip of soup, licked her lips, and couldn't help but swallow saliva. It was so delicious!
Looking around, she raised her hand to call the waiter and said, "Brother, bring another bowl of noodles."
"Bring another bowl."
"Bring two more bowls."
"Bring ten bowls!"
Fifteen minutes later, after Mingtong finished talking with his friend and returned, he didn't see the little girl but found a stack of empty bowls on the table.
His eyebrows furrowed. What did it mean that someone put their empty bowls on their table?
Taking a few steps closer, he suddenly saw a shiny head popping out from under the bowls. The little girl saw him and her eyes curved, "Mingtong, you're back! You were right, the noodles at this place are really delicious!"
Mingtong watched as she skillfully stacked the empty bowls on top of each other, picked up another bowl, and his eyelids twitched. He suddenly had a sense of foreboding.
Trembling, he asked with a shaky voice, "Did you eat all of these?"
Zhouzhou nodded and smiled, "Yeah, yeah! I asked the waiter here to make me two more bowls. After I finish them, I'll be full. Thank you, Mingtong, I haven't been full in a long time!"
Again?!
Mingtong's vision went black, his eyes rolled back, and he fell to the ground with a loud thud, unconscious.
Oh no, we don't have enough money!
At this moment, in the VIP ward of the First Hospital of Jing City, Madam Qin woke up leisurely. Old Master Qin immediately called the doctor to come and examine her.
The doctor said, "Madam's health has already recovered, and it's even better than before."
This puzzled them. Although Madam had a heart attack this time, her physical condition was unexpectedly better than before, especially after she had a nap. Compared to when she first arrived at the hospital, she had improved quite a bit.
"Did Madam take any medicine?"
That was the only explanation they could think of.
Old Master Qin looked at Butler Li, who had accompanied her to burn incense today.
Butler Li carefully recalled and shook his head, "No, we happened to forget the medicine this time."
However, Madam Qin spoke up, "I took it."
Although she was in great discomfort at the time, her consciousness was clear. She said, "The little benefactor gave me a pill to eat."
The medicine took effect very quickly, and after she took it, she immediately felt better.
"The little benefactor?" Butler Li pondered for a while and finally retrieved a scene from his memory. He remembered that the child had put a round and shiny thing into Madam's mouth. It was red and looked like medicine.
"Could it be her?" he murmured.
Understanding who he was referring to, Madam Qin nodded and said, "Yes, it's her."
Hearing their conversation, Old Master Qin pondered for a moment and asked, “Dear, do you remember what the little benefactor looked like? She saved you, and our Qin family must properly thank her."
Well, she didn't see clearly. Butler Li blocked her at the time, but "I remember she had something hanging from her waist, very conspicuous."
"What was it?"
"A toad." Madam Qin asserted, "A big and ugly spotted toad."
Old Master Qin: "..."
"No, I have to go find her personally. She's so young, I don't want anyone to bully her." Saying that, Madam Qin threw off the blanket, walked out vigorously, her steps even steadier than usual. She didn't look like someone who had just had a heart attack.
Old Master Qin hurriedly followed, trying to persuade her not to be in a hurry. He turned to Butler Li and said, "Quickly send people to find... the spotted toad."
His mouth twitched as he uttered those three words. Supporting Madam Qin, he advised, "The little benefactor is so capable, no one can bully her."
Madam Qin nodded in agreement. That's true.
-
"Here, I'm leaving all these bowls to you. Don't leave until you finish washing them." The manager pointed at the floor full of empty bowls and said with a black face. How dare they come to their restaurant for a free meal? They had some nerve!
In the restaurant kitchen, Mingtong and Zhouzhou stood on the floor, hardly finding a place to step. They were completely surrounded by plates and bowls.
Mingtong glanced at Zhouzhou with resentment, and Zhouzhou looked back at him, at a loss. She held onto her clothes, pouted, sniffled, wasn't it him who said they could eat their fill?
Aren't they monastics known for their honesty? Why wasn't it right for her to do as he said?
Mingtong felt even more aggrieved. This place was a bit expensive. He usually only managed to afford a bowl of noodles and didn't dare to order any side dishes. Finally, he earned some money and thought he could have a good meal, but instead, they were greeted with a floor full of bowls before even taking a single bite.
"Hurry up and wash," the manager urged impatiently when he saw them standing still.
Upon hearing this, the two sighed simultaneously and nodded.
Time to work.
Eating without paying comes with karmic consequences, so it's better to quickly offset them.
Thinking that, they buried their heads and started scrubbing.
The restaurant was located in a busy commercial area, with a constant flow of people. They washed, and the dishes kept coming, an endless supply. By the end, Mingtong felt numb all over.
Zhouzhou was short, and she could only reach the sink by standing on a chair. When she saw him stop and rub his waist, she felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Senior martial uncle Mingtong, you can rest for a while. I'll wash."
Although she misunderstood Mingtong's intention, after all, she was the one who ate the meal, so she should wash more.
Mingtong didn't stand on ceremony with her either. He walked over to a chair in the corner, sat down with his legs crossed, and said, "I'm not bullying you, just pay your own debts."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Zhouzhou replied, scrubbing the dishes.
At six o'clock in the morning, the last batch of dishes was brought in, and the manager said, "Once you finish washing these, you can leave."
Zhouzhou obediently nodded.
The manager glanced at her sideways, snorted lightly, and said, "Don't come to eat if you don't have money in the future. This isn't a place where you can have a free meal."
Zhouzhou replied weakly. From now on, she would never believe in the idea of eating to her heart's content. They were all liars!
She ate too much. The Taoist Abbot couldn't afford to feed her, and Master Yuanming couldn't afford it either. Now, even senior martial uncle Mingtong couldn't afford to feed her.
What should she do?
Oh, she could still beg for food!
Suddenly, she remembered something, her eyes lit up, and her enthusiasm returned. That's how she would do it!
"Master said she was born with a fate of poverty and is most suitable to be a beggar, she will definitely be able to eat her fill!"
Before the manager could say anything else, a waiter came in and whispered something in his ear. He was surprised and exclaimed, "Madam Qin?"
Why did Madam Qin come? And Old Master Qin too?
He was puzzled but didn't have time to think too much. He quickly walked out, wearing a respectful expression.
Zhouzhou glanced at his back and didn't think much of it. After finishing the last dish and letting out a sigh of relief, she jumped off the chair, shook her sore arms, feeling tired and hungry.
She took out a copper begging bowl from her bundle, woke up Mingtong, and looked at him with shining eyes, saying, "Senior martial uncle Mingtong, let's go beg for food!"
Mingtong: "..."
Five minutes later, after listening to the little girl's grand plan of begging, Mingtong yawned and casually said, "Self-reliance, great, that's how it should be."
Zhouzhou solemnly nodded.
Second Senior Brother said that as long as they are willing to work, it's not difficult to make a living. Since they couldn't afford to feed her, she would take care of herself!
The two of them walked out one after the other. They left through a side door. As they were leaving, they suddenly saw the manager rushing in with several people, looking panicked and hurried. Zhouzhou peeked and exclaimed, "Hey! Isn't that the old lady I saved at the foot of the mountain yesterday? She looks upset, who made her angry?"
"Let's go, aren't we still going to beg?" Mingtong covered his face and urged, his eyes darting around, afraid of running into someone they knew. He didn't want to stay in this place for a moment longer, it was embarrassing!
"Oh, right." Remembering the task at hand, Zhouzhou quickly hurried after him.
"Where are they?" Madam Qin walked into the kitchen and looked at the freshly washed dishes on the side. At a glance, there were almost a thousand of them, and her face turned even darker.
The manager's face turned pale, and he dared not wipe the sweat dripping into his eyes. Seeing that no one was inside, he stammered, "Th-they might have left."
Madam Qin shot him an icy glare. "Daring to make my little benefactor wash dishes, you have a lot of nerve!"
She was furious. How could they let such a young benefactor wash so many dishes?
The manager had wanted to say that they had eaten a free meal first, but looking at her cold expression and the way she lowered her head, he didn't dare to speak. His legs were trembling, and who could have imagined that the child who couldn't even afford a decent meal in tattered clothes would actually know people from the Qin family?
Thinking of what he had done to her, he was even more terrified. Everyone in Jing City knew that the Qin family was most protective of their own and not to be messed with.
The person who had previously offended the Qin family still hadn't recovered from the broken limbs.
Thinking of this, his knees went weak, and his face turned even paler.
Old Master Qin surveyed the surroundings and his gaze fell on the still-dripping dishes. He said, "They just left, not too far away. Let's go find the little benefactor first."
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