Chapter 7

The weather was too hot, and standing by the grill was even hotter, so Bak wore very simple clothes: an old round-necked T-shirt from his father, which was white but had turned a bit yellow, and a pair of cheap, wide shorts bought from a street stall for ten yuan. Today, he had a blue labor protection apron around his neck, which his father had taken from the workshop, and a pair of flip-flops, the cheap foam kind. In short, he dressed as simply as possible, mainly to convince his father, Ba Dacheng, to wear new clothes. Bak himself didn't really care what he wore; who was he dressing up for?

But what stood out was the pair of disposable rubber gloves on his hands and the cheap mask on his face.

There were indeed many young girls, and in the summer, they dressed lightly, showing their arms and legs, which dazzled the eyes. It was around dinnertime, and most of them were out strolling with their boyfriends or female friends, casually browsing the night market. No one paid attention to this dirty and unkempt barbecue chef, especially since the grill was surrounded by smoke and the smell of oil. Even the more particular girls would avoid it, covering their noses in disgust. They wanted delicious snacks, not the messy production process.

So Liu Shufen, who had been watching happily, started to worry: "This... it's not easy to find a wife, is it? Which girl would want to marry a street barbecue chef?" As parents, their concerns followed a certain order: once the job was settled, they would think about a daughter-in-law, just like how people think about other things when they are well-fed and warm.

Ba Dacheng was a bit more open-minded: "This is just the beginning. Why are you thinking about all these things... Can Zhiming keep up with this busy schedule?" He remembered the moment when his son appeared as he was trapped under the overturned car. It felt like a sudden relief, as if his son had grown up! That comforting feeling was hard for a lifelong mechanic to describe.

Indeed, it was busy. Bak had to grill, slice, and plate the food, all while his hands moved swiftly. He wasn't very enthusiastic about collecting money, just leaving a shoebox for people to throw their money into and take their plates. If they needed change, they could take it from the box themselves. The gloves, which were uncomfortable to wear in the summer, indicated that his hands were clean and didn't touch money. Europeans cared about this, and the local customers found it somewhat novel. As for whether anyone was taking advantage, Bak didn't really mind.

But he didn't expect that there were so many people in the country, and their willingness to try new things and spend money was impressive, especially among students. They were far from the penniless students he used to be. Groups of three or five boys, often with girls, paid without hesitation and even asked for beer.

That made sense; eating meat should be accompanied by drinking. Bak pointed to the convenience store nearby: "There's chilled beer over there, go buy it yourself!" He was too busy to serve them.

Most restaurants made their money from drinks, and there was that famous rule about not bringing outside drinks. But he was different, actively giving up the profit. The customers were happy to drink the market-priced beer from the convenience store rather than the more expensive restaurant beer. The convenience store owner, who suddenly saw a steady stream of customers buying chilled beer, was a bit confused and eventually brought two cans of chilled beer to Bak: "Thanks, brother..."

Bak didn't care: "Prepare more tomorrow, or you can deliver it here. I won't charge."

This wasn't doing business; it was like being Lei Feng!

This guy wasn't trying to make much money; he just wanted to make his parents happy and have some income for himself.

Then a graceful figure passed by the grill, stopped, and took a step back to sniff. The girl asked, "How much per serving?"

Bak, who was busy, didn't have time to respond. He knocked on the grill and pointed to the sign in front, which read "Authentic Caucasian Barbecue" in large letters, with "15 yuan per plate" in smaller letters.

The girl swallowed and nodded: "I'll take one plate."

Bak, sensing something, pointed to the money box. She reached out to take a white plate and started slicing the meat. As she was about to pay, she suddenly saw his dirty hands and leaned back a bit to avoid the smoke. Bak had just finished slicing when she said irritably, "Bak! You dare to take my money?!"

Bak looked up calmly, not very surprised. After all, Fang Lingying had said she lived nearby when they got off the car. He hadn't expected to see her again so soon. It was indeed her familiar face, and his usually expressionless face showed a bit of kindness: "You live around here? Help yourself..." He sliced a few more pieces of meat, then added a few more.

What a familiar face!

She wasn't the traditional beauty with a V-shaped face, big eyes, and a small mouth. Her cheeks were slightly chubby, giving her a fuller face. When she was surprised, her mouth would open and pout, making her cheeks look like ripe apples. Her nose was a bit wide, and her deep-set eyes made her look more mature. Her long, thick eyebrows showed a strong personality, and she was probably in her late twenties.

Her long, smooth, medium-length hair, even by Bak's experience in a country known for its beautiful women, made her a vivid and beautiful girl!

Her expressive face was much more appealing than the uniform V-shaped faces and big eyes.

This was Bak's deep-seated feeling.

After all, Bak had walked back from Eastern Europe like a penitent monk, a journey that took two and a half months. He had no money and no documents, and he had continued to wander along the northwest route after crossing the border illegally. If it weren't for the girl who didn't mind his stench and picked him up, he might have only seen his crippled father!

Even the cheap, well-fitting sportswear he was wearing was bought by her!

The girl, seeing no seat, stood by the grill: "You're doing well, setting up this business in just a few days. The income must be good, right?" It was the height of summer, and she even made a gesture as if she was warming her hands by the fire!

But her eyes kept wandering over Bak. Since she had picked him up during her self-driving trip in the northwest, this quiet guy had always surprised her, including the stall in front of her, the somewhat uncommon rubber gloves on his hands, and the disposable mask he had pulled up to his neck because of the heat, not to mention the hands she knew so well, rough and weathered, looking decades older.

Bak was modest: "First day... Please sit here, it's ready." He kicked out his plastic stool and pushed it over, then quickly piled the plate with peaches and tomatoes, added some cilantro, and handed it to her with a metal fork.

There was a queue: "Hey! There's a first-come, first-served rule, right?" Someone else chimed in: "The portion!"

Bak didn't bother to respond, just sliced a plate and handed it over confidently: "You're next! With a face like yours, it's free."

This brought laughter, and the man, after touching his face and looking at the girl, silently threw the money into the shoebox and took the plate, showing some manners in front of a beautiful girl.

The girl, trying a piece with her white teeth, laughed at the unique compliment. To be honest, she was dressed a bit sloppily today, in a dirty gray-blue smock with mud on the rolled-up sleeves. Her long, wavy hair was tied up, and her unmade-up face, perhaps due to the heat from the grill, was a bit oily. But she still had a full, charming look, attracting many eyes. Her chest, hidden by the smock, wasn't very noticeable, but her long legs, in bright platform sandals, contrasted with the rough, old smock, making her even more attractive.

Bak glanced at her and continued his work. The girl let out a long "Hmm" in surprise: "Not bad, did you learn this over there? I thought you were tricked into picking cotton."

Bak nodded and smiled. The girl, while blowing on the hot food, spoke eagerly: "Every day? Then I'll come for dinner?"

Bak looked at her outfit and nodded again.

The girl, feeling at home, leaned over to look at the seasonings and picked some with her fork: "I like lotus root and enoki mushrooms. Add some tomorrow. Girls here like those. Your vegetable juice is good; you can sell it separately. The meat is too fatty and high in calories; few girls will eat it."

Bak raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. He didn't have the energy to cater to so many customers. Today, he had about 60-70 pounds of meat, and he would finish and close shop. Tomorrow, he wouldn't bother with fish, as deboning was too troublesome.

He used to be a very talkative young man, but after walking for two or three months, he had become quiet. The local dialect sounded familiar, but it was rare to find someone who could chatter without needing a response. But in the short time since he returned, he had gotten used to it.

Liu Shufen was the first to notice this unusual girl, who wasn't sitting on the roadside or at a table but was talking to Bak. She tugged at her husband: "Look! Look... What a pretty girl!"

Ba Dacheng was also watching, his brows relaxed. His son was back, had a job, and even had a girl talking to him. It was perfect!

Liu Shufen had many ideas: "Her clothes... Her family isn't well-off, right? They look like the blue smocks worn by workers. She's not picky, and we... Now, Xiaoming has a house and a car, so he's a good match, right? I'll ask about the cost of a wedding banquet."

Ba Dacheng, amused, held back his wife: "Look at her shoes; they're not from a poor family. She's probably from the art school nearby; they dress all over the place." He knew that art students were educated but not very practical.

Liu Shufen realized: "That's right, an art student!" She felt that the cultural level of the Ba family would be raised a notch!

So Bak's observational skills were strong, perhaps inherited. Ba Dacheng was right; the girl was recognized by someone: "Ms. Fang? You're eating at a street stall too?"

Fang Lingying wasn't embarrassed, showing her plate: "I've been in the studio all day and haven't had lunch. Want a piece?" The pretty girl smiled, ate a piece, gave a thumbs-up, and walked away with her boyfriend, not even glancing at the grill.

Fang Lingying finally felt at ease, quickly finished her plate, and threw the money into the shoebox, finding her change: "Small businesses are tough. I'll come here for dinner when I'm at school. Add some variety; don't let people get tired of it. Keep it up; I think it has a good future!" She sounded like a teacher giving advice. Bak smiled and waved her off, not insisting on not taking money.

To him, these things didn't matter, so why bother?

But his parents cared. Seeing Fang Lingying pinch Bak's hand and wave goodbye, they immediately crossed the road to ask: "Who is she? She's very pretty and cultured. What does she do? Is she from the art school? Is she picky?"

Bak, not in the mood to flirt, stuffed a piece of peach in his mother's mouth: "She's probably a teacher at the art school, a well-paid university teacher. She wouldn't look at us workers. Don't make yourself unhappy. We met on the way back, and it turns out she lives nearby... Dad, help me take the meat out of the box. Let's finish and go home; it's really hot today." She could afford a 400,000 yuan SUV and go on a self-driving trip, so her income was far beyond what they could earn in the workers' village.

Muttering, Liu Shufen fanned the grill: "If you're tired, don't do it. Have fun..." She was determined to make up for the years of neglect.

Ba Dacheng was more practical: "We can help you; it's not that busy." Bak firmly refused; he did this to make his parents happy and to have something to do. It would be counterproductive to tire them out.

Liu Shufen quickly swallowed the peach: "The neighbor's son, Sanwa, has nothing to do. His mother was envious last night. Should I ask him to help you? It would be a favor to his mother." She was very calculating.

Bak scratched his neck: "Just rest."

But it caused some trouble.

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