bookbashuk Chapter 17 Warmth and Awakening in Adversity
Chapter 17 Warmth and Awakening in Adversity
When Lao Yang came down from the dormitory, the police car had already left for quite a while.
Ye Chen squatted at the entrance of the market, silent, staring blankly at the gate of the commercial city.
From the moment the man from Henan entered the door to the moment Zhong Liang and Yue Sheng were taken away, only ten minutes had passed. Ye Chen kept reviewing the events, but he couldn't figure out where he had gone wrong.
When Lao Yang put his hand on Ye Chen's shoulder, Ye Chen's tears fell.
Old Yang said, "Ah Chen, it's alright, don't be afraid. President Liao is already on his way."
Ye Chen remained silent. Old Yang then said softly, "Huicheng is a dog-eat-dog place. Boss Liao must have connections to survive here. A Liang and Yue Sheng will be back soon."
"Old Yang, I'm fine." Ye Chen wiped his face, his voice full of dejection.
Old Yang didn't say anything more and turned back to the store.
Chen Jiao came out and squatted down beside Ye Chen without saying a word.
She nudged Ye Chen with her elbow, and Ye Chen turned to look at her. She handed him the coffee cup, and the rich aroma of Blue Mountain black coffee wafted out.
"I added rock sugar, try it," Chen Jiao said, forcing a smile. "Brother Chen, when you're in a bad mood, you can add sugar like you would coffee—if it's too bitter, add some. It'll make you feel better."
Ye Chen took the coffee from Chen Jiao, took a small sip and swallowed it. The warmth of the coffee went straight from his mouth to his stomach.
Ye Chen composed himself, took another sip, and said in a low voice, "I've looked in many shops, but I couldn't find this coffee."
"My dad brought this back from out of town, Brother Chen, you don't need to look for it, I have plenty more," Chen Jiao said, then added in a low voice, "Just tell me if you want some."
"Okay," Ye Chen said.
"Brother Chen, do you know? I really like Huayu, and I like everyone here," Chen Jiao said. "Everyone here feels alive."
Ye Chen looked at Chen Jiao with some confusion, and she continued, "My mom, or rather my stepmother, always has such a fake smile on her face. Every uncle and aunt who comes to my house speaks to me very cautiously. Actually, I don't mind them joking with me, and I don't mind them saying the wrong thing."
"What I admire most about you here is your attitude towards life. I don't know why, but I feel you live so earnestly, and you do everything with such effort," Chen Jiao said softly. "But sometimes I feel sorry for you and want to tell you that it's okay to make mistakes."
Seeing that Ye Chen didn't speak, she said after a while, "There's no such thing as 100% correct. People aren't computers."
The morning sunlight slowly slipped away, leaving only a small patch under the eaves. It fell on Chen Jiao's tender face, and perhaps because it was a bit too sunny, it made her little face turn red.
Ye Chen was mesmerized by this beautiful moment. Then, he lowered his head and finished the rest of his coffee. When he looked up again, his eyes were less confused and more serene.
He said to Chen Jiao, "Thank you for the coffee, thank you for liking it... and thank you for your words."
Seeing the smile on Ye Chen's face, Chen Jiao smiled happily. She stood up and extended her hand.
Ye Chen paused for a moment, then reached out and took Chen Jiao's hand, pulling her to her feet. The two walked into the store, and as they left, the sunlight under the eaves had already faded, but the warmth of the coffee and Chen Jiao remained in Ye Chen's heart.
Around 3 PM, Ye Chen didn't change shifts and stayed at the sales back office. A few customers came in sporadically during that time, and most of their problems were resolved on the spot, with only one requiring a factory return for warranty repair.
He had a POP poster tutorial book next to him, and a stack of finished posters on the floor. After a month of training, he can now skillfully write each poster version, and there are now two more books on his table: "Typography Design" and "Layout Design".
Old Yang sat at the cashier, idly scrolling through online novels, while Ye Chen occasionally looked up at the door.
Ye Chen put down his pen and walked to the cashier. Before he could speak, Old Yang said impatiently, "You've asked more than ten times! Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as I have any news."
"Hey, Lao Yang, why aren't you in a hurry?" Ye Chen finally couldn't help but ask.
"What's the rush? There were plenty of fights between sales staff back in the day," Old Yang said nonchalantly.
Seeing Old Yang's relaxed expression, Ye Chen felt relieved and asked, "Should I go practice a few moves?"
"Don't talk nonsense. With your size, it's useless for you to practice anything. With me and Zhong Liang here, you little brat can just stand in the back and watch the show." Old Yang glanced at Ye Chen and said.
At this moment, Mr. Liao's Crown car slowly stopped outside the door. Ye Chen ran over and said to Old Yang, who had his head down, "You're back."
"Slow down, don't fall." Old Yang said casually without even looking up.
......
After the car came to a stop, Shuangjie, who was heavily pregnant, got out of the car, and Zhong Liang and President Liao also got out of the car.
Ye Chen was still staring intently at President Liao's car until President Liao said softly, "Chen, Yue Sheng won't be out for a few more days."
Hearing President Liao's words, Ye Chen's expectation turned into guilt. He looked at Sister Shuang, his eyes reddening. Ye Chen lowered his head and said, "Sister Shuang, I'm sorry."
Shuangjie moved closer to Ye Chen. Standing only 160cm tall, Shuangjie raised her hand, gently ruffled Ye Chen's hair, and said softly, "Chen, don't cry. It's nothing serious, just a few days in detention."
After getting out of the car, Zhong Liang walked straight back to the store without saying a word.
President Liao said to Ye Chen, "Chen, these are all minor matters. You'll get used to them."
Looking at the adults in front of him, Ye Chen felt a strong sense of security. He recalled Chen Jiao's words, and from that moment on, he also liked his colleagues at Huayu very much.
After Mr. Liao drove away, Sister Shuang also returned to her dormitory.
Ye Chen didn't go to rest. When he returned to the sales back office, Zhong Liang was waiting there.
"Did you cry?" Zhong Liang asked.
"No," Ye Chen replied, then paused for a moment before adding, "The customer this morning..."
Zhong Liang interrupted him: "I know what you're going to say, don't overthink it."
Ye Chen was somewhat disappointed, and Zhong Liang said again, "You think that person was sent by Da Di, right? You should know that whether he was or not, it doesn't matter."
"Not important?" Ye Chen was somewhat angry. "Da Di is so despicable, are we just going to put up with this?"
Zhong Liang lit a cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, and waved it away. He said, "Shall I take you to smash up that shop across the street?"
These words choked Ye Chen back to his throat, preventing him from uttering the retort he had been about to say.
"Dare not? No guts?" Zhong Liang asked two pointed questions with a half-smile.
Ye Chen clenched his fist, about to retort. Zhong Liang continued, "It's uncomfortable to keep your anger bottled up, so just hit them. Counterattacking requires skill and strategy, and your brain is very sharp, don't waste it."
"I..." Ye Chen had lost count of how many times he had been interrupted. Zhong Liang said, "Yes, it's you. Think about it however you want, whether it's reliable or not. By the way, you have to treat me to a late-night snack tonight. I got punched twice while fighting for you."
After finishing speaking, Zhong Liang pointed to the bruise on the corner of his mouth, then waved and went back to his dormitory.
Ye Chen muttered to himself, "Yes, it's time to think about a counterattack."