bookbashuk Chapter 52 I believe you are a good child
Chapter 52 I believe you are a good child
Warm steam rose continuously from the iron pot on the induction cooker, filling the entire room with fragrance and warmth.
"It smells so good! I can't even imagine how delicious this can be!"
Some children couldn't help but take a deep breath, and the other children eagerly imitated them. Some mischievous ones even boasted, "I'm going to inhale all the fragrance!"
"Ah, what a cunning mouse! I want to suck it too!"
For a moment, the sound of gasping could be heard everywhere.
Jung Eun couldn't help but smile. The room was warm and cozy, even the dim light gave off a warm feeling, making people relax involuntarily.
"No matter how fragrant the aroma is, it can't compare to the meat that can be eaten. Friendly reminder: the meat slices you just added are already cooked."
He added quick-cooking ingredients first, so that the children could eat them as soon as possible.
The children in Crime Alley didn't know how to use chopsticks, so they had to fight over two large spoons. Jung Eun was prepared to maintain order, but the children were much more well-behaved than he had expected.
The child who got the spoon kept serving food. People next to him would hand him an empty bowl, and he would serve the next bowl after finishing one spoonful. There was no scene of filling any bowl to the brim, nor did he seem to intend to serve himself the first bowl.
Zheng En found it strange, but upon closer reflection, he realized that only in this way could their small team of seven live together closely.
After finishing one pot, another was added. Zheng En was not short of food and did not mind serving these children who rarely had a full meal.
But when it was time to scoop out the second batch, Jason snatched the spoon from his hand and filled a bowl to the brim.
"I'll take care of these, you eat something first."
Zheng En couldn't refuse him, so she could only hold the bowl in her hands and watch him busy himself. It felt as if the heat could be transmitted from the skin of her palms to her torso, and her whole body felt warm.
Jason watched carefully how he did it. He imitated Jung Eun, pouring the various ingredients down, making sure not to pour too much at once or place the container too high to prevent hot water from splashing out.
Even though he's just a kid himself, not even the oldest one, he manages to put on a reliable act.
This proves the saying that outstanding people begin to show their potential even in their youth.
Jung Eun spent a long hot pot meal with the children. Aside from the initial ravenous eating, everyone mostly chatted while eating.
The rare moment of tranquility allowed the children to open up and chatter incessantly. They were curious about Zheng En's background, but the topic was easily diverted to their own stories.
As Zheng En listened to their conversation, he felt that he had learned a little more about Gotham.
The children talked a lot, but even the longest feast must come to an end. When everyone had eaten their fill and the boiling water in the iron pot had calmed down, it was time for Zheng En to leave.
"Will you come again next time?"
Before leaving, Casey followed Jung Eun and asked him a question.
Zheng En looked down and saw the girl looking up at him, clutching the hem of her clothes, not daring to grab his sleeve.
He looked behind Casey and saw the other children piled up at the doorway, staring longingly in his direction.
Jason, feeling embarrassed, walked over to Jung Eun with a stern face. "Go back and stay put!"
He turned to grab Casey, but the girl didn't get a reply from Zheng En. Unwilling to be driven away by Jason, she circled around Zheng En.
The two children circled around King Zheng Enqin's pillar like they were playing hide-and-seek, making everyone dizzy.
"Alright, alright, you two, just shut up."
Zheng En grabbed one of them with each hand, lifting them up by the back of their collars. Jason still had that sour face, and Casey made a face at him, "Stinky Jason!"
She jumped off Jung Eun's hand, waved without looking back, and said, "Bye-bye."
She assumed that not answering was Zheng En's way of expressing her opinion, and her throat tightened. She knew perfectly well that everything the other person had done today was because of Jason; what did it have to do with them? Besides, she had stolen something in front of him today.
The more Casey thought about it, the more upset she became. She had barely run two steps before she felt the urge to cry.
But then she heard the answer she had been hoping for from behind.
"I'll come to see you again another day."
Bad Jung Eun watched the little rascals gathered at the door cheer, then made a warning gesture, "Don't let me catch you doing anything illegal or disorderly next time!"
The little girls shrank back, and those words basically swept over everyone.
It wasn't until Zheng En had walked far away that people came to their senses.
"No way! We just had a meal with him, we weren't caught doing anything wrong!"
All eyes were on Casey. "You stinky rat, he's talking about you, isn't he!"
Casey stood behind the half-open door, hands behind her back, head tilted, looking at the sky and the ground but not at her companion.
She was very aware of the subtle criticism, and so was Jason. He felt extremely uncomfortable walking next to Jung Eun.
He remembered what he had said to Jung Eun-soo when they first met—
"Please, give me a chance to help you. I just want to earn some tips to buy medicine. My mother is sick, and I really need this money."
Jason is portrayed as someone who lives with his seriously ill mother, and he is used to using various excuses to gain sympathy from others.
This tactic worked very well; he won Jung Eun's pity, and she would always give him a lot of tips when she asked him to do things for her.
But today, as soon as the other party arrived here, they knew everything.
Jason had been thinking about this ever since he learned that Zheng En was coming. He didn't expect Zheng En to make a surprise visit while he was away, and he certainly didn't expect her to have bought so many things for him.
But dreams always come to an end. Jung Eun may have done this simply because he is a good person, but that doesn't mean the other party has forgiven him.
Jason doesn't care what others think of him, but he gets nervous when that "other person" becomes someone he cares about.
"I...I really didn't lie to you," Jason said, mustering his courage.
The more nervous he became, the drier his throat became. "I used to want to earn tips to pay for my mother's medical treatment, but she died later, and I had nowhere to go, so I could only wander the streets."
"The rats accepted me, so I have to find a way to go out and earn money, just like everyone else, otherwise we won't have anything to eat."
Jason told the truth about his situation, but he was afraid that Zheng En would not accept it, that Zheng En would think that he was still lying. "Besides, Smartie is sick, I can't just watch... I have to find a way to buy him medicine."
He waited anxiously for Jung Eun's response, as if waiting for a guillotine to fall from above.
He saw Zheng En raise her hand, and instinctively closed his eyes, but did not flinch.
If getting hit can appease the other person, then that's a good option.
However, the hand that landed on his head was very gentle.
"I know, Jason, I believe you're a good kid."