C22 Song Jia Cried

"What's going on? You're just staring at the boss, and business has come to a halt."

Song Jia snapped, her voice tinged with the resentment still churning in her belly, which soured her tone.

The old man quickly tugged at Song Jia's sleeve and shot her a stern look, prompting her to reluctantly step back.

"It's nothing serious. People came to eat but couldn't," he explained, gesturing toward the notice on the door.

Wang Jianqiang sensed trouble and rushed to find Du Binn. He asked around, from east to west, until he learned that Du Binn had gone to Uncle Wang's place.

Without delay, Wang Jianqiang dashed to Uncle Wang's house, where he found Du Binn deep in conversation with Uncle Wang.

"Binn, you, you, why are you still here chatting..." Wang Jianqiang panted heavily, his forehead beaded with sweat.

"What's the matter? Is there a problem?" Du Binn inquired, his demeanor calm and collected.

Uncle Wang handed a glass of water to Wang Jianqiang, advising, "Take a drink, catch your breath, and speak slowly. No need to rush."

Uncle Wang sighed. Wang Jianqiang was always in a hurry, acting before thinking. He had counseled Wang Jianqiang to be more deliberate, but despite agreeing, Wang Jianqiang's actions remained hasty and impulsive.

After a sip of water and a moment to collect himself, Wang Jianqiang reported, "Binn, your shop was packed. It looked like everyone was there to eat."

Uncle Wang leaped off his stool, startled. "What? Then why aren't you there helping? It's not good to keep customers waiting."

Du Binn appeared unfazed, as if the situation had nothing to do with him.

"Uncle Wang, hold on, I'm not done yet. The guests have all left already."

No sooner had Wang Jianqiang finished than Uncle Wang interjected, incredulous.

"They're gone, all of them?" he asked, struggling to believe it.

"Yes, they had all left by the time I arrived. Only the grandfather and grandson who came earlier to eat were still there, but they're about to leave too. They said they'd come back tonight." Wang Jianqiang explained, taking another sip of water.

"Why's that? Could it be they all think your food's too pricey?" Uncle Wang asked Du Binn, his face etched with confusion.

"Impossible, Uncle Wang. My food is priced fairly—you get what you pay for. They left because I put up a sign saying we're closed at noon and invited them to come back in the evening."

Du Binn wasn't the least bit concerned about the customer drop-off; he was confident they'd return.

Uncle Wang, however, wore a look of concern. "What's gotten into you? You're turning away business. You should be getting back and getting ready to open up."

"Don't worry, Uncle Wang, they'll be back. No rush. Let's just keep chatting."

"You're getting a little too comfortable, aren't you? Making a bit of money and now you're ignoring your business."

Uncle Wang was ribbing Du Binn, but he kept busy with his work, thinking, "Du Binn must have closed shop just to inspect the job I've done."

So Uncle Wang was eager to finish his task quickly, to help Du Binn reopen. He'd seen the state of Du Binn's little shop before; the furniture was showing its age. And while the patrons loved the food, the decor might be off-putting to some.

Du Binn just laughed off Uncle Wang's comments. "What are you talking about? Who'd ever complain about making too much money? I'm just stealing a moment to come and check on you."

"Fine, you call the shots. But you better get back and start prepping. It's nearly three o'clock."

"Okay, okay, Uncle Wang, I'm on it. I'll head back and get ready."

Du Binn felt a bit helpless. He wasn't in a hurry, but Uncle Wang was fussing over him, incessantly nudging him to get moving. With no other choice, Du Binn agreed to leave, but not before turning to Wang Jianqiang.

"Jianqiang, I need a favor tomorrow."

"What do you need, Brother Binn? Just tell me. If it's within my power, I won't turn you down."

Wang Jianqiang was generous to a fault, agreeing to help Du Binn without a second thought.

"Do you see those tables and chairs over there?" Du Binn gestured towards the furniture Uncle Wang had stacked in the yard and added, "I need you to haul them over to my shop tomorrow."

"Sure thing, Binn. You can count on me."

Wang Jianqiang promptly agreed to Du Binn's request, which brought a sense of relief to Du Binn; he knew he could rely on Wang Jianqiang as a brother.

With a reassuring pat on Wang Jianqiang's shoulder, Du Binn said, "Rest assured, I'll make sure you're compensated fairly."

He then pulled out five hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to Wang Jianqiang, "Here, take this as a token for your hard work."

Wang Jianqiang was taken aback by the offer of money, as he had intended to help Du Binn without any thought of compensation.

Quickly, he tried to decline, "No, Binn, I don't need money to lend a hand. You're making me feel like an outsider."

"Don't talk like that. Just take the money," Du Binn insisted, pressing the cash into Wang Jianqiang's hand. Yet, Wang Jianqiang tried to give it back to Du Binn.

"That's the spirit. Since Du Binn has offered it, you should accept it. You can always do more work for him later on," Uncle Wang interjected, unable to stand by as the two men awkwardly exchanged the money back and forth.

"Alright, I'll take it. And Binn, if you ever need anything, just say the word. I've got your back," Wang Jianqiang conceded, realizing Uncle Wang had a point. It was better to accept the money now and simply commit to helping Du Binn more in the future.

With the conversation over, Du Binn hurried back to the driver's shop, only to discover Song Jia and her grandfather still seated on the stone at the entrance of his courtyard.

"Old Master, why are you still out here?" Du Binn was surprised to find the elderly man still there and quickly approached him with concern.

Seeing Du Binn return, the old man's face lit up with a smile. "I knew you'd be back soon enough, and here you are."

"Oops, my apologies, Old Master. I had to step out for a bit," Du Binn offered with a respectful tone.

But Song Jia was far from pleased. "You have the audacity to say that? You promised to inform my grandfather about any new products. How come we didn't hear about your Soup Dumplings?"

The very thought of it made Song Jia seethe with anger. She had urged her grandfather to go home and rest, but he stubbornly refused, determined to stay and wait for Du Binn. He was eager to taste Du Binn's latest creation of steamed buns.

Unable to sway her grandfather, Song Jia had no choice but to keep him company in the long wait—they had been there for three hours.

With frustration brewing inside her, Song Jia was ready to unleash her irritation on Du Binn.

"I admit, that was an oversight on my part. I just released the new product and haven't had the chance to inform you yet," Du Binn explained.

His earlier promise had been made offhandedly, merely to placate Song Jia and the Old Master. He hadn't anticipated they would take his words to heart.