The fast-food restaurant was noisy with chatter.
Li Wei wore a faded green camouflage uniform and dusty Liberation Army canvas shoes. Carrying a stainless-steel tray, he carefully threaded his way through the crowd.
The tray held only one serving of bland stir-fried shredded potatoes in vinegar, while four heaping bowls of white rice were stacked beside it.
His appearance, combined with the disproportionate amount of food on his tray, drew curious or contemptuous glances from quite a few diners.
But he paid them no mind and walked straight toward a small table in the corner.
A skinny little boy sat beside the table, wearing an old children's outfit whose original color was impossible to make out.
Li Wei set down the tray and pushed one bowl of rice in front of the boy. His voice was rough around the edges. "Eat up, eat up. There's plenty of rice."
Then he picked up the remaining three bowls and shoveled the rice into his mouth with loud slurps.
Whenever he choked uncomfortably, he would reach out with his chopsticks, pick up a strand of shredded potato, and savor it carefully.
But there were simply too few strands of potato, so most of the time he was still cramming down white rice.
Li Cheng ate the rice in tiny bites, his little face pale.
Seeing that Li Wei had barely touched the vegetables, he held it in for a long while before finally asking hoarsely, "Li Wei, if you don't eat any vegetables, where will you get the strength to work this afternoon?"
Li Wei's rice-shoveling paused for a moment, then continued as though nothing had happened. He mumbled, "Rice fills you up too."
Li Cheng put down his chopsticks and stared straight at him with a pair of jet-black, shining eyes.
That