Shrimp Claypot Rice
Lu Bai searched his pockets and said, "I have no money."
That's the truth.
He already borrowed a whole set of clothes from the shop owner; borrowing more money would be a bit excessive.
"No money?"
The Green-haired Youth spat, stood up unhappily, and raised his voice to increase the intimidation. "If I find any money on you, it's all on me, how about that?"
Passersby noticed the conflict, but no one stepped forward to speak up for them.
Most of them Smiling Face, and some onlookers even came out of the shop and whistled at the Green-haired Youth, looking like they were watching the show.
That's what Chikan Bay is like.
Shootings in the street happen almost every day; extortion and other such incidents are commonplace.
In fact, if the Green-haired Youth hadn't acted first, other thugs would probably have come looking for trouble.
Who told Lu Bai to look so easy to bully?
After the Green-haired Youth finished speaking and saw that Lu Bai had no reaction, he took a step forward, intending to search the area himself.
"Don't scare me."
However, Lu Bai took a half step back and earnestly reminded him, "Someone like me who always played 4399 games on invincible versions since I was a child, what kind of resilience do I have?"
The Green-haired Youth didn't know what 4399 was, but he could clearly sense that Lu Bai wasn't scared by him.
This made him even more annoyed. "Then I'll make you feel the pressure today!"
As he spoke, he raised his fist, intending to punch Lu Bai in the face.
Just then, a loud slapping sound suddenly rang out from a shop not far away.
That was the sound of a cleaver hitting the cutting board.
Lu Bai looked in the direction the sound came from and noticed that it was a girl wearing an apron around her waist.
She stood in the semi-open kitchen, dressed simply and without makeup, yet her gentle and beautiful nature, like that of a girl next door, was undeniable. Moreover, her age of about seventeen or eighteen added to her natural youthful charm.
At this moment, as she stared intently at the Green-haired Youth, a hint of lively redness still lingered on her delicate face.
Logically speaking, a young girl getting angry shouldn't scare thugs at all; it would only excite them more.
The Green-haired Youth sighed helplessly and waved his hand at the girl, "What are you thinking? I was just joking with this young man."
After saying that, he immediately put his arm around Lu Bai's shoulder and said in a threatening tone, "Xiao Bai, don't you think so?"
Seeing the situation escalate to this point, many of the onlookers began to boo.
Even worse, some people openly made sarcastic remarks.
"Brother Shrimp, why are you chickening out?"
"You can't stand up for yourself. How can you, as the older brother, be so afraid of Sister Shrimp?"
"Let's just leave, let's just leave. This guy's a total siscon."
The Green-haired Youth immediately retorted verbally, his neck stiff.
For a moment, the streets were filled with a joyful atmosphere.
It felt like we jumped from the set of the "Young and Dangerous" movies to the apartment building.
To be honest, this is not a good sign. Such a rapid change means that the residents of Chikan Bay have become accustomed to illegal behavior.
A fight that results in someone dying is just a minor incident in their daily lives.
Sister Shrimp ran out and pulled Lu Bai into the shop.
Before the Green-haired Youth could say anything, the neighbors nearby started making fun of him.
"Brother Shrimp, watch out, your sister might side with outsiders."
"Yeah, yeah, we have to be careful. That pretty boy looks really good, and these days women are all suckers for that."
The Green-haired Youth curled his lip.
"Go away, don't talk nonsense. My sister is just kind-hearted. You only met her today?"
Shrimp Claypot Rice.
Before entering the store, Lu Bai glanced at the signboard above the door.
At this time of afternoon, the shop was quiet and deserted, with no customers.
Sister Shrimp remained completely silent throughout, making the restaurant even quieter.
She walked to the counter, took a ballpoint pen, wrote a line on the back of the invoice, and handed it to Lu Bai.
Please don't mind, my brother just wants to earn money to help me with my medical treatment.
Sister Shrimp's handwriting was delicate, but Lu Bai's attention was quickly drawn to the contents of the note.
He raised an eyebrow, looked at the girl in front of him, and silently pointed a finger to his mouth. "You..."
Sister Shrimp didn't shy away from the topic and nodded frankly.
Then she picked up a discarded invoice and wrote on the back.
[You must have been scared, right? I'll treat you to dinner, and then don't blame my brother.]
Although I wasn't scared, but...
Lu Bai had indeed not eaten for a long time, so why not take advantage of the opportunity to get a free meal?
His smile was incredibly kind, "You're too kind."
Sister Shrimp waved her hand somewhat embarrassedly, then turned and fled into the kitchen.
The semi-open kitchen design is intended to ensure that guests can eat with peace of mind and confidence.
Especially in chaotic areas like Chikan Bay, small, individually owned restaurants basically have to adopt this design; otherwise, their business will not be able to thrive.
Not long after, Sister Shrimp brought out a bowl of claypot rice and placed it in front of Lu Bai.
Since there were no other guests around, she simply sat down in front of Lu Bai and started writing with a ballpoint pen.
[You should leave after you finish eating; this place isn't suitable for you.]
Does Chikan Bay not welcome outsiders?
Lu Bai picked up a piece of shrimp with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth; the texture was quite smooth and refreshing.
Sister Shrimp shook her head, thought for a moment, and wrote.
Someone like you shouldn't come to Chikan Bay.
Lu Bai glanced at Sister Shrimp, then lowered his head and shoveled two mouthfuls of rice into his mouth.
"But I have nowhere else to go."
As he spoke, his face remained gentle.
However, in Sister Shrimp's eyes, it was inevitable that misunderstandings would arise, and she hurriedly picked up her pen and started writing again.
Unfortunately, the Green-haired Youth had already returned to the shop when he finished writing.
He was shocked when he saw the state of the store.
"Damn it! You didn't pay your protection money, fine, but how come you're eating it?"
Sister Shrimp turned to look at the Green-haired Youth, her expression showing a hint of displeasure.
Brother Shrimp's lips twitched, and he raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, let this kid finish eating and leave quickly, okay?"
Sister Shrimp crumpled up the half-written note, rewrote it, and showed its contents to Brother Shrimp.
He's homeless; he's pitiful.
After reading it, Brother Shrimp asked warily, "What does this have to do with us?"
Seeing that Sister Shrimp's expression turned aggrieved, he complained incessantly.
"My dear child, we still need to save money for your medical treatment, how can we possibly help you out..."
While the brother and sister were talking, Lu Bai had already finished the bowl of Shrimp Claypot Rice in front of him.
He placed the chopsticks flat on the rim of the bowl and said, "Don't worry about Brother Shrimp."
After saying that, Lu Bai got up and walked towards the door.
As he reached the shop entrance, he stopped, turned around, and added with a smile to Sister Shrimp.
"The claypot rice was delicious, thank you."