OBS Chapter 924 261: Only in This Place
Chapter 924 261: Only in This Place
"Boss, check, please!"
"Coming, Tong Jie..."
There are a few street stalls in the South District, which Yan Huan hasn't eaten at much; she's only occasionally passed by the entrance.
Thus, she feels that not only do all these places look alike, but even the bosses standing at the entrance, wearing aprons, with a cigarette dangling from their lips, squinting as they stir-fry, seem like they were wholesaled in bulk.
Only those with rich experience, the "South District experts," can find the few delicious yet affordable SSR among these stalls with identical appearances...
Evidently, Tong Yingying is one of them.
This is the unanimous conclusion Yan Huan and An Le reached after tasting the dishes.
At this moment, the boss's vague words in response to the billing are struggling to penetrate the steamy air of the kitchen and the old exhaust fan.
By the time they reach Yan Huan's ears, they are as weak as the almost-empty drops of beer in the bottles swaying haphazardly on the table.
"Jie, my foot, calling me old..."
But Tong Yingying seemed to hear clearly, as she complained about that uncle using the same form of address as with Yan Huan, while using her thumb to effortlessly pop open the cap of a beer bottle.
"Pop!"
The air rushes into the formerly sealed bottle, and the silver-white foam spills over like a wave of silver on a golden sea.
What approaches is not the luxurious scent of precious metals, but the aroma of crafted malt mingled with the alcohol...
That's exactly the scent of the night wind in Limen South District.
"..."
Stare~
Tong Yingying, holding the beer bottle, helplessly glances at Yan Huan and An Le beside her...
Of course, mainly at Yan Huan.
"What, this is beer okay, what's the difference from water?"
Tong Yingying shows no signs of being drunk, just pours the beer into a glass, explaining her action.
Just now, the three of them had been discussing the "modifier's crusade plan" for quite a while. Seeing that it's getting late and there's no time to cook, they decided to go out for food.
Tong Yingying's plan to become a teacher was still in its infancy, and Yan Huan didn't have time to ask her in detail how her discussions with that teacher Lin Wanwan went, as the food had already shut her mouth.
Just like now, with Tong Yingying's statement "beer is just water" shutting her up.
Upon hearing this, Yan Huan raised an eyebrow, not denying the claim.
Compared to Tong Yingying's former "possessed by Du Kang" drinking style, today was definitely more light-hearted.
"But Tong Jie, the food here is quite good, and you're so familiar with the boss. How come I've never heard you mention it during my time working for you?"
On the side, An Le quietly sips her soy milk, making no sound, just quietly absorbing any information related to Yan Huan working for Tong Yingying.
"Because I hadn't come here in ages before you started working for me..."
Tong Yingying rests her chin in her hand, looking at the bustling street stalls around, and says helplessly,
"In the past, my godmother used to take me and Yoshida Minami all the way here to the South District for a late-night snack. Knowing the specialties of my hometown, she brought me specifically."
"Your godmother?"
"Yeah. An old lady who was especially good to me..."
Yan Huan glanced at Tong Yingying, subtly asking,
"Tong Jie, how did you meet your godmother?"
In the past, when asked about her past, Tong Yingying would often laugh it off without mentioning a word.
So until now, Yan Huan could only infer bits and pieces of Tong Yingying's past from scattered clues.
Although the information gathered so far allowed Yan Huan to guess a complete story.
For instance: Tong Jie's former decadence, wealth, inexplicable influence, the maid named Nara, the mission to Tokyo...
But no matter how many clues there were, none compared to the story told by the person herself...
Unexpectedly, today, having drunk low-alcohol beer, Tong Yingying was more willing to open up than before...
As if these several bottles of craft beer were more intoxicating than high-proof spirits.
Tong Yingying, her eyes vacant, took a sip of beer as she said indifferently,
"Back then, when your Tong Jie was in the country, my old man preferred boys, and seeing me made him itch to hit me. Then my mom was like his lackey.
"A perfectly fine family with my old man having boxing matches with me every day, and my mom chanting scriptures for spiritual release after.
"Doesn't that drive a person crazy?"
Tong Yingying scoffed and took another sip, shaking her head,
"So after the college entrance exam, I mustered all my strength to escape from that wretched place to study here in Limen.
"My old man never agreed, and my mom begged everyone she could to barely send me enough monthly allowance for one meal a day, clearly trying to force me back.
"Entering Limen, everything is expensive, making it impossible to survive without money; retreating in anger, not wanting to slink back home...
"This stalemate dragged on day by day, making my studies feel like wilderness survival, barely avoiding chewing tree bark.
"Fortunately, I got lucky and met an old lady debt collector..."
Then, Tong Yingying glanced at the lively, long-unvisited stall store around her, explaining,
"At that time, knowing where my hometown was, she took me way out here for midnight snacks at night.
"The first time eating, I almost ate myself to tears... It's just a pity, after she left, I didn't come back for a long time."
Yan Huan followed her gaze, taking in everything about the stall store, and after a few seconds of silence, said,
"Tong Jie, you stayed holed up in the South District's tavern because of your godmother, right?"
"I guess..."
Yet after that glance, Tong Yingying didn't show sadness; instead, she gave a carefree smile.
She poured the remaining beer into a glass, without drinking it, she poured it onto the street ground.