"Chen Ji" was very quiet in the afternoon. The only two or three regular customers had just left, and the only sound in the store was the continuous and low gurgling sound of the soup pot.
The tranquility was broken by a series of "creaking" sounds that came from far away and had a regular but slightly heavy rhythm.
The voice stopped at the door.
Chen Yanbai's fingers, which were stroking the pebbles, paused, and his empty eyes instantly focused, with a hint of impatience at being disturbed, and he looked accurately at the door.
Chen Yanxiu also stopped picking up the meat, raised his eyes behind the glasses, and calmly penetrated the glass door.
Outside the door was a young man sitting in a wheelchair.
He looked to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, a little thin, wearing a washed-out blue plaid shirt and a pair of equally old but clean dark sweatpants.
His legs dangled limply from the pedals of his wheelchair, a badly worn rucksack resting on his knees.
The hands used to push the wheelchair have protruding joints and rough skin, and it obviously requires much more strength than an ordinary person.
His hair was shaved short, revealing a clear forehead and a slightly pale face. His features were regular, and his eyes showed a calmness honed by a long struggle with life, as well as a hint of fatigue that was difficult to conceal.
Sweat dripped down his slightly thin temples. It was obvious that pushing the wheelchair over this not-so-short distance had taken a lot of his energy.
He stopped at the door, took a deep breath, and looked up at the store. His eyes swept across the empty tables and chairs, finally landing on the two people behind the kitchen.
Chen Yanxiu put down his chopsticks and wiped his hands with a clean cloth, his movements still meticulous.
He walked around the counter and walked towards the door with steady steps.
Chen Yanbai also slowly stood up from the rattan chair and casually threw the pebbles into a bamboo basket filled with miscellaneous items next to him, making a light "thump" sound.
He followed Shen Yanxiu a few steps away, with his arms folded, leaning against the door frame leading to the kitchen. His eyes under his silver hair looked at the visitor with his usual indifference.
Chen Yanxiu walked to the glass door, did not open it immediately, and did not speak, but just looked at the young man in the wheelchair calmly.
The young man seemed a little uncomfortable with Chen Yanxiu's overly direct scrutiny. His Adam's apple rolled before he spoke, "Boss, excuse me. Excuse me...is your place wheelchair-friendly?"
His voice was a little hoarse, but his words were clear and his attitude was neither humble nor arrogant.
Chen Yanxiu's gaze fell on the threshold.
It was a cement threshold about five centimeters high. For ordinary people, it was easy to cross with just a lift of the foot, but for a wheelchair, it was a barrier that required the use of a ramp or help from others to cross.
"There is no ramp." Chen Yanxiu stated the facts in a clear voice.
A look of understanding flashed across the young man's face, and then he smiled with understanding and a bit of helplessness: "It's okay, I..."
Before he finished speaking, his body had already leaned forward slightly, and his hands were firmly supporting the armrests of the wheelchair.
It seemed as if he was trying to use his arm strength to lift the front wheel a little bit, and then push it in little by little - this was obviously an extremely strenuous and dangerous action.
Just before he exerted his strength, Chen Yanxiu moved.
Without any words, he opened the glass door.
Then, under the young man's astonished gaze, Shen Yanxiu leaned over very naturally, and his slender and powerful hand firmly grasped the bottom of the metal frame at the front of the wheelchair.
The other hand was loosely placed behind the young man's slightly forward-leaning body - this was a posture that provided effective support while minimizing direct physical contact and avoiding any offense.
"Hold on tight." Chen Yanxiu's voice remained flat and brief, like an order.
The young man subconsciously grasped the armrest of the wheelchair tightly.
The muscles in Chen Yanxiu's arms instantly tensed under his shirt, and his movements were crisp and clear without any drag.
He lifted the heavy wheelchair and the person on it off the ground with ease, easily crossed the threshold, and then placed it steadily on the concrete floor inside the store.
The whole process took only two or three seconds, and was so smooth that the young man didn't even feel much of a bump.
"Thank...thank you!" The young man came back to his senses and hurriedly thanked her, his tone filled with sincere gratitude and a hint of surprise that had not yet faded.
He didn't expect that this boss who looked cold and wore gold-rimmed glasses was so strong and his movements were so steady and reliable.
Chen Yanxiu just nodded slightly, as if he had done something very ordinary.
He let go of her hand, stood up, and glanced around the store: "Where do you want to sit?"
The young man looked around the relatively narrow space inside the store and pointed to a table against the wall, a little away from the aisle. "Is that okay? It's not in the way."
"Yeah." Chen Yanxiu responded and motioned him over.
The young man skillfully controlled the wheelchair and slid steadily towards the table.
Chen Yanbai leaned against the door frame and watched the whole time, with no expression on his face. Only when Shen Yanxiu lifted the wheelchair easily, a very subtle light of self-righteousness, similar to "My brother is really awesome", seemed to flash in his beautiful peach blossom eyes.
After the young man parked his car beside the table, he slowly walked over and stopped beside the table.
He looked down at the wheelchair, which was obviously old and had many parts showing signs of wear and tear. He lingered for a few seconds on the driving wheel and brake device in particular.
Chen Yanxiu had returned to the cooking station, picked up the menu, walked over to the young man's table and handed it to him: "What do you want to eat?"
The young man took the menu and quickly scanned the price list. After hesitating for a moment, he pointed to the bottom line and said, "A bowl of vegetarian noodles, thank you."
He paused his finger on the word "Sumen" for a moment and added.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
