pertwk Chapter 21 Moral Suspension 5k
Chapter 21 Moral Suspension 5k
Upon seeing Chu Kong and Ning Wantang in their uniforms, the boy confronting Li Lingchuang snorted coldly, then took a few steps back and turned around.
Chu Kong saw his name on the name tag on his chest: Zhao Ping.
Li Lingchuang frowned as he stared at Chu Kong, standing there without saying a word.
Chu Kong ignored the two of them and walked straight towards Grandma Rong.
Grandma Rong was still sitting on the ground, clutching an old-fashioned cell phone tightly in her hand. She stared blankly at the people around her, her mouth agape, in a daze.
Chu Kong squatted down beside her: "Grandma, are you alright?"
When she heard Chu Kong calling her, Grandma Rong turned her head.
Chu Kong didn't know how to describe those eyes.
It was cloudy, aged, dull, and even lacked focus.
It's like it was drawn on.
"Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" Chu Kong continued to ask.
Grandma Rong looked around, then stared at Chu Kong's face for a while.
She suddenly frowned, as if she had remembered something.
"It's you." The tone was not the aggressive one Chu Kong had heard before, but rather weary and kind.
Chu Kong wasn't sure if this counted as effective communication, so he simply nodded: "It's me. How are you feeling now?"
Grandma Rong shook her head: "I'm fine, I just fell down."
She sighed deeply, her wrinkles creasing as she looked away, her expression filled with confusion, as if she had lost her way through the years.
"Shall I help you up?" Chu Kong asked cautiously.
Grandma Rong shook her head: "I'll sit for a while before I get up."
She looked behind her and saw a pillar, so she slowly leaned against it.
She glanced at Chu Kong, then at Li Lingchuang and Zhao Ping, before finally fixing her gaze on the onlookers.
The onlookers were just there for the spectacle, but Chu Kong couldn't understand what Grandma Rong was thinking.
Chu Kong nodded to Ning Wantang, who looked worried. Ning Wantang and Li Lingchuang then whispered a few words to each other.
It took the three of them a lot of effort to disperse the onlookers.
During this process, Grandma Rong did not say another word.
After doing all this, Li Lingchuang and Zhao Ping left at Ning Wantang's request, and she herself walked away to a distance.
Ji Ran, having somehow heard the news, also rushed over and stood with Ning Wantang, whispering to her.
Only Grandma Rong and Chu Kong remained.
"Young man, I'm sorry about what happened before. This old beast of mine is sick, and my mind isn't clear from time to time."
Grandma Rong spoke, her tone filled with indescribable frustration.
Chu Kong didn't know what to say, he just patted Grandma Rong's back.
"Please apologize to those two young men for me as well."
Grandma Rong's voice trembled.
Under Chu Kong's gaze, a tear rolled down Grandma Rong's dry eye socket.
"It's good that you're alright," Chu Kong said dryly, offering his comfort.
"I don't know how to describe this feeling."
Grandma Rong, her voice trembling with tears, spoke slowly, much like a helpless child, as she began to pour out her heart.
"It feels like a dream."
He also seemed drunk.
I was just thinking about it.
Did I do something wrong?
I think I... I think I hit someone.
Then I discovered...
I'm the one sitting on the ground.
I think.
I must have been the one who was bullied.
I want to call my dad.
But I discovered that my body was like that...
old.
I just remembered.
My father passed away a long, long time ago.
My mother is gone too.
Grandma Rong's tears flowed uncontrollably as she cried.
Chu Kong didn't know how to comfort her, so he took out some tissues from his pocket and wiped away Grandma Rong's tears.
He sat on the ground, listening to Grandma Rong's story.
"Then I remembered."
I have a man.
He loves me very much.
He would never, ever bear to see me being bullied.
I was just about to call him.
I just remembered, I just remembered...
I realized he's gone.
Fortunately.
We have a wonderful son.
He is very filial.
Very talented.
He's also very handsome.
He's even more handsome than you.
He was worried about me being home alone.
Neither of them went abroad to study.
He left me his phone number.
Look.
Grandma Rong raised the phone that he was clutching tightly.
"I just called him."
I want him to come and stand up for me.
But the call didn't go through.
A woman told me.
My phone number has been cancelled.
Then I remembered.
My son is gone too.
My phone hasn't rung in years.
Nobody will call me anymore.
I always forget to pay my phone bill.
Then I remembered everything.
I feel like I'm trapped in a dream.
I've been very angry.
I can't help but want to get angry.
I'm mean to everyone.
Insulting people for no reason.
To cause trouble for no reason.
I……
I……
sorry……
sorry……
I'm so sorry...
I didn't mean to do that...
sorry……"
Grandma Rong was completely speechless; she broke down in tears and endless apologies.
Chu Kong's eyes also reddened.
He didn't know how to comfort her.
He just kept repeating it over and over in his throat, in a voice that only he could hear.
"It's okay."
People were coming and going all around.
People always pass by.
There are always people who just find out what happened.
People stopped to watch.
What's wrong with this old man and young boy?
But in the end, Ning Wantang persuaded them to leave.
After that, the supermarket manager came once.
But after communicating with Ning Wantang, he left with peace of mind.
Grandma Rong cried for a long time.
Chu Kong stayed there for a long time.
Grandma Rong remained stunned in place once again after she calmed down.
"Grandma Rong?"
Chu Kong asked cautiously.
Grandma Rong regained her senses and looked at Chu Kong.
Let me help you up.
Grandma Rong nodded.
Chu Kong stood up and helped Grandma Rong to her feet.
Then, carrying the things Grandma Rong bought and her walking stick, Chu Kong slowly walked towards the cashier.
Grandma Rong was like a helpless child, following closely behind Chu Kong.
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The cashier is Ji Ran.
Chu Kong nodded to Ji Ran, then placed the items that Grandma Rong wanted to buy on the cashier's counter.
The total amount is not large, but it is scattered.
Ji Ran carefully scanned the price tags while sizing up Grandma Rong.
"It's eighty-three yuan in total," Ji Ran read out the price on the computer.
Chu Kong glanced at Grandma Rong, only to find her standing there, seemingly lost in thought.
So he could only pat Grandma Rong on the shoulder.
"What are you doing? Don't touch me!"
Grandma Rong was furious at Chu Kong's sudden touch and took a few steps back.
Chu Kong knew that the other party's memory had become confused once again.
"You were halfway through paying the bill and got distracted, that's why I thought to call you."
Chu Kong smiled sheepishly.
But that smile was incredibly stiff.
"Do I need you to tell me? I'm just doing the math in my head. Who knows if you guys will rip me off? I'm warning you, stay away from me. If I lose money, you'll be the first one I come after."
After saying that, Grandma Rong turned to Ji Ran and asked in an annoyed tone, "Girl, how much?"
"A total of eighty-three."
Grandma Rong took out the only fifty-yuan note from her wallet and handed it to Ji Ran.
Ji Ran paused for a moment, then repeated, "Grandma, eighty-three in total."
But upon hearing Ji Ran's words, Grandma Rong blinked: "How much did I just give you?"
"Give me fifty," Ji Ran answered truthfully.
"How could this be? I clearly stated the price: eighty-three, how come it's fifty?"
Grandma Rong looked at her wallet, her face full of confusion.
Then, as if she had thought of something, she looked at Ji Ran angrily and said, "Are you trying to scam me?"
Don't give me that. Let me tell you, when I left home, I was only going to buy something worth 83 yuan, so I only took 83 yuan with me.
I just gave it to you, and now you're telling me it's only fifty?
"You're so young and already learning bad habits; I think you've lost all your conscience."
Ji Ran was taken aback, and subconsciously looked at Chu Kong with an innocent expression.
Grandma Rong followed Ji Ran's gaze to Chu Kong, and seemed to realize something. She slapped her forehead and said angrily, "So it was you, you little rascal."
I knew it! A young girl like you wouldn't do something so despicable. You must have stolen my money, right?
You even framed that young girl. Don't you have any humanity?
"Hurry up and hand over your money right now, or I'll call the police!"
Chu Kong looked at Grandma Rong, unsure of what to do.
At this moment, Ji Ran came to Chu Kong's rescue: "Grandma, when you took the money out of your wallet, it fell on the ground. I just saw it."
After saying that, she pretended to bend down and pick something up from the ground.
When Grandma Rong heard this, she suddenly realized what was going on.
Then she picked up her purchases and staggered out of the supermarket.
Watching her retreating figure, Chu Kong was speechless for a moment.
Turning around, Chu Kong saw Ji Ran operating the computer.
"Is this alright?" After hesitating for a moment, Chu Kong finally asked.
"What?" Ji Ran smiled.
Chu Kong pointed to the computer used for the cashier and didn't say anything.
Such behavior by cashiers is a serious violation in any supermarket or shopping mall.
"It's not a big deal, is it? I'll cover it with my own money."
Ji Ran looked completely unconvinced.
Chu Kong hesitated for a moment, then took out twenty yuan from his pocket and handed it to Ji Ran: "Take half."
Ji Ran was also taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "No need, it was my own decision anyway."
After saying that, she handed the twenty yuan to Chu Kong.
But Chu Kong got nowhere. Instead, he turned around and walked towards the fresh produce section.
"I still have a lot of work to do, so let's not argue."
After saying that, Chu Kong left without looking back.
For Ji Ran, the 33 yuan was nothing compared to her allowance, after all, her family was well-off and she was almost an adult.
But for Chu Kong, that 20 yuan was a considerable burden.
At the very least, it can be considered as the cost of two or even three days' worth of meals.
But he also had some thoughts in his mind about doing something for Grandma Rong.
Therefore, after handing over the money, he couldn't be said to have had a confused mind.
The only problem is that we'll have to be more careful with our meals for the next few days.
After all, the income from part-time work can only be received after all the work is finished.
Shaking his head, Chu Kong cleared his mind.
-----------------
"You're back?"
Aunt Chen is picking out higher-quality fruits and packing them into exquisite boxes, which will allow her to sell them for a higher price.
This is a common tactic used by supermarkets and shopping malls. Everyone knows the principle behind it, yet they still prefer to use it.
"Yes, something happened to Grandma Rong."
Chu Kong briefly recounted what had just happened, but omitted the part where Grandma Rong was lucid and made her own confession.
Aunt Chen smiled at Chu Kong.
"The manager just came and told me about your performance. He said he's busy later and asked me to praise you. He also said he'll give you a score for your performance."
Aunt Chen wasn't good at repeating what others said, and she spoke haltingly and stammeringly.
In fact, Chu Kong resolved the potential public opinion crisis that the shopping mall might face, so he would write a few positive words on the student evaluation forms submitted to the school after the work-study program ended.
It's like drawing a pie in the sky.
Simple, but effective.
Chu Kong didn't take it to heart; his chest still felt heavy, as if something was stuck in it, and Grandma Rong's cries lingered in his mind.
A large, shiny Fuji apple was handed to Chu Kong.
Chu Kong looked up and saw Aunt Chen's kind face.
"Eat."
Chu Kong looked around; there were indeed few people nearby. Then, he cautiously asked, "Isn't this against the rules?"
"Dogmatism." Sister Chen used her two thumbs to break the apple in half and placed one half in front of Chu Kong.
She took a bite out of the other half.
Then, she turned the half apple in her hand over and pointed to a brownish-black patch on it, saying, "This is the part that was damaged during transportation. No customer would want fruit like this, and putting it on the shelf would easily cause other good fruit to mold, so it's considered normal loss."
Chu Kong still had some doubts, because he remembered that the employee handbook clearly stated that damaged and scrapped goods needed to be disposed of in a unified manner.
This means that although employees have internal purchase discounts on supermarket goods, the supermarket itself will not allow employees to privately possess consumable items.
This is because it involves the risk of defective products entering the market and negatively impacting supermarkets themselves.
Seeing that Chu Kong was still hesitant, Aunt Chen persuaded him again, "Just eat. I've worked here for over ten years. The manager has always turned a blind eye to it. Don't worry."
Chu Kong nodded, no longer insisting.
He is not a particularly stubborn person.
Mmm, the apples are crisp and sweet.
-----------------
The rest of the time was almost a repetition of the morning.
While chatting, Chu Kong and Aunt Chen efficiently completed one task after another.
Aunt Chen was originally an employee in the fresh produce section, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was as capable as three people in terms of work.
She expertly separated the premium meats and vegetables, then proceeded to process the live fish, cut the meat, and chop the ribs...
Chu Kong was overwhelmed by what he saw.
His job, however, was simple.
Pick out the spoiled fruits and vegetables and put them in the special waste bins for waste disposal.
After all, it's not easy to choose the best among the best, but the bad ones are obvious at a glance.
The work wasn't exactly tedious, but it was quite interesting.
Chu Kong also worked up a sweat while working.
Left with no other choice, he casually took off one of his inner linings and left it in the abandoned room.
And so, the afternoon passed quietly amidst the bustling activity.
After get off work, Aunt Chen secretly pulled Chu Kong aside to a secluded spot and stealthily slipped two pies into Chu Kong's pocket.
Aunt Chen said that these were items that hadn't been sold after the supermarket closed.
Chu Kong nodded. Aunt Chen was cheerful and enthusiastic. Although she worked in the fresh food section, Chu Kong was not surprised that she could get things from the pastry section.
Chu Kong thanked Aunt Chen again solemnly, after all, his wallet was really weak at the moment, and these two pies were crucial.
After thanking her, Chu Kong said goodbye to Aunt Chen and left the supermarket first.
Aunt Chen said she planned to wait for her colleagues who lived nearby to leave together.
Stepping out of the supermarket, Chu Kong took a deep breath of the cold air.
Besides the fatigue he felt from a day's work, he also felt a great sense of fulfillment.
A sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection) about the myriad aspects of life suddenly arose within me.
A gust of cold wind blew by, and Chu Kong shivered.
He then remembered that his undershirt was still in the abandoned room.
Left with no other choice, he had to go back and get it.
-----------------
By the time I got back to the entrance of the abandoned room, half an hour had already passed.
All the lights in the supermarket were off, leaving only a few dim lights, which were enough.
Chu Kong stood outside the abandoned room, and upon hearing rustling sounds coming from inside, he hesitated.
He wasn't afraid, because there were very clear, panting sounds coming from inside.
Just as he was hesitating whether to go in directly...
A phone ring broke the silence.
"Feed." The voice that answered the phone was one that Chu Kong knew all too well: Aunt Chen.
Middle-aged people seem to have a habit of answering calls on speakerphone.
With the echo from the open space, Chu Kong could clearly hear the voice on the phone from outside the door.
"Hello, are you a family member of patient Liu Chenping?" The voice on the other end of the phone was extremely impatient.
"Yes." Aunt Chen's voice carried an immediate emotion.
Chu Kong could almost see her bowing and scraping.
"You need to pay your hospital bills as soon as possible, otherwise the patient will have to stop taking medication."
A moment of silence.
Next came Aunt Chen's tearful voice: "Please don't stop the medication. I'm currently borrowing money in another city, but I'll be back soon to pay the bill."
Chu Kong didn't hear what was said after that.
He remained hidden outside the door until Aunt Chen emerged from the abandoned room, carrying a large bag of things as she left.
Aunt Chen didn't turn around, nor did she see Chu Kong.
Chu Kong didn't go up to stop Aunt Chen.
Chu Kong waited for a long time, until there was no more sound.
Chu Kongcai dragged his leaden legs into the abandoned room.
The trash cans in the abandoned room showed signs of having been ransacked.
Chu Kong spent the entire afternoon dealing with this bucket, and he knew very well what the bucket should have looked like before.
His hands trembled as he tried to grab his clothes and leave.
But his hand eventually stopped in front of the clothes, and then slowly withdrew.
He didn't know if Aunt Chen had noticed the clothes, but he didn't want her to have even the slightest chance of discovering them.
This has nothing to do with rules.
It has nothing to do with trust.
It has nothing to do with dignity.
Chu Kong didn't know what the point of doing this was.
He just wanted to do that.
Stepping out of the supermarket again, the temperature had dropped once more.
Chu Kong touched the two pies in his arms; they seemed to still be warm.
The wind blew by, its chill undiminished.
But Chu Kong didn't feel that cold.
It's not a big deal.
At least fate did not abandon him in the cold winter.
Chu Kong looked up and saw tall buildings all around him.
The entire city was dazzling and radiant.
Dazzling.
The light from every window was so warm.
Thousands of lights.
But how many of us standing in the warmth remember the cold winter outside the window?