Having received breakfast from Kris Cooper’s hands, Vera Wave hummed a tune all the way to the small dining table. As she opened the paper bag, she began to mentally calculate.
Let’s see... picking up breakfast, ten bucks! Setting it out, ten bucks! Getting the bowl, ten bucks! Serving the porridge, ten bucks! Then there’s cleaning up the table and throwing out the garbage... That has to be at least a hundred USD, right?
Watching her joyfully hum and sway her head as she picked up the bowl and chopsticks, her face beaming, Kris Cooper’s smile deepened.
This was just like their time in America.
"Don’t just stand there, sit!" Vera pulled the chair out for him. Seeing the sweat on his face, she quickly grabbed a tissue. "Hurry, wipe off your sweat!"
Kris reached for the tissue, but she pulled her hand back.
"Hehe, let me wipe it for you!"
Alright, wiping sweat... plus ten USD? That’s too little. This is a first-class service. Fifty!
She held his face, wiping it very seriously. Fifty USD, after all. I can’t just go through the motions for that, can I?
"Oh, right, you haven’t washed your hands yet, have you? Then... a wet wipe. I’ll open it for you."
Fetching the wet wipe, opening the package... another ten USD.
Watching her bustling about, Kris’s tone became even gentler.
"Stop rushing around. You should eat too."
"You eat first. I haven’t even washed my face or brushed my teeth!" Vera waved him off and headed toward the bathroom. "Do you have a toothbrush here?"
Kris got up, walked over, and found a new toothbrush for her in a drawer.
"Thanks." Vera took the toothbrush. "You go and eat now, or the food will get cold. I’ll be finished very soon!"
The man returned to the table with a smile, but he didn’t eat. He just took her bowl, added some sugar, and mixed it gently with a spoon.
She loved sweets. Whether it was porridge or milk, she always added sugar.
Vera finished washing up and came out. She was about to go to the table to pick up a form when Kris called to her from the dining table.
"Eat now, before it gets cold."
Good idea. After eating, I can add the money for cleaning up the table to the bill.
So, she walked over to the table, sat down opposite him, picked up her bowl of porridge, and brought a spoonful to her mouth.
It’s sweet, the temperature is just right... Mmm, delicious!
Watching her savor the food, Kris smiled and said,
"Don’t just eat porridge; have some of the buns too."
Having food early in the morning and making money too, her mood was exceptionally bright. Every word she uttered seemed sweet.
She boldly reached for a bun and took a bite. Mmm, it’s my favorite chicken and bamboo shoot filling! And from Halal Restaurant—the best-tasting kind. It’s been so long since I’ve had this.
"I didn’t expect you to filling too. In the past, I used to love the buns from Halal Restaurant, especially the one with fish and yellow leek. That one’s pretty good too."
"Yeah, I can’t afford it now!" Vera replied with a laugh.
Such a small bun costs eight USD! That’s enough for two breakfasts outside. How could I ever bring myself to spend that much on one?!
Kris’s heart suddenly constricted, and the smile in his eyes turned into heartache.
Raising his hand, he nudged the plate towards her and said gently,
"Then you should eat more."
"Then I won’t hold back!"
Vera laughed and took another bun without hesitation.
One bowl of porridge, eight small buns, and a fried egg... Vera ate until her little belly was pleasantly round. She sipped the last of her porridge and leaned back in her chair, satisfied and not wanting to move an inch.
Across from her, Kris got up to clean the table.