Fatty’s leg paused. Then, his whole body froze. That’s right. If he didn’t notice the newspaper that was stuck to his body and went to bed like normal… What would happen?
He would be like Jiang Cheng from the night before. He would be dragged into the nightmare realm and… become a Dead Fatty like Jiang Cheng said.
The bag that he packed dropped to the ground. The iced tea bottle rolled out of the bag until it knocked against the wall.
“Doc… tor…” His face was drained of colour. He turned around shakingly. He noticed the bedroom door was closed. The note he stuck on the handle was gone. A few seconds later, Jiang Cheng’s voice came from inside the door, “Don’t disturb me tomorrow morning.” His voice was muffled as if he was already under the cover. “I want to see the ribs on the table by 11 am.” He continued, “Don’t forget about the dipping sauce. Remember to fry the ingredients first.”
Fatty was even more obedient than Jiang Cheng required. After he woke up in the morning, he moved around so slowly that he barely made any sound. His gait was light as he moved down the stairs.
He went to the morning market to purchase some yams. He peeled them and cut them into short pieces. He placed them in the pot with the ribs. He also bought some cucumbers. He marinated them with salt, soysauce and vinegar to make into a cold salad for Doctor.
Fatty calculated the time perfectly. He started cooking at 8 am so he’d wake Doctor up at 10.50 am. The rest of the time he spent cleaning. In a pair of plastic gloves, he started to clean Jiang Cheng’s computer, table and so on… Fatty picked up Jiang Cheng’s keyboard and frowned. The only unlocked drawer had two rolls of tissues inside it. He was very detailed. He cleaned even the corners. He had a cleaning job before, so this wasn’t hard for him. It merely took time. As he knelt on the ground with a bottle of cleaner and washcloth, footsteps came from the stairs. Fatty raised his head to see Jiang Cheng turn the corner.
“Doctor,” Fatty greeted him passionately. “You’re so early. It’s only 10 am. The ribs are not ready yet.”
Jiang Cheng’s half-asleep state changed when he had the first bite of the ribs. Thanks to the long cooking time, the meat fell off with a pick of the chopsticks. Jiang Cheng picked a large piece of meat, dipped it in the sauce and then ate it.
Fatty ladled a bowl of soup for Jiang Cheng and said, “Doctor, it’s hot.” He added, “Don’t need to hurry. No one is fighting you for the food.”
Jiang Cheng finished the pot of stew in less than half an hour. After lunch, Fatty started cleaning the kitchen. Jiang Cheng leaned on the couch and picked his teeth.
“Fatty,” Jiang Cheng closed his eyes happily, “You’re free later, right?”
The sound of the running faucet stopped. “I’m free, Doctor,” Fatty wiped his hands with the towel. “Do you need me for anything?”
“I need you to go out with me in the afternoon.”
Before they left in the afternoon, Jiang Cheng cleaned up nicely. He had a handsome face. With a good set of clothes, he looked like an elite of society.
“Doctor,” Fatty looked down at himself and hesitated, “Do you think… I should go change?”
“I’m going to meet a client,” Jiang Cheng adjusted his tie and interrupted Fatty, “Not a rich woman.”
When they reached the street, Fatty had more opinions. He thought the client would send a vehicle to get them or they’d get a cab, but Jiang Cheng led him to the bus stop. Fatty looked around and asked, “Doctor… are we taking the bus?”
“But…” Fatty continued, “I don’t have any change, do you?”
At the mention of money, Jiang Cheng’s gaze darkened. His eyes leapt over Fatty to focus on the corner of the street. Fatty followed his gaze. He saw an old man limping their way with a cane. The old man had a tattered coat with a worn-out collar. One of his legs was broken. He leaned against the wall as he shuffled forward. His eyes were murky. He was clearly blind. The elder held a chipped bowl in his hands. There were some small changes in it. The elder was a beggar.
As the old man made his way down the line of people waiting for the bus, they gave the old man a wide berth. Only a few tossed some coins into the bowl, making a clinging sound. Condescension was clear in everyone’s eyes.
The old man reminded Fatty of his grandfather. His heart dropped. Soon, the old man was about to reach Fatty and Jiang Cheng. He raised his head and lifted the bowl. He said in a sad tone, “Thank you, kind sirs. I haven’t had…”
As Fatty’s eyes reddened and he was about to pull out some paper notes…
As Fatty looked on in shock, Jiang Cheng reached out naturally to search through the bowl. In the end, Jiang Cheng two cleanest coins and held them in his palm.
The old man was stunned. He felt the bowl in his hand getting lighter. He instantly knew what had happened. His dirty face burned with anger. He used his hand to grab Jiang Cheng by his sleeves. His mouth opened to reveal rows of black and yellow teeth.
Just as Fatty thought Jiang Cheng was going to be taught a lesson, Jiang Cheng coughed slowly. It was a normal cough, but it froze the old man. Then, the wrath on his face receded. The expression on his face turned into fear, like he had recognised the man before him. The hand that held Jiang Cheng’s sleeves let go. He quickly used his hand to cover the top of his bowl.
With Fatty watching, the old man grumbled under his breath and walked away.