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The Henghai Welfare Institute primarily provides care for patients, including the blind, deaf, mute, those with intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and individuals suffering from advanced mental illnesses.
Director Wang Xia had heard early on that distinguished guests were coming today and made ample preparations in advance. A week prior, she had purchased various types of cardstock, watercolor pens, ribbons, and other supplies for the children with good manual skills to create handmade gifts to welcome and thank the generous benefactor who had donated a large sum last time. For other friends who came to volunteer, she also prepared gifts, though due to time constraints, they were simply some items bought at the local market. In terms of sentiment, it didn’t matter how extravagant the gifts were; what mattered was that Tan Yan's stack of greeting cards contained signatures from each child. Regardless of their appearance, at least they were handwritten.
The Henghai Welfare Institute was scheduled to receive guests at one o'clock but was delayed by a full hour. After Zheng Mengni fell asleep, Tan Yan instructed the driver to slow down since the road to Heqing Town was winding with steep slopes; driving too fast would make for a bumpy ride. While it was sunny in the city, a sudden downpour hit as they reached Heqing Town. They had umbrellas, but they couldn’t withstand the fierce wind and rain. Zheng Mengni's pant legs became soaked and clung to her skin uncomfortably.
The road was in poor condition, riddled with potholes. With two kilometers still to go to the welfare institute, the car could not drive any further, forcing them to walk. Zheng Mengni stared blankly at the mud spots on her pants. Tan Yan lowered his head slightly, peering under the umbrella that Zheng Mengni held low. She was afraid of getting dirty from the rain splattering inside and intentionally kept the umbrella low. However, it was ineffective; her clothes were soaked by the rain blown in by the cold wind.
Tan Yan suggested they return to the car and find a place to eat while waiting for the rain to stop. Zheng Mengni hurriedly followed his pace, eager to escape into the car for shelter from the rain. Despite her urgency, she cautiously touched her toes to the ground, trying her best not to make contact with the filthy surface beneath her.
However, once inside the car, Zheng Mengni felt uncomfortable all over. The original scent of fragrance in the car was overwhelmed by the earthy smell of rain and mud. She felt damp and didn’t want to soil the clean seat covers. She longed for a shower and a change of clothes.
Zheng Mengni felt a tingling sensation on her scalp, and her temples began to throb.
After driving for another ten minutes, Tan Yan used his phone to navigate to the best local restaurant.
As soon as they entered, Zheng Mengni couldn't help but wrinkle her nose. What a strange smell.
After scanning the restaurant with her gaze, she turned to Tan Yan and suggested, "Should we try another place?"
Noticing the look in Zheng Mengni's eyes, Tan Yan paused for a moment before smiling gently. "I've been to Heqing Town several times; you can trust me this once."
Listening to the sound of rain pattering outside, Zheng Mengni reluctantly agreed, "Alright."
She stared at the greasy chair in front of her, feeling a bit uneasy. Although her pants were already dirty, she hesitated. Just then, Tan Yan pulled out several napkins and meticulously wiped down the chair before pushing it toward Zheng Mengni.
"Xiao Ni, sit."
Zheng Mengni looked at him gratefully and said, "Thank you."
The waiter recognized Tan Yan but had never seen Zheng Mengni before. The young boy, around thirteen or fourteen years old, stared at her with wide eyes, holding the menu for so long that he forgot to present it to them.
Tan Yan spoke softly, "Could you please bring us a menu?"
The waiter's face flushed instantly, but due to prolonged exposure to the sun, his dark complexion made it hard to notice any redness. He quickly placed the menu down and took out a notepad and pen from his apron to start taking their order.
The menu was set in front of Zheng Mengni. The moment she looked down, her vision darkened as she nearly fainted. The menu was covered in grease, and there was even a large piece of chili skin stuck in the upper left corner.
Feeling helpless, Zheng Mengni pressed her lips together. Finally, she bent her eyes and flashed an impeccable smile at Tan Yan. Her voice was sweet and gentle as she said, "Tan Yan, could you recommend something? I’ve never eaten here before and don’t know what to order."
The menu lay in front of her untouched.
Tan Yan smiled as he reached out to take the menu. "Alright, let me take a look."
The simple-minded waiter couldn't detect Zheng Mengni's subtle thoughts and kept staring at her with a silly grin. Where did this beautiful sister come from?
The signature dishes were actually quite delicious. He spoke in a local dialect, his words coming out quickly with a heavy accent. Zheng Mengni couldn't understand a single word, no matter how hard she tried.
She smiled and nodded politely in response, "Okay."
After ordering, Tan Yan continued to wipe the table with a wet napkin, especially focusing on the area in front of Zheng Mengni. He wiped it back and forth no less than five times.
Zheng Mengni repeatedly expressed her gratitude, sitting upright with her hands resting on her knees, making sure that no part of her body except for her bottom touched the table or chair.
Tan Yan poured himself another cup of tea and began washing the dishes. After draining them, he neatly arranged the utensils in front of Zheng Mengni.
It really didn’t have to be this meticulous.
Zheng Mengni tilted her head slightly, her gaze pure and gentle. But in the next moment, she regretted saying that.
A fly landed on the table, lazily rubbing its legs together.
Zheng Mengni suppressed the urge to get up and leave; the gratitude she had just felt for Tan Yan vanished in an instant. After all this time spent cleaning the table and chairs, washing the dishes and utensils, why hadn’t he suggested going to a restaurant with better hygiene conditions earlier?
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