boyutpedia Chapter 141 Song Ming Departs
Chapter 141 Song Ming Departs
"Qiangzi, no need to call a taxi. You guys stay at the shop and watch over Mengmeng. I'll drive him to the airport myself."
Chen Feng gripped the keys to the black sedan in his palm.
"Fengzi, be careful on the road." Zhang Qiang gently pulled Mengmeng, who was still rubbing her eyes, to the inside of the bench and gave her a stern warning.
Chen Feng didn't say anything more, but just tilted his head at Song Ming and strode across the wooden threshold of "Human Fireworks".
Song Ming casually draped the white chef's uniform over his arm and followed after them.
The black sedan sped along the somewhat deserted highway at night.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was extremely somber.
The dial glowed with a faint blue light, outlining Chen Feng's profile with alternating light and shadow.
The long-awaited reunion was about to end so soon, but these two grown men were not the kind of people who were sentimental or hesitant.
They knew each other too well, so well that they knew what the other was going to do the moment they bent over, so well that they didn't even bother with a hypocritical politeness or a weak attempt to keep each other.
Forty minutes later, the car gradually slowed down as the navigation system prompted, outside the passenger drop-off area of Seongnam International Airport.
"Screech—" The black sedan came to a steady stop at the side of the road.
Song Ming opened the car door with one hand. As he stepped halfway out of the car, the night wind blew his black vest in the wind. This famous chef, who was always carefree and unruly, suddenly paused.
The long leg that was about to step out was abruptly pulled back.
He turned around, his slightly reddened black eyes staring at Chen Feng in the driver's seat. His voice, which was originally a little hoarse, now carried an unprecedented seriousness and solemnity.
"Senior brother, take care."
Song Ming gripped the car door handle tightly: "Call me anytime if anything happens, whether you're in the south of the city or in the capital, I'll be there whenever you call!"
Also... I'll go back and visit my master when I have time.
There's been no news of you in Beijing for the past month. The old man doesn't say anything, but he hasn't been eating well.
We were in the kitchen... we didn't even have the energy to cook. Without a leader, the food we made just fell apart.
Chen Feng tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly with his right hand.
"No problem, I'll take Mengmeng back when I have time."
He turned his eyes and met his junior brother's eyes, which were filled with sincerity and reluctance. On his cold face, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly upward.
"And... take care on your journey, and send me a text message to let me know you've arrived safely."
Chen Feng's eyes were as deep as the night sky as he spoke each word slowly and deliberately.
"Also, that banner in the capital that represents the lineage of our sect... When you get back, make sure you hold it firmly."
"Alright! Don't worry!! I'll protect the stove even if it costs me my life!!"
Song Ming suddenly grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, and the tears in the corners of his eyes were forced back by this display of boldness.
With a hearty wave of his hand, he slammed the heavy car door shut with a loud "bang".
He slung his tall white chef's uniform over his shoulder and strode into the brightly lit airport hall without looking back.
Chen Feng did not immediately start the engine.
He sat quietly in the car, watching that figure completely disappear into the crowd.
He exhaled a breath of stale air, forcefully suppressing the long-lost bitterness in his heart.
With a quick shift of gears, the black sedan roared to life with a sharp engine rev and sped back the way it came.
Meanwhile, at 9:30 p.m., inside the "Human Fireworks" area of the old street.
The shop had been cleaned spotlessly by Su Chen and Xing Ruo, and the used coarse pottery bowls were neatly stacked on the drain rack.
"Mengmeng, that's not how you pull the thread. If you pull it like that, all the cotton fibers will come out."
Beside the old square table in the corner, Xingruo gently took the tangled ball of black cotton thread from Mengmeng's hand.
Mengmeng was sitting on a small stool with her little bottom sticking up, her two chubby little hands clutching the little rabbit doll that Song Ming had left behind.
The little girl's delicate face still bore traces of tears that hadn't completely dried. Her big eyes were fixed on the rabbit's belly with a small opening in her palm. She held a very thin ball of thread, looking anxious and unsure of where to begin.
"Sister Xingruo... Mengmeng is so clumsy, Mengmeng can't sew it up, and her little tummy is going to leak air." Mengmeng sniffed pitifully, her voice so soft and sweet that it was heartbreaking.
"You're not stupid, you're not stupid, I'll teach you."
Xingruo pursed her lips and gently patted Mengmeng's little head twice.
She took the long black cotton thread, and with a skillful flick of her fingertips through the eye of the needle, a beautiful and sturdy double knot was obediently tied in her hands.
Xingruo used to live in an orphanage. To save money, when the clothes in the orphanage were torn or the socks had holes, the children had to mend them themselves with needles and thread.
Looking at the little doll in front of me, still showing its downy feathers, I felt a surge of indescribable gratitude.
For the first time, she felt a little grateful that the orphanage had taught her this skill, which allowed her to truly help Mengmeng tonight.
"Look here, Mengmeng."
Xingruo neatly stitched the fabric along the edge, then gently pulled it, softly demonstrating to Mengmeng, who was somewhat stunned.
"Following this rough edge, stitch after stitch. Don't use too much force. Once the outer skin is gathered up, the cotton inside the rabbit's belly won't be able to escape anymore."
The little one had completely stopped crying by this point.
She stared intently at Xingruo's hands, which were moving up and down under the light, her soft breathing sounding exceptionally clear in the somewhat quiet shop.
Xingruo demonstrated the three needles, then carefully placed the needle handle into Mengmeng's chubby hand and said softly, "Come on, Mengmeng, try the fourth needle yourself."
"Okay! Mengmeng will give it a try!!"
Upon hearing this, the little girl's face immediately tightened. Her chubby little hands gripped the small needle, and she focused intently on making her first, crooked, piercing stitches along the edge of the fabric.
"Click".
The tightly closed wooden door was gently pushed open a crack from the outside.
After Chen Feng went inside, he closed the wooden door behind him.
With his hands in his pockets, he immediately spotted two small figures sitting intently around the old square table.
The light cast long shadows of the two people on the clean ground, overlapping each other.
Su Chen was almost asleep on the bench, while Mengmeng was pouting and carefully pulling on a short black cotton thread.
Looking at this scene, Chen Feng's tense heart finally relaxed completely and thoroughly in that instant.
Chen Feng strode into the somewhat warm interior of the shop.
"Mengmeng, Xingruo, Suchen. You've worked hard tonight. Put away your needlework, and let's... go upstairs to sleep."