Chapter 2 - The Man Who Had Nothing

The sun had just risen, yet the bridges were already bustling with business. As patrons walk to and fro, a young lady makes haste as she lines the stall with the first batch of steamed buns. She carefully opens the bamboo lid and places each bunch on the counter one by one.

"Freshly steamed buns! Best buns on this side of the bridge! Freshly steamed buns!" she yells into the crowd.

Batch by batch, the lady continued with her duties until the bun stall was fully stocked.

"Freshly steamed buns! Best buns on this side of the bridge! Freshly steamed buns!" she repeats.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she slumps onto her stool to catch a breather. She stares blankly ahead at the people passing by. Observing some of the familiar faces as they enjoyed their leisurely morning stroll. While lost in her daydream, a patron approaches, ordering two pork buns.

"Thank you for your patronage!"

After the patron departed, the lady releases a soft sigh. She lightly massages her shoulders in an attempt to relieve the aching pain- lamenting the fact that she's been doing the work of two people by herself for the past week. Her moment of dissatisfaction was short lived as she spots a familiar face. The man from yesterday, still wearing his tattered pink robe.

"Hello again, esteemed stranger. Back for more? I told you they're the best, right? Come! You look hungry!" she shouts, signaling for him to come over.

The man smiles at her as he makes his way towards the stall.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asks.

The question caught her off guard.

"Oh, that? It's nothing. I'm just a little tired. These buns don't make themselves," she chuckles, quickly changing the subject. "What will it be today mister? Pork? Beef? Veggie?"

"Pork, but I have no money."

Once again, the young lady inconspicuously checks her surroundings. She could see her old boss behind her, lounging in his wooden chair with his paper in hand. The old man grumbles as he reads the morning news.

"People these days. Absolutely despicable. Where's the respect? Swimming in the holy lake. Unbelievable."

Seeing her boss distracted by the paper, the young lady stuffs a pork bun into his hand.

"Thank you for your patronage!" she cheerfully shouts while bowing her head.

As she looks up, she sees the man looking straight past her. Her boss, who had just been lounging in the back, had appeared behind her

"What patronage?!" The old man clamors, raising his rolled up newspaper in an angry gesture. "He hasn't paid!"

Before she could speak, the young man cups his hands and bends over in a deep bow.

"I apologize to the esteemed benevolent elder. She has done nothing wrong. Your buns are the best I've ever had. Your kindness saved me from hunger yesterday. It's my fault for taking advantage of that generosity. It will not happen again."

"Sweet tongue you got, boy. Bahahahaha," the old man guffaws. "I guess I am pretty benevolent huh? Well, since you're already holding it, you might as well enjoy it. I'll just dock it from her pay."

"But boss! I ju-"

"But nothing, child," the old man cuts her off. "I'm old, not blind. How much food have you given away? I've turned a blind eye to it because of those poor kids, but this isn't a charity! Two coppers from your pay. End of story. Or should I count all the other times as well?"

The young lady bites her lip silently. She didn't know how to respond.

"And you, boy! With a strong body like that, what do you need handouts for? Look at yourself. Tall and healthy, yet not a coin to your name. Go break a sweat, earn your worth. Plenty of people these days are looking for strong young lads like yourself to do some heavy lifting."

"What about you, elder?" the young man asks.

"What about me?"

"It looks like you could use an extra pair of hands here. Could I work for you? You can dock my pay instead."

The old man raises his eyebrow. He quietly ponders for a moment.

He's not wrong. Poor girl has been working day and night to cover for that ungrateful brat. Blah. Just thinking about that little shit makes me angry. Hmm… the boy looks capable… and besides, I am a pretty damn benevolent man. Gahahaha.

"Ten coppers. I'll pay you ten coppers per day. Every morning, you'll pick up ingredients from the market and bring them here. You'll help Lia in the kitchen until open and handle deliveries until close."

"Thank you so much elder. Your kindness knows no bounds!" The young man shouts as he gives his most sincere bow.

"What's your name anyways, boy?"

The young man did not answer. Rather, he could not answer. His eyes wander towards the sky as he tries to recall the minor details of his life. The young lady, Lia, couldn't help but notice his somber expression.

My name… What is my name?

His name had long faded into the deepest part of his memory. He couldn't even recall the last time someone called out to him.

I suppose if I had a name, it would be Heavenly Demon.

But he had long distanced himself from that moniker. It was not a moniker he was proud of. It was a title born from the blood and despair of men. While the young man was lost in his memories, the old man couldn't help but feel his heart clenching.

"Bahahah. Not just a jobless beggar, but a nameless one at that," the old man jests. "It's alright, boy. If you don't have a name, how about I give you one? Free of charge. I'm a benevolent man after all. Bahahah. And besides, I can't be calling you 'boy' the whole time, can I?"

The old man strokes his patchy white beard in thought.

"How about 'Sun'? Heh? Not bad right? A rather grand name for a beggar, but what can I say, I'm quite benevolent. Bahahaha."

The young man closes his eyes for a moment. Breaking out of his dazed reminiscing, he smiles and bows towards the elder.

"I, Sun, greet the benevolent elder. Thank you for everything. I won't let you down."

"My name is Liu. You can call me grandpa Liu, or just grandpa. No need to be stiff like this girl over here. Anyways, words are cheap, boy. Get to it. Lia will teach you the ropes. Business hasn't been great ever since we stopped doing deliveries."

Despite having bestowed the young man with a name, grandpa Liu still called him "boy". He liked how it made him feel.

Sun kept his bow low until grandpa Liu was back in his chair, enjoying his peaceful reading. Sun raises his head and looks at Lia as she lets out a sigh of relief. He looks up to the sky once again. His eyes, previously lost in painful memories of a distant past, squints into a peaceful smile.

"Sun"… what a beautiful name.