The One Time

Shen reached the uncle's hand, and the latter helped him to get up. He was about to say thanks, but a painful sting hit his right knee.

His right foot went weak, but fortunately, the uncle held his arm so he did not fall, "Are you okay?" The uncle asked him with a concerned look, "Do you want me to call an ambulance for you?"

"I am okay, uncle," Shen shook his head, "This is my old injury, a little rest then I am okay."

"Oh, good then," the uncle truly relieved, "Why don't you rest in my stall?" He pointed at the stall on the side street that sold spicy malatang.

Shen looked toward the stall, it was a branch new stall with a new wooden chair and table. This was his old route but this was his first time to see the stall, "Do you just open your stall today, uncle?"

Under the middle-aged man's help, he was brought into the stall. He saw the red steaming pot to the side and skewers with fish balls, chicken balls, mushrooms, and more on the other side.

The uncle pulled the closest chair and let him sit there, "Yeah, this is my first day opening the stall," after saying that, the uncle left him. He got a glass of cold water for him, "I know this is not healthy, but it's so satisfying to drink cold water after a sweating jog. Just this one time," the uncle smiled kindly at him while winking his right eye at him.

Shen smiled as he took the glass from the uncle. It was indeed so satisfying to drink cold water to cool his head down.

The uncle ran back to him with a bowl of malatang and two mixed skewers in the bowl. Lettuce, spinach, and lotus root were inside the bowl.

"Free for you, my first customer ever, hope you like spicy food," the uncle placed the bowl in front of him.

"I like spicy food, and also free food," Shen grinned at the uncle. Even though he had eaten his dinner, he still took the bowl.

"You can call uncle Hou," the uncle introduced himself, "I am tired of working in the office, so here I am, opening a stall for living."

"I am Yang Shen."

Shen nodded as he put the first stick in his mouth. It was quail egg, and he scooped the spicy soup into his mouth after. Spicy and hot, but it was tasty, not too spicy, but it was the right spicy level for his taste.

Uncle Hou grinned at him after noticing Shen's surprised look, "How is it? This is my mother's recipe."

"This is good," Shen nodded as he scooped for the second slurp and put the fishball into his mouth. After that, he started to take the spinach and lettuce before it became too soft.

Soon he finished the bowl of malatang with sweat flooding his face. It was spicy, but it was tasty that he could not stop eating it. If he had not eaten yet, he would get the second bowl for sure.

"It's so delicious. If I haven't eaten, I want the second bowl, of course, I will pay," he grinned at Uncle Hou. The latter grinned back, who did not like getting praised, especially sincere praise.

"Of course, you have to pay for your next bowl, I will go bankrupt if you keep eating for free," Uncle Hou joked as he glanced at the right knee, "So what happened with your knee? You seem in bad shape."

When this topic was brought up, Shen let out a sigh, "It's okay if you are uncomfortable to share, I am just curious," Uncle Hou busily waved his hand.

"I am okay, it was an accident two years ago…" For some reason, Shen was fine sharing his past with the uncle he just met. He told the truth about what happened with his right knee.

Uncle Hou was quite upset as he slammed the table quite hard. He was angry for Shen and cursed the culprit who hit him.

"Don't you want to pursue this matter to the court? You are a prodigy athlete, the government should be on your side!" Uncle raised his voice.

"As someone who has entered society, you should know that once you no longer have any use, you will be thrown out," Shen shook his head, "Do you think they will stick for me, a runner athlete that could not run anymore for them?"

He was not that old but Shen had experienced being left out. His friends who were usually hanging out with him no longer around him when they knew he was no longer the prodigy he knew. Only his foreigner friend kept supporting him and was there for him during his hard time, the only one.

He did not need to enter society to know such a thing. Even his friends in the schools were no different, they became his friends just because he has something. When he lost that something, they would just leave him. Of course, not everyone like that, he had two friends that stayed with him in his dark time.

Uncle Hou made a sad yet bitter smile. He was well aware of what Shen said, "But what about the settlement? Don't tell me that they don't get you anything for you?"

Shen forked out his Orange from the pocket and showed it to Uncle Hou, "The official seems very rich so I don't need to worry about money for years."

They chatted a little longer until a curious customer who seemed just coming back from working entered the stall. Uncle Hou waved his hand at Shen as he greeted the customer with a big smile.

Shen stayed five minutes longer until the pain faded away. Since the pain was gone, he could walk again. He waved his hand at Uncle Hou, saying goodbye before he went home by walking.

"I will wait for your next visit," Uncle Hou waved his hand enthusiastically back at him.

He knew his body condition well and because he forced himself to run fast earlier, and his old injury acted up. He was limping a little as he walked back to his apartment.

The encounter with Uncle Hou calmed him down, and for some reason, talking about his past with Uncle Hou, the stranger he just met was not uncomfortable. It was more comfortable in fact.

"I hope he is not a swindler," he muttered in a low voice. Swindler would make you comfortable around him and strike at the unexpected time. His paranoid thoughts could not help but think so.

The thoughts disappeared at the sight of the stairs. He glanced at the elevator, the one time he wanted to use the elevator it broke down. There was a sign "Under Repairment" stuck on the door.

Shen let out a sigh as he took the stairs.

Meanwhile, across the street, a black sedan car stopped in front of Shen's apartment, "Is he okay? Should I call an ambulance for him?" A concerned female voice rang as the figure inside the car looked toward Shen who tried to climb the stairs.