My hometown is far away in Moscow.

Chapter 79 Just for a Cabbage

Chapter 79 Just for a Cabbage

He had originally planned to bring everyone over for dinner earlier, but the unexpected situation earlier delayed him by almost an hour. When he arrived at the restaurant, the kitchen was busy. Acquaintances greeted him warmly, but there wasn't much time for small talk. Only the head chef stood outside the door listening to him recount what had happened that afternoon.

"Hey, that happens all the time, nothing unusual." The head chef nodded dismissively. "There are plenty of undocumented immigrants here. Many enter on short-term visas, tear up their passports after getting off the plane, and then spend their whole lives in Moscow, never to return home."

"What's the point?" Hu Yi asked, puzzled. "Going to North America or Europe to work illegally is one thing, but Russia isn't exactly a pleasant place either."

"It's because of the pressures of life," the head chef said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder a few times. "Not everyone can be as carefree as you, Brother Hu, with your parents paying for your studies abroad. How fortunate you are."

Although Hu Yi's family wasn't particularly wealthy, they were certainly well-off and he hadn't experienced much hardship growing up. He couldn't immediately grasp the head chef's words, so he could only chuckle awkwardly and turn to the kitchen, casually asking, "Hey? Where's Old Wei? I haven't seen him."

"Old Wei? Oh." The head chef's expression was slightly unnatural. "He—he doesn't work here anymore."

"Huh?" Hu Yi was slightly surprised. "Where did he go?"

"He—I don't really know either."

Seeing that he seemed hesitant to speak, Hu Yi took out his phone and said, "Give me his phone number, and I'll go see him when I have time."

"Okay." The head chef found Lao Wei's number in his contacts, hesitated for a moment, and then lowered his voice and said, "You want to contact him? Then let me give you a heads-up: Lao Wei got fired from the restaurant just a few days ago."

, 7

"It's open?!" Hu Yi was greatly shocked. "Why?"

"Sigh! It's not a big deal, really. Half of it's bad luck, and half of it is his own fault." The head chef looked at him with a mixture of pity and anger: "Do you know what's wrong with this kid?"

"What's wrong with him?" Hu Yi tried hard to recall Lao Wei's usual words and actions: "Gossipy? Always complaining?"

"It's not that he's a chatterbox, it's that he's a glutton." The head chef sighed heavily. "Whenever he has free time, he's always munching on this and that in the kitchen, as if he'd starve if he didn't eat a single bite. He has no self-respect whatsoever."

"Oh, right, that's just how he is, he never stops talking." Hu Yi frowned: "Just because of that?"

The head chef turned and looked into the kitchen, then led Hu Yi a few steps away: "Normally, eating a little something wouldn't be a big deal, but other people in the kitchen were secretly bringing things home, and Lao Wei learned from them, occasionally bringing a few green peppers and tomatoes. After a while, the boss somehow got wind of it and sent people to investigate a few days ago. It was just his bad luck; he happened to be carrying a cabbage home after get off work that day, intending to have hot pot at home the next day, and he got caught red-handed, with the evidence, and was fired on the spot."

"Just for a cabbage?"

"Just for a cabbage," the head chef said. "Old Wei often has the opportunity to go to the cold storage, but he never touches the fish or shrimp or anything like that. He thinks taking those things is stealing, but taking some vegetables isn't. To be honest, this kind of thing wouldn't be a big deal in China; at most, you'd get a few words of criticism and that would be the end of it. But the Russians don't think that way. They called him a thief right in front of everyone in the kitchen, which really embarrassed him."

"A cabbage!" Hu Yi cursed angrily. "This thing is practically worthless!"

"Of course! He just loves to take advantage of small things!" Seeing Hu Yi get upset, the head chef smiled and advised, "Alright, as long as you know it in your heart, don't mention it when you see him. I have to go back and keep an eye on the kitchen, so I won't stay for dinner with you. Go inside and sit down; I'll have them prepare some good dishes for you later!"

Hu Yi had been wandering around all day, and before dinner, he was still feeling dizzy from being jostled by the elderly couple who had left their group. He had originally wanted to have a good chat with his old friends, but instead, he heard the news that Lao Wei had been fired, and his mood plummeted. The kitchen staff had carefully prepared several dishes for him and Sister Sun, but he couldn't taste anything at all.

The other tourists in the group weren't bothered by the elderly couple's situation for long. After dinner, they were all all smiles, clearly very satisfied with the food. Hu Yi took them back to the hotel, feeling utterly exhausted, but since several guests still needed to go to the casino, he had to muster his energy and take them there.

Hu Yi had never been to a casino before and had no interest in such places. He quickly showed them around, then handed the guests over to Sister Sun to look after, went to the restroom, and sat alone at the bar by the entrance. After staring blankly for a while, he remembered Lao Wei and took out his phone to call him.

What should he say? Comfort him? Or scold him? Neither seemed appropriate, nor meaningful. Hu Yi shook his head, put away his phone, and thought of the missing elderly couple again. Although all signs indicated that they had indeed left the group voluntarily, Hu Yi still had a lingering worry. What if they were just lost? What if they were now desperately searching for everyone on the streets of Moscow? What if—

He dared not think any further, sighed softly, and took out a cigarette to light one, when he heard someone behind him say, "Director Hu, what are you pondering here?"

Turning his head, he saw it was a woman from Northeast China. Hu Yi quickly smiled and said, "Oh, ma'am, why did you stop playing?"

"Didn't they ask us to buy fifty dollars worth of chips when we came in? I've lost it all, so I'm not playing anymore." The older woman sat next to Hu Yi and laughed nonchalantly. "I'm not lucky at gambling, but luckily I know I'm not lucky. So when I go abroad to casinos, it's just for fun. I play a couple of rounds to have some fun, and once I've lost it all, I stop. I never try to win it back. That's what you call having self-awareness."

The older woman lowered her voice a few decibels, and the Northeastern accent in her voice faded considerably. Hu Yi nodded absentmindedly in agreement, "Yes, you're right. You're doing very well; you have a really good attitude."

The older sister smiled faintly, staring at Hu Yi, and said, "You look rather pale, don't seem to be in a good mood. What's wrong? Tired?"

"No." Hu Yi straightened his back, trying to shake off the weariness on his face. "I'm not tired. I'm just thinking about why that old couple left."

"Who knows?" A rare look of melancholy appeared on the eldest sister's face. "I think they must have their own reasons."

"What's your predicament?"

"Then we have even less to say. Maybe they're in debt back home and can't pay it back, or maybe they've gotten themselves into some serious mess. I'm just guessing, don't take it seriously."

17

Hu Yi nodded silently: "I know. But I'm just—I'm just a little worried."

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