After Shen Yanshan came out of the room, he happened to run into Li Chuchu.
Li Chuchu was standing there stiffly at the door, looking rather guilty. She gave an awkward laugh. "Haha, I couldn't find you just now, so..." She never expected to be caught on her first attempt at eavesdropping.
As for "so"?
There was no "so".
Before Shen Yanshan could say a word, Li Chuchu stuffed a piece of pastry into his mouth to change the subject. "Try it. The pastries here taste really good. We've paid so much to get in. Don't waste it."
Shen Yanshan chewed instinctively. The sweet and cloying taste spread in his mouth, making his throat sticky. The extremely high sugar content, which would be criticized in later generations, was a delicacy only enjoyed by the upper - class at this moment.
As Li Chuchu said, it was a rare opportunity.
Before they left, with the mindset of getting their money's worth from the entrance ticket, they swept through all kinds of delicious pastries on the buffet table, including tiramisu and various Western - style pastries.
Li Chuchu tasted them all and thought the Portuguese egg tarts were the best.
The buttery tart crust was extremely crispy. When you took a bite, it made a "crunch" sound. There was almost no egg smell, but the milk flavor was very strong.
It was sweet but not cloying.
Since she crossed over to this place, Li Chuchu hadn't eaten anything nice.
So while others were getting excited watching the horse - racing, Li Chuchu was eating pastries; when the horse - racing ended and others were beating their chests in frustration over their losses, Li Chuchu was still eating pastries; when the race was almost over and most people were getting ready to leave, Li Chuchu smacked her lips and finally felt a bit sick of the sweetness.
Well, she'd have a couple of sips of milk tea and then continue eating.
The people who came here were either going crazy over gambling or just showing up in the social circle. No one really cared about the pastries. The pastry chef was almost depressed seeing the pastries being thrown away every day. He even had a deep doubt about his profession and thought about changing his career to become a tire repairman.
Until he saw Li Chuchu.
Her arrival was like a savior in his career!
Shen Yanshan went to exchange the winning chips for cash. Before they left, the pastry chef came over specially and packed a box of Portuguese egg tarts as a souvenir from the horse - racing event for Li Chuchu.
"Miss Li, seeing that you like our Portuguese egg tarts, I've packed a box for you."
Li Chuchu was naturally happy to get a free box of pastries.
Compliments poured out of her mouth, making the pastry chef extremely pleased. He looked at Li Chuchu as if he had found a kindred spirit. Moreover, Li Chuchu had quite some insights into desserts. The two of them chatted away at the entrance of the horse - racing venue.
Until Shen Yanshan watched helplessly as the pastry chef got closer and closer to Li Chuchu. Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore and pulled her into the car.
With a "bang", the car door closed.
Finally, the extra person was gone!
...
The two returned the car to the car dealership and then went back to the hotel.
On the way,
Li Chuchu said, "So what should we do now? Qian Guangjin is probably not a good guy. This batch of goods must be a fraud."
Shen Yanshan frowned tightly at this moment.
He didn't say a word for a while.
By now, the sky was getting dark and the city lights were on. Hong Kong became a different kind of bustling place.
Luxury cars were speeding on the road in an endless stream. The neon lights of various entertainment cities were shining brightly. All kinds of men and women were wandering in the nightlife, indulging themselves in the golden and intoxicating night.
On the other side of the city, in the urban villages, small street vendors were about to pack up their stalls.
The night in Hong Kong didn't belong to the common people. Under the illumination of the city lights, the alleys with only street lamps seemed a bit desolate.
Li Chuchu was carrying the egg tarts.
She walked on the road with Shen Yanshan.
"Miss? Was it you who had wontons at my stall this morning?"
Suddenly, someone called out to them. Li Chuchu turned around and saw it was the aunt who sold wontons in the morning.
The aunt was relieved when she saw it was really them.
Her eyes were probably swollen from crying just now. A forced smile appeared on her tired face. "My husband is back. But he was injured in the leg by the goods when unloading today. Rongxing Company asked him to go back and recuperate. My husband's leg is badly broken. He probably won't be able to work for Rongxing anymore."
How could this happen?
Li Chuchu was extremely surprised and didn't know what to say for a moment.
The aunt rubbed her hands on her apron. Her face showed a bit of guilt. "I'm sorry. We can't help you much."
Li Chuchu said, "Why did Rongxing Factory dismiss your husband? And it was a work - related injury. Didn't the company give any compensation?"
The word "compensation" seemed like something unheard of and unimaginable to the woman. She didn't react for a long time. When she realized what it meant, she quickly shook her head. "These are the rights only formal employees have. We're not formal employees. How could we have this? We're responsible for our own injuries."
Illegal employment.
Illegal employment leading to casualties.
These words popped into Li Chuchu's mind all of a sudden.
She reminded the vendor, "Logically, the company should give some subsidy for work - related injuries. You should try to fight for it."
The woman still forced a bitter smile. "We sneaked over from the mainland. We haven't got our green cards yet. We can't sue them. Maybe before the lawsuit even reaches them, we'll be sent back to the mainland."
Li Chuchu originally thought that Rongxing Electronics Company hired them because they didn't discriminate against mainlanders. But now that something had happened, she realized there was this underlying reason. They were holding the handle of these people's illegal entry, so they could ignore the labor law, hire workers with low salaries at will and dismiss them casually.
Thinking of this,
Li Chuchu was extremely angry. Such people were simply heartless!
This Qian Guangjin not only plotted against Shen Yanshan but also took advantage of these bottom - level people who made a living by working. Their actions were no different from eating people's blood - soaked buns!
The vendor took out a few crumpled bills from her pocket and handed them to Li Chuchu. "I didn't help you much. Here's the money. Take it back." She showed a shy smile. "I was going to pack up the stall earlier, but I was worried about not returning the money to you. I've been waiting here for a long time, thinking that you would pass by here on your way back tonight. Fortunately, I didn't miss you."
She didn't feel at ease keeping this money since she hadn't provided any useful information.
It was a total of forty - two dollars. It wasn't a lot, but it would take selling ten bowls of wontons to earn that much.
Li Chuchu felt a mix of emotions.
She glanced at Shen Yanshan, and Shen Yanshan shook his head at her.
Since they had refused several times, this vendor probably wasn't the kind of person who was used to accepting others' charity.
In that case, there was no need to force it.
Li Chuchu took the money and handed the egg tarts in her hand to the vendor. "Thank you for telling us so much. This is for you. It's sweet and tastes good."
The vendor took the box from Li Chuchu's hand and opened it.
Her eyes lit up.
"Oh my god, such delicious pastries! Are they all for me?"
There was a bit of a smile in her eyes. The surprise slightly dispelled her thick sorrow. It was obvious that this gift had hit her heart.
Li Chuchu nodded.
"I hope this pastry will make you feel better."
The vendor's eyes turned slightly red. She quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "I've wanted to try this kind of pastry since I came to Hong Kong, but I've never been willing to buy it. Thank you for your kindness. I'm very happy."