Henyee Translations

  Henyee Translations

  “Smells so good!”


  Everyone at the entrance looked toward the big pot with amazement. They breathed in the enticing aroma and watched the steam rise up. Their already hungry stomachs began to growl.

  “What is this? Why is it smelling so nice?” An old man swallowed his saliva and extended his neck to look toward the pot.

  Elton licked his lips and said with elation, “It really smells very good, just like meat. Is he treating us to meat so early in the morning?”


  “Meat!!!”


  The cleaners’ eyes began to lit up the very moment they heard the word “meat”. Their wages could only give them enough food to eat, and they could only afford meat once every few months. If they were able to eat meat every morning, it would be so blissful.

  “This fragrance is so unique. Is Boss Mag releasing a new item again?” Harrison looked curious as he stepped forward to look into the pot. The steam that was rising up engulfed the entire pot, so he couldn’t see what was in it.

  At this moment, Mag came out with a signboard and hung it on the door.

  “Today’s new item: Congee with pork and century egg. Only for breakfast,” Harrison read out loud quietly and slapped his hands together. “I knew it. This must be the new item. Let’s have this for breakfast today.”


  “Sure.” Gjerj nodded. “Boss Mag’s new item would never disappoint us.”


  Mag greeted Harrison and Gjerj with a nod, and then smilingly said to the cleaners, “Since everyone is already here, please give us a moment to scoop out a bowl of piping hot congee with pork and century egg for you.”


  “Congee with pork and century egg. There really is meat!” Elton stared at the big pot with glowing eyes. His wages couldn’t even sustain his gambling habit, and he owed a lot of debts. He hadn’t had a full meal for a long time, let alone meat.

  “It’s fine, Boss Mag. We are not hungry,” Old Jack said with a laugh.

  “Nonsense. Your stomach has been growling for a long time,” the old lady next to him said with a smile.

  As soon as the old lady finished speaking, there was a series of stomach growling sounds coming from the crowd, and everyone began to laugh.

  “Looks like you are all hungry.” Mag smiled as he picked up a long ladle and took the bowl that Yabemiya passed to him. He scooped a bowl full of congee with pork and century egg, and gave it to the cleaner standing at the front.

  The brown meat and semi-transparent century egg was mixed in the bowl full of thick porridge. After topping it up with a generous sprinkling of chopped green onions, the taste, color, and aroma were all present. It made the people looking at it begin to salivate.

  “Everybody, please line up to get your porridge,” Yabemiya said to the cleaners with a smile.

  After a momentary chaos, the cleaners quickly arranged themselves into two lines that they stood in during their usual meetings, and went up to receive their porridge one by one.

  “It’s hot. Please be careful,” Mag reminded them gently.

  “Thank you. You are really a very good person,” that cleaner said gratefully as he received the congee before carrying the bowl to the steps near the square. He dumped his gurney sack onto the steps and sat down on it. He blew at the congee carefully.

  “Meat, it’s really meat!” Elton took the bowl of congee with pork and century egg, and stared at meat in it with glowing eyes as if he had seen some treasure. He immediately reached into the porridge with his bare hand to grab a piece of meat, and popped it into his mouth. He did not care that the porridge was piping hot. After chewing for a while, two tears rolled down his cheeks as he said, “Meat. This really is the taste of meat!”


  More and more cleaners had received their congee with pork and century egg, and most of them went to sit on the steps carefully with their bowl. They used the warmth of the bowl to warm their frozen hands. The steam and aroma washed over their faces, and made the tanned and wrinkled faces smile with anticipation.

  “Boss Mag is really a good man. Providing breakfast for these old people is more practical than anything else,” Harrison said, but his gaze was fixed on that bowl of congee with pork and century egg as he gulped.

  “These old people are so pitiful.” Yabemiya gazed at those old people piteously. They still had to wake up so early to do the cleaning work at such an advanced age.

  Babla propped her face up with her hands as she curiously said, “Is the cleaners’ work actually so backbreaking and difficult? I thought they only needed to wave around with magic.”


  This was very far from what she had imagined. She had always thought these old people holding the brooms were sorcerers.

  Elton wiped his tears away. He looked at those cleaners sitting on the steps, and his gaze landed on the vacant seats at the side. The beautiful wooden table and chairs with intricate carvings. Only the rich and powerful normally sat there to enjoy their expensive meals, and they could only sit on those chilly steps.

  Suddenly, a spike of jealousy rose up in Elton’s heart. He turned around and laughingly said to Mag, “Since you are such a good person, Boss Mag, let me sit there to eat. It’s not convenient to eat sitting on the steps.”


  “Sit down?” All the cleaners’ gazes landed on those tables and chairs at the entrance. It would be nice if they could sit down and eat the hot porridge comfortably at a table like the rich.

  Mag passed the congee to Old Jack, who was the last in line. He reminded him to be careful before he turned to look at Elton.

  His sparse white hair was frazzled, and his old tattered jacket had not been washed for a very long time. All kinds of dirt and grease were layered on that face, and he looked no different from a hobo.

  However, he was a cleaner with a livable wage. Although it wasn’t high, it could ensure that an ordinary person would be able to have his meals and shelter. Even if he couldn’t have a very respectable life, he could at least afford much better hygiene.

  Mag calmly said to Elton, “Excuse me, old mister. I can provide you with breakfast, but I can’t provide you with a place to eat. Because my restaurant will be opening for business soon, I will have to ensure my restaurant can be ready in time. As you very well know, cleaning takes time and effort.”


  “It doesn’t matter. We will clean it up for you after we are done. Are you despising us because we are dirty?” Elton said innocently.

  The cleaners’ gazes all landed on Mag with an inexplicable emotion.

  Mag looked at Elton with slightly furrowed eyebrows. Did the issue he was the most worried about happen inevitably?

  “This dirty grandpa, don’t you have any idea how dirty you are?” Right at this moment, an adorable voice sounded in the restaurant. Amy came out with Ugly Duckling in her arms and looked at Elton with disdain.