Gourd Farm

Chapter 1: Unemployment

“In the bustling city of Shanghai, inside a small fly-infested restaurant, a thin young man, wearing an apron covered in grease, was squatting on the wet kitchen floor washing dishes.”

Plates were constantly being handed to him, piling up beside him.
He poured the leftover food into the waste basin, put some detergent on the plates, and washed them in the already dirty water basin using a loofah.

“Hey, how many times do I have to tell you not to put so much detergent? Haven't you heard me?” A fat man with a big head and ears walked in and started to yell at him.

Yang Feng was stunned.
“There is too much oil.
Without detergent, the plates won't be clean.”

The fat man spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm on the ground.
“Ha, detergent isn't free! If we use too much, the bonus for this month will be gone.
Come and cook some dishes quickly.
If the dishes are returned, you won't even get paid.”

Without waiting for Yang Feng to respond, the fat man continued, “After cooking, go and deliver the take-out from Peach and Plum West Street.
Hurry up! It's almost past the time limit.
If we get a complaint, I'll deduct your salary.”

Yang Feng took a deep breath, clenched and then relaxed his fist, quietly took off his apron, picked up the take-out, and went out.

It was a scorching August day, and it was as hot as fire outside.
Apart from the delivery drivers shuttling back and forth, there were hardly any people on the street.

Riding the fat man's old bike, Yang Feng delivered the food according to the address.
However, the bike chain kept slipping off, and he had to stop and fix it several times on the way.

When he arrived at the destination, Yang Feng called the number on the order slip.
“Hello, your food is here…”

Before he could finish speaking, he was met with a roar on the other end of the phone, “Look at the time! Eat it yourself!”

“I…”

The phone was hung up.

“Ai.” Yang Feng sighed, looked at the order slip, and realized that the amount was not small.
He had ordered 95 yuan worth of food.
If the customer returned it, he would have to pay for it himself.

His monthly salary was only 1500 yuan, plus a bonus of 300 yuan, which made it 1800 yuan.
The bonus had already been deducted in the morning, and if he lost another 100 yuan, he wouldn't even be able to pay the rent this month, let alone his living expenses.

Thinking of this, Yang Feng gritted his teeth and went upstairs with the take-out.

Ding…
ding ding.

Yang Feng politely knocked on the door of Room 302.

“Who's there?”

“Hello, I'm the delivery guy.”

“Get lost!”

After trying twice more, the man cursed him in a rage.
“If you don't leave now, I'll kill you!”

There was nothing Yang Feng could do; he was already past the delivery time.
The customer had every right to reject the order.
He could only take the food and leave.
Looking up at the scorching sun, he felt a little lost.

Back in the restaurant, the chubby boss looked at him as if he wanted to eat him alive while there were still customers around, so he couldn't vent his anger.
But