Chapter 54: Finishing the Meal (Part 2) (Please follow and read!)
Nezha was startled and asked, "Old man, your grandson?"
The old noodle-seller sadly lowered his eyelids, "Last summer, my grandson went to the private school and didn’t come back the same day. I went out looking for him, and the teacher at the school said he hadn’t come at all that day. We couldn’t find him anywhere and reported it to the authorities. Two days later, the official in charge sent back a message, saying he had been swept away by the waves while swimming in the sea.
Oh, my dear God, my poor grandson choked on water when he was little while playing by the sea. Since then, he has been too scared to even bathe in a basin, how could he possibly go swimming in the sea alone?"
Nezha bowed his head, looking at the fragmented noodle soup in his bowl, dotted with specks of oil and four pieces of chopped green onions, swaying gently.
Lu Zhu’er was carefully watching Nezha’s face, noticing that his expression was growing colder.
The old man fell into his memories and continued, "Ever since my grandson died, my son also went mad looking for him. Otherwise, why would I, at the ripe old age of seventy-six, still be picking up my old trade and earning money on the streets."
Nezha stood beside the old man, silently helping to sell noodles and wash bowls. Lu Zhu’er, although not knowing exactly what was happening, also helped diligently by their side.
Not long after noon, the noodles in the old man’s yoke had all been sold. Nezha helped carry the load and escorted the old man all the way to his doorstep.
The old man, like a family elder, patted Nezha’s shoulder, his eyes full of fondness as he sighed, "What a good child. Yet on this town, there are still some scoundrels whose hearts have been eaten by wolves, speaking ill of you behind your back. Next time I come across them, I’ll surely crack their heads open with my carrying pole."
"Thank you."