Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jon left the school.
He did not have a car to sit in, but fortunately, his home was not so far away so he could walk.
The scenery around him changed from colorful high buildings, luxury cars, brightly dressed urban beauties to old and cracked bungalows, used cars that cost few thousand dollars, everyone here was wearing mended coarse clothes.
Jon had come from a busy neighborhood to a slum. It was his home.
A few years ago, his parents had died in a car accident.
He and his sister Sandy were the only ones left in the family.
Sandy was about the same age as Jon and was in high school at the time. She loved to study, and her grades were good, and she was very popular in her class.
But because of the death of her parents, the family had no financial resources.
If nothing was changed, both of them would starve to death, not to mention going to school.
So, Sandy didn’t hesitate to drop out of school and go to a hotel to work as a waitress.
She told Jon not to worry about these things and to go to school in peace.
She quietly took the heavy burden.
Every month when she got her salary, Sandy would pay the school fee first and give Jon enough to live on.
After taking care of Jon, she would use the rest of the money to pay for utilities and rent to support the family.
Sandy didn’t spend any of her salary on herself. She spent all of it on Jon and the home expenses.
In Sandy’s words, she was the older sister who had to take care of her younger brother.
But even if Sandy worked, her meager salary could barely support the daily expenses of the two of them.
The siblings could only rent a house and live in such a shabby area.
Although the situation was difficult, Sandy was optimistic and positive every day. Her heart was full of sunshine.
With her, all the sadness and bitterness in one’s heart would be swept away.
Jon turned the key and opened the door.
The house was not very big. It was a little small for two people.
It was old and had not been repaired for a long time. When it rained, the house would leak.
Although the house was simple, everything was arranged in an orderly manner.
The room was also very clean. There was no dust or dirt.
There were some fresh flowers in the vase on the table.
It made the small room feel very warm.
Sandy was very diligent in cleaning and tidying the house every day.
Then, the smell of food wafted over.
Jon smelled it and felt a little hungry.
Just then, there was a bustle in the kitchen.
It was a woman in a long black dress. She was tiptoeing and looking for something in the cupboard.
Her golden hair fell over her shoulders.
The black dress she was wearing was made of coarse fabric that was very cheap.
But it was very clean and spotless. There was also a faint smell of flower on it.
Moreover, the long dress on her body had an elegant temperament that was different from ordinary people.
She did not look like a slum dweller. Instead, she looked like a female celebrity who walked on the runway of a fashion magazine.
Her facial features were very beautiful. Her lips were red, and her teeth were white. Her pair of big, watery eyes were pure and flawless.
She did not have any maintenance on her skin, yet it was very smooth and tender, extremely fair.
Her waistline and a pair of long, smooth, and beautiful legs were all perfect figures that could make women envious.
This was Jon’s sister, Sandy.
“Jon, you came back just in time!”
Sandy’s eyes lit up when she saw Jon coming home.
“I have too many things to do. Can you help me wash the vegetables?”
Sandy was in a hurry to prepare dinner for tonight.
With Jon’s help now, she could save a lot of time and energy.
“Okay.” Jon walked into the kitchen and started to help Sandy.
Sandy had to work in the restaurant during the day and do the house chores when she came back at night.
In order to relieve Sandy from her work, Jon often helped her.
Looking at the ingredients in the sink, Jon was a little surprised.
She bought a lot of ingredients, fruit, seafood, steak, and even turkey.
Usually, they were reluctant to buy or could not afford to eat these dishes.
Why did Sandy buy so many dishes?
Today was not an important holiday.
Jon asked, “Sis, that’s so many dishes. Is there any good news to announce at home?”
“It can be considered good news. Do you still remember our neighbor’s Louise when we were small? She came to our house to eat today!” Sandy said with a smile.
When she smiled, she looked very beautiful. She was very amiable, making people feel very comfortable looking at her.
Jon understood. Sandy had made such a grand dinner. There was a guest in the house.
Louis.
The name sounded familiar.
When Jon was still small, there was a big sister in the neighbourhood.
Louis was four or five years older than Jon.
She was very nice to Jon and Sandy and took care of them as little brothers and sisters.
If there was anything good to eat or play with, she would share it with them immediately.
When Louis moved away, the two kids cried for a long time.
After so many years, Jon still remembered Louis’s smiling face.
Sandy continued, “After Louis moved away, she followed her family to the city. Her business is now very good. Louis is the one who opened Troon Restaurant.”
Louise’s family had been chefs for three generations, and they had a very deep understanding of cooking.
But in Louise’s generation, she had studied cooking techniques and the use of materials to the extreme.
Then she started her restaurant called Troon Restaurant, and it became very popular.
Troon Restaurant could receive tons of customers every day and there was not a single empty seat.
Many people who wanted to go to Troon Restaurant had to make an appointment a month in advance.
Everyone made an appointment happily and waited for a month, because the food at Troon Restaurant was too delicious.
Troon Restaurant quickly became popular, and it even appeared in the news and magazines. Many celebrities and rich people had come to Troon Restaurant.
It could be said that in the hearts of the citizens, Troon Restaurant was undoubtedly a top-notch restaurant.
“Louis heard about the changes in our family and knew that I didn’t go to school anymore. She knew that I had a small salary now, so she suggested that I go to her restaurant to work as a helper.”
“I can help those chefs wash vegetables and cut vegetables and make dishes. It’s easier than working as a waitress. The most important thing is that the salary will be much higher!” Sandy’s tone was filled with excitement.
What she needed most now was money to help Jon go to school and maintain his daily expenses.
“When the job is stable, we won’t have to live in such a small house anymore!”
Troon Restaurant treated its employees very well. Their salaries were three to five times that of ordinary restaurants.
Moreover, they would give out expensive gifts during the holidays.
Being able to join Troon Restaurant was a great relief to her family’s current predicament.
Sandy was extremely happy.
Because she had money, she could change her house and even change her car.
She took the bus to work every day. In order to catch the first bus, she had to get up very early every day.
If she changed her house and car, she would have more time to rest.
Most importantly, with money, they would no longer have to live in poverty. She would no longer have to carefully calculate the price of groceries every day.
Louis had always felt guilty about Jon.
Because Jon was growing up, but they became poor and that was not enough food and nutrition for him.
This also made Jon look weaker compared to children his age.
But now, Jon could have what his peers could have.
The worst had passed.
Jon smiled. He did not feel that these days were miserable.
Because he had a perfect and cheerful sister to accompany him every day.
Seeing Sandy happy, he felt happy as well.
“Jon, can you help me cut those ingredients again?”
Sandy looked at the time. There was still half an hour before the appointed time with Louis.
If she continued to cook at the current speed, she would definitely not be able to finish on time.
It was Louis’s first time to visit their home, and Sandy hoped to leave a good impression on her.
She could only ask Jon for more help so that she could finish cooking on time.