In a small town marketplace, a young woman set up her goods for the day. While others married and moved on, she stayed single, living a quiet life with only an old lady for company. They had become close since they first met on a fateful night.
One afternoon, a man delivered a parcel to the old lady. He was tall and dressed in worn, tattered clothes, yet he carried himself with a mix of confidence and humility. His calm, serene eyes made a strong impression as he bowed to the old lady and then left.
The old lady called out, "Hey, come back! You forgot to collect the payment."
The man returned and waited quietly. Just then, a spring rain began, drenching the marketplace.
People scrambled for cover. The man watched as a woman quickly covered her dry goods with blankets and another man, disappointed, tried to save his wet vegetables.
Suddenly, a fine woman in a maidservant dress dashed through the rain. When the man saw her, it felt like time stood still.
The woman, drenched but graceful, hurried to cover a little boy from the downpour. The boy appeared homeless and lost.
The man observed her closely—her worn-out boots, long dark brown hair, and her beautiful face from various angles. Though she was a mystery, she seemed to belong to this place.
As the man hesitated, the old lady called out, "Thank you for your help. Would you like to join us for a snack? We have the best ginseng noodle soup in town. It's my birthday today, and perhaps you came as an angel to share in my special day."
The man, though expressionless, responded with humility. "Where should I sit to accept your kind invitation?"
His voice was calm, surprising the old lady with its warmth despite his stern appearance.
The old lady smiled, pleased. "Well, thank the heavens that this fine gentleman will join our celebration."
As they made their way to the dining area, the old lady greeted Muqin, saying, "Look who we have here."
Muqin, puzzled, asked, "A guest? I didn't know you invited anyone."
The old lady and the fine woman entered the dining area to find the man waiting there.
The man was not looking at them and was looking at the soup on the table he gently turns up his face and saw the fine woman.
Their gazes lingered longer than expected, making the woman frown in response.
Startled, the man stood up, wanting to speak to her but finding himself at a loss for words. He thought to himself, "I'm sure she noticed me."
Not wanting to be rude, he addressed the old lady. "It was nice meeting you, but I have another parcel to deliver and can't afford any delays."
The old lady, puzzled, asked, "Why are you leaving so soon? You haven't even had your soup."
The man replied, "If the weather is good tomorrow, I'll come back to visit."
He gave the old lady a kind look and left before they could respond. The old lady looked between the fine woman and the direction the man had gone, confused.
The fine woman asked, "What's wrong?"
The old lady replied, "If you keep frowning, you might end up like me—alone and old."
The fine woman retorted, "Why not? I'm a fan of yours."
The old lady laughed, "I don't believe you are."
Suddenly, the fine woman said, "Muqin, don't tell me…"
She covered her mouth, and the old lady, curious, guessed, "Oh, don't even think of it!"
The fine woman smiled, "I didn't know you liked younger men."
The old lady, defiantly, said, "I'll snatch him if you don't see something in him! If he's a real man, he'll come back tomorrow."
The fine woman brushed off the old lady's comments, saying, "I'll change my clothes. I'm soaked. Oh, and this is for you."
She left a gift on the table.
The old lady, touched, said, "How thoughtful and sweet of you."
The next day, as the bustling street resumed its routine, the man walked by the old lady's noodle house. She noticed him slowing down and went out to greet him, "What a coincidence to see you again, Mister!"
The man on his usual muse kept a cool countenance expressionless face he said: "I must have passed by the same route for another parcel to deliver just around the corner."
The old lady reminded him, "I thought you were coming back to finish the ginseng soup you left behind."
"Oh, I missed that soup yesterday," the man said, "but first, I need to complete my deliveries. Maybe I can come by after."
The old lady nodded, "Alright, be sure to return after your shift. I'll prepare the best ginseng soup for you."
The man nodded in appreciation and walked away, casting a glance inside the Kowloon noodle house, hoping to see the pretty woman but finding no trace of her. His heart skipped a beat.
The old lady noticed his glance and wondered who or what he was looking for.
After the man left, the fine woman in her maidservant dress arrived. The old lady, coldly, asked, "Why are you late?"
"If I'm late, who's early?" the fine woman replied with a smile, shaking her head, and went to her kitchen duties. She was the cook at Kowloon noodle house.
As customers arrived and orders poured in, the old lady shouted, "Two ginseng soups and black tea!"
She expertly finished slicing onions, then swiftly threw her chef's knife—an 8-9 inch blade—at a nearby post marked with blade scars. With serious concentration, she wiped her brow and folded a white cloth into a rope, using it to grab a long-handled ladle.
She ladled out steaming ginseng soup into a ceramic bowl with grace.
"Order's complete!" she announced.
The old lady continued to shout orders as the fine woman, with graceful speed and precision, turned the kitchen into a well-oiled machine. Her martial arts skills made her an exceptional cook, perfecting every task with an almost unseen precision.
After her shift, she wore a rugged brown hooded cloak and always took time to feed street people and children with leftover food.
Outside the Kowloon house, the man reappeared as the old lady counted coins. She noticed him and said, "A demigod is looking for you. Please don't try to impress him with your dirty looks."
The man, looking gray but still expressionless, waited outside for the old lady to invite him in.
The man, slowly walking by, caught sight of the fine woman peeking out from the Kowloon noodle house. As their eyes met, time seemed to slow, and the fresh air brushed his face. The woman, unable to see who was outside, frowned and dismissed the presence as "maybe a ghost."
The old lady looked at the outside and saw the man was gone she said: "You're late!"
The fine woman complained: "You have been telling me I am always late today, what's the fuss? And I will never get tired of asking you, who is early if I am late? There's the only ghost outside."
The old lady smiles and tells herself: "This is interesting. How can the rooster meet an angry peacock?"
The fine woman ready to go finally went out and on her daily end of the day routine destination, to the streets of the poor and bless them with heaven's grace.
The next day, it is a sunny morning and all of sudden a child running in the marketplace chased by a gangster.
It looks like they are bullying the little boy and ran as fast as he could in the front of the Kowloon house and a man was passing by towards the narrow street and saw the little boy so afraid, the little boy sat down in front of it.
The man keen on his senses and humble clothing, did not bother to look at who is at his back and simply put his foot to swat the first person chasing the little boy and then suddenly he was down on the ground the man went to fake his actions by looking cold and angry he said:" Are you blind? Get out-of-the-way you maybe slip out of your foot again!"
And the man sensed another one coming, he faked his action by turning around and stepped on another man's foot, and the youngster was receiving the pain while the man complained: "Didn't you see, a man here who just stumbled?"
There were three more who came to bully the little boy and did not bother their two members who were so caught up with dust in the ground.
The three youngsters came to the little boy who is scared and started to turn around his back to knock at the Kowloon noodle house.
The customers were somewhat startled, and other curious ones came to see the boy.
The old lady sensed someone is asking for help she ringed a bell and the kitchen chef was awakened.
The man not far and near was just looking at the three youngsters who came to beat the little boy, and if any juvenile crime happens on site he uttered to himself: talking about breaking the rules!
He decides to save the little boy and just be gone.
The fine woman came out of the Kowloon house cold and no fear, she looked at the three youngsters, and the little boy went to hide on the back of her skirt the gangster bully laugh at him.
While the fine woman rolled her eyes, esteeming herself whether to teach them a lesson and give them some critical thing to remember or scare them by faking her identity she muttered: "I am the mother, why are you bullying my child?'
Suddenly the three gangsters did not show any respect and said: You?Thin and… and.. not yet finished speaking when swiftly the fine woman swat one of his knee making his head bow at her and spank his butt she said: "What were you saying?"
And the youngster swallowed his throat and cried in pain while the man in the middle of the street was just watching, and on his cold eyes, he secretly hid a joyful muse in there.
Another one came to strike the fine woman but she quickly grabbed his front shirt and hung him in the Kowloon's wall lamp, slapped his face twice then she said in a slight but somewhat angry voice: "If your mother did not yet do this to you, then you just come back here. My hands are always free to do it."
The scene unfolded with a blend of bravery and swift action, leaving an impression on everyone, including the man who quietly observed.
The man just watched the fine woman doing her role as the Muqin of the little boy, he put his hand on his jaws and formed his arched brow made him so gorgeous and a standby Adonis.
Then after her slapping session, the little boy at the back of her skirt secretly laughing in victory, the fine woman held his hand and asked: Where is the leader of this gangster.
The little boy pointed his fingers towards the man who is standing in the middle of the street where the two youngster boys beside him in pain and the leader was just running towards him they ask him to help them.
The fine woman thought that the leader is the man standing in the middle street.
An Adonis looks, athletic, and a face like came from the coldest north pole with a hint of a muse in his eyes suddenly grabbed the ears of the gangster leader who asked him his help and pulled him back towards the fine woman, who gave away her fierce looks and times ten angry look than earlier.
The man suddenly in front of her but not looking at her, he looked at the leader of the gangster he said: "I must be an accessory to the crime, here is your main offender" and he finally looked at her and threw a corner sly smile and continued: "Like a father I am telling you to bow to show some respect to the Muqin, apologize to her child and promise not to make this thing happen again and in thirty days you will serve the mother of the child as a penance for your bullying acts."
His voice as calm as the hunting winds stirred to kill two birds at one time.
The leader of the gangster enduring the pain in his ears, heard the voice of his fake father, he bowed his head to the fine woman and uttered: "We are very sorry to the little boy and to you Aunt Muqin, I will fetch some pail of water to help you in your chores and befriend your child."
The fine woman on her wrinkled eyebrows and diffused anger after hearing were satisfied with the words of promise.
She shifted her looks to the man, she gazed on him revealing her beautiful brown eyes, she said: "If these were your kids, make sure for them to remember the face of my child because the next time I see them in this scene I will make sure to punish not only them but their accessory to the crime father!"
The man receiving that killer but somehow most beautiful gaze of her eyes colors the gray areas of his life he replied: "Nothing to worry."
He paused before he said: "I just wished my children would have a Muqin like you, then I can just stay at the corner of the house be at ease knowing my children are disciplined from head to toe."
The fine woman praised and complimented on her fake mother role from this man's fake father role of the moment totally let go of the matter they left him and his gangsters outside.
Another day is done, and the old lady was just watching at the Kowloon house windows, and the viewers were thrown in awe and gawky face they forgot about their busy lives.
She suddenly took a staff and repeatedly banged in on the wooden post and said: "The action is over, back to your seats please."
The crowd looking frenzied and startled, got back to their seats and to their normal lives, happy to eat their noodle soups.
Connect toChapter 41 Blind date