Chapter Ninety-Three: Their Consciences Have Been Devoured by Dogs

The master smiled and simply helped the old man out of the alley. The old man was a little scared, his steps involuntarily retreating. The master kept reassuring him, “Don’t be afraid, sir. It’s alright; we’re here with you.”

The old man nodded nervously. I followed behind them, carrying the old man’s plastic bag and cardboard box. The master glanced back at me and said, “Leave those behind.”

I was taken aback. The old man seemed to hear the master’s words too and reached out hesitantly, mumbling, “Hey, that’s mine.”

The master smiled and said gently, “Sir, it’s alright. These are all old. We’re not living here anymore. I’ll take you somewhere better to stay.”

Still supporting the old man, the master moved forward. Hearing this, I threw the plastic bag and cardboard box into a nearby trash bin and caught up. The master led the old man into a nearby restaurant. As soon as he opened the door, an inconspicuous young waiter rushed over, saying, “Hey, sir, this person can’t come in here.”

The master was momentarily stunned, frowned, and asked, “What? Not welcome?”

The waiter nodded, looking disdainfully at the homeless old man. The old man felt embarrassed and apologized repeatedly, then let go of the master’s hand and started to walk out. The master, angered by the waiter’s attitude, stopped the old man and said, “It’s fine. We’ll just sit here and eat. Don’t mind them.”

With that, the master helped the old man to a table. The waiter was taken aback and displeased, saying, “Sir, I told you, this person can’t come in. It damages our image.”

The master ignored him, handed me a food container, and I glanced at the waiter before opening it and placing it in front of the old man. Then I opened a bottle of water. The waiter frowned, about to step forward to stop us, but the master shoved him back and pointed at him, saying, “Try touching us and see what happens. Who do you think you are, looking down on people?”

The waiter, pushed away, flared up and snapped, “Who the hell do you think you are, laying hands on me?”

At that moment, everyone dining in the restaurant, even the kitchen staff, came out to look at us. The master pointed at the waiter, furious, and said, “Get lost. This is your first warning, you lowlife who looks down on others.”

The waiter was humiliated but his resentment pushed him further. I saw him roll up his sleeves and say, “Wanna fight?”

Without wasting words, the master slapped him across the face, leaving the waiter stunned. The waiter clutched his face, cursed, raised his fist, and charged at the master. The master stood calmly with his hands behind his back, shifting his foot aside so the waiter’s strike missed. Then he kicked the waiter’s thigh, causing him to collapse, clutching his leg and screaming in pain. The master ignored him, returned to the table, and said to the old man, “Sir, don’t worry, eat peacefully. After this, I’ll take you to a hotel. We won’t stay on the street anymore.”

The old man glanced back at the waiter and pointed, asking, “Is this young man alright?”

“He’s fine. Don’t worry about him,” the master said with a smile.

Soon after, the restaurant owner arrived, having heard the commotion. After questioning the other staff and learning the situation, he helped the fallen waiter up and approached us, saying, “Sir, could you come with me for a moment?”

The master glanced at him, nodded, and followed the owner. The owner said, “Sir, I understand the situation now. First, I apologize for my staff’s behavior earlier. But every establishment has its rules, right? You’re welcome here, but... but—”

The owner hesitated, glancing at the homeless old man behind us. The master called to him a few times before the owner looked back. The master said directly, “So you mean only ‘normal’ people can enter here?”

The owner nodded awkwardly and smiled, looking at the master. But the master showed no kindness and sharply reprimanded, “Then isn’t he a normal person?”

The master pointed at the homeless old man. I sat opposite the old man, who must have been hungry for a long time. He said nothing, only lowering his head to eat. But I noticed tears streaming down his cheeks, which he wiped away from time to time with the back of his hand. I sighed, feeling sorry for him.

The owner, scolded by the master, was at a loss for words. The master nodded and continued, “Yes, you have your rules, I get it. But have you lost your conscience? Looking down on people? Disdaining them? You city folks really know how to play. What’s wrong with this old man? Just because he’s homeless, you think he’s dirty and damages your image? Then look at yourselves—dressed all prim and proper, disgusting!”

The master’s tirade left the owner lowering his head, embarrassed and unsure what to say. The master sighed deeply and said, “I’m not just saying this to you alone. Everyone here, one by one, we’re all forced by life. Don’t act so high and mighty, or you’ll be weeded out by society sooner or later. Enough. I won’t waste time arguing. We’ll finish eating and leave. You decide the price.”

The master returned to the old man’s side. Seeing the old man crying, he glared at the owner behind and pointed at him. Then he took a tissue and wiped the old man’s tears. The owner was deeply ashamed. Thinking carefully, though the master’s words were harsh, they held truth. The owner was quite reasonable. After dispersing the onlookers, he gave some instructions to the kitchen staff, who nodded and went back.

After a while, the owner personally brought a bowl of fish soup to our table. Looking at the master and then the old man, he placed it in front of the old man and said, “Sir, I’m sorry. Take your time. We have more; if it’s not enough, I’ll have my staff bring more. Xiao Wang, get some egg tarts here.”

He called to the waiter, who replied obediently and brought several egg tarts, placing them beside the old man. The old man never looked up, only staring at the food before him. Then, he finally sobbed quietly, wiping tears away, his trembling hands holding the chopsticks. The master sighed and gently patted the old man’s back. “Sir, it’s alright. It’s alright.”

After saying this, the old man suddenly put down his chopsticks and stood up, attempting to bow in gratitude to the master. The master reacted quickly, steadying him and saying, “Sir, don’t. I can’t accept that.”

The master helped the old man back into his seat. The old man wiped his tears, sobbed softly, and began to speak, “I’ve been homeless for years. No home, no children. Everywhere I go, I’m shunned. I’m half-buried already and thought it might be better to end it this way. If I die on the street, at least the police will take care of my body. I don’t ask for much. Thank you, kind people. In these years, I’ve rarely felt warmth like today. May you live long and well.”

The old man kept talking while the master comforted him continuously. We stayed with him until he finished eating. The master didn’t say much, left five hundred yuan on the table, and helped the old man out. The owner awkwardly wished us well as we left without responding. The master then took the old man to a hotel, where he bathed and changed into clean clothes.

We had planned to let the old man stay at the hotel, but he firmly refused. So, we took him to a nursing home. Before leaving, the master specially instructed the caregivers to take good care of him. Only then did we feel at ease and returned to the hotel.

After a day of wandering, there were many joys and many sorrows. As the master said, there are many things in this world beyond our control, but if we can help, we must. That is the basic principle of being human.

After washing up, I changed into pajamas. It was still early, just past eight. Feeling bored, I turned on the computer nearby to surf the web, but there was nothing interesting. Suddenly, the door to the room was knocked upon!