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Jin Kai did not feel happy when he saw the expression of fear on Lin Feng’s face. On the contrary, his patience was wearing thinner and thinner.
Another lash of the whip split the air, leaving a searing pain radiating across Lin Feng’s rear.
Smack! – Another lash of the whip!
Smack! – Yet another lash landed on his rear!
Whip strikes coming from an unknown direction pounded Lin Feng’s backside, and Lin Feng was desperately trying to shield it! But no matter what he did, he could not fend off these blows!
"Are you repentant? Will you pay your debt?!" Jin Kai asked in an authoritative tone.
Smack!
"Ahh! I—"
Smack!
"Ahh! I will pay!!"
Smack!–
The final lash halted impossibly midair with a slight wave of Jin Kai’s hand, just before it could touch Lin Feng.
It was only then that Lin Feng was able to see the whip that had struck him.
It was as thin as a rope!
("What in the world is this?!")
He quickly followed the source of the whip and realized that it had extended from the fingers of a wooden puppet.
("Fuck, did I just get beaten by a puppet?!")
In shame and tears, as he rubbed the pain in his rear with his hand behind his back, that thought echoed in his mind.
Then he looked at Jin Kai and saw that the latter was still waiting impatiently.
Jin Kai’s eyes were fixed on Lin Feng’s coin purse, as if he could see the Qi Stones inside!
Shivering under Jin Kai’s gaze, Lin Feng hastily pulled the coin purse from his pocket. He counted 13 Qi Stones and extended them to Jin Kai.
The impatient look on Jin Kai’s face vanished like melting ice in snowy mountains after a meteor strike the moment he saw the Qi Stones Lin Feng offered. In its place, his expression turned gentle and friendly once again.
He served the Turkish simits and tea to the table with a smile:
"Thank you for choosing my shop. Enjoy your meal."
And Lin Feng stood there dumbfounded like an idiot.
("Fuck… what is with that expression?!")
("How can he act as if nothing happened?!")
("Is this... the Tao of Shamelessness?!")
Yet he could not voice these thoughts. After all, his dick wasn’t that big.
So, while rubbing the pain in his rear, he forced a smile and sat down on a chair.
At that moment he was so terrified that he could have paid all his money just to get out of there.
But seeing Jin Kai’s strange behavior, he decided not to deviate from his words.
He sat where he was told and began consuming the Turkish simits and tea.
For about a minute he drifted into thought.
Then, the exquisite aroma of the tea and simits filled his nostrils. It almost touched his soul.
The scent was so wonderful that, for a moment, it even made him forget the pain in his rear.
Grulll!
A rumble from his stomach echoed in the shop.
Lin Feng lowered his head in embarrassment.
While one hand rubbed his stomach, he glanced at Jin Kai.
But Jin Kai didn’t even seem to care.
He had moved to the front of his counter, eagerly looking toward the door.
("He must be waiting for another customer…")
("He’s forgotten about me the moment he started making a sale...")
Lin Feng furtively cast a glance at the wooden puppet.
It stood unmoving in place, fixedly watching the door.
Beside it was… a rooster staring at him with a strange expression.
Lin Feng’s eyebrow twitched.
("I swear that damn rooster is looking at me with disdain!")
He took a deep breath.
And shook his head in despair as if to say, “Where have I fallen?”
Then he closed his eyes and focused.
("What’s done is done.")
("They don’t seem like they’re going to harm me.")
("Besides, they didn’t steal my money. They didn’t even injure me.")
("If they meant to do something to me, they would have already done it.")
But when he recalled the 13 Qi Stones he had just given,
a sorrowful smile appeared on his face.
However, the exquisite aroma of the tea and simits transformed his sorrowful smile into one filled with hope.
("Maybe it was worth it?") he mused mockingly to himself.
He reached for one of the Turkish simits.
His fingers immediately felt the crisp texture of the fresh dough.
He gently squeezed it.
The exterior was crunchy… yet the interior was soft as could be.
He took a bite.
And his pupils dilated.
The sesame-coated outer surface of the simit created a burst of flavor on his palate.
The roasted taste of the sesame spread over his tongue.
Then, the slightly salty and incredibly delicious texture of the dough caressed his mouth.
Unbidden, a pair of tears welled up in his eyes.
He chewed the simit with immense delight.
And the tears streamed down his cheeks.
These were tears of happiness!
"Extraordinary…" he murmured.
As the muscles in his jaw worked, an indescribable satisfaction appeared on his face.
He had tasted many foods in his life. He had even eaten beast meat when he had the means.
But this simit?
This seemingly simple round thing?
No…
This was something entirely different.
He took another bite.
This time, he paid even more attention to the inner part of the dough.
The outside was crunchy, while the inside was as soft as clouds.
("The exquisite harmony of crispiness and softness…")
Before taking a sip of tea, he placed the simit on the table.
He stared at the cup.
For a moment, he hesitated.
He did not know what this tea was.
Moreover, the two sugar cubes beside it only complicated the matter further.
But…
The aroma was so delightful that he could no longer resist.
He lifted the cup and took the first sip.
The warm liquid spread over his tongue and palate.
And for a moment he closed his eyes.
It was an entirely different experience.
So rich, so powerful in flavor that…
For a moment, he compared it to that exquisite beer he had never forgotten throughout his life.
Yes…
That beer had aged in bottles for years.
But this tea?
This simple tea?
It did not fall short of that exquisite beer in any way!
"Hm?" With great astonishment, as if witnessing a miracle, he looked at the simits and tea before him.
("The pain in my rear is gone!")
A surge of excitement spread across his face, but he quickly suppressed it.
("Fuck, my xiulian foundation is solidifying! Normally, it would have taken days, perhaps even weeks, to achieve this! But these simple foods… They can be compared to alchemy pills!")
Author’s Note: In xiulian practices, cultivators must solidify their foundation when they make a minor or major breakthrough. This is somewhat akin to allowing a freshly baked food to cool down.
He cast an admiring glance at Jin Kai.
("These are definitely worth the money! No, they are even more valuable than 13 Qi Stones! Both an exquisite taste and the effect of an alchemy pill!")
He stood up, gathered his courage, and addressed Jin Kai with an expression full of admiration.
"Sir–"
Seeing him rise, Jin Kai became a bit excited and cut him off.
"Would you like another cup of tea?"
The admiration on Lin Feng’s face froze. He forced a smile.
"No. I–"
Jin Kai’s smile faded slightly.
"Would you like a simit?"
Sweat appeared on Lin Feng’s forehead.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"No–"
This time, Jin Kai’s smile almost completely disappeared, replaced by an expression full of suspicion.
"Is there a problem with the simit or the tea?"
For the first time in his life, Lin Feng looked at Jin Kai with a foolish expression. His mind raced and he could only murmur a single word.
"No–"
But having completely lost his patience, Jin Kai interrupted him once more.
"WHAT?! Then why the hell are you bothering me?!"
Then, once again with excitement, he turned to the door, waiting for the next customer.
Lin Feng was uncertain, but he noticed once again that the rooster was giving him a disdainful look. This time, it even seemed to be laughing at him. Moreover, the puppet now appeared to be joining in with the rooster!
With his cheeks reddening in shame, Lin Feng sat back down in his chair and, while eating another simit, mumbled, "I only wanted to know your illustrious name…"
But this time, something miraculous happened that he had not expected at all.
Without breaking his composure, as if he had heard Lin Feng’s mumbling, Jin Kai replied,
"My name is Jin Kai. You may call me Boss Jin. The puppet that beat you is named Picockyo. And the rooster’s name is Zamazingo. You may call them by their names."
Lin Feng glanced at Zamazingo and Picockyo in bewilderment.
("Why on earth did he give names to a rooster and a puppet? And more importantly, why did he say I can call them? How can a rooster understand me? Also… doesn’t he control that puppet himself?!")
He looked at Jin Kai in confusion.
("Secret experts really are eccentric…")
Then he smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Thank you for answering my question, Boss Jin."
He brought his hand to the simit, and just as he was about to shove it into his mouth, he added with a small hesitation, "I will remain under your supervision, Great Master Picockyo, Great Master Zamazingo."
("Fuck, dealing with secret experts is really hard. I can never figure out what I should say…")
Lin Feng was uncertain, but he felt that the puppet and rooster, addressed as "Great Master," had become slightly proud.
He shook his head helplessly, laughed internally, and brought his hand to his tea.
Just as he was about to take a sip, two sugar cubes caught his attention.
He did not know what they were, but since they were served next to the cup and accompanied by a spoon, they must be something meant to be added to the tea. Therefore, he cast a secret glance at Jin Kai, ensuring that he wasn’t being watched. He did not want to appear as a villager who had just come down to the city for the first time.
So he took one sugar cube, lowered his head, secretly broke off a small piece, and put it into his mouth. Sweetness immediately spread across his tongue.
("So it''s sugar... Fuck, it''s so sweet! But if Boss Jin put it there, he must know what he''s doing…")
He dropped the sugar cube from the tea coaster and the missing piece into his tea. As the sugar dissolved, he took the metal spoon and slowly stirred inside the cup. As the tea and sugar merged, the sound emanating from the cup was soft, yet it resonated like a soothing melody in one''s soul.
He took a sip.
("Fuck, it''s so sweet!")
He grimaced and cursed under his breath. The pleasure he had just received from the tea had completely vanished.
("But I must drink it all. If Boss Jin added the sugar, he must know something. Otherwise, why would he place sugar beside the tea?")
He consoled himself in this way and reached for another simit from the table. He took a bite.
The sweetness from the sugar had also tainted the flavor of the simit.
With an expression filled with sorrow, he murmured once again inwardly, ("Boss Jin must know something…")
At that very moment, Jin Kai turned to Lin Feng and noticed that the man who had just consumed the simit and tea with great pleasure was now struggling to eat them with evident distress.
With a confused look, he asked,
"Hey, you were eating so happily just a moment ago. Why do you now seem to be forcing yourself to eat?"
Lin Feng’s heart skipped a beat at this sudden question.
("Fuck, since when is he looking at me like that?!")
Quickly regaining himself, he replied as if nothing had happened,
"Forcing myself to eat? Why would I force myself to eat these exquisite flavors? They’re so delicious!"
He even smiled and took a sip of tea to prove his point.
But the twitch in his eyelids and lips betrayed how fake that smile truly was.
Jin Kai furrowed his brows:
"Hey, I don’t like liars! Tell me what’s going on!"
In pain, Lin Feng looked at him and mustered the courage to say,
"Well… at first I drank the tea without sugar and everything was fine, but when sugar was added, the taste in my mouth was ruined."
Jin Kai’s brows raised.
"If you don’t like it sweet, then why did you add sugar?"
Lin Feng lowered his head and, looking at the table, replied,
"Boss Jin, if you put sugar beside the tea, it means that the tea is meant to be drunk sweet."
Jin Kai was stunned by this answer for a brief moment. Then he looked at him as though he were an idiot.
"If you believed that tea should be drunk sweet, why would I put the sugar beside the tea? I would have mixed it directly into it before serving."
Lin Feng lifted his head and looked at Jin Kai. And… he saw that Jin Kai was indeed looking at him like an idiot.
What kind of expression was that?!
What a stupid expression indeed!!
Immediately after, he glanced at Zamazingo and Picockyo. And he realized that they too were looking at him with the same expression.
With a huge smile plastered on his face as if nothing had happened, he gulped down the entire tea in one go. Then he stuffed all the simits into his mouth and marched out exclaiming,
"YDADS LDLS SLSDPSSL" (Thanks for the food).
Before leaving through the door, he could have sworn that the rooster and the puppet were laughing at him…
******************************
B?lüm 2: Dostum, bu simit ve ?ay bir harika!
Jin Kai, Lin Feng’in yüzündeki korku dolu ifadeyi g?rünce mutlu hissetmedi. Aksine sabr? daha da tükeniyordu.
Bir k?rba? darbesi daha havay? yard? ve Lin Feng’in k???nda zonklayan bir ac? b?rakt?.
?lak! – Bir k?rba? darbesi daha!
?lak! – Bir ba?ka k?rba? darbesi onun k???na indi!
Bilinmeyen bir yerden gelen k?rba? darbeleri Lin Feng’in k???na iniyor, Lin Feng ise k???n? korumaya ?al???yordu! Ama ne yaparsa yaps?n, bu darbeleri engelleyemiyordu!
“Pi?man oldun mu? Borcunu ?deyecek misin?!” diye sordu Jin Kai, otoriter bir ses tonuyla.
?lak!
“Ahh! Ben-”
?lak!
“Ahh! Ben ?deyece?im!!”
?lak!-
Sonuncu k?rba? darbesi, Jin Kai’nin elini hafif?e sallamas?yla, Lin Feng’e temas etmeden ?nce havada imkans?z bir momentumla durdu.
??te ilk defa o zaman Lin Feng, kendisine vuran k?rbac? g?rebilmi?ti.
Bu, ipe benzer ince bir dald?!
(“Bu da ne b?yle?!”)
H?zla dal?n kayna??n? takip etti ve bunun... tahta kuklan?n parmaklar?ndan uzam?? oldu?unu fark etti.
(“S?KT?R, B?R KUKLADAN MI DAYAK YED?M BEN?!”)
Lin Feng, utan? ve g?zya?lar? i?inde, k???n?n ac?s?n? ge?irmek i?in elini arkas?na g?türüp ovu?tururken bu dü?ünce zihninde yank?land?.
Sonra Jin Kai’ye bakt? ve onun hala sab?rs?z bir ifadeyle bekledi?ini g?rdü.
Jin Kai’nin g?zleri, Lin Feng’in para kesesine odaklanm??t?. Sanki i?indeki Qi Ta?lar?n? g?rebiliyordu!
Lin Feng, Jin Kai’nin bak??? kar??s?nda ürperdi ve h?zla cebinden para kesesini ??kard?. 13 tane Qi Ta?? sayd? ve hepsini Jin Kai’ye uzatt?.
Jin Kai’nin sab?rs?z ifadesi, Lin Feng’in uzatt??? Qi Ta?lar?n? g?rür g?rmez, bir meteor dü?mesi sonucu karl? da?larda eriyen buzlar gibi yok oldu. Yerine, tekrar nazik ve dostane bir tav?r geldi.
Simitleri ve ?ay? gülümseyerek bir masaya servis etti: “Dükkan?m? tercih etti?iniz i?in te?ekkür ederim, afiyet olsun.”
Ve Lin Feng aptal gibi dona kald?.
(“Siktir… bu yüz ifadesi de ne b?yle?!”)
(‘Nas?l hi?bir ?ey ya?anmam?? gibi davranabilir?!’)
(‘Bu... Utanmazl???n Tao''su mu?!’)
Fakat bu dü?üncelerini dile getiremezdi. ?ünkü ta?aklar? o kadar büyük de?ildi.
Bu yüzden, bir yandan k???n?n ac?s?n? ovu?tururken, di?er yandan da gülümsemeye ?al??arak sandalyeye oturdu.
?u an o kadar fazla korkuyordu ki, buradan bir an ?nce gitmek i?in tüm paras?n? bile verebilirdi.
Ama Jin Kai’nin garip davran??lar?n? g?rdü?ünden dolay?, onun s?zlerinden d??ar? ??kmamaya karar verdi.
G?sterdi?i yere oturdu ve simitleri ve ?ay? tüketmeye ba?lad?.
Yakla??k bir dakika boyunca dü?üncelere dald?.
Sonra, ?ay?n ve simitlerin enfes kokusu burnunun i?ine doldu. Ve adeta ruhuna dokundu.
Bu koku o kadar güzeldi ki, ona k???n?n a?r?s?n? bile bir anl???na unutturmu?tu.
Grulll!
Bir kar?n gurultusu, dükkanda yank?land?.
Lin Feng, utan? i?inde boynunu e?di.
Bir yandan karn?n? ovu?tururken, di?er yandan da Jin Kai’ye bakt?.
Ama Jin Kai bunu umursam?yordu bile.
O, tezgah?n?n ba??na ge?mi?, heyecanla kap?ya bak?yordu.
(“Ba?ka bir mü?terinin gelmesini bekliyor…”)
(‘Bana sat?? yapt??? andan itibaren beni unuttu...’)
Lin Feng, gizlice tahta kuklaya bir bak?? att?.
O, hareketsiz bir ?ekilde yerinde duruyor ve kap?ya bak?yordu.
Yan?nda ise… garip bir ifadeyle ona bakan bir horoz vard?.
Lin Feng’in ka?? se?irdi.
(“Bu lanet horozun bana kü?ümseyerek bakt???na yemin edebilirim!”)
Derin bir nefes verdi.
Ve ‘nereye dü?tüm ben!’ der gibi ba??n? ?aresizce sallad?.
Sonra g?zlerini kapatt? ve odakland?.
(“Olmu?la ?lmü?e ?are yoktur.”)
(‘Bana zarar verecek gibi durmuyorlar.’)
(‘Ayr?ca param? da ?almad?lar. Beni yaralamad?lar bile.’)
(‘Bana bir ?ey yapmak isteseler, ?oktan yaparlard?.’)
Ama az ?nce verdi?i 13 Qi Ta?? akl?na gelince…
Yüzünde kederli bir gülümseme belirdi.
Ancak, ?ay ve simidin enfes kokusu onun kederli gülümsemesini, umut dolu bir gülümsemeye ?evirdi.
(‘Belki de buna de?er?’) diye i?inden ge?irdi hafif alayl? bir ?ekilde.
Bir simide uzand?.
Parmaklar?, taze hamurun gevrek dokusunu hemen hissetti.
Hafif?e s?kt?.
D??? ??t?r ??t?rd?… ama i?i yumu?ac?kt?.
Bir ?s?r?k ald?.
Ve g?z bebekleri büyüdü.
Simidin susamla kapl? d?? yüzeyi, dama??nda adeta bir tat patlamas? yaratt?.
Susam?n kavruk tad? diline yay?ld?.
Ard?ndan hamurun hafif tuzlu ve inan?lmaz lezzetli dokusu, onun a?z?n? ok?ad?.
G?zlerinde istemsizce bir ?ift g?zya?? belirdi.
Simidi büyük bir hazla ?i?nedi.
Ve g?zya?lar?, yanaklar?ndan a?a?? süzüldü.
Bunlar mutluluk g?zya?lar?yd?!
“Ola?anüstü…” diye m?r?ldand?.
?enesindeki kaslar ?al???rken, yüzünde tarifsiz bir memnuniyet belirdi.
Hayat?nda daha ?nce pek ?ok yiyecek tatm??t?. Paras? yetti?ince canavar eti bile yemi?ti.
Ama bu simit?
Bu basit g?rünen yuvarlak ?ey?
Hay?r…
Bu, bamba?kayd?.
Bir lokma daha ald?.
Bu kez hamurun i? k?sm?na daha ?ok dikkat etti.
D??? ??t?r, i?i ise neredeyse bulut gibi yumu?akt?.
(“??t?rl???n ve yumu?akl???n enfes uyumu…”)
Bir yudum ?ay almadan ?nce, elindeki simidi masaya koydu.
Barda?a bakt?.
Bir an tereddüt etti.
Bu ?ay?n ne oldu?unu bilmiyordu.
Ayr?ca yan?ndaki iki küp, bu olay? daha da karma??kla?t?r?yordu.
Ama…
Kokusu o kadar güzeldi ki, daha fazla dayanamad?.
Barda?? kald?r?p ilk yudumu ald?.
S?cak s?v?, diline ve dama??na yay?ld?.
Ve bir an g?zlerini kapatt?.
Bu, bamba?ka bir deneyimdi.
O kadar zengin, o kadar gü?lü bir tat ki…
Bir an, hayat? boyunca unutamad??? o enfes birayla kar??la?t?rd?.
Evet…
O bira ?i?elerde y?llanm??t?.
Ama bu ?ay?
Bu basit ?ay?
O enfes biradan hi? geri kalm?yordu!
“Hm?” Büyük bir ?a?k?nl?kla, sanki bir mucizeye tan?kl?k ediyormu? gibi ?nündeki simitlere ve ?aya bakt?.
(“K???m?n a?r?s? gitmi?!”)
Yüzüne büyük bir heyecan yay?ld? ama hemen bast?rd?.
(“S?KT?R, xiulian temelim sa?lamla??yor! Normalde bunun i?in günlerce, hatta belki haftalarca u?ra?mam gerekirdi! Ama bu basit yiyecekler… Simya haplar?yla k?yaslanabilir!”)
Yazar notu: Kültivat?rler, xiulian uygulamalar?nda kü?ük ya da büyük alem atlad?klar?nda temellerini sa?lamla?t?rmal?yd?. Bu, bir nevi f?r?ndan yeni ??kan bir yiyece?in so?umaya b?rak?lmas?na benziyordu.
Jin Kai’ye hayranl?k dolu bir bak?? att?.
(“Bunlar kesinlikle paras?n? hak ediyor! Hay?r, bunlar 13 Qi ta??ndan bile daha de?erli! Hem mükemmel bir lezzet hem de simya hap? etkisi!”)
Aya?a kalkt?, cesaretini toplad? ve hayranl?k dolu bir ifadeyle Jin Kai’ye seslendi.
“Efendim-“
Onun aya?a kalkt???n? g?ren Jin Kai biraz heyecanland? ve s?zünü kesti.
“Bir bardak daha m? ?ay istiyorsun?”
Lin Feng’in yüzündeki hayranl?k donup kald?. Kendini zorlayarak gülümsedi.
“Hay?r. Ben-“
Jin Kai’nin gülümsemesi hafif?e soldu.
“Simit mi istiyorsun?”
Lin Feng’in aln?nda terler belirdi.
“Hay?r-“
Jin Kai’nin gülümsemesi neredeyse tamamen yok oldu ama hala umudunu koruyordu.
“Enfes so?uk ayran?m? m? denemek istiyorsun?”
Lin Feng’in kalp at??lar? dakikada 300’e f?rlad?.
“Hay?r-“
Bu sefer Jin Kai’nin gülümsemesi tamamen silindi, yerini ku?ku dolu bir ifadeye b?rakt?.
“Simitte ya da ?ayda bir problem mi var?”
Lin Feng, hayat?nda hi? olmad??? kadar aptal bir ifadeyle Jin Kai’ye bakt?. Zihni h?zla ?al???rken sadece bir kelime m?r?ldanabildi.
“Hay?r-“
Fakat sabr?n? tamamen kaybeden Jin Kai onun s?zünü bir kez daha b?ldü.
“HAA?! O zaman ne sikime beni rahats?z ediyorsun?!”
Ard?ndan bir kez daha heyecanla kap?ya d?nerek mü?teri beklemeye koyuldu.
Lin Feng emin de?ildi ama bir kez daha horozun kendisine kü?ümser bir bak?? att???n? g?rdü. Hatta bu sefer ona gülüyor gibiydi. üstelik bu sefer kukla da sanki horoza kat?lm??t?!
Yana?? k?zaran Lin Feng utan? i?inde sandalyesine oturdu, bir par?a daha simit yerken m?r?ldand?. “Sadece yüce isminizi ??renmek istemi?tim…”
Fakat bu sefer hi? beklemedi?i mucizevi bir ?ey ger?ekle?ti.
Jin Kai, tavr?n? bozmadan, Lin Feng’in m?r?lt?s?n? duymu??as?na yan?tlad?.
“Benim ad?m Jin Kai. Bana Patron Jin diyebilirsin. Seni d?ven kuklan?n ad? Picockyo. Horozun ad? ise Zamazingo. Onlar? isimleriyle ?a??rabilirsin.”
Lin Feng, Zamazingo ve Picockyo’ya garip bir bak?? att?.
(“Bir horoz ve kuklaya neden isim vermi? ki? Daha da ?nemlisi, neden onlar? ?a??rabilece?imi s?yledi? Bir horoz beni nas?l anlayabilir? Ayr?ca… bu kuklay? kendisi kontrol etmiyor mu?!”)
Jin Kai’ye kafa kar???kl??? i?inde bakt?.
(“Gizli uzmanlar ger?ekten de eksantrik oluyormu?…”)
Sonra hafif?e gülümsedi ve ba??n? sallad?.
“Sorumu cevaplad???n?z i?in te?ekkür ederim, Patron Jin.”
Elini simide g?türdü, tam a?z?na atacakken kü?ük bir tereddütle ekledi: “G?zetiminiz alt?nda olaca??m, Büyük Usta Picockyo, Büyük Usta Zamazingo.”
(‘Siktir, gizli uzmanlarla u?ra?mak ger?ekten zor. Ne s?ylemem gerekti?ini kestiremiyorum…’)
Lin Feng emin de?ildi ama ‘Büyük Usta’ diye hitap edilen kukla ve horozun hafif?e gururland???n? hissetti.
Kafas?n? ?aresizce sallad?, i?inden gülerek elini ?aya g?türdü.
Tam yudumlayacakken iki küp ?eker dikkatini ?ekti.
Bunlar?n ne oldu?unu bilmiyordu ama barda??n yan?nda servis edildi?ine ve yan?nda bir de ka??k oldu?una g?re ?aya at?lmas? gereken bir ?ey olmal?yd?. Bu yüzden Jin Kai’ye gizli bir bak?? att? ve onun kendisine bakmad???ndan emin oldu. Kar??s?nda ilk defa ?ehre inen bir k?ylü g?rünmek istemiyordu.
Bu sebeple bir tane küp ?eker ald?, ba??n? e?erek gizlice kü?ük bir par?a kopar?p a?z?na att?. Tatl?l?k hemen diline yay?ld?.
(“Demek ?eker... Siktir, ?ok tatl?! Ama Patron Jin bunu koydu?una g?re bir bildi?i vard?r…”)
?ay altl???ndaki küp ?ekeri ve elindeki eksik küpü ?ay?n i?ine b?rakt?. ?eker erirken metal ka???? ald? ve barda??n i?inde yava??a d?ndürdü. ?ay ve ?eker birle?irken bardaktan ??kan ses hafif, ama insan?n i?ini rahatlatan bir t?n? gibiydi.
Bir yudum ald?.
(“Siktir, ?ok tatl?!”)
Yüzünü ek?iterek i?inden s?vdü. Az ?nce ?aydan ald??? haz tamamen yok olmu?tu.
(“Ama hepsini i?mem laz?m. Patron Jin ?ekeri koydu?una g?re bir bildi?i vard?r. Yoksa neden ?ay?n yan?na ?eker koysun ki?”)
Kendini b?yle teselli etti ve masadaki simitlerden birine yeniden uzand?. Bir ?s?r?k ald?.
?ekerden kaynaklanan tatl?l?k, simidin lezzetini de bozmu?tu.
G?zlerinde keder dolu bir ifadeyle bir kez daha i?inden m?r?ldand?: (“Patron Jin’in bir bildi?i vard?r…”)
Tam o s?rada Jin Kai, Lin Feng’e d?ndü ve az ?nce büyük bir hazla simit ve ?ay tüketen adam?n aniden büyük bir s?k?nt?yla bunlar? yemeye ?al??t???n? fark etti.
Kafas? kar??m?? bir ?ekilde sordu:
“Hey, az ?nce büyük bir keyifle yiyordun, ?imdi neden zorla yiyormu?sun gibi g?rünüyorsun?”
Lin Feng’in kalbi bu ani soru kar??s?nda tekledi.
(“Siktir, ne zamand?r bana bak?yor?!”)
H?zla kendini toparlad? ve hi?bir ?ey olmam?? gibi cevaplad?:
“Zorla yemek mi? Bu enfes lezzetleri neden zorla yiyeyim ki? ?ok lezzetliler!”
Hatta bunu kan?tlamak istercesine gülümseyerek bir yudum ?ay i?ti.
Fakat g?zkapaklar?n?n ve dudaklar?n?n se?irmesi, bu gülümsemenin ne kadar sahte oldu?unu hayk?r?yordu.
Jin Kai ka?lar?n? ?att?: “Hey, bana yalan s?yleyenlerden ho?lanmam! Ne oldu?unu s?yle!”
Lin Feng ac? i?inde ona bakt?. Cesaretini toplayarak,
“?ey… ?lk ba?ta ?ay? ?ekersiz i?mi?tim ve her ?ey güzeldi ama ?eker ekleyince a?z?m?n tad? bozuldu,” diye cevaplad?.
Jin Kai’nin ka?lar? kalkt?.
“?ekerli sevmiyorsan o zaman neden ?eker ekledin?”
Lin Feng boynunu büktü, masaya bakarak cevaplad?: “Patron Jin, ?ay?n yan?na ?eker koymu?sa ?ay ?ekerli i?ilir demektir.”
Jin Kai bu cevap kar??s?nda k?sa bir süre donup kald?. Sonra ona, bir aptala bakar gibi bakt?.
“E?er ?ay?n ?ekerli i?ilmesi gerekti?ini dü?ünseydim, neden ?ekeri ?ay?n yan?na koyay?m ki? Direkt i?ine kat?p servis ederdim.”
Lin Feng kafas?n? kald?r?p Jin Kai’ye bakt?. Ve... onun ger?ekten kendisine aptala bakar gibi bakt???n? g?rdü.
Bu nas?l bir yüz ifadesiydi b?yle?!
Bu nas?l aptalca bir yüz ifadesiydi b?yle!!
Hemen ard?ndan Zamazingo ve Picockyo’ya bakt?. Ve onlar?n da ayn? yüz ifadesiyle kendisine bakt???n? fark etti.
Hi?bir ?ey olmam?? gibi yüzüne kocaman bir gülümseme yerle?tirdi, tek diki?te ?ay?n tamam?n? i?ti. Sonra tüm simitleri a?z?na s?k??t?rd? ve “YDADS LDLS SLSDPSSL” (Yemek i?in te?ekkürler) diyerek d??ar? ??kt?.
Kap?dan ??kmadan ?nce, horozun ve kuklan?n ona güldü?üne yemin edebilirdi…
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