“I beg your pardon, I beg your pardon.” An old man stood up from the bench at the side of the path. He picked up the long broom that had fallen and apologized to Mag sincerely.

Mag took a look at that old man. He was about 60 years old, and his hair was almost white, but the wrinkles on his face were deeply etched. Frost was already forming on his messy beard and eyebrows. He was wearing a tattered black cotton jacket with an armband on his left arm that bore the words “Aden Square’s Cleaner”. It seemed like he worked in the square as a cleaner.

There was an old lady standing next to the bench too. She was about 50-60 years old, thin and hunchbacked. She was holding half of the biscuit and looking at him nervously.

“It’s fine,” Mag said smilingly. It made him rather embarrassed when the old man was being so polite.

The roadblock was removed, and Mag was prepared to ride on.

“Sigh. You can stop trying to warm it up, old man. I am not hungry. You can have some of it. I am not eating.” The old lady’s haggard voice sounded right at this moment.

Mag turned his head around in confusion. He saw the old man take out half a biscuit from his chest clothes. He was pressing it with his hands like he was pressing on a piece of rock. He desperately said, “This weather is too cold. I can warm it up and make it soft usually, but why can’t I warm it up today?”

“It’s okay. I am not hungry.” The old lady shook her head. Her throat moved as she stared at the biscuit. Then, she moved her gaze away.

“Then, I will dip it into the water for you. It can be eaten once it’s softened in the water.” The old man passed the biscuit to the old lady as he turned to get a water cup made of bamboo out of the basket that was rather full of rubbish. He twisted it hard twice to unscrew the cap. His eyes reddened instantly when he saw the thin layer of ice floating on it.

“Never mind. You eat it now. We still got to work after eating this. The weather is so cold. We can go back earlier if we finish sweeping the area earlier.” The old lady pushed the biscuit back to the old man and took the bamboo container from him. She replaced the cover and put it back in the basket again. There was a smile on her wrinkled face.

Mag hesitated for a moment before he decided to stop and park the bicycle. He said to the old man, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

The old man turned around and looked at Mag, stunned. He looked around him with uncertainty before asking, “Are you talking to me, Sir?”

Old Jack and his wife had been sweeping Aden Square for 10-odd years. Because they were alway in contact with rubbish, people usually walked around them. This gentleman, who looked very well-dressed and respectable, actually took the initiative to greet him? This was something that had never happened before.

“Yes. I see that you seem to run into some problems. Can I offer you some help?” Mag nodded.

“It isn’t a problem. We have come to sweep the square since four in the morning. We brought along some drystores, but due to the cold weather, it is frozen hard. Normally, I will warm it up and soften with my body warmth before giving it to her. However, the temperature is simply too low, and I cannot warm it up no matter how I try. The hot water that I brought also began to have ice forming after such a long time.

“It’s still alright for me as I can still swallow after chewing it harder, but my wife doesn’t have many teeth left. I am afraid her body cannot withstand the cold and hunger if she doesn’t eat to fill her stomach,” Old Jack said with red eyes and self-reproach.

“Aiyo, why are you making me look so weak? My body is perfectly fine. Don’t waste this gentleman’s precious time.” The old lady rolled her eyes at Old Jack before smilingly saying to Mag, “Kind Sir, we are alright. Don’t worry about us.”

Mag peered at the old lady. Although she was wearing patched-up clothes, her smile was still as clean as the flowers blooming in the snow. It made people feel comfortable.

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What a kind old lady, Mag lamented in his heart. He felt sorry for them as he looked at the big biscuit in their hands.

“Ding! The sympathy that Host has for the two cleaners has triggered a new mission: the cleaners working in Aden Square begin their cleaning tasks at 4 am every day to make sure that Aden Square remains clean and neat. They have to work for several hours continuously in the sub-zero temperature. They are often hungry and tired before their tasks are completed, but they can never manage to have a hot meal. Can the Host promise to provide a helping of congee with pork and century egg for the cleaners working in Aden Square as breakfast every day?

“Mission reward: the recipe of congee with pork and century egg! Punishment for mission failure: sweeping the whole Aden Square by yourself!”

Just then, the system’s voice rang in Mag’s head.

“Hmm?” Mag was stunned. He indeed felt sympathy for them, but he only intended to buy a set of breakfast for this couple and get them a cup of hot water. He didn’t expect System to make him provide breakfast for all the cleaners in Aden Square.

This…

…actually wasn’t a big problem.

However, he simply wasn’t happy that he was forced to do it.

“System, are you forcing me to do good deeds? As a cuisine system, aren’t your actions a little overboard?” Mag said in his heart unhappily.

“Host, if you want to become a real God of Cookery, you have to have the heart of a powerhouse. Kindness and sympathy are the most basic character traits. This is a mission to build up your character, so I have not gone overboard,” the system answered calmly.

“Since this is the case, I will make myself accept this mission,” Mag said thoughtfully. He had provided food for the children once before, and sharing food was indeed something that made one feel happy.

Providing a simple hot breakfast, congee with pork and century egg, for the hungry cleaners shouldn’t be a burden for him.

“It’s alright. I have nothing at hand anyway,” Mag said to the old lady with a smile. “Give me the bamboo container and I will fetch you some hot water.”

“This…” The old lady looked at Mag’s friendly smile with some hesitation.

“It is only a simple act. My restaurant is just over there,” Mag said, pointing toward Mamy Restaurant.

“Then… Then, we will bother you, Sir.” The old man took out the bamboo container and poured away the water in it before giving it to Mag.

There was still crushed ice in the icy cold bamboo container. The hot water would turn cold within 10 minutes when it was held in such a non-insulated container.

Mag took the container and walked straight toward a breakfast shop nearby.

“How could we trouble people.” The old lady looked at Old Jack grudgingly.

Old Jack laughed and gazed at the old lady indulgently. “I have to ensure you have something to eat. I will thank that kind gentleman properly later.”