Chapter 31: 27

Chapter 27

Coyotes, Raccoons and Rabbits

Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil

 

“This is Xiaoqing-jiejie, she’s…” Bai Yao turns to introduce Jing Xiaoqing to Mu Mu’er, but can’t come up with the name of her job on the spot. He then takes the wooden rowboat off the desk, showing him, “she makes little boats.”

Jing Xiaoqing immediately takes her boat back, while rubbing it clean on her apron, “hands off! It’s not done yet.”

The bun she tied on her hair is a little messy, and her apron and dress are filled with splinters that fall right off after she stands up. Her hair even has a little bit of glue on it.

She’s about five months into her pregnancy, and it’s showing, propping her dress out a little. She’s definitely quite chipper, and quick on her feet even with the baby in her tummy.

Objectively, Bai Yao would rate Jing Xiaoqing the prettiest young lady in town. She has the body, the appearance, the personality, and people interested in her can fill up an entire block.

It’s a shame she was duped by a human scum. Bai Yao asked her about him several times, but she wouldn’t tell him.

Bai Yao smiles and pats Mu Mu’er on the shoulder, “you can call her jiejie.”

Mu Mu’er seems to be a little slow on the uptick. He only speaks after a while, softly and meekly, “jiejie, jiejie is pretty.”

“Thanks,” Jing Xiaoqing replies, slightly bewildered. She can feel that something seems different about him, but it’s not exactly clear what. Her brows furrow ever so slightly.

Bai Yao shakes his head a little behind Mu Mu’er, while also squeezing the boy’s shoulder a little.

Jing Xiaoqing has known Bai Yao for years now, so she picks up on it soon enough, and smiles, telling Mu Mu’er, “you are pretty too.”

Mu Mu’er smiles a little at the praise, but doesn’t dare show too much excitement. He just tiptoes a little and smile a little.

“Do come take a seat. Oh, you shouldn’t have,” Jing Xiaoqing takes Bai Yao and Mu Mu’er to the small staff room behind the counter, letting them sit while washing the blueberries and strawberries Bai Yao brought, and putting them onto the coffee table. She pours two cups of raw Pu’er tea, then a cup of iced cranberry juice for Mu Mu’er.

The store is quite small in size, but the resting area is wider and more comfortable, with two lounge chairs plus a giant beanbag sofa.

Jing Xiaoqing sits on one of the lounge chairs while letting Bai Yao and Mu Mu’er on the beanbag sofa.

The sofa is probably big enough for 4 people sitting together, but despite the space, Mu Mu’er is squeezing himself with Bai Yao.

After sitting down, Bai Yao starts to recount how he met Mu Mu’er to Jing Xiaoqing, from the meeting on the beach to teaching him how to transform to human.

The boy, while tilting his head, is also listening very closely. Hearing about the coyotes again, he yells out “bad people!” Amusing the two.

While speaking, Bai Yao realises he actually doesn’t know all that much about Mu Mu’er. He doesn’t know how long the boy has lived as a sea otter, or whether he has a family still looking for him, or where all the wounds on him came from.

Mu Mu’er has an older brother. That’s all he thinks he remembers.

Jing Xiaoqing listened closely, and thought about it for a long time, before speaking, “it doesn’t do to let him stay at your place forever either. You don’t really know each other; you just picked him off the street, like.”

“Like… uh, you…” she’s at a loss for words, “he isn’t actually a sea otter. He’s a man; a person.”

Bai Yao nods, “of course I know that, but where can I send him? He has nowhere to go, but the ocean; but I can’t just throw him back in, yeah?”

He pauses, looking at the boy sitting obediently beside him. He has put his hands on his kneecaps, sitting straight, sticking close to Bai Yao.

“I feel pretty sorry for him,” Bai Yao says, after a little hesitation, “you know, he was eating leftovers in the restaurant the first night I met him. It felt really like he was used to starving.”

Mu Mu’er really is a heartbreaking story. He’s benign and utterly naïve. He can also pick up intentions pretty well, and he knows Bai Yao treats him well, that he will thank him politely too.

Bai Yao also isn’t too sure about how to treat him. He kept him because he really looked too pitiful, but now he isn’t sure he can let him go anymore. He wants to protect him, learn more about his past, know exactly what happened that left him all these scars.

Jing Xiaoqing does not speak for a long time, biting her lips. Finally, she asks, not quite confidently, “what about that older brother of his? You ever tried to get into contact?”

Bai Yao almost rolls his eyes at her.

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“I’d have called him a long time ago if I could.”

The long pauses in conversation has bored Mu Mu’er soon enough, so his gaze slowly drifts towards the fruit platter on the coffee table. If Jing Xiaoqing isn’t here, he would have lunged for it in no time. In the presence of strangers, though, he is still pretty shy.

But finally, Mu Mu’er’s desire wins out. He tugs Bai Yao’s clothes very lightly, while staring daggers into the strawberries on the table. He wants to eat them if he can get permission.

The tugging is too light to make Bai Yao notice, though, being too engaged in chatter with Jing Xiaoqing.

After a bit of time, Mu Mu’er sees that Bai Yao doesn’t notice him at all. He lowers his head despondently, while rubbing the pocket on the front of his overalls.

Jing Xiaoqing, though, happens to notice Mu Mu’er looking down from the opposite side. She understands in no time, and quickly gives the plate of strawberries to him, smiling.

“Take some; jiejie will buy some more for you next time if you like it,” it’s a bit inconvenient when she’s pregnant, as she has to move her whole body forward to move the plate of strawberries forward.

Mu Mu’er’s gaze is fixed on the freshly picked fruit with water still on their skin. They go closer, and closer to him, until finally, the plate ends up on his legs. He looks up at Jing Xiaoqing with widened eyes.

Food! The shyness goes away immediately. He smiles sweetly at her, and says quietly, “thank you jiejie.”

He then picks the biggest, most vibrantly red strawberry from the plate. He doesn’t eat it, though, instead holding it by the stem, raising it towards Bai Yao’s mouth for him.

Bai Yao is going to tell him he can eat first, but with his mouth wide open, Mu Mu’er has already taken the opportunity to stuff the whole strawberry inside. He keeps pushing, so that the strawberry doesn’t fall outside.

Bai Yao swears he’s going to choke him to death.

Before Bai Yao can chew and swallow, Mu Mu’er is already asking “is it tasty?”

Jing Xiaoqing can’t help but start smiling at the interaction, and her eyes softly curls. Bai Yao glares at her, with a face that says ‘don’t you dare say a thing.’

After Bai Yao has finally chewed and swallowed, Mu Mu’er finally takes one for himself.

“Mu’er, no strawberry for jiejie?” Jing Xiaoqing teases Mu Mu’er, then puts her head on her arm to wait for Mu Mu’er to feed him a strawberry too.

Mu Mu’er’s mouth remains wide open as he lifts his head up, slightly embarrassed. He didn’t feed the pretty lady strawberries, but he doesn’t know her very well, so he doesn’t dare to give her strawberry like he did Bai Yao. He looks lost with his eyes looking back and forth from the strawberry to her.

“Quit teasing him,” warns Bai Yao.

“Tch,” Jing Xiaoqing rolls her eyes at him, mumbling, “stingy.”

Bai Yao ignores her, and pats Mu Mu’er gently on the head, reassuring him, “you can eat it.”

Rather than friends, Jing Xiaoqing and Bai Yao almost behave more like an older sister and younger brother. They’re both family and friends who take care of one another when they need it.

Golden Shell Seafood Restaurant would not have looked as it is without Jing Xiaoqing – she singlehandedly carved the art on the wall of the restaurant, as a present to celebrate Bai Yao opening a restaurant, wishing him success in his venture.

The blessing seems to have worked wonders. Up to this point, Bai Yao’s restaurant hasn’t run into any major problems yet. Business remained booming, and most customers are cordial and friendly. Most importantly, there were no malicious competition or slandering.

After Jing Xiaoqing takes another sip of her tea, she seems to recall something and sits up, “did you say he was being harassed by some sentient coyotes? I think I know them. They were here a few days ago, too; tried to sleight-of-hand their way out with a pair of gillyflower bracelets. I threatened to call the police before they left.”

“They’re probably just part of the summer tourists. As long as they aren’t going to stay, and return from whence they came,” Bai Yao says.

Jing Xiaoqing agrees, “damned coyotes. Also raccoons. Pests, the lot of them.”

Bai Yao doesn’t speak for a moment, before adding under his breath, “and a rabbit.”

It was such a whisper that only Mu Mu’er heard it. He looks curiously back at Bai Yao for a moment, before the tasty blueberries immediately drag his attention back onto the food.

They chat for a bit longer, before the chime rings and a customer is here. Jing Xiaoqing gets up to serve, and so Bai Yao takes Mu Mu’er to head back, with an “until next time.”

Though just after stepping out the door, Bai Yao pokes his head back in, telling Jing Xiaoqing that if those coyotes dare to show themselves again, don’t force herself. Keep calm and call him. Jing Xiaoqing waves her hand halfheartedly in acknowledgement, and sees Bai Yao off.

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