Chapter 8 — They Teach Me To Grow Up By Abandoning Me

This is a tourist city, the streets are full of tourists. What do tourists need? Tour guide? I'm still from out of town. I don't have a camera. No capital. What else do tourists need? Carrying luggage. Line up to help. But these things... It seems like it also needs to go through some foundation or organization. I thought for a while then opened the local information app.

“Seasonal jobs paid daily.”

A bunch of results appear.

“Distribute leaflets, 50 yuan per day, need photocopy of ID” — no way.

“Night bar waiter, 200 yuan a day” — no, still need ID.

“Receptionist model, 300 yuan a day” — I looked down at my T-shirt and sweatpants.

“Standing with a sign in front of the seafood door, 80 yuan/4 hours, pay in cash every day, no paperwork needed.”

I immediately clicked to see the details.

"XX Seafood Square recruits people to hold advertising signs to stand in front of the door to lead customers into the restaurant. Working hours are 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., 80 yuan per day, cash payment, no identification required. Anyone who needs to come directly to manager Tran."

I looked at the map. 1.8 km from current location. Can walk. Working hours are from five pm to nine pm. It's just over an hour now. More than three hours left. Let's just sit at McDonald's a little longer and save some energy. I leaned back in my chair, boredly scrolling through my phone. Suddenly remembered— Didn't my father go cycling? I opened Douyin.

“The challenge of cycling in middle age.”

No results. Search for “Twilight Cycling Association.” There isn't either. Search for “To Kien Quan.” Of course there isn't any. I changed my mind and opened my father's circle of friends. Normally, his circle of friends only shares things like:

"Surprised! Chinese people who don't share this article are not Chinese!"

Occasionally I post a few pictures of flowers and plants. Latest post— My finger stopped. The latest post was posted at ten o'clock this morning. A photo. My father was wearing a bright fluorescent green cycling outfit, a helmet, dark glasses, sitting on an off-road vehicle, facing the camera, raising his hand in a V. Behind was the coastal road, blue sky, white clouds, and bright sunshine.

"Start! Dreams do not discriminate against age! At fifty-five years old you can still ride 500 km!"

Below are comments full of praise.

“Mr. To is so awesome!”

"Kien Quan, fighting! Young people are not as good as you!"

“So jealous, retirement life is so wonderful!”

I stared at that photo. Look at my father's bright smiling face. At the age of fifty-five, he can still ride five hundred kilometers. Dad is really good. Dad, you're pedaling so happily. Do you know that your daughter is sitting in McDonald's with the air conditioning? Dad, do you know that your daughter only has more than two hundred yuan in her pocket and can't even buy a train ticket? Dad, do you know that my ID card is in your wife's pocket, while you're cycling farther and farther in the opposite direction? My thumb hovered above the screen. Want to comment something. Think for ten seconds. Then get out of your circle of friends. Saying anything is useless. The person has gone and can't be brought back anymore. The only thing I can do… Is take myself home. Then wait for them to come back. Then calculate this debt properly. At four thirty in the afternoon, I left McDonald's and walked towards the seafood square. All along the way there were tourists. People wear colorful clothes, sunglasses, and take selfies with their phones. There are couples holding hands each other. There is a family of three pushing a baby stroller. There are older aunts and uncles carrying big bags and small bags. Everyone is enjoying the holiday. It's just me... Rushing to get a job. 4 hours 50 minutes. I arrive. A fairly large seafood restaurant. In front of the door, there are giant LED screens, continuously running advertisements like:

"Super preferential king crab" of all types.

I found the office next to the entrance to the back kitchen. I pushed the door and walked in. A chubby middle-aged man is sitting in front of a computer.

“Manager Tran?”

"Hm? You are..."

“I saw your recruitment ad so I came to apply for the job holding the billboard.”

Manager Tran evaluated me from top to bottom.

“Are you alone?”

"Young man. Have you ever done this before?"

"No. But it should be simple, right? Just stand in front of the door holding the sign..."

“Not standing in front of the door.”

Manager Tran stood up and pulled out a billboard nearly as tall as him from the corner of the wall.

"You have to take this and go to the intersection across the street. There are more people there. Not just holding the sign, but also shouting."

He said in one breath:

"XX Seafood Square! King crab promotion only 198 yuan! Freshly imported seafood! Come into the shop and get a drink!"

Having finished speaking, he looked at me:

“Try shouting once.”