Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Zhao Yunlan.
There were kids playing hopscotch across where he was sitting at the backyard of the shop, biting onto the leftover bread from lunch.
The kids were most probably from the elementary school a few blocks away, their bags scattered on the ground; in all likelihood of them being too excited to play after school hours. Their school uniform unkempt, hair disheveled but a wide smile graced each of the innocent youth faces nonetheless.
He watched as laughter erupted from the group, the hopscotch all but forgotten as they started chasing each other down; undoubtedly tag game has took place. A small smile escaped his lips at the sight.
"Ah Lan."
The backdoor opened to reveal an elderly man in his sixties, lines and wrinkles adorning the face, thinning white hair around his balding, mottled scalp. And yet when his lips stretched across the aging face, it was that of a warm smile; one that softened the face and brought out the youthfulness that has long gone from the old man.
"Think you up for another delivery?" He asked tentatively at the young man in front of him.
"Yeah, sure. Let me finish things up here first."
Zhao Yunlan bite off the last piece of his bread and crumpled the plastic wrapper in his hand, getting up from the bench and cleared off his things from the surface; mainly just his phone and a can of chilled juice. The old man nodded, but still he waited for Yunlan to finish his juice and throw both the plastic wrapper and the empty can into the bin. He pocketed his phone after.
"Consider this your last job for today. Go home once you deliver the flower. Just take the scooter home with you." The order was short and curt as he was lead back into the store, the smell of fresh flowers wafted into his nose at once.
It was nowhere near the end of his shift, he still had around three hours until he get off work but he had been busy since the start of his shift that morning, running errands around the store and doing deliveries all over the town; all because he had to cover for another worker who called in sick that day.
"Uh, boss...about that-" he started as they stopped in front of the cashier, a bouquet of fresh roses was laid on it waiting to be delivered to the lucky person; Zhao Yunlan almost forgot what he was about to say when the sight of the beautifully put up together roses caught his attention for a brief moment.
"Hm?" His boss looked up from the sticky note in hand, no doubt it was where the address for the flower was jotted down. He turned back his attention toward his boss.
"The thing I said before..." he scratched at the back of his head although he found it not entirely itchy, his other hand fumbling at the edge of the counter as he leaned against it. He pursed his lips when his boss gave him a long, hard look.
