One busy morning, a few elementary school students settled down to enjoy bowls of tofu at a local restaurant. Just as they were about to eat, a disabled mother entered the shop, leading her young son by the hand. Her face was filled with urgency as she approached the restaurant’s owner.
“Boss, please give us a bowl of fried tofu,” she said anxiously. The owner quickly prepared the meal and handed it to her. “Hurry, eat up,” the mother urged her son. It’s Monday, and you don’t want to be late for your ceremony at school.” The boy obeyed, wolfing down his food as they hurried through their meal.
Once they finished, the mother took her son’s hand and moved toward the exit. However, just as they were about to leave, the owner’s wife rushed after them, her voice trailing behind, “Hey, you forgot to…” Before she could finish, the owner swiftly intervened, placing a hand on his wife’s mouth. He watched as the mother and son hurried out the door, then turned to his wife, who stared at him in disbelief.
“Do you know that mother?” she asked. “No, I don’t,” he replied. “Then why didn’t you ask her for money?” she pressed. The owner calmly responded, “They were in a rush. It seemed like an emergency, and I didn’t want to make them uncomfortable. Sometimes, we have to look beyond the transaction.”
A couple of diners, overhearing their conversation, chimed in: “They must have forgotten. Look at how hurried they were.” A young woman paying her bill added, “I’ll cover the cost of that mother’s meal, too!” “No, no!” the owner insisted, shaking his head. Just then, his wife began to cry, saying: “You all might think I’m stingy, but it’s just a bowl of fried tofu! I don’t want people to think poorly of us. It’s just that our family struggles as well. We have a daughter with congenital heart disease, and the doctor said she needs treatment as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the worse her condition could become. We work hard to earn enough for her care.”
A middle-aged diner, moved by her story, took out a hundred-dollar bill and handed it to the owner. “Keep the change. Consider it a small token of my appreciation.” The owner quickly returned the money, insisting, “No!” At that moment, the disabled mother reentered the restaurant, looking confused. “Did I forget to pay for my son’s meal?” she asked.
With a gentle smile, the owner replied: “You didn’t give me any money.” The mother was puzzled. “Then why didn’t you ask me for it?” “I saw you were in a difficult situation,” he explained. “I didn’t want to embarrass you. I thought about how it might affect your son’s self-esteem if I asked you for payment. You are already facing challenges; the last thing you need is to feel ashamed in front of him.” The diners, silently observing, suddenly put down their chopsticks and erupted into applause. The mother’s eyes welled with tears of gratitude, and she bowed deeply. “Thank you for your kindness. You are truly a wonderful boss.”
When the owner opened his shop the following day, he was stunned to find a large crowd waiting outside. Confused, he asked, “What brings you all here?” “We’ve come to enjoy your tofu!” they replied. For the first time in over two years of running his shop, the man was overwhelmed by the number of customers flocking to his establishment. Each day, more and more people came, filling the restaurant, with many standing outside and waiting for a table.
The crowd had grown even more significant on the third morning, and the owner couldn’t believe his eyes. Just then, the same middle-aged diner approached him, patting him on the shoulder. “Surprised by all this?” he asked with a smile. “Let me tell you something. That mother you helped is a reporter. She wrote a story about your kindness and shared it online. It went viral!” The owner’s heart swelled with emotion, and his wife was moved to tears. “I don’t know how to thank the reporter!” she exclaimed. The diner replied: “Your compassion has been rewarded. You’ve shown that kindness can create a ripple effect in the community!”
Translated by CC and edited by Tatiana Denning
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