Chapter 34: Of Course, It’s to Help Her (Extra Chapter for Moon Dances on the Cold River)

“I see.” Sumu took the rice dumplings, nodded, paid, and lingered for a moment. He seemed intent on saying something, but the words caught in his throat. He simply smiled at her and walked away.

As he carried the rice dumplings down the street, they were still warm to the touch. Old Madam Lin had wrapped them in cotton cloth to preserve their heat; if any cooled, she would take them home and reboil them. This small act alone was enough to put many merchants to shame. She was known as a good-hearted woman with a wonderful temperament. Even when she was too poor to afford medical care, she refused to trouble her neighbors. Once, when she fainted at her doorstep, the surrounding residents spontaneously raised money to send her to the hospital.

Sadly, due to her advanced age, most of her contemporaries had already passed away, leaving her even more isolated. There is wisdom in the old saying among the Chinese: “Raise children to guard against old age.” The thought was not without merit.

He considered that even as an undocumented immigrant, after living in America for so many years, she should have been eligible for welfare. Her current situation was clearly a violation of regulations. The American Constitution guarantees everyone the right to pursue happiness in this land; an elderly woman should not be left in such dire straits.

No wonder at her age she still had to toil every day to make ends meet. She hadn’t even received a few hundred dollars in monthly assistance and had to rely on selling rice dumplings to survive. Two for a dollar—how much could she possibly earn after costs? He felt frustrated with himself for not having realized this sooner. With just a few hundred dollars a month, her basic needs would be covered; she wouldn’t have to hawk her wares on the street.

Given her circumstances, she was certainly eligible for Social Security benefits, which could be claimed from the age of sixty-five. Yet no one had ever helped her with the necessary arrangements. As a result, she had to fend for herself all these years. Ultimately, the root cause was the authorities’ neglect of Chinatown, matched by a similar indifference within the community itself toward its lonely elders. Part of it was her own ignorance of the system, but none of this should ever have happened.

He felt he had to do something for her—otherwise, it would weigh on his conscience like a heavy stone, suffocating him.

Thoughts swirling in his mind, he worked distractedly at the convenience store, misplacing items. The sign clearly read “Pork Sandwich,” yet he had absentmindedly placed egg sandwiches on the shelf.

Boss Han noticed and joked, “Hey now, what’s happened to my outstanding employee today? If you’re feeling unwell, go home and rest. You look as listless as a frostbitten eggplant, and your memory is usually sharp as a tack—yet here you are, putting things in the wrong place.”

It had to be said, Boss Han valued Sumu highly. In his thirties, he had already built up this business with keen vision and shrewdness. From Sumu’s usual demeanor, he could tell he was a diligent and conscientious young man. There was no reproach in his words—just concern.

“I’m troubled,” Sumu admitted, moving the misplaced sandwiches aside. “I want to help someone, but I don’t know how.”

Boss Han helped him restock the goods and said, “If you want, tell me about it. I may not be as sharp as you youngsters, but when it comes to life experience, I’ve got you beat. Maybe I can help.”

“Well… it’s like this.” Eager to unburden himself, Sumu continued, “There’s an old lady named Lin in my neighborhood—the one who sells rice dumplings every day. She’s getting on in years but still comes out daily, even though she can barely walk. I honestly don’t know how she manages to carry dozens of dumplings and call out to customers…”

Before Sumu could finish, Boss Han’s face lit up in recognition. He interrupted, “Oh, you want to help her sell dumplings? I remember her—I ate her rice dumplings as a kid. She has a black mole between her brows, right? I could donate five hundred dollars to her myself. From what you’re saying, she sounds pretty pitiful.”

Sumu nodded, then shook his head. “Yes, that’s her, but I’m not looking to help her sell dumplings. Thank you for your kindness, boss, but a donation is just a temporary fix. I only learned today, when I bought dumplings from her, that at almost ninety, with no family and no savings, she’s not even receiving Social Security benefits. Isn’t that cutting off her only means of survival? She’s been eligible since sixty-five, yet hasn’t seen a penny. What bothers me most is that years ago, someone came to register her, speaking English, but she didn’t understand a word, and the whole thing was brushed aside. I suspect that’s the reason.”

Boss Han, who was not without social conscience, paused in his work and asked, “So, what do you plan to do?”

Sumu spoke with resolve. “Of course I’ll help her. She has to get what’s rightfully hers. I’m working on it now.”

Upon hearing these words, Boss Han’s impression of Sumu rose even higher. He gave him a thumbs-up in praise and said, “That alone is worthy of my respect. I don’t know much about this stuff, but I have a friend who’s a lawyer. Want me to ask him?”

Sumu himself aspired to be a lawyer; he knew how expensive legal help could be, and didn’t want Boss Han to owe anyone any favors. He shook his head. “Not for now. Let me try to figure something out first. If I can’t, I’ll come to you for advice.”

At this, Boss Han waved his hand and smiled, “Alright. I’ll give you a break today. Take all the time you need to sort this out before coming back—this is more important.

“My own grandmother supported my father by mending clothes, one stitch at a time. Take that five hundred dollars to her as well, and if you need anything, just let me know. I’ll do whatever I can! And since you’re planning to quit anyway, there’s no need to come in; I’ve already found someone to take your place. You’ll still get your wages. When you graduate, if you can’t find a suitable job, come help me run the business. I can tell you’re talented—just moving the shelves around boosted sales this month to a level that surprised me.

“And if you’re home on break, you can work here, too. I’ve had employees steal from me before, but I trust you.”

Those words were high praise, warming Sumu’s heart. He hadn’t been lazy at work, and Boss Han had noticed. Sumu’s smile was bright. “Alright! I’ll go look through the legal documents today and come back to finish up if I have time. We can settle the wages in a couple of days. Oh, boss…”

Sumu paused for two seconds, and under Boss Han’s curious gaze, continued, “Do you know Sam Walton, who’s currently number two on the Forbes rich list? He started a supermarket—it’s like a scaled-up version of your convenience store, with everything under one roof and lower prices thanks to bulk purchasing. Your business is doing well, but I think you could go further. If you ever try your hand at opening a supermarket, in a good location, I believe it could be very profitable.”

Boss Han, who had never considered this direction, suddenly found himself intrigued. He was in this line of work, after all, and understood that bulk purchasing meant lower prices. In the early eighties, there weren’t many supermarkets in America. The most famous in California was Price Club, with a dozen or so in Southern California. Boss Han had heard of it but never been.

After Sumu’s suggestion, he began to consider whether his own capital would allow him to open such a supermarket. The answer was yes, though it wouldn’t be on a large scale.

Had it not been for Boss Han’s integrity, Sumu might never have spoken up—it was a fortuitous coincidence. He’d heard a radio report recently about the world’s top five hundred companies in 2018, and remembered how high Walmart ranked. He’d later looked it up and found the company really did exist.

He himself was impressed by the supermarket business model. After working in Boss Han’s convenience store for so long, he had already seen the vast profits in the retail industry…