Chapter 40: Prairie Fire

The suppressed gasps from inside the half-hidden door made the apprentice's nails sink into his palms, and blood oozed out bit by bit from the split wounds.

In the pitch-black door crack, it seemed that everything he hated most was placed!

He clearly hated it, wanting to rush in regardless of everything and put his fist hard on that fat face, but he was too cowardly, only daring to vent all his hatred here, in his heart.

Sometimes he didn't understand what was wrong with this world, why it seemed like all the misfortune happened to him!

His parents had already divorced, and the man he once regarded as his life goal and role model had left Jincheng with a woman seven or eight years younger than him.

He was awarded to his mother because he was not yet an adult, and his father clearly stated he was unwilling to be his guardian.

After briefly consulting a lawyer, he lived with his mother.

In recent years, more and more illegal immigrants have come here; work is hard to find, and wages are not high. Everyone is talking about Jincheng's development, saying the economy here is developed, but as a Jincheng local, he only felt huge competitive pressure.

More than half a year ago, his mother suddenly said she wanted him to learn a craft. At that time, he had already graduated from high school. After some "investigation," he learned that the best business nearby was Jonny's bakery.

Earning one or two hundred dollars a month, this money was like an astronomical figure for a child from a single-parent family.

Then he was sent over. For half a year, he had used up most of his mother's meager income, but he hadn't learned anything.

Except for kneading dough, making dough pieces, how to make bread taste good, how to match materials, he didn't know anything about the production process of even some high-end bread!

Not only working for free with high intensity, but also having to pay Jonny ten dollars every month.

He hated everything that happened here, hated this shop, hated Jonny, and even hated himself.

Now, another person had to be added: his mother.

To save that bit of money, she was currently in the room helping Jonny relax his body. He knew what was happening, but he couldn't do anything.

A few minutes later, she walked out from inside while tidying up her shirt that had been pulled messy.

Seeing her son's terrifying eyes, her expression also changed a bit.

Without speaking, she nodded slightly and intended to leave, but the apprentice chased after her.

"Why?", he asked.

In the alley behind the bakery, the woman stopped and turned to look at him, "Because Jonny's craft is the best. If you learn his bread-making craft, at least you'll have a way to survive in the future. This was also your own decision."

The apprentice didn't understand, still asking, "Why?"

"Why do you have to... do those things."

The woman was still as calm, "Because we have no money left."

The apprentice suddenly fell silent, but the woman didn't stop these words because of his silence; she knew this boy hated her, "Now you have no more choices. Either you leave here, find a job, and support yourself first."

"He promised me, at least let you stay here for three months."

The apprentice wanted to say something, but didn't know how to start. He had used up the little money at home, and she had made sacrifices for him to continue learning.

At this time, letting him leave was no longer a simple question of whether to leave or not. It looked like there were two choices, but in fact, there were no longer that many choices.

He didn't know what sunk cost was, but he knew that if he left now, everything invested would be in vain.

Watching his son not speaking again, recalling his suppressed anger and terrifying eyes just now, the woman's expression also changed a little bit.

"You've grown up. There's one thing I didn't tell you; I also plan to leave here."

The apprentice suddenly raised his head to look at her, "You... when are we leaving?"

She shook her head, "Not we, it's me. I met a man while working, an outside tourist. He hopes I can go with him, and I agreed."

"So... there's not much time left for you."

After the woman finished saying these things, she left. This might be the best choice she thought of; she had already paid enough for her child.

Time, youth, money, and even dignity; now she should live for herself.

The apprentice didn't say a word until her back disappeared into the alley; he was completely stunned.

First his father, now her.

After being busy in numbness for a day, he dragged the floor twice, lying on the bed exhausted, thinking about how to change the status quo, how... to learn Jonny's bread-making technology.

He originally thought that one day he would be able to learn, but now it seemed he was too naive.

In a daze, he thought, if Jonny couldn't make bread himself, could he replace him to make bread, and would he be able to learn those recipes and processes?

Falling asleep with this thought, in his dream, Jonny was injured, disabled, he couldn't make bread, and could only let him help him make it.

He learned all of Jonny's recipes and processes, then opened a bakery himself, selling more affordably, with better sales. Soon Jonny and his damn daughter lost their income and ended up on the street...

Early the next morning, when the apprentice woke up and looked at the simple ceiling, he realized that everything was a dream.

Today is Thursday, business is starting to get better, and Jonny will make bread himself today.

After finishing work in the morning, he stood in the back kitchen waiting for Jonny to come over. Not long after Jonny entered, he started preparing materials.

But just as he started, he suddenly turned back to look at the apprentice, "What are you still doing here?"

In his dream, in his thoughts, the apprentice struck Jonny with heavy punches, but in real life, he was timid, "I... I think I might be able to help you finish the work."

Jonny sneered, "Want to steal my technology?"

"Get out, little bastard, don't think that just because your mother sucked me off, I have to teach you these."

"People offered five hundred dollars and I didn't sell my technology, your mother is worth at most five dollars!"

"Now, before I get angry, get out of this room, and close the door!"

The apprentice's fists were clenched tightly, but Jonny wasn't afraid at all. He knew the situation of the apprentice and the woman; he had these two people figured out.

"You fucking still want to hit me?", he walked over and slapped the apprentice on the head with hands full of flour, "Either pack your things and get out, or get out and add water to the boiler!"

In the end, the apprentice compromised. He loosened his fists, "Yes, Boss.", he was also required to call Jonny "Boss." Then he left the room, but the hatred kept rising.

From now until the afternoon, it was Jonny's "working time." He would prepare all the recipes, then make some higher-end bread or cakes, and the rest would be left for the apprentice to do in the afternoon.

So the apprentice had two or three hours. While adding water to the boiler, he thought of the dream he had in a daze last night.

Ten minutes later, he changed his clothes and left the bakery.

The advantage of being a local apprentice was having some friends. Although work was very busy, sometimes he would chat with some people.

He actually knew everything that had happened in Jincheng recently, the locals' hatred for immigrants, and the violent criminal acts that had evolved into robbery and smashing.

A few days ago, he heard a friend say that they smashed an immigrant's shop and robbed a lot of good things.

Originally, he just listened to this as fun; after all, he couldn't do such a thing, and didn't dare to do it, but now he felt this was an opportunity.

In the afternoon, the door to the back kitchen of the bakery finally opened, and a large amount of already made bread dough was placed on the rack for proofing.

Jonny, covered in sweat and shirtless, walked out. The thick body hair made him look like a bear!

"Get in there and watch the bread on the proofing rack. When it's about right, push them into the oven. If it's over-proofed or not baked well, you know the consequences!"

He said, and a lewd smile appeared on his face, "Although your mother's appearance is very average, she is really good at it!"

He was a bit surprised. Before, when he said this, the apprentice would have a kind of suppressed anger. He liked to see the apprentice's incompetent rage, which gave him a kind of... pleasure in dominating others' fate.

Although he was just a small person, he also pursued this pleasure.

Today, the apprentice didn't show that look full of hatred but having to bow his head. He just looked at him twice and turned into the back kitchen.

Jonny felt it was very boring, and went back to rest.

Tired all noon, he had to have a good sleep.

Business today was very good. Although the city was still a bit chaotic, overall it was moving toward stability again.

Some people would stay in the bakery to eat bread, drink coffee, and chat, so his business naturally wouldn't be too bad.

In the evening, Jonny was eating fried chicken at the dining table while counting the money in the money box with oily hands.

The apprentice was dragging the floor. When he dragged to the door, he quietly opened the bolted door.

In the shadows, his eyes flashed with a light of hatred and pleasure... ===== CHAPTER 41 =====