[Story] Waiter-The ups and downs of hotel waiters

Every time I recall what happened many years ago, I feel as if I have passed away.

Maybe it's because it's too long ago, maybe it's because the people I met and what happened in those years have little to do with me now. It's like a dream. When you wake up, they disappear.

The time goes back to the summer vacation of my sophomore year. That afternoon, my roommates had all gone home, and I found a short-term job near the university town on a broken bike.

After riding for a while, I saw a restaurant about 5 kilometers from the school. There is a piece of red paper at the entrance of the hotel, which says the recruitment information, including waiter, vegetable delivery man, vegetable porter, dish washer and so on. I parked the car and went in.

There are few customers in the shop, because it is not at meal time. At the cashier's desk, a beautiful girl in professional clothes came out to ask me if I was applying for a job as soon as she saw me coming in. I said, yes. She asked me to sit down first and then poured me a glass of water. She asked me what I would do and what I wanted to do.

Without any work experience, I can't figure out what I can do and what I can do at the moment. Subconsciously, I seem to feel that what I learned at school is useless here. I remember that I often help my parents wash dishes at home. Washing dishes is easy, so I'll be a dishwasher.

I told her, do I wash the dishes? She said with a smile, washing dishes is usually done by aunts, so how about running vegetables? Seeing that I didn't respond, she went on to say that it was the person who delivered the food, the person who delivered the food, from the kitchen end to the customer, which was very simple. I said, yes.

Then, she talked to me about salary and working hours. Because I am a summer job, my salary will be lower. 1600 yuan will have food, accommodation and two days off for one month. Normal working hours are from 10 to 10 in the afternoon.

I didn't think too much, even didn't bargain with her for salary, so I agreed directly. I may think she is a nice person, not only good-looking, but also looks very capable of working.

I saw the name tag on her chest that said Sun Tingting. She said that she was a few years older than me, and she could be called Sister Ting in the future. Sister Ting is the lobby manager of this hotel and will be my superior in the future. You can ask her for anything.

This hotel has three floors, one is kitchen and lobby, the other is private room, and the third is banquet hall. There are two vegetable couriers, besides me, and Gao Qiang. As his name suggests, he looks tall and strong. Gao Qiang is two years younger than me. He didn't even go to high school, but he groped in society for many years. In my later work, I seldom asked Sister Ting questions, but Gao Qiang helped me answer them.

Gao Qiang taught me how to end the tray more easily and formally; Gao Qiang told me that the elevator is for customers, and you have to take the stairs to deliver food upstairs. Gao Qiang told me to avoid customers on the stairs and keep smiling. ......

I am a person who is not good at words. I'm glad I don't have to communicate with customers too much, just bring the dishes to the table. I don't even have to serve the dishes myself, because there are special waiters to serve them.

There are three waiters, two girls Fangfang and Lili, and a boy named Li Shuai. Fangfang is also a college student. Now she is a junior, and her major is the same as mine, except that her school is not in Shanghai, and she will return to Wuhan to continue her studies after the summer vacation. She is also a person who likes to come out and experience.

Lily used to sell insurance, but she seldom spoke, even if she spoke, it was puzzling. I wonder how she sells insurance. I don't know if the insurance is selling well. She has a boyfriend who will pick her up almost every night. She is the only one of our waiters who has an appointment.

Li Shuai, as the name implies, is indeed a handsome young man, with a clean and fair face, shiny and delicate hair, and he is also good at talking, sometimes even "glib", but he is a little unsatisfactory, that is, he is short. Li Shuai, Fangfang and Lili are standing together. They all look about the same height.

Li Shuai and Gao Qiang were originally partners in delivering food. When I came, Li Shuai went to be a waiter. However, their relationship is still very close. They often go out to smoke and chat together, and sometimes invite me. I said, I can't smoke. They said it was easy to smoke and encouraged me to learn to smoke. Later, I learned to smoke with them.

My daily work is simple to say. Bike from the staff dormitory to the hotel in the morning, and mop the ground of the kitchen, hall and staircase public space with Gao Qiang. Then the customer orders, the chef cooks, and we pass the food. Until the evening, when all the customers have finished eating, Gao Qiang and I will clean up the tableware and move to the aunt who washes the dishes, so that the day's work is almost finished.

To put it simply, three things: mopping the floor, passing vegetables and collecting vegetables. Although the work is simple, it needs hard work. After working for a week, I obviously feel that my arms are thicker than before, which is more effective than lifting weights in the gym. Moreover, I run between the kitchen and the front hall every day, and I may have to walk more than forty or fifty kilometers at the end of the day, so tired that my legs and feet are weak.

As we all know, no matter which restaurant, lunch and dinner are the busiest, and holding banquets is even more busy. I have to carefully carry a tray full of vegetables to climb to the third floor, from the first floor to the third floor, and then from the third floor to the first floor, again and again, as long as I am not careful, I will be in big trouble.

As far as I can remember, I made only one mistake in my two-month delivery career. That time on the stairs, I was in a hurry and knocked over a dried cauliflower pot. Fortunately, all the other dishes are ok, otherwise I would have spent a lot of money. Gao Qiang told me that he knocked over the plates many times and I don't know how many plates he broke.

Unlike the deliveryman, those waiters who serve food often break cups and spoons. However, as long as Sister Ting didn't see it, everyone would pretend it never happened. When Sister Ting knows, she often hears the sound of tableware falling to the ground.

Sister ting is very kind to us. She seldom makes a hullabaloo about to us unless the boss sees something badly done. She knows that she is as difficult as we are, and they all come out to work for a living.

Every morning at the meeting, she would tell us some confidences. She also came out to work early and worked as a waitress for several years before becoming a lobby manager. Sometimes customers get drunk, fight, lift the table, default, and flirt with waiters. Sister ting has encountered various situations. Sister Ting told Fangfang that if they encounter any difficulties, especially being molested by customers, they must inform her as soon as possible and she will help them solve them.

The boss trusts Sister Ting very much. He seldom asks about things in the hotel. He often comes over for a meal at noon and takes his bag with him in the afternoon. Sister Ting said that the boss went to play cards again.

At night, after all the customers have left, our waiter will clear the table in the box. Sometimes a lot of food on the table is hardly touched. It's a waste of time if all the dishes such as abalone, sea cucumber and ribs are dumped. And opened red wine. Thousands of dollars a bottle, most of the bottles are left.

So, we eat and drink before work. Sitting in a chair, blowing air conditioning, drinking red wine and eating big fish and meat, as if I were an uncle who came to spend. At this time, Ting Jie walked into the box, and when she saw us like this, she wouldn't accuse us, just saying that she should pay attention to hygiene.

Sister Ting is very kind to her subordinates, sincere to her boss, and even more concerned with her customers with a smile. Most of the people who come here for dinner are old customers. She remembers almost every old customer's name, knows their favorite dishes, and has any taboos. Sometimes I feel that this restaurant will definitely close down without Sister Ting.

Sister ting is not perfect, and sometimes she is lonely. She said she has a husband, but judging from her coming earlier than us and leaving later than us every day, she doesn't look like her husband. Besides, she often flirts with Li Shuai.

When Gao Qiang and I were packing in the private room, we heard the voices of Ting Jie and Li Shuai laughing and slapping in the next room for many times. Li Shuai's glib tongue always makes Cynthia laugh. I asked Gao Jiangting if elder sister and Li Shuai were having an affair. Gao Qiang said bitterly, guess.

One night, we finished all the work, and Sister Ting asked everyone to go back and have a rest. Gao Qiang always walked back to the dormitory with Li Shuai, but he went back alone that night. I suspect that Sister Ting and Li Shuai did something ulterior after we left, but I still have no proof.

I can't hide in a hotel to catch a rape. I'm not that kind of person, and I have to drive Fangfang back to the dormitory every night. The boys' dormitory and the girls' dormitory are in the same community, and I just came by bike.

At eleven o'clock in the evening, there were almost no other cars on the road, and street lamps lit up a wide road. I have to take the non-motor vehicle lane during the day, but at this time I can ride my bike on the wide road at will, and no one cares about me.

There was no one on the road, as if Fangfang and I were the only two people left in the world. We are like an eloping couple, desperately on the road.

Fangfang sat in the back, hitting my back and shouting, two eggs, you are crazy, how dangerous. I turned a deaf ear, pedaled the wheel harder and sang loudly, you are crazy, I am a fool, and I can't get rid of it all over the world. The car was driving at a faster speed in the middle of the road, and the wind was whistling in our ears. She had to hug my waist to avoid falling.

My relationship with Fangfang is getting closer and closer. Whenever we are a guest, we must finish our meal first. A dozen employees in the hotel eat around the round table, and Fangfang and I always sit together. Sometimes, I help her with rice, and sometimes, she helps me with rice; Sometimes I give her food, and sometimes she gives me food.

At the dinner table, Fangfang and I talked a lot about things in college, but others couldn't get in touch because they didn't go to college. Seeing us whispering, Li Shuai teased me and said, Two eggs, take Fangfang away quickly. High strength adds oil and vinegar. How do you know where people are? Maybe what should have happened has already happened. Everyone else was crying when they heard it. I said, don't talk nonsense, there is nothing between us. At this point, Fangfang's cheeks have been smudged with a shy pink until the roots of her ears.

Fangfang likes eating tortillas. When I see the tortillas left on the plate when I collect the tableware, I will secretly ask Fangfang to come over and eat two pieces. Then I ate a lot of tortillas. She told me, Er Dan, stop asking me to eat tortillas. I feel nauseous. I said, what else do you want to eat? She thought about it and said, watermelon. I hesitated and said, we'll see. She frowned and ignored me.

Watermelon is also my favorite food, not only I like it, but also Gao Qiang likes it. Whenever a table is served, the hotel will provide customers with a plate of fruit after dinner. Watermelon is a fruit in summer season, which is cheap and delicious, and naturally becomes the first choice. However, when Gao Qiang and I serve, the fruit is often eaten up. Even if there are leftovers, Gao Qiang's hand speed is faster than mine.

After work at night, I drive Fangfang back. She didn't mention watermelon, saying that you said your school was in a nearby university town. Take me to see it another day. I said, my great alma mater is not for anyone who wants to see it. She twisted my stomach and said bitterly, whether to go or not. I screamed in pain, okay, okay, I'll take you, I'll take you.

I took a day off and Fangfang took a half-day off. In the afternoon, Fangfang and I rode bicycles from the staff dormitory to school. When I got to school, I was already sweating and panting.

The campus is empty and there are few people. We found an empty classroom without locking the door and sat in the back row to have a rest. I told her, you know, I used to sit in this position in my marketing class. She asked me, is it a boy or a girl sitting next to you? I confidently said it was my roommate, of course it was a boy.

She didn't pick me up, stood up and walked straight to the front of the podium, and then learned to say like a teacher, start calling the roll, Song Erdan. I raised my hand and shouted, here we are. She said that Song Erdan didn't come to the last class, right? I wrote it down. I said loudly, teacher, I come to every class. You must be mistaken. She said angrily, what are you yelling about? And get out of here. I pretended to be afraid and immediately covered my mouth. She was amused.

Out of the classroom, we went to the gym and library, and finally sat down on a bench by the river. Unexpectedly, yesterday I was running around the hotel with plates and bowls, tired like a dog, but today I am very much in love with flowers and trees on campus.

The sun is about to set, and the willows by the river are covered with gold, and the green river is sparkling. We should go back.

Fangfang asked me where to go back. I said, go back to the dormitory. She said, faculty dormitory, or student dormitory. I paused and said, why don't we go to our boys' dormitory first? She nodded her head in agreement.

Our boys' dormitory has six floors. I walked from the first floor to the fifth floor of the dormitory and didn't see anyone. Everyone goes home to cool off. That year, the student dormitory was not equipped with air conditioning, and there was only an electric fan on the roof. Fortunately, our dormitory faces north, and it is cooler in summer.

Opening the dormitory door, Fangfang saw that the dormitory was in a mess and almost cried. She told me to stay aside and began to help me clean up without saying anything. Clothes, shoes, clothes hangers, shoe boxes, socks, books, stationery, desk lamps, computers, etc. Have been put in place. Not only my things, but also my roommate's things were cleaned up by her. Finally, she swept the floor and dragged it again. The originally messy room suddenly became clean and bright.

Fangfang is really a good girl.

We are all hungry after cleaning the dormitory. I ordered takeout, a barbecue I haven't eaten for a long time, and a dozen beers. At ordinary times, my classmates and I often eat and drink like this. We eat mutton kebabs while drinking beer and watching football games, feasting and enjoying life.

After eating and drinking enough, it was already dark. Passionate and lewd, wine is the matchmaker. I looked Fangfang in the eye and said, you can't leave tonight. She said quietly, I don't want to leave tonight. Say that finish, she took off her coat, leaving only a pair of light blue lace bra and two big white steamed buns in her hand.

The next morning, earlier than usual, I took her from the student dormitory to the hotel by bike. This journey is half the distance from the staff dormitory to the hotel.

Along the way, we didn't say anything, just like waking up from an illusory dream and facing the cruel reality. Nobody wants to say anything more. We know that when we arrive at the hotel, we will return to the life of waiters.

Every day after that, I went to work step by step. The two-month summer vacation passed quickly, and Fangfang and I were leaving soon. In order to see us off, Sister Ting took everyone to the bar for a drink the night before she left.

The music in the bar is deafening, so it is difficult for two people to talk to each other, or even to play the game of talking big and throwing dice together. Enough parting words have been said, so we will drink and watch the performance on the stage. We all drank a lot that night.

Fangfang left a day before me. When we parted, I said, let me take you to the station. She said, don't bother, there is not much luggage. There was a silence for a while, and I said, goodbye. She smiled and said goodbye. Then, I turned and got into a taxi. Since then, we have never met again, and I don't know if it is fate.

When I said goodbye to Ting Jie and them, I said that the school was nearby and I would come to visit you when I was free. However, I broke my word and I have never been to that restaurant since then. Maybe it's because the people who miss you are gone.

In retrospect, the memory of being a waiter in a restaurant seems to come to life at once. "It seems like a lifetime ago" has become "yesterday", but the past is the past after all, so I can only move on and welcome a new life. Maybe one day in the future, I will meet my long-lost friend again. Anything could happen.

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