Nice compliment of course, at this ripe old age. Ta very much buddy, Ya. Chin chap in his early forties from the Geylang Serai market. Dad must have begun the stall years ago, one of the few "purely" Chinese in residence there. Fruit and veg. in the first row from the main Western entrance, most late mornings the old man nodding off on a chair in the corridor out of the way. Mum was still fit and able dicing, ordering and serving. Younger bro usually the Fetch-it man, a fine family operation. Older goes out regularly too in order to escape briefly, over to the Haig Road food stalls for lunch. Can't be married either of the pair, case of no-where to house a wife perhaps given tight living quarters. Quick with the chat, never mind the highly limited English. Simple modest living, established clientele with the orders known as soon as the face was sighted. Typically frank greeting, not the first of its kind. Chap fired it off striding past without stopping, keeping his head erect on up the footpath. Further conversation of any kind would be impossible. Hello. Ni hao. You good? Hujancoming; or panas—rain/heat. That was always the outer limit. Slight reddy tinge both lads chosen, eschewed by dad whose snowy white sat just fine for an old chappie.
The common moniker had long been owned of course, not a problem, and far from the first re-christening over the journey.
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