Shengliver’s Note: Thumbs-up to Junjie the girl for her fearlessness.

 

When Jianchi and I arrived at the canteen on Monday afternoon, some students had already formed queues at the counter. After a long run, we were out of breath and totally spent. Without delay, we joined the queue which could lead to the meals we desired.

I wanted to have tofu noodles, the meal which is popular with the diners. Therefore, the queue where I belonged was much longer than the others. I waited, reading, my head bowed. After some minutes I realised that the queue had been progressing at a snail’s pace. Looking up, I found some students jumping the queue. What angered me was that the guy at the head of the line saw everything yet kept silent.

Just then a boy, hand in hand with his girlfriend, went straight to the counter and said loudly to the cook behind it, “Two bowls of tofu noodles.”

Oh my God. Fury burst out of my heart. I shouted to the cook, “Uncle, he jumped the line and we have been waiting for ages!” No response. I complained again, and the cook shot a glance at me.

The schoolmates in the queue kept silent all the while. I saw embarrassment in the cook’s eyes. However, the barefaced boy still said to the cook, “Two bowls, and be quick.”

I couldn’t stand his behaviour. I went straight up to the counter and said to the cook, “One bowl, please.”

The uncle froze for a moment before he filled my order promptly. I passed the bowl of noodles to the student at the very front of the queue.

The brazen queue jumper, whose girlfriend was right there with him, stared at me. I stared back, looking him right in the face. What did I fear?

Justice is done by killing injustice.