Four-leaf clovers and lucky dimes

With his earplugs in he sat there waiting. In the background Míngzé could hear the machines around him turning, but most of it was blocked out by the sound of his music. This was not one of his favorite tasks, but they had to happen. It was a good thing he only owned dark clothes, because he would not know how to operate these machines otherwise. It would not take long for his clothes to turn pink or some other bright color.

Míngzé leaned back in his seat, his head resting in his neck and his eyes were closed as he waited. It would not take longer before he was finally done and could go home again. These days he was tired from a lack of sleep, but nothing he could not manage. Perhaps that was the only thing that made this doable, an extra hour of rest.

The alarm of his phone told him everything was almost done. Now all that remained was to put it into the dryer. Míngzé stood up and without the use of his cane he carefully moved to his machine. By now he knew his way around this place as it was not that big. Perhaps a mistake.

One more step and he bumped into someone, immediately taking a staggering step back. By grabbing the machines at his left he managed to stay upright while an unfamiliar langues reached him through the earplugs. He reached for one of the plugs and removed it. “No harm done,” Míngzé reassured the woman with a small smile. He let go of his support and straightened his back. There was something under his foot, but he had no idea what it was. “Are you fine? That was quite a hit.”