Every morning, as soon as the neighborhood butcher’s shop opened, an elderly woman named Lidia would rush in and ask for the same thing: sixty kilos of beef. Ovidiu, the butcher, had known her for years as a humble woman who barely bought small portions for his table. Seeing her now count crumpled banknotes with trembling hands and carry heavy bags left him perplexed.
The first time, Lidia explained that her son had come to visit her and was preparing a large family meal. Ovidiu nodded, but that same afternoon
