Chapter 201 Yang Jiang, the Down-on-Hard Girl

Well, Yunxia had initially felt some pity and sympathy for her, but after hearing this, all of that vanished. Cashiers deal with money, and only someone the boss trusts would be given this position. A young girl who had just arrived in the city to work, asking to be a cashier—that wouldn't leave a good impression on anyone.

Yang Zhaodi understood the intricacies of the situation. She glanced at Yang Jiang and said, "The supermarket staff have no plans to hire anyone. Just find a job washing dishes in the kitchen. Don't be too ambitious and forget your duty."

"But Grandma said..."

Grandma said that a cashier at the supermarket had left, so she could make up the difference. If the store had a lot of turnover, she could secretly pocket some of it and save the money to help her younger brother get married. If they were lucky, she could find a girl from the city and ask for a large dowry. Yang Jiang didn't dare to say these things to outsiders.

“Grandma this, Grandma that, she doesn’t want you anymore, yet you still take her words to heart. Jiang’er, now you have two choices. One, I will send you back to the countryside, and whether you are punished or not is entirely up to your elder brother and sister-in-law. Two, you stay in the city, and I will ask someone to help you find a job in the kitchen, but you must be honest and upright. The city is not like the countryside; even stealing a needle can get you locked up in the police station for a few days.”

Upon hearing the words "police station," Yang Jiang's legs trembled, and she stammered, "I...I choose the second option, I promise...I won't cause you any trouble, Aunt."

Yang Zhaodi snorted and finished her rice in a few bites. "Xiaxia, there are fewer people at the supermarket at noon. I'll take her home first and come over in a bit."

"Go ahead, it's fine if you stay a little longer!"

After the two left, Aunt Qu put down her chopsticks and sighed, "Every family has its own troubles. Sister Yang, sigh, just when things were getting better and better, suddenly a niece from her own family appeared out of nowhere and wanted to be a cashier. She's got quite the ambition!"

"She always repeats her grandmother's words of advice, so she must be a filial girl. She's just arrived in the city alone, so who else can she go to if not her aunt? Aunt Qu, you watch the shop for now, I'm going home to pack some clothes. That girl... she doesn't seem to have much luggage."

"Cheng, you're just so kind-hearted!"

Yang Jiang was thin and half a head shorter than me. The clothes and shoes that I couldn't wear for years were perfect for her. I packed a whole bag of them. It's worth mentioning that clothes given by others were not included, because there's no such thing as a second-hand gift.

While the girl was busy, Er Mao didn't stop either. Not only did he do crazy parkour, but he also used her back as a springboard. "You brat, no one can control you anymore. I just changed my clothes today, and you've already dirtied them again."

The only response she received was a coquettish meow and an even louder cacophony of cats chasing each other in a parkour-like frenzy. She was completely out of control. With a helpless pout, she lowered her head and continued with her work.

That evening, as Yang Zhaodi finished tidying up the shelves and was about to leave, Yunxia called her back and placed a large bag of clothes and shoes in front of her.

"Aunt Yang, these clothes and shoes are too small for me. If Sister Yang Jiang doesn't mind, please give them to her!"

"For country folk, having clothes to wear is enough; they don't care about anything else. I was just worried that she didn't have any clothes to wear. Xiaxia is beautiful and kind-hearted; she's such a good girl."

"Not at all, I might be moving before the New Year, so I definitely can't take these with me. It's good that Sister Yang Jiang can use them, and it saves me some trouble."

After thanking Yang Jiang on her behalf, Yang Zhaodi tied the large package to the back seat and, upon arriving home, shoved it directly into the thin girl's arms. "Jiang'er, the clothes you're wearing, are they altered from your sister-in-law's old clothes? These were... begged from the neighbors, bought as secondhand goods. Wear them for now, and pay them back when you find a job and earn money."

"How much...how much will this cost?" On her first day in the city, she hadn't earned a single penny and was now heavily in debt, which made her very anxious!

"Well, it's not expensive, only 2 yuan. Once you find a job, it'll only be a few days' wages."

In the countryside, people are self-sufficient. If something breaks, they can just mend it. If they get sick, they either tough it out or go to the mountains to gather some herbs. They won't go to the clinic unless absolutely necessary. For Yang Jiang today, two yuan is a considerable debt.

"This...this...Auntie, please put a lot of effort into helping me find a job. I...I...I'm afraid of interest."

The clothes were originally free, but Yang Zhaodi was worried that if she got a taste of the benefits, she would become complacent, so she came up with the idea of ​​charging her 2 yuan to push her to improve. "We're all on the same street, we'll see each other all the time, there's no interest involved. You can stay here for now, and tomorrow I'll ask someone to inquire at various restaurants. But as your elder, I have to remind you, the work in the kitchen is a bit tedious, so don't complain too much, and don't look around too much, lest you attract unwanted attention..."

Every word Yang Zhaodi spoke was a summary of her many years of working. Yang Jiang listened and nodded, but no one but her knew how much she truly took to heart.

After saying that, Yang Zhaodi tidied up, picked up the canned goods and cured meat, and went to ask someone to help her find a job as a kitchen helper.

As the saying goes, it's better to be lucky than early. A week later, Yunxia, ​​who was eating at Grandma's Dumpling Restaurant, heard the owner complaining that the restaurant was short-handed after his daughter-in-law left for the south. Remembering Aunt Yang who had been looking worried lately, she returned to the restaurant after lunch to ask if they were hiring.

"Sigh, my wife is gone. I still think I'm young and want to support the whole shop. Sigh, I can't do without hiring people, but it's a small business and I can't afford to pay many wages. But... I can teach her how to make dumplings."

Having a skill to rely on means you won't starve anywhere. "Whether she comes or not depends on the girl's wishes. Here's what I'll do: I'll go back and talk to my aunt, and ask her to pick a time to bring the girl over so you can have a detailed discussion. If it works out, the deal can be finalized on the spot; if not, it won't waste your time."

"Okay, we'll do it your way!"

When Yang Zhaodi heard the news, she was so excited that she slapped her thigh. Having another person to eat in the family was just a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks, but Yang Jiang kept repeating "Grandma said" to her. When cooking, Grandma said not to put too much firewood in, otherwise it would be a waste. When fetching water for a bath, Grandma said to just wet a towel with warm water and wipe her body a few times...

There are countless similar examples. At first, the Yang family would patiently explain that more firewood would make the fire burn brighter and the food would cook faster, thus saving money overall. However, since they stopped covering the fire, they eventually stopped explaining.

People can't be idle. Only when they are busy do they not have time to worry about whether there is enough firewood or water. After expressing her gratitude, Yang Zhaodi was eager to go home and share the good news with her family. The next morning, she took Yang Jiang, who was dressed simply, to her grandmother's dumpling restaurant.

"Tsk tsk, he's too skinny. Can he handle the work in the kitchen?" the proprietress asked doubtfully after looking him over.

"Yes, I can do all the chores around the house, like cutting pig feed, carrying sweet potatoes, washing clothes, sweeping the floor, and wiping tables. Don't let my thin and short stature fool you, I'm very strong." Perhaps knowing how hard-won the job was, Yang Jiang, who was usually timid, mustered her courage and said.