Chapter 118 The Pride of Iron Four

With no cases in the office, Chen Zhenzhu went to the archives to find Zhang Jie.

"Why haven't I seen you the other day?" She snuggled up to Zhang Jie's shoulder, close to the electric fan, and said cheekily, "Did you see the shrimp pastry I gave you?"

"Delicious, so delicious, especially delicious! Thank you, Section Chief Shen!" Zhang Jie offered high emotional value, which made Shen Zhenzhu laugh heartily.

"Are you doing a major overhaul lately?" Shen Zhenzhu asked as she watched Zhang Jie tidy up the archives room inside and out. Zhang Jie had already reorganized the materials in the archives room multiple times over the past three years.

This office became her temporary refuge, and she could always see Chen Zhenzhu responding to calls from the window. She had carefully read and studied every case from the past three years, and there was always an irrepressible desire in her heart.

Seeing Shen Zhenzhu growing so quickly always reminds Zhang Jie of her younger self. But she's not old enough to be unable to walk yet.

A renewed light shone in Zhang Jie's eyes, but unfortunately, Chen Zhenzhu behind her hadn't noticed it yet.

"I'm bored, so I'll tidy up a bit." Zhang Jie asked Chen Zhenzhu to sit down, and the two chatted about Wu Xue's case.

Whenever she has time, Chen Zhenzhu is willing to come and chat with Zhang Jie, and she gains new insights each time.

“Now that you’ve been transferred to the procuratorate, you can finally take a break,” Zhang Jie said. “There are quite a few women who have experienced similar situations, but Wu Dahai is truly a rare case of such wickedness.”

"That family isn't very good. Sigh, let's not talk about it." Just as she finished speaking, Team Four called looking for Chen Zhenzhu.

"Okay, see you downstairs." Chen Zhenzhu answered the phone and immediately got up and ran outside: "I have a case, let's talk next time."

Two or three minutes later, Zhang Jie saw through the window that Shen Zhenzhu was riding a small motorcycle with Zhao Qiqi and an unfamiliar young student on the back, driving away.

Judging from their relaxed demeanor, this shouldn't be one of the eight most serious cases.

Zhang Jie watched Shen Zhenzhu rush into the vast world and drew great strength from her fearless figure.

Zhang Jie returned to her desk, took out a stack of red documents from a locked drawer, and carefully signed her name.

......

Following Chen Zhenzhu's plan, a week later, the closed-door trial in the juvenile court took place.

It was a drizzly day.

Shen Zhenzhu and the fourth team were all present, accompanying Yuan Juan in the courtroom as they awaited the verdict.

Yuan Juan sat huddled up nervously, her eyes bloodshot. She opened her mouth as she stared at Wu Xue as she came out, but ultimately, she was too intimidated by the authority of the court to utter a single word.

When Wu Xue saw her mother arrive, she gave a bitter smile and stood in the defendant's seat.

Time seemed to pass very slowly, so slowly that the scars mentioned in court were repeatedly etched onto her body.

Time seemed to fly by; in the blink of an eye, the lawyer was already seated, awaiting the presiding judge's verdict.

Wu Xue could see that Yuan Juan and Shen Zhenzhu, who were observing the trial, instantly became tense, and she couldn't help but feel nervous and expectant as well.

Towards the end, the presiding judge asked everyone to stand and announced in court: "This court believes that although the consequences of this case are serious, the circumstances are special. The behavior stemmed from a profound family tragedy, and the defendant is both a victim and a perpetrator. His subjective malice and personal dangerousness are fundamentally different from ordinary criminal cases. Considering that the defendant is under the age of 14 and has surrendered himself to the police, after review and approval by the Supreme People's Procuratorate, it has been decided not to approve the prosecution of this case."

The courtroom was silent. Wu Xue pursed her lips and raised her head slightly, trying to understand the meaning behind the judge's calm tone.

Shen Zhenzhu held Yuan Juan's arm tightly, unable to hide her excitement.

The presiding judge then said, "Therefore, this court formally pronounces its verdict that the defendant, Wu Xue, is not criminally liable."

There was a small cheer from the people invited to the courtroom, but it quickly quieted down.

Wu Xue swayed slightly, then gently closed her eyes, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted. She realized that in this world, besides Wu Dahai and the others, there were many people who loved her.

"...Thank you for the law, thank you for the kind people." Yuan Juan held Chen Zhenzhu's hand tightly, tears streaming down her face.

“However—” The presiding judge looked deeply at Wu Xue and said to her in a tone that combined pity and severity, “A legal pardon does not equate to societal permissiveness, and a lack of education does not equate to the abdication of responsibility. Wu Xue, although you do not need to bear criminal responsibility for your actions, all the trauma you have experienced and the enormous consequences you have caused need to be faced squarely and rectified. Considering that you will need to reintegrate into a normal society and have normal cognitive abilities in the future, sending you back to your family and society at this moment would be both irresponsible to you and a potential risk to society.”

In accordance with Article 44 of China's "Law on Juvenile Delinquency," for minors with serious misconduct, while declaring you not guilty, out of deep concern for your future protection and education, a "Judicial Recommendation" will be issued, strongly recommending and ordering your guardian to apply to the education administration department to send you to a work-study school in our city. Do you understand?

The court's "order and recommendation" was necessary and forceful; Wu Xue had already received the best possible outcome. Looking at the presiding judge, tears silently streamed down her face. She understood the complex meaning behind the verdict—a forced redemption under the solemn law of the land.

Wu Xue nodded heavily, choking back tears, and said, "Your Honor, I understand, I accept the verdict."

On this day, the sun shone brightly, sweeping away the rain that had fallen earlier.

......

"Should I choose this one or this one?" The application for the work-study school took three days to process. Chen Zhenzhu had solved a small case and was cleaning clothes at home early in the morning.

On the bed in front of her was a bag of clothes for young girls that she had bought from Yuanjiangxue's shop, and on the other side were old clothes that she had worn before.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Zhenzhu packed up the old clothes and gave them to Wu Xue to take with her, and also stuffed a used police badge into the bag.

Today, Wu Xue was to be sent to the city's work-study school. Chen Zhenzhu carried a large bag of clothes to find Yuan Juan first, and then drove Yuan Juan to the work-study school to wait for Wu Xue.

The reform school had high walls topped with an electric fence. It was staffed with police officers, patient and intelligent teachers, and psychologists who were capable of outsmarting and managing the troubled youth.

Gu Yanzheng had informed Principal Shen of the reform school in advance. At this moment, Principal Shen was standing at the door with Shen Zhenzhu and Yuan Juan, waiting: "I never thought that I would have students sent in by the Major Crimes Unit in my lifetime. Students these days are getting more and more 'impressive'."

Shen Zhenzhu was dressed in a brand-new, crisp police uniform, her rank insignia gleaming. She puffed out her chest and said, "This is a private trip. This is my sister. I hope Principal Shen will take good care of her."

Principal Shen understood Shen Zhenzhu's intention. His temper had long been worn down by the students. He smiled and said, "Okay, Section Chief Shen, don't worry. We have teachers accompanying us 24 hours a day. No one has made a mistake for many years."

"Okay, that's good." Shen Zhenzhu turned to look at the boys playing football on the playground. They were also concerned about what was happening here. Shen Zhenzhu added, "I'll come to see her often when I have time."

The car that was taking Wu Xue arrived quickly. Wu Xue was in good spirits and was even able to smile when she saw Chen Zhenzhu and Yuan Juan waving at the door.

"Hey, a girl's here." The boy carrying the soccer ball called to his companion, "Wow, wow, she's got police escorting her here. Has she really messed up the world?"

The boys who gathered around were relatively careful with their words because the teacher was present. However, Chen Zhenzhu noticed that two of the boys had tattooed arms and spoke like gangsters in Hong Kong police dramas, using terms like "chick," "leopard," and "Brother Biao."

Looking at this group of reckless, arrogant young men, Chen Zhenzhu said sternly, "I'm her older sister, from the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Major Crimes Unit. Even the gangsters and thugs you're chasing would run away in fear if they saw me. If you want to graduate from here sooner, you'll have to see if I agree. I advise you to focus on your education and not let me find any fault with you."

"Wow, she's quite cute. Turns out she's a tigress, really fierce. Let's go, let's not worry about who's coming."

"Let's go play football, we can't afford to mess with this place."

...

Yuan Juan, who had been worried that Wu Xue would be bullied inside, exclaimed in astonishment, "Section Chief Shen, you have such great abilities?"

Shen Zhenzhu lowered her voice and glanced back at the brats: "I was just scaring them. I don't have that kind of ability."

Wu Xue laughed again upon hearing this. In truth, she was capable of killing people, so why would she be afraid of a few thugs?

Principal Shen was still waiting to receive the troubled girl when Shen Zhenzhu handed a bag of old clothes to Wu Xue and said, "Don't you dare to complain about them."

Wu Xue lowered her head and sniffed, saying in a good mood, "It smells like you, very fragrant."

Shen Zhenzhu feigned anger and said, "You little pervert, stop smelling it."

Wu Xue smiled and said, "I like the smell; it feels like I'm being protected by you."

Shen Zhenzhu pulled Wu Xue aside and whispered, "After you go in, you should receive a good education. You can't start a fight, but if anyone dares to lay a hand on you, you must fight back. You can't let them bully you. I'll protect you, so don't be afraid."

Wu Xue hugged Chen Zhenzhu's clothes and nodded obediently: "Yes, I'm not afraid."

Upon seeing this, Yuan Juan smiled and said, "Section Chief Shen is even more concerned than I am."

Shen Zhenzhu thought to herself that she had also been bullied when she was a child, but fortunately, she and Wu Xue now had a mother.

In her past life, before she had a mother, she was skinny and small, and boys chased her into the toilet, too scared to come out. She was really beaten and it hurt a lot.

Since she didn't have a mother at the time, she imagined the radio host's words as what her mother would say to her. She said that girls should learn to protect themselves and fight back hard if they are bullied.

Shen Zhenzhu remembered this. She begged the orphanage to let her learn martial arts, and later she cornered the boys in the toilet, making them too scared to come out, haha. Having tasted the sweetness of success, Shen Zhenzhu practiced martial arts even more relentlessly, and the little hammer she used to hit people hurt terribly.

The orphanage couldn't handle her. At first, they thought she was just a little monkey jumping around, but later they realized she was a rocket, always trying to reach for the sky. In desperation, a wise person advised the director to send Shen Zhenzhu to the city's martial arts team.

No one could have imagined that such a thin and frail girl could be so ruthless. From the orphanage to the city martial arts team and then to the provincial martial arts team, Shen Zhenzhu often felt like a social animal. She deceived herself by thinking that being a social animal was good, because social animals would not be lonely because they did not have a home.

She later died saving someone, and here she felt that death was also a kind of happiness because it gave her a mother.

Recalling those glorious years in just a few seconds truly made Section Chief Shen sigh.

Even now, she still keeps the radio anchor's words firmly in mind, practicing boxing diligently for two lifetimes without forgetting them. Fortunately, she has a mother now. Her mother talks a lot every day, perfectly covering up the bitter and embarrassing past, and gently wrapping the lonely and loveless little girl in her arms.

Now that she's become Section Chief Xiao Shen, she hasn't forgotten the past, and she tries her best to gently embrace other cold-hearted people.

"Hey, I've got a case to handle, I have to go." Shen Zhenzhu glanced at the pager and waved to Wu Xue and Yuan Juan outside the door, then said hurriedly, "Keep in touch, okay? Come to my mom's for dinner tomorrow to celebrate."

Yuan Juan nodded: "Okay."

Shen Zhenzhu hugged Wu Xue and patted her, saying, "There are many people in there who come from wealthy families and are spoiled. They might use various means to attack you behind your back, but don't be afraid or feel inferior. Who doesn't want to be born into a good life? Just because you don't have one now doesn't mean you won't have one in the future."

Wu Xue gently inhaled the tender scent emanating from her: "Yes, I've remembered. I'm fine now."

"That's good, see you next time." Chen Zhenzhu waved her little hand.

As Wu Xue watched Shen Zhenzhu's departing figure, she called out, "Sister Shen, meeting you was my luck. You changed my life. I will remember this day forever and ever!"

As Wu Xue watched Chen Zhenzhu ride away on her little motorcycle with a flourish, she silently thought: I am not Snow White, I have a stepmother who loves me.

I will also kill the bad guys with my own hands.

Now, I also have a super amazing older sister who protects me and my mom.

***

When Shen Zhenzhu arrived at the crime scene, the scene was simple, but even though it had been cleaned up, she still managed to find clues.

The murderer was hiding in the attic next door, clutching a blood-dripping wrench. Shen Zhenzhu and Zhao Qiqi, armed with guns, surrounded him and successfully apprehended him.

That night, Chen Zhenzhu had a sweet dream.

In her dream, she returned to the orphanage and encountered the boys who had bullied her back then—Fatty, Clover, and Glasses—who had all grown up. Arrogantly and smugly, she cornered the adults in the men's restroom and gave them a sound beating; the cruelty of her small hammer infuriated the scoundrels.

I woke up feeling refreshed. It's Sunday, and life is finally here as promised. Yay!

Shen Zhenzhu practiced two sets of boxing in the courtyard, then ran energetically to the restaurant for breakfast, but did not see Yuan Jiangxue at her usual seat.

"Where is my Aunt Yuan?" Shen Zhenzhu felt that Yuan Jiangxue had been acting strangely lately.

Uncle Lu stopped eating his fried dough stick, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

That's unusual.

Shen Liuhe fried two eggs for Shen Zhenzhu and put them into the beef noodles. The soft-boiled eggs radiated a golden glow of love.

“We dare not tell you; she specifically instructed us not to tell you. If you really want to know, wait for her to come back and tell you herself.”

Shen Zhenzhu's beautiful almond-shaped eyes narrowed instantly as she slowly savored the beef noodles, pondering the meaning behind her mother's words.

Unfortunately, while Shen Zhenzhu was fast asleep, Shen Yuyuan and Lili had already gone out to do environmental volunteer work, so it was impossible to get information out of them.

Shen Zhenzhu sat on a small stool in the corner of the kitchen, peeling potatoes. Because she was using the peeler from the outside in, her mother nagged her, "Be careful not to cut your hand. Peel from the outside in. Learn your lesson, Section Chief Shen."

"I've learned my lesson," said Section Chief Shen, unfazed by his mother's nagging, as he continued to devour the potato peels with a grin.

Around noon, Shen Zhenzhu peeked through the crack in the kitchen door and saw Yuan Jiangxue sneaking around the shop. He seemed to notice that Shen Zhenzhu wasn't there, and then he sat down and ordered a plate of stir-fried bok choy.

Hmph.

Shen Zhenzhu carried out a plate of stir-fried bok choy and placed it steadily in front of Yuan Jiangxue. Seeing her panicked and flustered expression, she grabbed her wrist and asked, "Will you confess or not?"

"Hey, you're just waiting around like this," Yuan Jiangxue sighed, saying helplessly, "I'm really out of ideas."

"Then tell me quickly, what happened?"

"Don't yell at me after I told you."

"You say," Chen Zhenzhu said fiercely, "It depends on the situation."

Yuan Jiangxue was amused by her, and helplessly told Shen Zhenzhu the whole story. Shen Zhenzhu's eyebrows were so angry they almost stood up: "That uncle actually borrowed money and didn't pay it back? And you gave him all your savings?!"

"He said he wanted to buy a house for his seriously ill mother, but his business was short of funds... The money in his savings account will mature soon, in about a week, and he can't afford to waste such a large amount of interest."

"You actually believe this kind of nonsense?"

“I thought he was a filial son. I’ve met his home address, company address, and even his friends. How could such a cultured man be such a beast in human form?” Yuan Jiangxue said with a haggard face. “I stayed at his house all night yesterday, but he just said he bought the house and the deposit hadn’t matured yet, so he went to sleep in his room and kept putting it off.”

"That's a deadbeat," Uncle Lu said angrily. "He didn't even bother to discuss such a big matter with everyone."

Yuan Jiangxue stopped arguing with Uncle Lu and said with her head down, "I was pecked in the eye by an eagle. All the money I saved by selling clothes for twenty years is gone."

"Comrade Shen." Yuan Juan, who was standing outside the restaurant, called out to the counter.

Shen Zhenzhu called out, "Sister Yuan, you're here so early! Come in, I'm here."

Yuan Juan walked over and said, "I'm not going in. I'll see if there are any job openings outside."

Shen Zhenzhu said, "Okay, I'll go out for a bit. You wait for me here. This is my Aunt Yuan, and this is Uncle Lu."

"Hello, I'll be there in a bit," Yuan Juan said politely.

Uncle Lu greeted him with a smile, "Okay, see you later."

After Yuan Juan left, Chen Zhenzhu asked for the name of the property development, went to the counter, picked up the phone, and started calling people.

The first one must be her brother Zheng.

“His name is Cao Dekai,” Chen Zhenzhu said angrily into the microphone. “He cheated me out of 18,000! The full amount was 48,000, from the Emperor Rose Hotel.”

Shen Zhenzhu covered the microphone and said to Yuan Jiangxue, "Isn't it a coincidence that it's my brother Zheng's family's real estate development? He went to check if there were any names on the property purchase list."

Yuan Jiangxue felt ashamed and sat at the table chewing the bok choy with a weary expression, as if it were wax.

Five minutes later, Gu Yanzheng called back: "I checked the name and phone number, there's no purchase contract. The building he mentioned hasn't been officially sold yet."

With the phone on speakerphone, Chen Zhenzhu said angrily, "I'm going to find him."

Gu Yanzheng hurriedly said on the other end of the phone, "I'm with A Ye and the others. Wait for me to drive there together. Remember to wear plain clothes."

Brother Zheng is more experienced.

Wearing a uniform changes the nature of the situation.

"This is too much trouble," Yuan Jiangxue said embarrassedly. "Who are you people? You've made the Major Crimes Unit come all this way for such a small amount of money. I'm really...so ashamed."

In her mind, the Major Crimes Unit only handled earth-shattering cases.

“Small amount of money?” Shen Zhenzhu said angrily, “Don’t even mention 18,000, even if it’s 1,800 or 180, we have to get it back. Paying back debts is a matter of course. He’s the one who should be ashamed.”

“...Okay. It was my fault, I shouldn’t have said that.” Yuan Jiangxue lowered her head and wrote down Cao Dekai’s home address and work address at the counter, along with all his contact information.

Twenty minutes later, Gu Yanzheng, Lu Ye, and Zhao Qiqi, who had arranged to play ball together, arrived at Sister Liu's shop. They were dressed in all black, with short hair and black sunglasses, and looked like they were not to be trifled with.

Shen Zhenzhu didn't have a black short-sleeved shirt, so Yuan Jiangxue found a black long-sleeved shirt in the store. After putting it on, she rolled up her sleeves and picked up the crowbar that was handed to her.

"You all need to be mindful of your actions." This situation also worried Shen Liuhe.

Gu Yanzheng said, "Sixth Sister, don't worry, I've reported it to Director Liu."

Shen Zhenzhu had no idea how exactly the report was submitted.

Shen Zhenzhu strode confidently into the Cherokee and sped off to Cao Dekai's company.

"Cao Cao Trading Co., Ltd." Zhao Qiqi glanced at the sign in the residential building: "It looks unreliable."

Cao Dekai's company is located in a residential building complex. A bronze plaque hangs downstairs, and when you go up to the third floor, you are greeted by residents coming down to take out the trash.

Seeing that the four of them looked hostile, he stood close to the wall and let them pass first.

Cao Dekai, who was smoking a cigarette, was just coming downstairs to eat when he saw them and took off running. Lu Ye stretched out his long arm to grab his trouser leg but failed. Cao Dekai lost his balance and fell on the steps, and blood immediately started flowing from his mouth.

Shen Zhenzhu was wearing designer sunglasses that were noticeably too big. A crowbar hit him on the side of his head, and sparks immediately flew out.

"What are you doing? Don't you know that Hu Xiao, the big boss here, is my buddy!"

"Hu Xiao is nothing. His older brother Zhao Yuchao bows and scrapes to me even when he's in jail."

Gu Yanzheng stepped onto the step on the other side of Cao Dekai's head, bent down, chewed gum, and said in a sleazy tone, "You actually dare to owe my sister money? Don't you want to live?"

Cao Dekai recognized Shen Zhenzhu and trembled with fear at Gu Yanzheng's words: "No, no, I don't want to live. Zhao Yuchao is also my buddy, please give him some face."

Gu Yanzheng sneered and said, "The scar on Zhao Yuchao's face was cut by me. It's even better that you're his underling. I don't want the money. We brothers will come inside with you and have some fun."

"Don't be like that!!" Cao Dekai had only seen Zhao Yuchao once from a distance and knew that he was Boss Hu Xiao, but he didn't expect that there were people more powerful than him.

Having deceived so many people outside, he was afraid of being deceived himself. Even when he was lying on the ground, his eyes were still rolling around. He was nothing like the gentle and refined person that Chen Zhenzhu had met that day.

"You won't shed tears until you see the coffin. Come on, buddy, I'll show you what I'm made of." Gu Yanzheng saw through his plan at a glance, grabbed Cao Dekai by the back of his collar and led him into his company, which was just an ordinary two-bedroom apartment with office supplies.

In front of Cao Dekai, Gu Yanzheng took out his mobile phone and made a call. Less than thirty minutes later, Zhao Yuchao arrived with Hu Xiao.

Before Gu Yanzheng could even speak, Hu Xiao delivered a flying kick that sent Cao Dekai sprawling: "You damn fool, you have no idea who he is! You dare to swindle this guy's money? Do you even want to live anymore?"

Cao Dekai knelt on the ground, trembling, feeling that he had offended a powerful figure from the underworld.

Zhao Yuchao, whose face had been slashed, stood beside Gu Yanzheng, bowing and scraping obsequiously. Cao Dekai, terrified, hurriedly crawled to Zhao Yuchao's feet and pleaded, "Brother Chao, please spare my life! I'll gamble all my money—"

Zhao Yuchao kicked him aside, squatted down to face him, and said through gritted teeth, "Still trying to play dumb? I'll give you one minute. If you can't produce it, don't even think about seeing the sun tomorrow."

Shen Zhenzhu stood behind Gu Yanzheng with her hands on her hips, her face tense, pretending to be a female fighter with superb skills.

When Gu Yanzheng spoke harshly, she responded with a "Hmph!"

When Gu Yanzheng wasn't speaking, she glanced at him with her eyes.

Before Zhao Yuchao arrived, she didn't remember his name. After he arrived, she remembered—wasn't this the informant from Brother Zheng whom she had met at the entrance of the Golden Sun Dance Hall during the cellar case? She had honestly forgotten his name back then; it certainly wasn't this.

I never expected that after three years I would become the boss, and now even my informants are getting involved in high-level competition?

Ten minutes later, Chen Zhenzhu was happily counting her money in the Cherokee: "One times five equals five, two times five equals ten..."

Gu Yanzheng waited by the car until she finished counting, then nodded to Zhao Yuchao: "I need to talk to you about something later, so you two be careful inside."

"Hey, got it." Zhao Yuchao and Hu Xiao, who came out of the building, became obedient boys. After listening to Gu Yanzheng's lecture, they each got a pack of red gold dragon cigarettes and left.

“‘Red Golden Dragon will keep you from going poor.’ Everyone in the underworld smokes this cigarette. Switching to Zhonghua would just make you look bad.” Lu Ye was holding the crowbar for Shen Zhenzhu next to her, but he saw that she was all smiles and not listening at all.

In less than an hour, the four of them got back the savings that Yuan Jiangxue had been chasing for over ten days. This made them the pride of Tiesi New Second Village, and the villagers praised them highly.

"Won't he come looking for me again?" Yuan Jiangxue said with lingering fear, "You can know a person's face but not their heart."

Chen Zhenzhu puffed out her chest and said with her head held high, "Brother Zheng has asked the economic department to investigate him. I'm afraid there are still a lot of people who have been scammed by him. He will definitely be arrested sooner or later."

"Then I'm relieved." Yuan Jiangxue stood up and said, "I'll go buy some seafood. I'll treat everyone to a seafood feast today."

People are in high spirits when they have something good to do. Yuan Jiangxue first went to the kitchen to see what seafood was available, and then asked Shen Liuhe for permission. She had to ask, otherwise the chef wouldn't cook it for her.

As she was speaking, Yuan Juan returned from a stroll down the street, looking rather unwell.

Shen Zhenzhu went up to her and asked, "Is there no suitable work available?"

Yuan Juan sighed and said, "There is a family that sells those kinds of things that couples use, but the wages are too low, not even enough for housing and food..."

Yuan Jiangxue suddenly remembered that Chen Zhenzhu had asked her if she needed anyone, so she walked over to Yuan Juan and said, "Have you ever sold clothes before?"

Shen Zhenzhu hurriedly shook Yuan Juan's arm and said, "This is my Aunt Yuan. She owns a clothing store and her business is very good."

Yuan Jiangxue said earnestly, "Although the salary isn't high, I can provide room and board. You can eat here and live in the attic. I can't guarantee anything else, but it will definitely be enough for you as a temporary measure."

Yuan Juan didn't want to lie, so she honestly said, "The conditions are really good, but I've never sold clothes before."

Seeing her pitiful look, Yuan Jiangxue asked again, "Do you know about fabrics and how to match clothes?"

Yuan Juan tugged at her old clothes and said, "I don't usually buy much... I'm not very good at matching outfits."

Yuan Jiangxue was willing but unable, and sighed, "Then what can you do?"

Yuan Juan thought for a moment and said, "I... I can do hairstyling and cutting hair, and I'm especially good at perming hair."

"You can perm your hair?"

Shen Zhenzhu said, "The craftsmanship is quite good."

Yuan Jiangxue tossed her curly hair to show Yuan Juan: "So tell me, what number is this test paper?"

Yuan Juan glanced at it and said, "It's paper number eight..."

Yuan Jiangxue said, "And then? What do you think?"

Yuan Juan ruffled her hair and said, "But I think you'd be better suited to a larger size four curl; it would look more stylish and suit your height better. It would be best to switch to imported GYU brand hairspray, otherwise it's easy for your hair to fall out. Also, change the hair color two shades; it would make your skin look whiter."

Yuan Jiangxue, a beauty enthusiast, said, "I know about that imported perm solution, but I've tried several places, and the experienced perm masters couldn't do it well. They told me that if I wanted to get a perm, I should go to Shanghai and spend more money to find someone to do it. The result would be just like the celebrities on TV, and the style would last longer."

Yuan Juan was very confident about this point, gesturing with her hands as she said, "I've studied it, it's actually not difficult. Before opening the bottle, rinse it with warm water, put the paper on slowly, and quickly apply the solution while putting it on. Don't press the paper too tightly, and start five minutes earlier than usual—"

A true expert's skill is immediately apparent.

"Good heavens, what a gem!" Yuan Jiangxue grabbed Yuan Juan's arm and said, "I'm telling you, you have to stay here today!"

-----------------------

Author's note: It's almost the end of the month, could you please give me your unwanted nutrient solution? [Let me see]

See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming! [Let me see]

***

The court referenced online legal judgments and other documents.