"Sister Nan, thank you!"

Shi Nan chuckled lightly, "What are you thanking me for? I didn't do anything."

After saying that, she seemed to remember something and asked, "By the way, Amang, have you found a job?"

"not yet."

Shi Nan tapped his head. "Look at me! You only started working before the New Year, and many companies are already on holiday. How could you possibly find a job!"

The two chatted for a while longer until they heard a noise at the door, indicating that Lu Yanting had come home from get off work, and then they hung up the phone.

The company had not yet started work, and Shi Nan had not yet started work either, so the two arranged to meet the next day.

Qiu Mang set off early to keep her appointment because she was afraid of getting lost. Fortunately, the place was easy to find and she arrived quickly.

Just as he was about to take out his phone to send a message to Shi Nan to let her know that he had arrived, he suddenly saw a bright and beautiful woman walking towards him in the distance.

Shi Nan wore a high-quality black coat, her long, flowing waves cascading smoothly to her waist. She was already beautiful, but today, with makeup and her eyes slightly upturned, she appeared even more stunning and elegant.

Qiu Mang was stunned. In the villagers' impression, Shi Nan did not do well in school and did not like to study. He spent his days wasting time at school.

She also often hung out with delinquent girls from outside the school, dyed her hair blonde, and later, somehow got her hands on cosmetics and even put on makeup in class, which led to her being criticized by the entire school.

Shi Nan would sometimes come to visit Qiu Dao, Qiu Mang remembered clearly; back then, Shi Nan was a bit of a nonconformist. But now, seeing her again, she was so alluring and beautiful.

Qiu Mang looked down at the clothes she had bought from Pinduoduo, a sense of inferiority welled up in her heart, and she silently lowered her eyes.

"Amang, it's been a long time! I didn't expect you to have grown so much!" Shi Nan walked up to her quickly and greeted her warmly.

In fact, Shi Nan was only six years older than Qiu Mang, but in Shi Nan's eyes, Qiu Mang was just a child.

"Nan... Sister Nan," Qiu Mang whispered, finding it hard to reconcile the blond-haired girl with the elegant beauty before him.

"Let's go up! I remember you like sweets, I guarantee you'll love the desserts here!" Shi Nan enthusiastically took Qiu Mang's arm.

As they linked arms, Qiu Mang's finger accidentally poked Shi Nan's bag. She instinctively pulled her hand back, feeling somewhat annoyed.

Although I don't know the brand, that bag looks expensive. What if I damage it?

Shi Nan, unaware of her thoughts, pulled her into the shop.

The meeting place was a rather bourgeois dessert shop. They sat on the second floor by the window, where the view outside was pleasant, with a small river flowing quietly.

Qiu Mang opened her eyes wide in surprise and looked around.

The store's retro-style decor is very charming, with wooden tables and chairs carved with exquisite patterns, yellowed old photos on the walls, an old clock that makes a crisp "tick-tock" sound, a gramophone standing quietly in the corner, and a sofa with a sense of age. Qiu Mang felt as if she had traveled back to that era.

"Sister Nan, this place is so elegant. How did you find it?" Qiu Mang's eyes sparkled.

Shi Nan smiled slightly, "Someone brought me here. I thought you would like it, so we arranged to meet here."

As Shi Nan spoke, she placed her order and handed the menu to the waiter.

She continued, "Actually, I like this store too. Back in my hometown, I had to work in the fields every day and had never heard of birthdays. Later, I saw on TV that people could receive gifts and eat cake on their birthdays. At that time, I dreamed that when I grew up, I would work hard to earn money so that I could eat cake every year on my birthday."

Qiu Mang blinked and looked at her quietly, feeling a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both emotion and feeling). Shi Nan was indeed different from before, or rather, she had known too little about Shi Nan before.

Just then, the waiter brought out the exquisite desserts, their sweet aroma filling the air. Shi Nan smiled at Qiu Mang, "Try it and see if it suits your taste."

Qiu Mang carefully picked up the spoon, took a bite, and her eyes lit up immediately. "It's delicious, Sister Nan, you really know how to choose a place."

Shi Nan raised an eyebrow. "If you like it, that's good!"

Qiu Mang also brought over a piece of strawberry mousse. "By the way, Mang, where are you living now?"

With a chocolate mille-feuille in his mouth, Qiu Mang casually said, "Shuiyue Huating..."

Shi Nan paused slightly, then frowned and said, "Shuiyue Huating? You mean that upscale residential complex on Tianhai Road?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Qiu Mang realized she had misspoke. She didn't want Shi Nan to know about her relationship with Lu Yanting, so she quickly corrected herself: "I live near Shuiyue Huating!"

She recalled that area seemed to have something similar to an urban village.

Shi Nan was even more surprised: "Really? Then do you live in Huangtaoyuan? I live there too!"

Qiu Mang wasn't sure, so he could only give a vague answer: "I don't remember the name of the neighborhood, I only know the location..."

Shi Nan smiled and said, "If you live near Shuiyue Huating, then that should be it. The rent in that area is very expensive, and only that one community is cheap."

Qiu Mang smiled and nodded.

Shi Nan didn't dwell on the question too much. She picked up the pomegranate juice next to her, took a sip, and asked, "Amang, have you started looking for a job these past few days?"

Qiu Mang's eyes dimmed: "I did look for jobs, but it wasn't very successful. Back in the village, I thought my education level was quite high, but I didn't expect that the interview requirements would be so high outside. They often require a master's degree or higher, and my bachelor's degree gives me no advantage at all!"

Shi Nan began, "That's right, the market is currently extremely competitive."

Suddenly remembering something, Qiu Mang asked, "Sister Nan, what kind of job do you have now? I just started working and I don't know what to pay attention to. I'd appreciate it if you could give me some pointers!"

Shi Nan raised an eyebrow and said, "Then you've really come to the right person. Don't underestimate me just because I only graduated from high school. I've been out in the workforce for many years and I still have some experience. In my opinion, you guys haven't been asking for high salaries since you've just graduated. Find a bigger company, start as an intern, and take it one step at a time. Improve your skills first, and even if you change jobs later, you'll be able to find a good one!"

Qiu Mang frowned. If she didn't have any debts, she felt that Shi Nan's suggestion was correct. But the key was that the repayment date was approaching soon!

Qiu Mang pursed her lips. "Sister Nan, I owe some money, so I'd like to find a job with a higher salary. Do you have any recommendations?"

Shi Nan only learned from Qiu Dao that Qiu Mang was dissatisfied with the blind date arranged by her family and had secretly run away; she did not know that Qiu Mang owed money.

She set the silver spoon aside and carefully examined Qiu Mang. "How much do you owe? I have some money on me that I can lend you!"