extra

Today, the weather is sunny.

Wen Sheng passed through the security checkpoint of the exhibition, walked to the entrance, and adjusted the name tag on her chest.

Today is her last time working as a part-time translator at the trade fair as a student. Thinking about graduating tomorrow, she feels a mix of relief and indescribable melancholy.

"Wen Sheng!" someone called out to her from afar.

She was the manager of a trading company she was dealing with, surnamed Li, dressed in a well-tailored suit and skirt, and looked to be in her early thirties.

"Sister Li."

Li Juanxiu handed over a stack of documents. "Today's client is a German machinery manufacturer. They brought a technical team, which will involve a lot of technical jargon. I know German isn't your major, but you're the most reliable translator here."

Wen Sheng took the thick stack of documents, quickly flipped through them, and unconsciously frowned: "Why so suddenly this time?"

She majored in English and minored in German in her undergraduate studies. Although she could handle general daily communication without any problems, she felt a lot of pressure when faced with mechanical fields involving blueprints and parts, coupled with being completely unprepared and having materials full of obscure and difficult professional terms.

Li Juanxiu sighed and said helplessly, "The original translator was temporarily reassigned to another exhibition area. There's nothing I can do but ask you to fill in. Don't worry, I'll be there to help you supplement the translation. We've also brought an engineer with us for the technical terminology section."

She laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'll triple your salary this time."

Wen Sheng suddenly felt grateful that when she first took on this part-time job, she had spent extra time carefully reading through several English mechanical documents.

Although she was still unfamiliar with the technical terms in German, at least the English translations allowed her to quickly grasp the key points and then translate them in context.

Four years ago, when she first stood in an international trade fair, she was so nervous that her palms were sweating and she even stumbled over the most basic business phrases.

Now, she can switch between Chinese, English, and German with ease in various situations.

In the conference room, the Chinese side consisted of a purchasing team from a large state-owned enterprise, while the German side comprised three middle-aged men in suits, all of whom appeared to have technical backgrounds and had serious expressions.

Negotiations begin.

The German boss spoke very quickly, using a lot of mechanical engineering jargon. Wen Sheng listened intently, taking notes rapidly, her mind switching between the two languages ​​at lightning speed.

The Chinese engineer frowned and asked a technical question, which Wen Sheng immediately relayed in English while simultaneously recalling the German technical parameters she had just reviewed in her mind.

The German manager suddenly whispered something to the boss in German, probably thinking that the other party's translator couldn't understand German.

Wen Sheng's expression remained unchanged, but she had already heard what the other party was saying. She continued translating the conversation on the table without showing any emotion, but at the appropriate moment, she said to Li Juanxiu in Chinese, "The other party thinks we still have room to lower the price, you can hold on a little longer."

Li Juanxiu nodded subtly, indicating that she understood.

Finally, the negotiations reached an agreement at a price that satisfied both parties.

After seeing the client off, Li Juanxiu grabbed Wen Sheng's hand and said excitedly, "Sheng Sheng, you really helped us a lot! This deal is worth at least tens of millions, so your salary this time will definitely be high!"

Wen Sheng was caught off guard by her grip, and her mind went blank for a moment due to the long tension. She only came back to her senses after hearing the words "high salary".

"Sister Li, this is what I should do."

"You've worked hard today, right? Is it the last day? Graduation ceremony tomorrow?" Li Juanxiu asked with a smile.

"Yes, that's right. After finishing this job, I'll be saying goodbye to my student days for good." Wen Sheng nodded, unscrewed the water bottle and took a sip. "Sister Li, next time you need to find me, you'll have to come to the translation company."

"Time flies," Li Juanxiu exclaimed.

"Yes, time really flies." Wen Sheng put down the water bottle and looked out the window.

In the past four years, in order to save up for tuition and living expenses, she took on almost every translation job she could get, including business negotiations, technical exchanges, academic conferences, and even accompanying tourists.

During her sophomore year, the school had an exchange program, and she was excited about it for a long time after reading the brochure, but the last few lines of the brochure shattered her illusions.

The school waived tuition and round-trip airfare, but all expenses during the exchange period, including living expenses, accommodation fees, and visa fees, had to be borne by the student.

On the night before the registration deadline, she sat alone on the stairs of the administration building, next to the Office of International Exchange.

She took the borrowed calculator and cried as she calculated the costs. But no matter how she calculated it, it was far beyond what she could afford.

We're still short 50,000.

"Sister Li, how much money will I get this time?" Wen Sheng asked the woman beside him, pulling himself out of his thoughts.

Li Juanxiu smiled and held up three fingers: "Triple pay, it should be at least ten thousand."

Wen Sheng lowered her eyes and began to calculate in her mind how much money she had in her secret stash.

The money I've saved over the past few years through frugal living and part-time translation jobs, plus this salary, means my savings are now more than 50,000 yuan.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

fifty thousand,

She only has it now.

But the girl who sat in the stairwell crying back then still missed out on a plane ticket to go abroad.

"Wen Sheng?"

Li Juanxiu noticed her distraction and asked with concern, "Are you too tired from today's negotiations? Do you want to go back and rest?"

"It's nothing, I just remembered some things from the past."

"I understand, graduation always brings a sense of nostalgia. By the way, how about we grab dinner tonight? It'll be a way to celebrate your graduation and also to thank you for your help over the past few years."

"Thank you for your kindness, Sister Li. But it won't work tonight; my boyfriend is coming to pick me up for dinner," Wen Sheng politely declined.

"Alright, then I won't bother you young people any longer. I'll treat you to a meal another day." Li Juanxiu didn't try to persuade her to stay any longer.

They quickly tidied up the documents on the table, and after confirming that everything was correct, they walked out of the meeting room together, saying goodbye at the entrance of the venue.

As soon as Wen Sheng stepped out of the exhibition hall, she spotted Xu Jianing. She ran over and threw herself into his arms.

"Have you been waiting long?" she asked him, looking up at him with a smile.

Xu Jianing looked down at her, a smile curving her lips: "Not long, just right."

"Shall we go home?"

"Let's go home."

He took the folder from her arms, and naturally took her hand with his other hand. The two walked side by side down the steps toward their little home.