“Grandpa Zhang had a stroke before and can’t speak now, but he can still walk around. Every time his son comes to visit him, he comes over to buy half a roast duck and slice it up,” Sister Yang explained to Xia Lan.

"So if his son doesn't come to see him, he won't come?" Xia Lan asked.

"No, if his son doesn't come to see him, he'll make a 'two' gesture, which means he wants two yuan's worth of roast duck," Sister Yang said with a smile.

"Sister Yang, you're really amazing," Xia Lan said with a smile.

"Most of the customers who come to buy are regulars; you'll see after a while," Sister Yang said with an embarrassed smile and waved her hand.

While Xia Lan was following Sister Yang's deli counter, Zhao Li stood at her own counter, feeling increasingly aggrieved. Her colleagues around her stopped paying attention to her, and their gazes towards her seemed to be filled with thorns.

Zhao Li had always had a smooth life, and she had never suffered such humiliation before. She sat at the counter, tears streaming down her face, ignoring even when people came to buy things.

"Comrade, could you please get us some candy?"

"Waaaaah..."

"Comrade..."

"What are you shouting for? Can't you see she's heartbroken?"

Zhao Li shouted angrily.

When the people who came to buy candy saw Zhao Li spreading gold beans, they were very dissatisfied, but they didn't know what to say, so they turned around and left with their children.

Zhao Li felt wronged, and no one came to comfort her. Little did she know that her crying and sobbing only made everyone dislike her more.

Everyone else is working hard, but she's just driving customers away.

While Xiaoling was helping Minister Yang with the paperwork, many people stopped her and told her about Zhao Li's performance that day.

"Xiaoling, this Comrade Zhao Li is no good. She's been crying all day and hasn't sold a single item. She even chased away customers who came to buy candy."

"Xiaoling, you should go and persuade Comrade Zhao Li. If she continues like this, Minister Yang will definitely get angry."

"Okay, I'll go talk to her. You guys go back and get busy!" Xiaoling frowned and walked to the candy counter with the documents in her hand.

Zhao Li was sitting there wiping away tears, completely ignoring Xiao Ling's arrival.

"Comrade Zhao Li, if you don't want to come to work, you can ask for leave. If you continue like this, I will tell Minister Yang!" Xiao Ling knocked on the counter. Zhao Li looked up and, seeing that it was Xiao Ling, quickly stood up.

Zhao Li's aggrieved look made Xiao Ling roll her eyes. She didn't know she was wrong and was acting coy. Xiao Ling finally understood why Minister Yang had told her to keep a close eye on Zhao Li!

"What did I do wrong? You start by giving me a lecture! I'm already like this, and you're still bullying me!" Zhao Li felt even more wronged after being scolded by Xiao Ling.

“Comrade Zhao Li, I’m just stating the facts. It’s working hours now. Look at yourself, is this appropriate?” Xiao Ling said, frowning.

"Besides, I didn't help Xia Lan; I was just stating the facts I saw."

“You and Xia Lan are in cahoots, of course you’ll help her!” Zhao Li wouldn’t listen.

"You're all bullying me! I'm going to tell my brother-in-law!"

As Zhao Li spoke, she ran out from behind the counter.

"Comrade Zhao Li, it's working hours now. You know you'll get a demerit for leaving your post without permission, right?" Xiao Ling simply reminded her indifferently, but Zhao Li ignored her completely. She was so willful and spoiled that she didn't care about these rules.

"Xiaoling, this Comrade Zhao Li has quite a temper," the saleswoman at the next counter said to Xiaoling.

"Let her be! Anyway, if she doesn't pass the test later, she'll know the rules aren't a joke," Xiaoling said with a faint smile.

Being willful always comes at a price.

Everyone nodded silently after hearing Xiaoling's words and went back to their own business.

"Brother-in-law~" Zhao Li ran to the personnel department crying. When Minister Liu heard the voice, he was in a real bind.

"Zhao Li, what's wrong with you again?" Minister Liu asked, looking at his sister-in-law.

Needless to say, they've all come to complain.

Sure enough, the next second, Zhao Li started complaining, from Minister Yang, then Xia Lan, then Xiao Ling, and finally all the sales clerks in the department store; not one of them was good in her eyes.

"Brother-in-law, they're bullying me! They're all bullying me! You have to help me! Otherwise, I'll go back and tell my sister!" Zhao Li cried, clutching Minister Liu's clothes.

"Zhao Li, I told you when you came in! If you can't do this job well, don't ask me for help again!" Minister Liu knew what was going on as soon as he heard this, and his face instantly darkened.

Zhao Li's heart skipped a beat.

This was the first time I'd ever seen my usually good-tempered brother-in-law frown.

"You've only been working here a few days, and you've already offended all your colleagues? I know Old Yang very well. There's absolutely no way he and Xia Lan could have any affair. What did I say that made you think they're having an affair? Don't you know how important reputation is? Do you think you can just spout nonsense like that?"

Minister Liu's scolding only fueled Zhao Li's anger. "Why are you always siding with them? You're my brother-in-law, shouldn't you be helping me?"

"Your brother-in-law is just an ordinary minister. Someone like you should find a factory director as your brother-in-law! Or you could find a factory director to be your husband!" Minister Liu was so angry that he laughed. He had never seen such a clueless sister-in-law.

Looks like I need to have a serious talk with my wife when I get home. I can't keep spoiling her like this. She doesn't do her job properly and just keeps talking nonsense.

"Brother-in-law!" Zhao Li said through gritted teeth.

"Don't call me. I can't help you with this. If you don't want to work here anymore, then just go home!" Minister Liu said coldly, shaking off Zhao Li's hand.

"Hey, Lao Liu, busy?" Minister Yang walked over with Xiao Ling and glanced at Zhao Li in front of Minister Liu.

"Old Yang, what brings you here?" Minister Liu's face stiffened when he saw Minister Yang arrive, but he quickly stepped forward and greeted him warmly. "Come on in, come on in, let's have some tea!"

"Forget about tea, I'm here to tell you something! Comrade Zhao Li has been absent from her post without permission during working hours and hasn't been working properly all morning. Since she hasn't been officially hired yet, she's being given a demerit. If she does this again, she won't need to come in anymore," Minister Yang said calmly.

"I have other things to do! I'll head back now. You take care of this!" Before leaving, Minister Yang glanced at Zhao Li, who had her head down, and then left with Xiao Ling.

Minister Liu's face darkened. Looking at Zhao Li in front of him, he felt like slapping her.

She got the job because of his connections, and what happened? She only worked there for a few days before she got a demerit. If word gets out, how will he ever be able to face anyone again?

"Get back to your counter! If you don't want to work, go back to your home right now!" Minister Liu no longer gave Zhao Li any face and shouted directly.

“…Waaah.” Zhao Li also wanted to run away, but she couldn’t bear to lose her job as a sales clerk, so she could only return to her counter with a sense of grievance.

She harbored resentment towards Minister Yang and Xia Lan; if it weren't for them, she wouldn't have been scolded by her brother-in-law.