Chapter 21
◎ Bei Bitang didn't hesitate for long before agreeing to the deal.
She nodded
Bei Bitang didn't hesitate for long before agreeing to the deal.
She nodded and said, "Okay, I want this job."
The middle-aged man could hardly suppress the joy on his face. He extended his hand towards Bei Bitang, meaning to give her money.
Bei Bitang said cautiously, "Is there no letter of introduction or something like that?"
The middle-aged man said with a stern face, "You're just filling in for a job. There's no need for a letter of introduction. Three days from now, before eight o'clock in the morning, bring your household registration booklet to the market and tell the man with the red armband at the door that you're looking for someone named Li Guifen. He'll take you there. Once the paperwork is done, you can start work that same day."
Bei Bitang was still a little hesitant, and the middle-aged man said angrily, "Don't worry, I have a job and live nearby. How could I lie to you?!"
Bei Bitang had no choice but to say, "Then wait here for me. I'll go home to get the money."
Bei Bitang went home and took out all the money from where she hid it. She counted out four hundred yuan, counted it three or four times, wrapped it in cloth, and gave it to the middle-aged man away from everyone.
The middle-aged man counted the money six or seven times in front of Bei Bitang before he felt relieved and took the money.
Watching the middle-aged man happily leave, Bei Bitang's heart was bleeding. Her four hundred yuan, how long would it take her to save another four hundred yuan? Saving money now was not as easy as it was in the northwest.
Once she spent the four hundred yuan, she had very little left. But as long as she had a job and went to work, her mother and the others wouldn't pressure her too much to find a partner or get married. She had already been hurt by Xu Zeli once and didn't want to be thrown into the whirlpool of love again.
Besides, she still has a salary and doesn't rely on the remaining money to survive. If she saves slowly, her savings will increase. Bei Bitang thought optimistically.
The room was quiet. Miao Xiuxiu supported her head with her hands, sat on the edge of the bed, waving a palm-leaf fan to fan Lin Bilan and the little boy.
The tattered old clock rang three times. Lin Bilan opened her eyes and patted the little boy to wake him up.
Miao Xiuxiu handed her the coat on the box and said, "Would you like some water? I'll pour you a glass."
Lin Bilan took the coat and put it on while saying, "Yes, I have to work for several hours tonight and I can't stand it without drinking water. If I drink in the workshop, dust will fly into the cup as soon as I open the lid. How can I still drink the water?"
Miao Xiuxiu scolded her, "I told you to bring a kettle to the workshop, but you didn't listen."
Lin Bilan shook her head and frowned, saying, "How ugly those iron kettles are."
Bei Bitang came back from outside and saw that Lin Bilan and Xiao Maotou were awake. She couldn't wait to say, "Mom, Big Sister, I found a job."
They were both shocked. Miao Xiuxiu asked hurriedly, "Where do you work? What do you do?"
Bei Bitang smiled and replied, "Selling fish in the market."
Although she felt sad about losing a large sum of money, she felt relieved now that she had a job. At this moment, Bei Bitang's face was full of joy.
Lin Bilan asked, "Which vegetable market?"
Bei Bitang said, "The one three stops away from home."
Lin Bilan said, "Oh, it's an unknown small vegetable market."
Miao Xiuxiu didn't care whether the market was big or small. She was concerned about Bei Bitang's salary. She quickly asked, "How much is the salary?"
Bei Bitang's smile faded a little, and she said, "Seventeen dollars and fifty cents."
Lin Bilan said indifferently, "Although the salary is a little low, it's enough to buy vegetables for a month."
Miao Xiuxiu glared at Lin Bilan and said, "You eat vegetables as if they were your meals? You need to spend more than ten yuan worth of vegetables a month. Eat the tenderest ones and don't throw away the old ones. You won't spend more than ten yuan a month."
Lin Bilan nodded and said, "Yes, yes, I said the wrong thing."
Miao Xiuxiu reacted and lowered her voice to ask, "How did you find it? Many people returned to the city earlier than you, but it wasn't their turn yet, so it was your turn?"
Lin Bilan's eyes widened as she said, "It's definitely not a job assigned by the neighborhood office, right? Bitang, you already have a connection, but you didn't tell us."
Bei Bitang said half-truthfully, "My old classmate got the news that one of her aunts has to go home to take care of the children, so she wants to find someone to take over the job."
Miao Xiuxiu said with some disappointment: "So it's just a replacement job. When others come back, you have to go back."
Lin Bilan stared at Bei Bitang for a moment before saying, "What are the conditions?"
Bei Bitang's face remained calm. She said, "I give them five dollars every month."
Miao Xiuxiu was even more disappointed when she couldn't take all the money, having to give five. Lin Bilan thought it was normal, but she also felt that Bei Bitang's monthly income of just over ten yuan was minimal, as she needed to eat and drink. This salary contributed very little to the family. Thinking of this, Lin Bilan wasn't so happy.
The two of them reacted indifferently, but Bei Bitang didn't care. She warned, "Mom, Big Sister, I won't report to handle the handover formalities until three days later. Don't tell anyone yet to prevent jealous people from ruining it."
Although Miao Xiuxiu and Lin Bilan felt that Bei Bitang's salary was dispensable, they would not deliberately do anything to harm Bei Bitang.
The two of them readily agreed not to tell anyone, and Bei Bitang found a job.
Seeing that she was about to be late for work, Lin Bilan didn't miss this last chance to blackmail Bei Bitang. Before leaving, she smiled and said to Bei Bitang, "Little sister, you've found a job. Isn't it time for the whole family to celebrate? No need to go out to eat out. Let's go to the delicatessen and buy a three-yellow chicken to eat. Half a chicken will do."
Miao Xiuxiu also chimed in, saying, "Going to the delicatessen is too expensive. A three-yellow chicken there weighs just over three pounds, and costs eight or nine yuan each, which works out to over two yuan per pound. White-striped chickens at the market are just over a dollar per pound, and live chickens are even cheaper. It's better to buy two live chickens and cook them at home."
Bei Bitang's smile faded slightly as she said, "Mom, Big Sister, please celebrate for me too. I want to eat some cream squares. I haven't had any since I came back to Shanghai."
Lin Bilan pretended not to hear Bei Bitang's words. She hurried out and said, "I'm leaving. I'm going to be late!"
Miao Xiuxiu curled her lips and said, "Are you still a child? Cream squares, only children eat them."
On plum rain days, everything is damp. Even when it's not raining, clothes seem to be coated in a layer of mist. Amidst the misty rain south of the Yangtze River, the summer lotus blossoms into a small green bud.
Bei Bitang walked from one end of the river to the other, carrying a basket filled with emerald green cucumbers, bright yellow pumpkins, tripe knots, quail eggs, and a small piece of premium pork belly.
When Bei Bitang walked into the grocery store in the morning mist, Feng Guangmei, wearing sleeves and an apron, stood behind a half-meter-high glass counter, holding a long wooden spoon and pouring Zhenjiang vinegar into a large earthenware jar for the customers.
The nearly 100-square-meter grocery store was filled with transparent glass cases of all sizes. In the most prominent spot, a row of large glass jars filled with colorful candies piqued the interest of passing children, who would forcefully pull their parents' hands to let them in.
There are large black, yellow and gray pottery jars on both sides of the wall, which store soy sauce, spicy soy sauce, white wine, yellow wine, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar...all kinds of seasonings. One jar can hold dozens or hundreds of kilograms.
Feng Guangmei helped the last customer at the counter finish a bottle of rice wine. Bei Bitang then walked over and called out, "Guangmei."
Feng Guangmei, who finally had time to yawn, looked up and said in surprise: "Bitang, you came to see me!"
After a pause, she said dejectedly, "But I have to go to work."
Bei Bitang said, "Can't I just come here to buy something?"
Feng Guangmei asked seriously, "What do you want to buy?"
Bei Bitang laughed and said, "I was just kidding."
Feng Guangmei looked her up and down and said, "Why are you in such a good mood today? Did something good happen? Share it with me."
Bei Bitang couldn't help but smile, leaned forward, and whispered, "I found a job."
Feng Guangmei widened her eyes in surprise and whispered, "Congratulations, congratulations."
Bei Bitang then told her, "I sell fish at a small market nearby."
Feng Guangmei forced a smile and said halfheartedly, "Selling fish is good. I won't have to worry about not being able to eat fresh fish in the future."
Bei Bitang didn't care about Feng Guangmei's inadvertent disdain for her work. Feng Guangmei even disdained her own work, applying the same standards to herself and others. Bei Bitang was very willing to make friends with such a person.
As soon as she said this, Feng Guangmei realized that her tone was wrong. She quickly put away the reluctance on her face and asked, "Then how much salary can you get a month?"
Bei Bitang smiled optimistically and said, "Seventeen dollars and fifty cents."
The tone of her voice sounded as if she had earned a hundred or eighty yuan, and Feng Guangmei laughed happily.
After a moment, she said seriously, "At the vegetable market, you have to get up after four o'clock, set up your stall in the dark with a flashlight, and receive and count the goods delivered. Before you can rest for a while, the old men and women who get up early will swarm in, and you have to work until eight or nine o'clock before you can have breakfast. Sometimes you encounter difficult customers and they will give you trouble. At night, when you close the stall, you have to clean up, count the money, and hand it over. If there is any money missing, you have to make up for it."
"This is too hard. I only get ten yuan a month and work several jobs. The vast majority of rural areas now have a household contract responsibility system. The more you work, the more you get. Distribution is based on work."
Feng Guangmei felt deeply sorry for Bei Bitang.
Bei Bitang herself, however, didn't mind. She said cheerfully, "I can handle it. Life in the northwest was much harder than this. I'm just afraid of having no work to do and no food to eat."
Feng Guangmei said with admiration, "I no longer dislike my current job. Compared to yours, mine is much easier, and the salary is higher. Those older employees can still read newspapers, eat melon seeds, chat about gossip, and even knit in the winter."
Feng Guangmei was not bad at speaking. She knew that Bei Bitang didn't mind her speaking her mind. Although she had only known Bei Bitang for a short time, Bei Bitang was actually a very simple person and easy to understand. She could tell Bei Bitang's character in a short time.
Bei Bitang smiled, said nothing, but glanced at the counter.
Feng Guangmei caught her gaze and asked, "What are you looking for? Tell me."
Bei Bitang said a little embarrassedly: "Didn't you say you were going to study and take the college entrance examination?"
Feng Guangmei joked, "Why do you want to be a teacher and come to check and supervise me?"
As she spoke, she reached out and removed the newspaper from the empty shelf, revealing the high school textbooks underneath.
Bei Bitang explained, "Guangmei, I don't have a high school education. I'm only a junior high school student. Although I'm lucky enough to have a job and don't have to wait around, I don't want to be a fishmonger for the rest of my life. So I want to study and improve my education. And since you're also studying, I want to see how you're doing."
Feng Guangmei smiled and said, "That's a good idea. I like people who are positive and optimistic. Bitang, you don't have your high school textbooks, do you?"
Bei Bitang shook her head and said, "No, no one in my family has ever attended high school."
Feng Guangmei said generously: "If you don't have it, I can lend it to you."
Before Bei Bitang could react, she pulled out a Chinese textbook and placed it in front of her, saying, "This is the Chinese textbook for the first semester of your first year of high school. Take a look at it first. When you're done, I'll get you another one."
Bei Bitang blushed. She wanted to refuse but wasn't firm enough. After thinking for a moment, she picked up her textbook and said, "Guangmei, thank you. Do you like braised pork? I'll make some for you at noon. Come and try my cooking."
Feng Guangmei looked at the basket of vegetables Bei Bitang was carrying and said, "Who in Shanghai doesn't like braised pork? Most Shanghainese love it. After eating the meat, they mix the remaining broth with rice and can finish three bowls of rice. You chose a great pork belly, three parts fat and seven parts lean."
"But that's not necessary. These days, every household has so few meat coupons. Save them for you and your family. I'll lend you your textbooks. It's just a small matter."
Bei Bitang pushed the quail eggs and tripe knot at the bottom with her hand and said, "Although there's not much meat, there are a lot of side dishes. Guangmei, if you really don't want to eat it, the braised pork I make is arguably my best dish."
Feng Guangmei swallowed and said, "Yes, give me more juice."
A hunched-backed old lady, holding a small clay pot, walked up to the counter where Feng Guangmei was standing. Bei Bitang said to Feng Guangmei, "Guangmei, I'm leaving first."
Feng Guangmei waved to her and said, "See you at noon."
Bei Bitang walked into the morning light with a smile on her face, holding her textbook.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
