"Sister Wang, you're here so early?"
"Xiao Jiang is back from his business trip?"
I pushed the door open and saw Sister Wang had already arrived. She was really early. She had come a little early on purpose so that she would have plenty of time on the way and could observe as well.
Is there anyone following her? She changed buses along the way and paid attention to the people who followed her on and off the buses.
The person from yesterday was still there, but she didn't know if the others had caught up. There were so many people on the bus, and she couldn't see clearly what the legs looked like. This affected her judgment. She knew she would find something if she looked more closely.
I picked up the thermos to get some water, and my hands felt heavy. Sister Wang had already filled it. The elder sister's diligence was surprising, although Sister Wang was a nice person.
Old employees, fetching water, mopping tables, and sweeping the floor are things they normally wouldn't do. The unspoken rules of the workplace are that new employees are left to the old ones.
I went to work early to fetch water and swept the floor clean.
"Is it new? You'll get used to it after a while. All the old employees are like this. Next month is Lei Feng Month. To win the title of Outstanding Department, everyone is working very hard."
She thought Sister Wang wanted to be an "advanced individual", but who would have thought that she wanted collective honor.
"You came back pretty quickly this time, with almost no delay. I thought you would have to stay there for a while."
"The lady in charge of this over there was quite easy to talk to. She processed the paperwork for me very quickly. I guess I was lucky! There was almost no delay."
The two of them were holding water and chatting to pass the time.
"You guys arrived really early. It's freezing cold, and I don't know if it will get warmer this spring."
Sister Ding, who had just walked in, stamped her feet with cold. While she was talking to them, she moved a stool to the stove, warming her hands and rubbing her ears, busying herself.
"You're still riding your bike to work? It's so cold! Taking the bus for a few stops is definitely warmer than riding your bike."
"Ring-ling——"
The phone in the section chief's office rang, and Jiang Cha stood up to answer it. As the youngest of the three, she had to be more discerning about everything.
"Hello! This is the purchasing department."
"Jiang Jiang, it's me. Let's go to Lao Mo for a meal after get off work tonight! I'll treat you to thank you for bringing food to my mother and me. And Lei Zi, it's just the three of us today. Hurry up! Don't keep me waiting for you too long, or I'll make you pay."
"Okay, see you tonight!"
After she hung up the phone, the two sisters who were so warm just now stared at her with curiosity.
"Did Xiao Jiang make any friends?"
Sister Wang is always at the forefront of the melon-eating scene, and they are not called the sisters of the radio station for nothing.
"My childhood friend, let's have dinner tonight to thank us for saving his life. During the New Year holidays, he had no food to eat and it was us who brought him food. I'm not here to repay you, I'm here to treat everyone to a meal."
"They don't prepare food for the New Year? The adults aren't home?"
Sister Ding asked curiously, "Who doesn't prepare food for the New Year? What kind of life are you in? You rely on others for help during the New Year."
"My childhood friend's mother can't cook, and his father was on duty and forgot to cook for them. Restaurants were closed during the Chinese New Year, so we had to rely on people sending us ready-made meals."
It’s easy to guess what Sister Ding was thinking. She probably thought Aunt Qin and her family were struggling to make ends meet.
"Your childhood friend's mother can't cook? Oh my, look at how they live, that's called living, we can only call it surviving. I wash clothes and cook every day, without a day off, I can't compare to them."
"Why don't you compare yourself to the women working in the fields? They work just as hard as men and don't miss out on any work at home or outside. A person should be content. If you keep looking up in everything, you'll never be able to catch up, even if you work yourself to death."
Why does Jiang Cha like to be with Sister Wang? She is very open-minded. Gossiping is her personal hobby and it doesn't affect her values.
Sister Wang understands everything, and it’s not tiring to interact with such people.
"Hello, Section Chief!"
"Good morning!"
"Good morning, Lao Shao!"
Colleagues came in one after another, and the section chief always came in on time, with such precision that it seemed like he had obsessive-compulsive disorder.
At the appointed time, I ran out with my bag on my back. Lao Mo's workplace was too far away, and Guangjin would definitely nag me if I arrived late.
"Why is Xiao Jiang so anxious to get off work today? He's moving his calves pretty fast!"
A colleague saw her jogging from the window and said something casually.
"They're having a dinner party, so my childhood friend has to treat us quickly. Which of her friends is simple? Didn't you hear them say that their mothers can't even cook? What kind of family is this? A mother can't even cook."
Sister Ding complained to her colleagues with a sour tone, who wouldn't envy such a life.
"Really? They're definitely not an ordinary family. They're different from us. No wonder they run off from get off work so quickly. I could get a party like this if I asked for time off."
Someone talking to her made Sister Ding very excited. She was just pretending to be so noble! She couldn't even let people complain about her. She really thought she was a lady from a wealthy family!
"Of course! Xiao Jiang is so thoughtful. Look at the gifts he gives, they all touch his heart."
"Where are they going to eat? We're treating them to a state-owned restaurant, which is a big deal. Where do you think they should go?"
"I heard those people like to go to Lao Mo. Oh my! My heart trembles just passing by the door. How much does it cost to eat there? Those teenagers go there often. We can't live like that!"
Even after the person she gossiped with left, Sister Ding still didn't remember which department the person was from.
Jiang Cha, who was waiting for her meal at Lao Mo, had no idea that someone at work had been targeting her.
"Cheers! I wish us a better and better new year!"
"Cheers! I wish us a healthy new year!"
"Cheers! I wish us a peaceful and prosperous new year!"
The three of them clinked their glasses and talked about their hopes for the New Year. They ate their feast and chatted about the embarrassing stories of Erbei Dapao.
"What's wrong with you? Look at your clothes, they're all dirty. What are you doing?"
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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