Chapter 2: I have to pay two hundred yuan to find a job in Wumu City? How come...?
Chen Mian was worried about Li Cuiping's situation when the car was about to leave. Fortunately, at the last moment, she rushed onto the car with the package.
The car started moving and drove away, leaving Aunt Li muttering something in frustration on the roadside. But that was none of their business anymore.
The two couldn't help but look at each other and laugh, "Hahahaha..."
Aunt Li was left standing there, stamping her feet in anger. That brat ran away so fast! She had just set her sights on Liu Da from the next village. He was willing to offer a dowry of five hundred yuan, and his family was thriving. She would have a very comfortable life marrying into his family.
Aunt Li cursed, "Pah, you unlucky thing! I've wasted my time raising you!"
If only I had married her off a couple of years ago, now look what's happened! We've lost both our money and our wife, there's so much work to be done in the fields, and the money Yaozu spent on his wedding has vanished...
The girls from Chenjia Village followed Chen Zhelan all the way. After getting off the bus, they went straight to the train station to buy tickets, carrying large bags of luggage. They were exhausted, but finally arrived in Wumu City at the end of July.
On the train, Chen Mumian asked Chen Zhelan curiously, "Auntie, how do you pick cotton? Does it grow on trees like kapok flowers?"
Chen Zhelan: "Cotton grows in the ground, not on trees, so picking it is very hard work."
Chen Zhelan looked at the girl's tender face and said, "I'm afraid you won't be able to endure this kind of hardship. Picking cotton one by one will make your hands rough."
“I’m not afraid of hard work. There’s no such thing as making money without hard work,” Chen Mian said with a sweet smile. “I also want to make a lot of money like my aunt and dress up beautifully.”
After saying this, Chen Mian couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This is the price I pay for being so obsessed with saving face. "After I go to Xinjiang, can I find an easier job? Preferably one where I don't have to be out in the sun and wind. Picking cotton outside every day is going to make me so tanned."
The young girl had a striking face, unlike other girls from Northwest China who had the red cheeks typical of high-altitude regions. Her simple clothes made her appear even more elegant and charming.
Her round, almond-shaped eyes were full of intelligence, and her smile was like a little sun, with shallow dimples on either side. I believe she will grow even more beautiful in a few years.
Chen Zhelan looked at Chen Mian with satisfaction, smiling as she took her hand and stroked it repeatedly. "Don't worry, Auntie will definitely lead our Mian to make a lot of money."
This time, it was a rare opportunity to recruit such a pretty young girl as Chen Mian. She couldn't bear to let the fair-skinned girl get tanned by the scorching sun on the farm. Such a beautiful girl was not suitable for farm work.
Seeing this, Li Cuiping also came over, "Me too, me too..."
After getting off the train, the group followed Chen Zhelan to a courtyard located in the east of the city.
There were some cloth bags and headscarves drying in the courtyard, and several middle-aged women were sitting and talking. It was already past eight o'clock in the evening, but it was still bright outside.
"Welcome, come in quickly." Upon seeing them, the group quickly got up and greeted them as they entered.
“These are all from our hometown.” Chen Zhelan helped them introduce themselves, “We’ll all work together from now on.”
"Everyone, please follow Sister Ma inside and put your luggage down for a while."
Chen Mian followed the woman into a room. The small space was filled with bunk beds, two cabinets, and several small tables.
"Everyone, please choose a spot and bring your bedding over. You'll only be staying here for a few days."
"When the cotton picking season arrives, we will set up tents to live near the farm."
Chen Mian listened to Sister Ma's words thoughtfully, then chose a spot by the window and made up the bed.
...
The next morning, after breakfast, Chen Zhelan smiled and pulled Mu Mian aside, whispering, "Mian, how about I take you out for a stroll today, and I'll buy you a couple of nice outfits while I'm at it?"
Chen Mian looked at Zhelan Gu and asked in confusion, "Are we the only two going?"
"Let's go first, Auntie has a good job to introduce you to..."
"Let me dress you up nicely before the interview, so that they'll have a good impression of you."
As Chen Zhelan spoke, she pulled Chen Mian out the door.
Chen Mian was full of questions, wondering what the other woman was up to. But considering that they were from the same village and related by marriage, and that she was just kindly taking her to buy clothes, she temporarily put aside her concerns.
Thinking about the good job the other person had just mentioned, Chen Mian couldn't help but feel a little excited. Could it be a sales clerk in a department store? She had only seen such people on TV. They were dressed smartly, wore uniforms, and spoke Mandarin. They looked so stylish.
Chen Zhelan led Chen Mumian to the bus stop near the intersection to wait for the bus. The temperature in Wumu City at the end of July was below 30 degrees Celsius. The mulberry trees planted on both sides of the road cast dappled sunlight, and occasionally a few ripe mulberries would fall in the wind.
Chen Mian's gaze was irresistibly drawn to the bus approaching from the front. The entire bus was made of orange and white, with the words "City Sightseeing Bus" written on it in large characters, and the wooden windows were fitted with golden curtains.
Stepping inside the vehicle, the wooden chassis creaks underfoot. The interior is also decorated entirely with wood, with intricate carvings on the ceiling, exuding a distinct Xinjiang style.
As the car slowly moved forward, Chen Mian's gaze gradually shifted from inside the car to outside the window. The flowers in the roadside flowerbeds were in full bloom, and groups of fashionable young girls were playing and frolicking.
She had never seen such a beautiful view before, and she secretly vowed to herself that she would stay here, make a lot of money here, and bring her parents from her hometown to enjoy a better life.
"Aunt Zelan, what kind of job do you want to introduce to me?" Chen Mian asked proactively.
“Well, Auntie happens to know a businessman,” Chen Zhelan said with a smile. “He wants to find a tutor for his son.”
"That's why I thought of you. They pay you thirty yuan a day."
“But I only graduated from high school,” the girl hesitated. “I didn’t even get into university, so I can’t do this.”
“It’s possible. His son is only in second grade this year…”
Chen Zhelan continued to explain that the man was divorced but still had to take care of his business, and he was too busy during the summer vacation, so he thought of finding a tutor for his child.
Although she's called a tutor, she's more like a babysitter. She just helps with homework and cooks a couple of meals, which is very easy, and she even provides room and board.
If the job goes through, I have to pay the middleman a referral fee of 200 yuan.
Hearing that she had to pay more money, Chen Mian hesitated, especially since it was two hundred yuan. She hadn't brought much money with her when she left home.
But this job doesn't require working in the fields under the sun and wind; all you have to do every day is cook and help with homework.
Having just arrived in Xinjiang and being unfamiliar with the place, she was hesitant to find a better job on her own. Unless absolutely necessary, she was reluctant to work in the fields from dawn till dusk to earn that hard-earned money.
But this job only requires one person. If she goes, what will happen to Cuiping? Will they still be able to play together often...?
Chen Zhelan advised in an exaggerated tone, "Oh, my dear niece, how can you find a job without spending money? Even if you ask someone in your hometown county to help you find a job, you'll still have to pay a referral fee."
"Besides, you can calculate how much this job can earn in a year. By then, you won't care about a hundred or two hundred."
As we were talking, we arrived at the department store in the city center.
Chen Zhelan: "Come on, Mumian, let's go buy some clothes first."
"Okay." Chen Mianmian got out of the car with him.
The department store in Ebony City has five floors. The first floor sells candies and dried goods, and the second floor sells clothes.
Passing through the bustling first floor, rows of brightly colored women's clothing came into view, neatly hung on the wall. You simply pointed to the item you wanted, and the salesperson would use a long bamboo pole to take it down.
Next to the clothing counter was a stall selling fabrics, with rolls of coarse white cloth and fine cotton cloth piled together.
Before coming to Xinjiang, the farthest place Chen Mian had ever been was the county. The clothes she usually wore were all made by her mother. This was the first time she had come to buy ready-made clothes. She thought that if they were too expensive, she would just buy a few feet of fabric and borrow a sewing machine to make them herself.
"Mu Mian, come and see how this looks?" Chen Zhelan pointed to a white shirt on the wall. It was neat and comfortable, and a beautiful lily was embroidered on the collar.
"You'd look absolutely stunning in this shirt and jeans!"
"You'll immediately recognize him as a cultured person..."
"Oh my, Acha, your eyes shine as brightly as an eagle's!" the saleswoman at the counter enthusiastically introduced. "These are all freshly brought back from the south, as rare as the colorful deer from the Tianshan Mountains!"
"That must be very expensive..." Chen Mian muttered under her breath as she listened to the salesperson's dramatic introduction.
Salesperson: "Adasi, don't talk nonsense. Our items aren't expensive at all. Two items are only thirty yuan in total!"
thirty? !
My older brother only earns 100 yuan a month, and these two pieces of clothing cost him almost half a month's salary. I only brought 300 yuan with me this time, so I can't bear to spend so much money on clothes.
What kind of clothes dare to be so expensive? They're not even made of gold, why don't they just rob people...?
Thinking this to herself, Chen Mian turned around to leave, saying, "Auntie, why don't we go cut some cloth and make it ourselves? It's the same thing."
Seeing this, Chen Zhelan quickly advised, "No, please... I'll give you these clothes."
She turned to the sales clerk and said, "Could you please wrap these two pieces of clothing together for me?"
“How can that be…” Chen Mianmian quickly refused.
Chen Zhelan: "Consider it a loan from your aunt. You can pay it back when you make a lot of money in the future."
Why are you being so polite to her, child? Since ancient times, even a good horse needs a good saddle. Chen Mian is already a little beauty even without dressing up.
With just a little dressing up, she'd definitely be a stunning beauty, and it would be so prestigious to take her out. She understood that much.
Despite repeated refusals, Chen Mianmian finally accepted Aunt Zelan's kindness, thinking that she would buy her a set of clothes when she earned money.
Wearing new clothes, Chen Mianmian appeared more demure, with her jet-black hair cascading over her shoulders, and her shirt and trousers fitting her perfectly.
After buying the clothes, Chen Zhelan took Mu Mian to catch the bus. The businessman's house was in a villa in the west of the city, and they would have to continue taking the bus across half the city.
...
Half an hour later, the two arrived at a villa, and Chen Zhelan smiled and rang the doorbell.
A man in his early thirties walked out, with wheat-colored skin and handsome features. He greeted Chen Zhelan first, and when he saw Chen Mian standing behind her, his eyes lit up.
"You must be the girl Zhelan introduced, right? Come in, come in," the man greeted her warmly. The girl was truly beautiful, with exquisite features, long flowing hair, and a quiet, refined air.
“My surname is Wu, and my name is Wu Wei. This is my son, Wu Cong.”
A seven or eight-year-old boy was doing his homework on the coffee table in the living room. Hearing the voice, he looked up at the person who had come in, then shyly lowered his head again.
"Ugh, this kid is so quiet and difficult to raise," Wu Wei complained. "I can't cook either, and I'm not very educated..."
“Our Kapok is a high school graduate, she’s beautiful and skillful,” Chen Zhelan immediately introduced enthusiastically. “You’ll be satisfied.”
After speaking, she even winked at the man, and the two seemed to be quite familiar with each other.
"That's good, that's good." Wu Wei said with a smile, "Miss Chen seems to be a very efficient person."
Wu Wei frowned slightly: "I just don't know when I can move in? I have business to attend to and need to go on a long trip. I'll be leaving in a couple of days."
Chen Mian didn't notice their conversation; her eyes were drawn to the luxurious decor of the villa. This family was truly wealthy, with its wooden spiral staircase, leather sofas, television on the table, and glass chandeliers overhead.
Seeing this, Chen Zhelan nudged Chen Mian, signaling her to quickly express her opinion.
Upon hearing this, Chen Mian hesitated and looked at the man, asking, "Don't you need to try it out?"
Wu Wei smiled gently: "No need, no need. I trust my judgment of people, and I also trust your aunt's character."
The man in front of her seemed quite agreeable, and Chen Mian gradually lowered her guard. Because he was in a hurry, she had to agree to start work the next day. She was told to go back and pack her things today, and move in tomorrow.
On the way back, Chen Mian was still a little dazed, never expecting that finding a job would go so smoothly...
Night falls in the small courtyard in the east of the city.
Sister Ma was cooking with two young girls. "Tomorrow I'll take you to the city for a stroll, and then we'll go to Suk City to pick cotton. The cotton there ripens earlier."
Li Cuiping finally couldn't help but ask, "Sister Ma, where is Chen Mian?" She hadn't seen Chen Mian since she woke up this morning.
"She and Zhelan went out on business." After saying that, Chen Mianmian and Chen Zhelan walked in one after the other.
Li Cuiping immediately noticed Chen Mian's new clothes; now Mian looked as beautiful as a city girl.
Li Cuiping ran over and pulled her to sit down on a chair, asking her what she had done that day, where she bought her new clothes, and how beautiful they were.
Chen Mian replied to each of them and told her that she would be going to work the next day.
"My goodness, Kapok, you're so lucky!"
"I wish I could graduate from high school too," Li Cuiping said enviously.
After finishing their meal, the two friends continued to chatter amongst themselves; it was the first time they had ever been apart since they last met.
Chen Mian was overjoyed to learn that the cotton pickers would be returning to Wumu City in October. "You must remember to come visit me then!"
"Why don't you look for more jobs in Wumu City, and we can stay here and work together?" Chen Mian said hesitantly.
Li Cuiping comforted her, saying, "It's alright. I'll only be gone for a month or two at most. I'll come back after the cotton picking season in southern Xinjiang ends, and I'll definitely come to see you then."
The next morning, Chen Mian got up early, carried her luggage, and knocked on the door of the Wu family villa as promised, starting her first day of official work.
A note from the author:
--- -------------------
Chen Zhelan: Quickly dress up our little cotton ball, it looks so pretty!
Miracle Cotton touches her new dress: I think I look great too!
The paragraph reviews are now open! Welcome to join in, everyone!
I've been studying some naan language these past couple of days, haha.
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