Chapter 142 Introducing the Job Huang Li's eyes widened...
Huang Li stared wide-eyed at Ming Xi, bewildered as to why Ming Xi had suddenly asked such a question.
Who doesn't want to find a job? But these days, jobs are always filled, and factories in the city are all full; there's practically no hiring. What's more, there are just too many unemployed youths in the city—high school graduates who didn't get into university, educated youth returning from the countryside—everyone's waiting for work. Huang Li also wants to find a job, but the problem is, where can she find one?
Hearing Mingxi suddenly mention looking for a job, she could only say helplessly, "Well... who wouldn't want to? But there are no factories hiring right now. I've asked around, and they're not even hiring temporary workers."
Mingxi: "Have you ever been to a labor service company?"
Before Huang Li could speak, Huang's mother jumped in: "Mingxi, what do you mean?"
Her mouth sputtered like a machine gun, saying, "My daughter graduated from a respectable high school. What do you mean by sending her to a labor service company? Do you want her to be someone's nanny? Isn't that a bit unfair? We came to you because we genuinely want you to introduce us to potential partners. Just focus on introducing us to someone!"
Others might not know, but she had heard people from the neighborhood office say that it was some kind of company. They made it sound nice, a place that introduced jobs to unemployed youth, but in reality, it was just a place that used to pull boats for people. People who went there were introduced to other people's homes to work as nannies.
She couldn't care whether other people became nannies or not, but her daughter was a different story. Her daughter was so young, and a proper high school graduate. What kind of behavior was it for her to become a nanny and serve others?
Huang's mother was indignant and gave Mingxi a thorough scolding, which successfully made Mingxi change her expression.
Mingxi realized that Huangli's eagerness to find a partner stemmed from her family. Rather than finding someone to spend the rest of her life with, Huangli wanted to escape her parents' home and no longer be looked down upon and targeted by her two sisters-in-law for not having a job. She wanted to achieve her goal by marrying someone and starting her own family.
But in Mingxi's opinion, her idea was too immature.
To hastily and blindly give herself to another man in order to escape home is incredibly irrational. If she encounters an unreliable man, Huang Li will regret this decision for the rest of her life.
Perhaps Huang Li herself subconsciously realized that her thinking was not rational enough, which is why she was so picky about each blind date and never found one she was satisfied with.
But Huang Li can't keep being picky forever, and her family won't agree either. It's more likely that Huang Li will choose one of the many men she's been set up with, the one she doesn't find too objectionable, and hastily get married.
Mingxi didn't want to see this happen.
To put it bluntly, Huang Li is facing this situation because she is unemployed. So, if we introduce Huang Li to a job and help her move out of her home, wouldn't this problem be solved?
With that in mind, Mingxi mentioned the labor service company to Huangli. But who would have thought that as soon as she said it, she would be met with a barrage of criticism from Huangli's mother.
She wouldn't do that.
Mingxi's face darkened as he was about to speak when Huangli across from him spoke first: "Xiaoming, I'm sorry, my mom doesn't know how to talk, so please don't take her words to heart."
Feeling humiliated by her daughter in front of others, Huang's mother breathed heavily in resentment, pushed Huang Li away, and immediately tried to argue with Mingxi. Huang Li, disregarding everything else, grabbed her mother's arm and kept giving her meaningful glances.
"Mom, stop making a fuss. Xiaoming told me to go to the labor service company because he was trying to help me find a job. Don't be ungrateful and talk nonsense!"
Huang Li wasn't stupid; she knew that Ming Xi was telling her to go to the labor service company for her own good. But before she could even speak, she heard her mother launch into a tirade against Ming Xi.
Hearing what her mother said, she felt ashamed and guilty, her face burning with embarrassment, and she felt deeply apologetic to Mingxi.
Seeing that Huang's mother was still unconvinced and wanted to say something more, Huang Li quickly pulled her to her feet and said, "Well, Xiaoming, let's go back first. We can talk about it another day."
She grabbed Huang's mother's arm with all her might and dragged her out of Mingxi's house. Once outside, Huang's mother deflated like a balloon.
She realized then that she had been too excited at Mingxi's house.
Mingxi is the matchmaker who introduces potential partners to her daughter. If she doesn't properly introduce potential partners to her daughter because of this, or introduces her to some shady people, she'll regret it.
Thinking about it, Huang's mother felt extremely regretful. She nervously grabbed Huang Li's hand: "Daughter, was I too impulsive just now? What if Mingxi holds a grudge against you because of this and deliberately introduces you to good-for-nothing boys? Why don't we go back and I'll apologize to Mingxi properly? I'll bow to her, kneel down, and beg her to forgive me, okay?"
However, she immediately shook her head, saying to herself, "No, an apology isn't enough. Who knows if Mingxi will forgive me on the surface but secretly hold a grudge against us? I think it's better to change the matchmaker. How about this, I'll go find Matchmaker Li tomorrow and ask her to introduce you to someone. We won't need Mingxi, and it'll save her the trouble of working for you..."
"Mom, that's enough!"
Huang Li frowned and interrupted her mother: "Xiao Ming is not the kind of person you describe. Even if she is angry, she would not deliberately introduce me to shady people."
She still had some trust in Mingxi.
Huang Li: "Also, Xiaoming has been running around for me these past few days, arranging dates for me. She didn't say anything even though I wasn't satisfied, which is already more than enough. If we were to change matchmakers because of something so baseless, wouldn't that be too unfair to Xiaoming?"
“You’re right…” Mrs. Huang pursed her lips.
She actually knew that Mingxi was a good person. Her daughter had been on five blind dates in the past week or so, and Mingxi never said anything when her daughter was picking and choosing. Instead, she kindly arranged new blind dates for her.
If it were any other matchmaker, they wouldn't have been as kind as Mingxi.
If they were to replace Mingxi with a new matchmaker over such a trivial matter, it would indeed be inappropriate for them to be the matchmakers.
Hearing this, Huang's mother also seemed a little dejected.
She was filled with regret. She should have kept her mouth shut and not said everything.
Huang Li glanced at her mother: "Alright, Mom, go back first. Don't think about this anymore. Go back and calm down. I'll come back to apologize to Mingxi tomorrow. I hope she can forgive today's incident because we're neighbors in the same alley."
"Okay, sure."
Huang's mother nodded vigorously, then couldn't help but ask again, "Can you come alone tomorrow to apologize? Or should I come with you to apologize?"
Oriole: "I'll come by myself."
If her mother says something inappropriate, that would be bad.
On the other hand, although Huang Li and her mother apologized to Ming Xi when they left, Ming Xi was still unhappy.
Her act of introducing Huang Li to the job was purely out of her overflowing compassion and a desire to meddle, without any expectation of gratitude from Huang Li. But instead of a word of thanks, she was met with a barrage of criticism, leaving her extremely unhappy.
Neither Huang Li nor her mother were home at the moment, and she sat alone on the sofa, sulking.
Seeing Mingxi's sullen expression, Zhao Sulan knew her daughter was angry. She had overheard the entire conversation and was also angry about what Huang's mother had said. However, introducing Huang Li to a potential partner was Mingxi's job, not hers. As an elder, she could intervene and protect Mingxi, but doing so would also make people look down on Mingxi, thinking she was still a child who needed her mother's protection, not an adult capable of handling such matters maturely.
Zhao Sulan held back her words until Huang Li and her mother left, then said, "Daughter, don't be angry. If you're still upset, we can tell Huang Li that we're not going to introduce her to anyone, and let her find someone else."
Let Huangli go find someone else. In the end, whether Huangli is looking for a partner or a job, she has nothing to do with Mingxi.
Mingxi nodded emphatically: "Okay, I'll tell Huangli when I see her tomorrow that she should go find someone else. I'm not doing this job anymore."
Zhao Sulan: "Yes, we won't do this work, we won't suffer this injustice. Don't be angry anymore, it's not worth getting upset about this. Come on, let's go to the kitchen, whatever you want to eat, Mom will make it for you."
Mingxi moved closer to Zhao Sulan and hugged her arm, saying, "Then I want to eat steamed buns, big steamed buns!"
Zhao Sulan: "Okay, then I'll knead the dough."
Mingxi made some harsh remarks, but when Huangli came to apologize the next day with gifts, she no longer had the fierce demeanor she had when she made those remarks.
Huang Li: "Xiao Ming, I'm sorry. What my mom said yesterday was too much. I didn't come here today to defend my mom or anything. I just sincerely want to apologize to you. I know you meant well. It was my mom and I who were ungrateful. Even if you're angry and don't forgive my mom, I can understand. I just want to make it up to you. Thank you for your help these past few days."
After she finished speaking, she bowed deeply to Mingxi and then handed the things in her hands to Mingxi.
Mingxi glanced at the net bag in her hand; it contained canned fruit and pastries, a considerable amount, indicating that the other party was sincerely apologizing.
Mingxi wasn't petty. Huangli had genuinely come to apologize with gifts, and besides, the person who had offended her was Huang's mother, not Huangli herself. So, Mingxi didn't hold a grudge against Huangli at this moment.
She said calmly, "Take your things back, and that's the end of it. I won't be angry with Aunt Xu anymore. However, I'm quite busy with work lately, so I'm afraid it's inconvenient for me to introduce you to someone. You should find someone else."
That's what she said, but Huang Li knew that Mingxi was angry with her mother and didn't want to forgive her.
She took a deep breath and said, "It's okay if you don't forgive my mother, I'll find someone else. Please accept the things, otherwise I'll really feel bad."
She had troubled Mingxi for so long, and if Mingxi didn't accept her gifts, she would truly have no face to see Mingxi again.
Seeing Huang Li's pale face and earnest expression, Mingxi couldn't help but soften her heart. She sighed softly and said, "Alright, put the things down."
Huang Li nodded hurriedly and quickly placed the things on the coffee table. After delivering the items and apologizing, she turned to leave when Ming Xi looked up at her and called out, "Wait."
Huang Li turned her head humbly: "Xiao Ming, is there anything else?"
"Something came up," Mingxi said. "I wasn't joking about the labor service company I told you about yesterday. You can go check it out. The labor service company mainly helps unemployed young people in the area find jobs. Young people who register at the labor service company will receive standardized training and be introduced to jobs. They don't just introduce people to work as nannies; they also offer other job opportunities. I introduced two people there before, and they're now working at the second garment factory. Although the pay there isn't as good as the regular employees at the garment factory, they still earn over ten yuan a month, which is pretty good."
Huang Li's eyes lit up suddenly, and she excitedly asked Mingxi, "Are you telling the truth?"
Mingxi nodded, and Huangli knew that Mingxi wouldn't lie about something like this.
She got excited, but then lowered her head insecurity: "Then...can I go? Does the labor service company have any requirements for arranging jobs? Will they look down on me? I'm not very good at making clothes, can I still work in a garment factory? Or should I learn first before going?"
Mingxi: "Don't be nervous. The labor service company you're dealing with isn't just dealing with the garment factory. They'll also consider your other skills and arrange for you to work in other places."
Huang Li nervously picked at her fingers: "I don't think I have any other special talents."
Mingxi: "Then you can try it out first."
She looked at Huang Li quietly, and somehow, under Ming Xi's calm gaze, Huang Li suddenly felt a surge of courage. She nodded emphatically, "Okay, then I'll give it a try!"
The worst outcome of going is simply not finding a job, which isn't a significant loss since she was already unemployed. If she doesn't go, she might never find work in her entire life.
Huang Li didn't tell anyone, not even her family, and followed Mingxi's instructions to secretly go to the labor service company the next day.
She was a high school graduate, a highly educated individual, which made her stand out in the labor service company. On the day she arrived, she was introduced by the labor service company to work as a temporary worker at the railway bureau's ticket window.
To outsiders, this job seems respectable; you just sit and sell tickets, and it's not tiring at all. But actually, people with certain qualifications look down on this job.
Selling tickets at the ticket window means sitting there all day, twelve hours a day. Except for the occasional five-minute bathroom break and lunch, you can't leave your seat at all; you have to stay there obediently. Moreover, this job is on a shift system, alternating between day and night shifts. A day is twelve hours long, and working the night shift can be incredibly tiring.
It's okay when there's free time, but during the Spring Festival or holidays, it's so busy you can be exhausted. There are hundreds of tickets to process every day, not to mention the refunds and exchanges. Just talking can make your voice hoarse.
So, people with connections don't even look down on this job; most of the people who do it are just temporary workers with no connections or relationships.
But the oriole doesn't mind the job.
Even if it's tough, it's still work!
You can earn a salary that way!
When she arrived at the train station to report for duty, the personnel department told her that her monthly salary plus allowance was only twenty-five yuan!
Not to mention that the train station also provides dormitories. She went to the dormitory with the older sister from the personnel department. Each room was a standard four-person bunk bed. Although the room was not very big, it was very clean. She could also have a separate bed and no longer had to squeeze with her parents.
Without a second thought, Huang Li applied for a dormitory with the personnel department.
Mingxi found out about this because Huangli told her when she came back. After sharing the good news, Huangli whispered to Mingxi for a while before going home to pack her luggage.
She's going to work tomorrow, so she has to move to the dormitory tonight.
The oriole has found a job.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire alley.
Neighbors with jobs, upon hearing this, didn't think much of it, only that Huang Li was lucky; with jobs so hard to find these days, she was able to find one. Those who were unemployed and staying at home, upon hearing this, were filled with envy. They were all high school graduates who had stayed at home, so how come Huang Li was so lucky to find a job while they couldn't?
Some well-informed people knew that Huang Li hadn't been working recently and had been looking at various people for dates, so they guessed that she might have found a boyfriend and that his family had introduced her to a job.
Many people made this guess, and even Huang's mother had heard this nonsense.
She couldn't help but argue with the people in the alley: "What nonsense are you talking about? Who said my Huangli's job was found by her boyfriend? My Huangli doesn't even have a boyfriend. She found her job at the labor service company!"
"What? Labor service companies also help with job placement?"
"Didn't Xiao Xu from the neighborhood office say before that they were all introducing people to work as nannies?"
"So, what Xiao Xu said wasn't the truth either?"
Huang's mother proudly puffed out her chest: "You don't know this, do you? The labor service company introduces jobs based on qualifications. If you're uneducated and have no special skills, you can only be introduced to someone's home as a nanny. If you're educated and have skills, they'll introduce you to jobs based on your skills. My Huang Li was introduced to the train station because she graduated from high school and is educated."
"So that's how it is."
"I didn't know that before. I thought I was always introduced to other people's homes as a nanny."
“In that case, I’ll have my daughter go and take a look at the labor service company.”
Everyone started talking at once. These days, information doesn't travel as easily. Only a small number of people have seen an introduction to labor service companies in the newspaper and know what they do. Most people just hear about them from others and don't know what labor service companies actually do, which leads to many misunderstandings.
After Huang's mother explained it, everyone understood what had happened.
Huang's mother: "Let alone you, I didn't know anything about the labor service company before. My daughter Huang Li went there to look for a job because Ming Xi introduced her to it. I didn't understand before and even complained to Ming Xi about it. It's just that Ming Xi is a good person and didn't hold it against me. She even kindly explained it to my daughter Huang Li."
Huang's mother wasn't the type to deny her mistakes. Now that she knew she had misunderstood Mingxi, she readily admitted it and even gave Mingxi a shout-out in the alley.
Huang's mother: "Mingxi is a really good person. Before, Huangli asked her to help introduce potential partners. Huangli and I have high standards and are picky, but Mingxi didn't have any objections and went along with us. She introduced us to several men. It's just a pity that none of them worked out."
Some people asked curiously, "Now that your oriole has a job, is she still looking for a mate?"
Huang's mother: "Of course we'll look for one. If we find a suitable one, we'll definitely look for one. But we're not thinking about that right now. She finally found a job, so she should focus on that first."
When Huang's mother was looking for a husband, she was picky about this one and that one, because she was worried about her own daughter and wanted to find her a good husband. But in the end, she knew that relying on others was not as sustainable as relying on herself.
The most stable situation for orioles is having their own jobs and earning money.
She has a son at home, and soon she will have a grandson. The family's belongings will be left to her son and grandson. She can't give Huangli, a daughter, much of her wealth. So Huangli will have to work hard to earn money on her own.
Huang's mother was showing off in the alley, and Dong Chunling, who was passing by, rolled her eyes at her.
hateful.
That damned oriole actually has a job.
This is infuriating!
However, upon hearing that Huang Li still hadn't found a partner, Dong Chunling became smug again. So what if she found a job? No man could possibly be interested in Huang Li. Huang Li still couldn't compare to her.
Feeling triumphant that she had defeated the oriole, Dong Chunling walked past her neighbors with her head held high.
Some people noticed Dong Chunling's figure and whispered among themselves in curiosity.
"Hey, what's she doing here, all dressed up like that?"
"I don't know, maybe she's on a date with her boyfriend? Didn't she say last time that she and her boyfriend made up?"
"Huh? Object, which object?"
"You don't know that? It's that divorced boss from the housing authority!"
While everyone was gossiping and chattering, Mingxi, carrying a small bag, came over and asked, "Auntie, what are you all talking about?"
"What else can we say? Let's talk about Dong Chunling." The middle-aged woman, who was talking animatedly, turned around and her eyes lit up when she saw Mingxi.
Today, Mingxi wore a red puffer jacket, open at the waist, revealing a black turtleneck sweater underneath, and jeans on her lower body. This outfit looked youthful and vibrant, instantly brightening up the drab winter.
An older woman nearby couldn't help but ask, "Xiaoming, you're all dressed up so nicely today, where are you going?"
Mingxi: "I'm going to see a movie."
"Are you going alone?"
Mingxi, noticing the older woman's overly probing gaze, smiled and said, "What do you think?"
"Hey, you're such an interesting kid. How am I supposed to guess?"
"Auntie, I was just kidding." Mingxi chuckled and said, "It's getting late, the movie is about to start, I have to go now, you two can chat some more."
She waved to the older women in the alley, then turned and walked briskly towards the alley entrance.
When she arrived at the entrance of the alley, Wei Ning was already waiting for her with his bicycle.
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