Chapter 71 Is there still a salary? ...
Song Yu was startled by his aunt's words. He never picked up food that others had eaten before and ate it. Later, Teacher An also said that this could spread bacteria.
However, this was the first time he had ever heard that eating like this could cause worms in his stomach. He touched his stomach and was very glad that he had never done it.
Cai Yang was clearly frightened and no longer had any intention of taking the duck leg from Song Yu's hand. He just kept rummaging through the duck meat in the basin.
So Song Xinwen gave him another good talking-to: "Just eat your food. Don't keep stirring things around with your chopsticks. People won't want to eat anymore if they see you doing that. Just pick up whichever piece you want and leave!"
Cai Yang pouted, looking very aggrieved.
Cai Yongde said, "Xiao Yang is still young, what does he know? You can teach him slowly. Why get so angry? The child is scared."
Song Xinwen immediately turned his fire on him, unleashing a barrage of criticism: "You know he's still young. If you don't teach him when he's little, how can you expect him to listen to you when he grows up?"
Upon hearing this, Song Xinran nodded inwardly. Education should naturally start from a young age, as there will be a rebellious phase during adolescence. A solid foundation will make them more receptive to advice later in life.
Before Song Xinwen could finish speaking, he said, "I think Cai Yang learned it from you. You always eat like that, picking up food with your chopsticks. If adults don't have good habits, how can children learn them?"
Song Xinran couldn't help but glance at Cai Yongde. When Cai Yongde met her gaze, his face immediately flushed with embarrassment: "That's enough, Xinran is still here!"
It's one thing for Song Xinwen to be the boss at home, but now that there are outsiders present, he's not giving him any face at all.
Song Xinwen said, "Xinran has come to our house quite often. We're used to seeing you all the time, so we know all your problems."
Song Xinran immediately wanted to speak up. She hadn't gotten used to looking at Cai Yongde. To put it bluntly, a man like Cai Yongde would never be on her list of potential partners. If the world were full of men like him, she would choose to remain single for life.
Cai Yongde felt utterly humiliated, so he slammed his chopsticks on the table with a loud "bang!" and said, "You guys eat it yourselves, I'm not eating!"
After saying that, he walked out.
Song Yu, who was gnawing on a duck leg, blinked, looking bewildered. He looked at his aunt, then turned to look at his uncle who was walking out. He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should go and call his uncle back, because that's what the picture book said.
He had lived at his aunt's house for a while and had seen similar things many times, but this was the first time he had seen his uncle so angry that he ran away from home.
Song Xinran nudged his arm and smiled slightly, signaling him to continue eating.
Song Yu understood, but remained silent and continued gnawing on his duck leg.
He glanced at Cai Yang out of the corner of his eye, and Cai Yang didn't seem sad at all, still diligently gnawing on the duck meat.
Song Xinwen said, "Never mind him, let's keep eating."
Song Xinwen was already very familiar with this kind of scene, except that today the person involved was different; in the past, it was her who had been driven away in anger.
Song Xinran had a rough idea of what Song Xinwen was thinking. She also knew that people have a tendency to seek revenge, and outsiders obviously shouldn't interfere too much in other people's marriages.
After the meal, Song Xinran prepared to get down to business and went to visit the Ge family.
Song Xinwen said, "Let's leave Xiao Yu at home. It's inconvenient for him to go with you."
Song Yu nodded: "I'm playing at my aunt's house."
He was actually a little confused. When he was at his aunt's house before, his aunt and uncle would also quarrel, and he was always very scared. But Cai Yang didn't feel that way. He would do whatever he wanted and have a great time.
He didn't dare to ask before, but now he's bolder and really wants to know why.
He escorted Song Xinran to the edge of the dam, raised his hand and waved, saying in a childish voice, "Goodbye, Mom."
Song Xinran smiled slightly: "Mom will be back this afternoon. Let's go back to town tonight."
Song Yu said, "I know, Mom, take your time and don't rush. Take good care of yourself."
Song Xinran chuckled, thinking that Song Yu sometimes really spoke like a little adult. She imitated his tone and said, "Mom knows, Xiao Yu, you also need to take good care of yourself."
Song Yu nodded seriously. He was sure he would. He had lived at his aunt's house for a long time and was very familiar with everything around him.
As soon as Song Xinran left, Song Yu ran back to the main room to find Cai Yang. He eventually found Cai Yang kneeling on the ground playing with toy cars. When he saw Song Yu, Cai Yang even greeted him for the first time and picked up his toy car and shook it: "Song Yu, do you want to play?"
Song Yu was immediately flattered. Cai Yang used to treasure his toy car the most. Children in the countryside had few toys, so having a toy car was a source of great pride. Cai Yang usually played with it by himself, and others would ask him to play with it. Song Yu, on the other hand, would never even get a glimpse of it.
However, Song Yu had already seen many toy cars, including excavators and trucks, and he had more important things to do now.
He shook his head: "I'm not playing."
Cai Yang didn't say anything. He didn't really want Song Yu to play with him, but it was because his mother had been talking about sharing a lot lately.
But he was rejected after finally being generous, and he felt a little bad.
Song Yu took a piece of candy out of her pocket and handed it to him: "Here, have this."
Cai Yang naturally accepted it without hesitation.
Song Yu squatted down in front of him and asked in confusion, "Your aunt and uncle were arguing just now, Xiao Yang, why weren't you scared?"
Cai Yang looked puzzled: "Why should I be afraid?"
"It's just..." Song Yu tried hard to think of the reasons for her fear, "They might hit you if they argue, and then they won't cook for you. Also, it's really uncomfortable if everyone at home is silent..."
In the past, after his aunt and uncle had a fight, they would go through a period of not speaking to each other. During that time, Song Yu would have to eat faster because he felt very upset.
To his surprise, Cai Yang burst into laughter upon hearing this: "You're so stupid! They won't hit me, so it's even better if they don't talk! That way they won't scold me!"
Cai Yang thought this was pretty good.
Song Yu's wide eyes widened slightly in surprise. He realized that he couldn't understand Cai Yang. How strange.
Cai Yang said, "Before, when Mom went out, now when Dad goes out, that's about it."
Cai Yang had his own criteria for judgment and felt that this was not a big deal.
Song Yu shook his head in confusion: "How strange..."
Seeing his bewildered look, Cai Yang seemed to find something to be proud of and burst into laughter again: "Song Yu, you're so stupid, you're a complete idiot!"
Song Yu was unhappy and retorted seriously with a straight face: "No, the teacher said I'm very smart."
"You are who you are!"
Song Yu pursed her lips, turned around and ran out: "I'm ignoring you."
If Cai Yang had said this before, he might have been a little sad and doubted himself, but now he is not sad at all, because his kindergarten teacher and classmates all say that he is very smart and capable. Many, many people say this, and Cai Yang is just one person.
Moreover... Song Yu was a little embarrassed. He also felt that he wasn't stupid, so he didn't believe Cai Yang's words at all.
He ran out and ran into other children from the village. A group of children were very happy to see him and enthusiastically invited him to jump rope together: "Xiao Lin said he saw you come back and we came to play with you."
Song Yu walked up happily: "I came back with my mother this morning."
"Song Yu, when are you coming back next time? My magnolias are about to bloom, let's go pick them together," a child invited.
Picking magnolias is a very popular activity among children. The magnolia has pure white petals, and each flower is about the size of a finger. It smells wonderful and can be strung together with needle and thread and hung on a button or pinned in the hair. Wherever you go, you will smell fragrant.
There are several old magnolia trees in the village. When they bloom, you can smell their fragrance if you walk nearby. But those trees were planted by the farmers themselves, and you have to get permission from the owner to pick the flowers.
The little girl who was talking had a magnolia tree at home. In the past, when it bloomed, she would invite her friends to come to her house to pick flowers. Song Yu had never been invited before, but he could still get a magnolia. His aunt brought it back for him, but it wasn't very fresh, and some of the petals and leaves had broken marks.
It would be great if we could pick them ourselves.
Song Yu couldn't help but feel happy when he recalled that scene: "When the flowers bloom, I'll ask my mother to bring me back."
"Yay!" A group of children walked towards the village entrance, chatting and laughing, where they often played games.
Cai Yang was playing at home when he heard their voices, so he quickly ran out and chased after them. If they wanted to play, he naturally wanted to join in.
*
At this time, the Ge family.
"Mom, this is a really good job. It's in a big restaurant in a big city. Not only will professional chefs teach us how to cook, but it's also free. After our internship, we can stay and work at the restaurant, with a minimum salary of two thousand a month!" Ge Xia handed a flyer to her aunt.
But Aunt Ge couldn't read, so all she saw on the flyer was a brightly lit restaurant, four stories high, with luxurious interiors and lights so bright they were almost blinding on the paper.
There was also a row of chefs dressed in white chef uniforms and hats working in the kitchen, looking neat, uniform, and well-trained.
Aunt Ge pointed to the picture: "Is this the big restaurant?"
Ge Xia nodded: "There is a contact number on it. I called and they said the information is true, but they are almost full. If I want to go, it is best to go in the next couple of days so they can reserve a spot for me. Once I miss it, I won't have another chance."
Hearing this, Aunt Ge felt a little anxious, thinking that if she was any later, she would miss out on this opportunity. However, having lived for so many years, she still felt something was amiss and could only look at her husband: "What do you think?"
Grandpa Ge's brows furrowed deeply, and every wrinkle on his face seemed to tell of the hardships of life: "Xiaoxia, isn't it good that you're studying accounting at vocational high school? After you graduate, you can find a job in the city, not far from us, so your mother and I can take care of you all the time. Now you're going to a place thousands of kilometers away, and your mother and I won't be able to see you even if we want to."
Ge Xia lowered her head, her eyes stinging with tears: "Dad, I don't think I can work in this field even if I continue studying accounting. My teachers all say..."
Remembering those words, Ge Xia shut her mouth. She didn't want her parents to worry more, nor did she want them to agree with the teacher's opinion and tell her to work harder, saying that as long as you work hard, there is nothing you can't do.
"Study accounting? Why are you studying accounting? You'll probably starve to death if you have to beg on the street!"
"I don't think you're cut out for studying. You should go back and learn to butcher pigs from your locals. They only care about strength, not brains! You're driving me crazy!"
...
Ge Xia had confided these things to her parents before, but her parents told her that the teacher was never wrong and that the teacher was criticizing her because he cared about her; otherwise, why didn't the teacher criticize others?
You need to study hard. I've already said that studying accounting is good. You'll only be able to sit in an office in the future. Your father and I are counting on you for the future. You need to be diligent and serious at school.
She had already taken it seriously, but she just couldn't understand it. Some of her classmates, who usually played around, got better grades than her. She would always doubt herself, wondering if she was really as stupid as the teacher said.
Grandpa Ge took the flyer and looked at it over and over. He couldn't read, so he just asked, "Who gave you this flyer?"
Ge Xia said, "There were people handing them out outside when school was over."
Grandpa Ge said, "That's not a good idea. Xiaoxia, if you really want to learn to be a chef, you can go to a specialized culinary school."
Grandpa Ge couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong with it, but he listened to Ge Xia and wondered why, if interning at this fancy restaurant was really that good, they were the ones who ended up handing out flyers.
In these kinds of situations where one tries to gain an advantage, one will definitely first approach one's own relatives and acquaintances.
Upon hearing this, Ge Xia felt tears welling up in her eyes and whispered, "Do you think I didn't ask..."
There was even a culinary school that came to the vocational high school to promote itself. Ge Xia listened very carefully, remembering exactly where the culinary school was, what it taught, and how many classes it had per week.
However, precisely because I was very careful, I didn't miss what the teacher had mentioned once: tuition plus internship and experiment fees are one thousand yuan per semester, and accommodation fees are two hundred yuan.
The tuition fees I paid in one semester amounted to 1,200 yuan, not including living expenses.
Ge Xia knew her family's situation. Her parents didn't have any skills and had spent their whole lives farming. The busiest time was during the rice harvest season, when their legs were covered with scratches from the rice seedlings and their skin was unbearably itchy.
The family raised a few more pigs and seven or eight chickens. Although their conditions were not bad in the village, they didn't earn much money in a year and relied entirely on selling pigs to save some money.
Aunt Ge explained these things to her very clearly, always telling her to be more frugal, saying that it wasn't easy for the family to earn money, that the pigs were sick, and that the chickens had drowned, and so on.
The tuition for her current vocational high school is already 350 yuan per semester, which is not cheap, let alone a professional culinary school.
Ge Xia chose the restaurant on the flyer for her internship after comparing the two options. She told her parents, "Mom and Dad, don't worry, I'll be careful and won't listen to what others say or get scammed. I'll call you when I arrive. After I finish my internship and get paid, I'll bring you here to live a good life and you can come and see the big city."
This is Ge Xia's honest opinion. If she earns money, she will tell her parents to stop farming so much land and raising so many livestock, and give them 200 yuan a month so they can live a better life.
Grandpa Ge still said, "Xiaoxia, don't go to this place. I think it's a scam."
Upon hearing the man's words, Aunt Ge's lingering sense of unease resurfaced. She nodded and said, "That's right, there's no such thing as a free lunch. What will we do if you go and don't come back? You're our only daughter!"
Ge Xia shook her head, tears streaming down her face: "You don't understand, there's no future for me studying accounting..."
Seeing her like this, Aunt Ge became a little anxious: "What should we do? Just tell us what you want to do, and we'll borrow money to let you do it!"
Ge Xia didn't say anything. She just thought, how could she be so selfish as to ask her parents to borrow money just because she wanted to go to cooking school?
She didn't speak, which made Aunt Ge and Uncle Ge even more anxious. They took turns trying to persuade her, when suddenly a voice came from outside:
Is Ge Xia home?
Song Xinran felt that she had arrived at the wrong time; something seemed to have happened to the Ge family.
Aunt Ge looked up and recognized her. A smile immediately spread across her face: "It's Xinran, Ge Xia! Come in and sit down!"
Aunt Ge warmly invited Song Xinran in, and then went to the inner room to bring out some tangerines: "Come on, have some fruit."
"Xinran, you've only just returned since the New Year, haven't you?" Aunt Ge asked warmly. "Have you been too busy with business? You should take a rest. Money can never be earned enough; your health is the most important thing."
Rural people don't say nice things, especially someone like Aunt Ge who has never left the countryside in her entire life.
However, Aunt Ge now has a little ulterior motive. Everyone in the neighborhood knows that Song Xinran is running a food business in town, and she's doing quite well!
When she came over for the New Year, Aunt Ge mentioned that she wanted Ge Xia to help her learn some things, but Song Xinran refused at that time.
Now that she's come to her house again, there might be some room for negotiation. It just so happens that Ge Xia wants to learn to cook, and if she were to go to some big restaurant in another province, Aunt Ge would definitely be worried. But if she goes to Song Xinran's place, Aunt Ge won't be concerned.
Song Xinran was from their village, someone they knew well, and she lived in the town, so it was easy for them to visit Ge Xia, and it was also convenient for Ge Xia to come back—it was even closer than studying in the city.
Aunt Ge no longer insists that Ge Xia finish her accounting studies. In the past two years, Ge Xia has cried and said countless times that she doesn't want to study anymore. If it weren't for the fact that Ge Xia is still young and what else she can do if she doesn't study, they probably would have agreed.
Upon hearing the voice, Ge Xia cautiously looked up at Song Xinran and whispered with a thick nasal tone, "Sister Xinran."
She felt quite embarrassed. During the Spring Festival, she told Song Xinran that she would work hard and persevere, but now she couldn't stick to studying and wanted to do other things.
Song Xinran's expression was very gentle: "Xiaoxia must be tired from reading, have some fruit."
She didn't ask Ge Xia why she was crying, nor did she inquire about what had happened to the Ge family. Her attitude was natural, as if she hadn't encountered anything, giving Ge Xia enough space and face.
Ge Xia reached out and took the tangerine, whispering a thank you.
Song Xinran smiled helplessly. These tangerines originally belonged to the Ge family. She had only said one sentence, so there was no need for Ge Xia to thank her.
Seeing this, Aunt Ge wanted to say something, to ask Song Xinran if the shop needed anyone, but Song Xinran spoke first:
"Aunt Ge, Xiaoxia, I've come to see you today because I have something I'd like to discuss with you." Song Xinran looked at Ge Xia and said gently, "I told Xiaoxia before that if I ever opened a shop, I would ask her to come and help me. I wonder if Xiaoxia would still be willing to come now?"
The Ge family was stunned on the spot upon hearing this.
Ge Xia's mind went blank. Song Xinran had indeed said those words during the New Year, but Ge Xia knew it was more of an excuse. It was just that Sister Xinran was kind and didn't say it so bluntly.
But now Xinran has actually come to her house and asked her if she's willing. Ge Xia's words caught in her throat: Yes, yes, she's willing! She's a hundred times willing!
However, she hesitated, unsure of Xinran's fees. If it was the same as a cooking school, her family couldn't afford it.
But the longing was still too strong, and he couldn't help but look at his parents.
Aunt Ge was also stunned. Her first reaction was, how could such a good thing happen to their family?
They were worried about Ge Xia's future, unable to eat or sleep, when Song Xinran handed them a pillow.
If it were someone else, Aunt Ge would probably be more suspicious.
My second thought was, didn't Song Xinran say when she came back for the New Year that it was just a stall and she didn't need anyone's help? How come she's already opened a shop in such a short time!
Is selling food really that profitable?
Her family used to have no standing in the village. Her husband died, and her family couldn't offer much help. Her older sister was also married, and the Cai family wasn't easy to talk to.
It's only been a few months and they've already opened a shop. Their future is limitless!
Aunt Ge glanced at the man, then at Ge Xia, and when she saw the expectation in her daughter's eyes, she made up her mind instantly: "Xinran, thank you! Ge Xia is willing to go, she's willing!"
Aunt Ge spoke with great emotion, but Song Xinran looked at Ge Xia. Since it was Ge Xia who was going, she naturally wanted to ask the young girl's opinion.
Ge Xia nodded with tears in her eyes, "I'm willing."
Song Xinran smiled and directly stated her thoughts: "Xiaoxia is still studying at a vocational high school..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ge Xia said, "I don't want to study, so I won't go tomorrow!"
Aunt Ge also supported this, saying, "Xiaoxia doesn't like to study, so we won't force her."
Song Xinran said, "Okay, I understand. My idea is for Xiaoxia to come to my place for half a month to familiarize herself with the work. If we both feel it's okay after half a month, Xiaoxia can help out at my place from now on. If Xiaoxia still wants to study, she can go back to vocational high school, so it won't delay her. I'll also pay Xiaoxia a salary for these half a month, but it will be a little less than that of a regular employee, two hundred yuan for half a month. Xiaoxia, Aunt Ge, what do you think?"
Aunt Ge was shocked: "Is there...is there still a salary?"
Ge Xia couldn't believe it either: "No, we don't need to pay tuition?"
Grandpa Ge also said, "Is the work very heavy, and you can't sleep for several days?"
Song Xinran: ...
She wondered if the Ge family thought of her as some kind of shrew.
She patiently explained that Ge Xia worked for her and put in the effort, so naturally she should pay her. She would also teach Ge Xia how to cook. The reason for giving them half a month was to allow both parties a choice.
Hearing her explanation, Ge Xia blushed with excitement: "Really? Sister Xinran, can I really earn money on my own?"
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Of course, if you do well later, I will give you a raise and put you in charge of the shop's kitchen."
Although the internship hasn't started yet, Song Xinran doesn't mind making some grand promises, but these are all real and achievable ones.
This made Ge Xia even more excited: "Sister Xinran, I can go tomorrow, no, today!"
Song Xinran smiled and said, "There's no need to rush. My shop is still under renovation and will probably be open in a few more days. I'll have my sister send you a message when it's open, and then you can come over."
Ge Xia was already impatient. She was pursuing the big restaurant on the flyer because she wanted to learn a skill so that her parents wouldn't have to work so hard in the future. However, that place was too far from Lingde Town. As a girl who had never been far from home, she was actually quite scared. But the current situation made up for her fear.
Now that she has another option, she can realize her dream without leaving Lingde Town, so naturally she will choose this one.
"Sister Xinran, I... I'll do my best!" she finally said, without mentioning going earlier. Since Sister Xinran said to wait until the opening, she would wait, just like Sister Xinran had said during the New Year that she would come to see her again after the shop was ready, and now she really was here. She felt that Sister Xinran was a person of her word.
Song Xinran smiled gently: "There's no rush this week. Xiaoxia can go to school first. We won't open until at least next week."
Ge Xia rubbed her eyes, earnestly agreed, and kept it in mind.
Aunt Ge grasped Song Xinran's hand, her eyes welling up with tears. She kept thanking her, wanting to pick some vegetables from the ground for Song Xinran to take home. She also grabbed a large rooster for her to take home and eat, and wanted to scoop some new rice for her to take home and cook. She also had her eye on the cured meat and sausages that had been made for this year's Lunar New Year...
There's nothing good in the countryside, and what Aunt Ge could offer was already the best she could give.
Song Xinran said, "No need, Aunt Ge. I appreciate your kindness, but you can keep these for yourselves."
She looked at Ge Xia, her voice tinged with a smile: "Xia, don't forget to come over then."
Ge Xia nodded vigorously: "I will definitely remember!"
How could she forget? She's probably been dreaming about it all week.
Aunt Ge and Ge Xia were almost ready to escort Song Xinran home, but Song Xinran told them not to, as it wouldn't look good if the villagers saw them, since her shop wasn't big and she couldn't afford to hire so many helpers.
Aunt Ge thought it made perfect sense. This kind of opportunity to learn a skill and get paid was in high demand. She didn't want more people to know and cause trouble for Song Xinran: "Xinran, you can go back by yourself. I won't see you off. Just come to my house and get whatever you want to eat!"
Ge Xia nodded vigorously beside her, though she wasn't very good at saying nice things: "These are all vegetables grown at home, and livestock fed by us!"
Seeing their honest expressions, Song Xinran smiled and didn't refuse any longer, saying, "Okay, thank you, Aunt Ge."
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