It was unlikely that she could go back home now. The most important thing at the moment was that she had to find a job as soon as possible.
But before she could find a job, she had to find a place to stay. The first person she thought of was Qianqian, who was the only place she could stay in this small town.
She walked to Qianqian's barber shop with her wages and a lot of gifts in her hand.
The business in the store was booming, and Qianqian was busy running around by herself. She didn't even notice Shumei when she arrived at the door.
Shumei couldn't help much with the shop work. She put her bag on the ground, sat on it, and rested against the wall, wanting to wait for Qianqian to finish before going into the shop. She must have been too sleepy, and she actually fell asleep while resting.
She was like a homeless child, and Qianqian's barber shop was her safe haven. With a safe haven, her heart might not feel so heavy, and she could sleep soundly.
When Qianqian finished her work and went out to hang the towels, she found Shumei curled up in the corner. She gently woke Shumei up, "Sister Shumei, Sister Shumei... why are you sleeping here? And all this, what happened?"
Shumei rubbed her blurry eyes and asked, "Why did I fall asleep?"
Qianqian helped Shumei up and took her to the store. Shumei told Qianqian everything about how she lost her job.
After hearing this, Qianqian took the initiative to ask Shumei to stay with her, and scolded Wencai again and again, saying that Wencai was not a man and a piece of shit, and she felt sorry for Shumei's grievances.
"What kind of man is this! Not only did he steal something, but he also made you take the blame for him and pretend to be his girlfriend. One day I have to meet this Li Wencai and see how cruel he is."
Qianqian was running around the store in a panic, muttering in frustration.
"Okay, Qianqian, sit down quickly. You're making me dizzy."
Shumei pulled Qianqian to sit on the sofa and began to ask her about what had happened during this long period of time.
Qianqian told Shumei everything except that she was pursuing Boyi. She also told her about everything else, including the fact that the store was short of staff and that she wanted to recruit an apprentice.
…
The two people who hadn't seen each other for a long time were so engaged in the conversation that they couldn't stop once they started.
But when Qianqian talked about recruiting apprentices, Shumei suddenly had a bold idea in her mind. Since hairdressing can make so much money, why not learn it? With a skill, she will never go hungry wherever she goes!
Qianqian was still talking, but she didn't listen to a word she said. She was lost in thought, and the more she thought about it, the more excited she became. She couldn't help but blurt out her words.
"Qianqian, I want to learn how to be a hairdresser."
As soon as Shumei said this, Qianqian was stunned. She was chattering non-stop just a second ago, but now she couldn't say a word.
"Qianqian, what's wrong? You don't want me to come? I know I can't even afford three meals a day, and I really shouldn't have such thoughts. I should find a gainful job so that I can move on. But I really don't want to be manipulated by fate anymore. I want to become stronger, change everything with my own hands, and reap the happiness I want..."
Seeing Qianqian's face full of surprise and staring at her without saying a word, she thought Qianqian was unwilling to accept her, so she anxiously explained her thoughts to Qianqian.
"No, Sister Shumei, I'd really like you to come, but haircutting is a delicate job, usually learned by teenagers because their hands are flexible and it's easy to learn. You're really not suitable to learn this now, and I'm afraid it's a waste of your precious time."
Qianqian stood up, took a pair of scissors from the dressing table, opened and closed the scissors in her hand, and explained to Shumei why she didn't want Shumei to learn hairdressing.
Shumei took a deep breath and counted the money she took out of her pocket. "This is the salary I received from the Li family. It's enough for three months. Just three months. If I can't learn it after three months, then I'll give up and find another job."
"Three months?"
Qianqian was obviously very surprised and didn't believe that Shumei could learn it at all. Instead, she felt that Shumei was being too irrational this time and was thinking things were too simple.
"Yes, just three months. I believe that nothing is impossible for one who sets his mind to it. Qianqian, please give me a chance! Give me all your skills."
"All right!"
Seeing Shumei's persistence, Qianqian no longer refused and nodded in agreement.
In this way, Shumei began to learn hairdressing.
She started with the most basic steps of shaving and washing customers' hair, and studied diligently. She watched every detail and every little movement of Qianqian's haircut and memorized them firmly in her mind.
To learn how to cut hair quickly, Shumei bought winter melons every day for cooking, simply because the melons had hairs on the skin, so she could use them to practice shaving. Once she became more skilled, she used the razor directly on her arms and legs.
Hard work pays off, and she soon learned how to shave. The first time she shaved a customer, she was able to shave him cleanly without even cutting his mouth.
Seeing Shumei's achievements, Qianqian really looked up to her. Of course, she also tried her best to teach her everything she had learned.
After Shumei left, Wencai cheated a lot of money from the old aunt on the pretext that Shumei was buying some jewelry. He reluctantly paid it back to the loan shark as interest, thus extending the time for repaying the debt.
But these were just a drop in the bucket. Soon the loan shark came to collect the debt again. He was dragged into an alley by the thugs and beaten up.
Wencai was beaten black and blue. He knelt on the ground and begged the loan boss, "Boss, please give me some more time, another three months. After three months, I will get the house from my mother and return it to you immediately. Please, just three months, give me another three months."
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