Chapter 12
"Having a conscience is the beginning of suffering. In my next life, I want to be a treacherous and cunning person. No, in my next life, I don't want to be human!"
Gu Mengzhu took a fruit knife and stabbed the jackfruit shell on the cutting board several times. Chen Luo, who was washing an apple next to her, took a bite and asked her:
"Big sister, what are you doing now?"
She glanced in Qi Yaoguang's direction and whispered in Chen Luo's ear:
"He went gambling again!"
Chen Luo swallowed the apple in her mouth and commented without any politeness:
"Ugh, I knew he was a scumbag from the start. Tell him to pay back the money and get lost! Or just make things easier and kick him out now!"
Upon hearing that she wouldn't be allowed to repay the money, Gu Mengzhu immediately threw down her knife and refused to continue.
"What will happen to the money if we get out of here now?"
Chen Luo raised her head and glared at the person who was working hard, sending a few sharp glances at them from afar.
"Is your money more important or your life?"
"Both are important."
They really didn't hesitate at all.
Chen Luo shook her head:
"Oh dear, your values—" she shook her right index finger at the person, "are hopeless. You might as well be dead!"
"Oh right! I almost forgot!" Chen Luo rummaged through the pocket of her work apron, pulled out a packet of dried flowers, and handed it over. "Here, Hengxian jasmine flowers, a specialty from my hometown. Brew them when you have time. They're most fragrant when cold-brewed, but it takes a long time to develop the flavor, so remember to brew them in advance."
Gu Mengzhu put the flowers into her pocket, beaming with joy as she showed eight teeth.
"Thank you, Mr. Chen!"
"Alright, hurry up and get to work."
She was amused:
"I only called you 'boss,' and you immediately started acting like Sister Fang? Oh, I see, you're trying to seize power!"
"Yes, I've wanted to be a boss for a long time!"
Chen Luo reached out and poked her waist. She cried out and tried to dodge, but when she couldn't avoid it, she begged for mercy. Just then, Fang Jie walked over with her bag. The two of them immediately stopped playing around and pretended to be seriously arranging fruit.
Around 3 PM, Gu Mengzhu was stopped by Sister Fang, who asked her to deliver a fruit basket to a regular customer for their business opening. She went happily, and returned skipping along, clutching a red envelope. Chen Luo, carrying a cardboard box, walked over and yelled at her:
"Wow, so happy? Is it a big red envelope?"
She shook her head:
"No, there's only five dollars inside."
"Then why are you so excited?"
Gu Mengzhu laughed, tilting her head back and pointing her nose to the sky, looking extremely smug:
"Let me tell you, I was just pampered by a cat, a chubby blue cat with brown and yellow eyes. You know, I'm not usually liked by animals, and today is the first time a cat has been so friendly to me. It not only rubbed against me, but also let me pet it! Ah! I'm melting!"
Chen Luo threw the cardboard box onto the open ground, unmoved by her happiness.
"If you like a cat, I can give you one! My friend just had a litter of kittens, and nobody wants them even if I give them away."
"Never mind, the landlord won't let me keep a cat."
"Hey, do you have to be so honest? Why not just keep it secretly? She won't know anyway."
She still refused.
"No, one should be honest!"
"Honesty? Landlords raise rents all the time, but you never see them being honest? You're the only one who's naive!"
“My landlord hasn’t raised the rent! As for you, I don’t know!”
"Ha! You're so smug!"
Gu Mengzhu made a face at her, then quickly ran back to the shop.
The next day, Gu Mengzhu withdrew money from the bank during her lunch break and sat on a stool, counting it over and over. She counted it again and again, unable to stop smiling.
"Counting and calculating, counting and counting again, you miser, you're taking out money to count over here again."
Chen Luo gently nudged her shoulder and sat down next to her. She shook her head and replied:
"Is it illegal?"
"No. But why did you take out all the cash?"
Gu Mengzhu neatly stacked the counted money, turned to the person, and replied:
"I've counted! After paying off my tuition, I've finally saved up 50,000 yuan! When I have my next holiday, I'm going to deposit it all into my savings account and hold onto it forever!"
"Hey, keep your voice down—" Chen Luo made a shushing gesture. "It'll be bad if someone hears us. Also, make sure you keep your money safe, don't let anyone steal it! Honestly, why did you take it out so early!"
"I know! I'll be working the night shift from now on, and the banks will be closed by the time I get off work. How am I supposed to withdraw money? Besides, who would steal my money?"
Chen Luo was speechless at her obliviousness, and pulled out a packet of dried squid from his pocket and started chewing. The seafood smell was strong, and as soon as the package was torn open, the aroma of the sea instantly filled their nostrils.
"No wonder you didn't rest during your holidays, you were working so hard. Hey, seriously, what are you saving money for?"
"I want to make money, buy my own house, with a balcony, flowers and plants, goldfish, and even a cat!"
Hearing the intermittent voices, Qi Yaoguang looked up at them, then lowered his head again to fold the cardboard boxes.
"After the Mid-Autumn Festival comes National Day! By the time we get a holiday, it'll be ages before we even get one!"
"No, I have a holiday starting on August 16th, so it's just a few days away."
"Oh, I get a holiday on August 17th, but then I have to work for two weeks straight. Sigh, the National Day holiday has nothing to do with us lowly commoners."
Chen Luo chewed on the shredded squid, found it salty, and drank a few more sips of water.
"Hey, are you going home for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
"I have no home to go back to; my home is just a rented room. Besides, if Sister Fang hears that someone is asking for leave, she'll probably pull out a knife and start a fight!"
Gu Mengzhu lowered her eyes, put the money into her purse, and her voice sounded deep.
"But now that you've mentioned it, I'm starting to think about going back."
"Go back where?"
"Going back to my hometown. Yubin's food is actually quite delicious."
"Chao, if we're talking about delicious food, the stuff from my hometown is the best!"
"Yes, yes, but you haven't given me anything yet."
Chen Luo silently touched her nose twice, changing the subject:
"But I heard it will rain during the Mid-Autumn Festival."
"Is it really fake? Then we won't be able to enjoy the moon."
She put her arm around Gu Mengzhu's shoulder, and the two of them swayed back and forth in place.
"It's alright. The moon is fullest on the 16th, and you'll be working on the Mid-Autumn Festival anyway, so just enjoy it on the 16th. You'll have a holiday then anyway."
Gu Mengzhu nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with these words of barely-there comfort. The two chatted idly until customers arrived at the shop, at which point they went back to their respective tasks.
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