Chapter 17 (Part 2)
Business at the bookstore remained tepid, with the bulk of its revenue coming from milk tea, and no improvement in book sales. Month-end accounting revealed a loss of three to five hundred yuan each month. While this was better than Gan Ling had expected, it was still unpleasant to lose money, especially since she had two small children to support. One long, lonely afternoon, Gan Ling announced to two employees, "If you're free, let's have a meeting! Get ready." This was her first staff meeting, and Han Xi and Tian Miao were both enthusiastic. They stopped what they were doing, cleared the clutter from Han Xi's desk, merged the two tables, and dragged two chairs across from Gan Ling, creating a scene of two armies facing off. Gan Ling had to go to the restroom, and when she returned, she found the two children sitting upright, their eyes fixed on her intently. She was startled, and after sitting down at her seat, she said cautiously, "Well, we're not discussing giving you a raise!" The little spark in Han Xi's eyes immediately dimmed, while Tian Miao seemed indifferent. "Not raising your salary is definitely not a bad thing, right?" Gan Ling said, "What bad things can happen in this place?" "For example, if you want to fire me - in two weeks, my probation period will be over." Gan Ling asked, "Do you want to stay?" "Of course!" "Do you like this place so much?" Tian Miao nodded vigorously, glancing at Han Xi's face. "Tell me why." "You guys are nice." Han Xi rolled his eyes at him, "Don't look at me!" Tian Miao cast his gaze on Gan Ling's face, "Sister Ling, you don't look like a boss at all." Gan Ling thought to herself, do you think this is a compliment? "That's why I can't make any money!" "It's enough to support myself. Making too much money also brings worries. Look at my aunt, she's always busy making money, and she has far more worries than you." Gan Ling smiled, "I didn't expect you to be so advanced. But with such a small amount of money, is it enough for you to spend?" "Enough! I don't have to spend money on food and shelter, and I don't gamble, go whoring, or buy stocks. If I make more, I spend more, and if I make less, I save more." Han Xi turned his head and asked, "You don't have to pay for food to the family?" "No! My parents don't expect that of me. They're so grateful that I don't get into trouble!" Han Xi curled his lips and said nothing. Gan Ling was puzzled. "What are your hobbies? I haven't seen you read any of the books in the store. Xiao Han even likes to make handicrafts! You're so young, you can't be without passion for anything, right?" "Of course I do!" Tian Miao suddenly blushed, as if annoyed by her own slip of the tongue. "Oh? Then tell me...
The bookstore's business is still lukewarm. The main revenue comes from milk tea. There is no improvement in the book sales. At the end of the month, the losses are three to five hundred yuan every month. Although it is better than Gan Ling expected, it is always unpleasant to make losses in business, especially since she now has two children to support.
On a long and lonely afternoon, Gan Ling announced to two employees, "Since there's nothing else to do, let's have a meeting! Get ready first."
This was her first time holding a meeting with her employees. Han Xi and Tian Miao were both very enthusiastic. They stopped what they were doing, cleared away the scattered items on Han Xi's desk, merged the two tables, and dragged two chairs to place them opposite Gan Ling, just like two armies facing off.
Gan Ling had just gone to the restroom, and when she returned she saw the two children sitting upright, their eyes fixed on her. Startled, she sat down in her seat and said cautiously, "Um, we're not discussing a raise!"
The spark in Han Xi's eyes dimmed immediately, while Tian Miao seemed indifferent. "Not getting a raise isn't a bad thing, is it?"
Gan Ling said, "What bad things could happen in our place?"
"Say you want to fire me—my probation period will be over in two weeks."
Gan Ling asked, "Do you wish to stay?"
"Of course!"
"Do you like this place so much?"
Tian Miao nodded vigorously, glancing at Han Xi's face.
"Tell me why."
"You guys are nice."
Han Xi rolled his eyes at him and said, "Don't look at me!"
Tian Miao cast his gaze on Gan Ling's face, "Sister Ling, you don't look like a boss at all."
Gan Lingxin said, do you think this is a compliment to me?
“So I can’t make any money!”
"It's enough to support yourself. Earning too much money also brings troubles. Look at my aunt, she's always busy making money, and she has more troubles than you."
Gan Ling smiled, "I didn't expect your realm to be quite high. But you only earn this little money, is it enough for you to spend?"
"It's enough! I don't have to spend money on food or accommodation, and I don't gamble, visit prostitutes, or buy stocks. If I earn more, I spend more. If I earn less, I save more."
Han Xi turned around and asked, "You don't have to pay for meals to your family?"
"No need! My parents don't expect that from me. They'd just pray to the Buddha if I didn't get into trouble!"
Han Xi curled his lips and said nothing.
Gan Ling was puzzled. "So what are your hobbies? I haven't seen you read any of the books in the store. Xiao Han even likes to make handicrafts! You're so young, are you not passionate about anything?"
"Of course I do!" Tian Miao blushed suddenly, as if she was upset about her slip of the tongue.
"Oh? Then tell me! There's no one here to talk to. "
Tian Miao was still hesitant, so Han Xi spoke for him, "He can sing and play the guitar very well."
"How do you know?"
"He played it while you were away."
Gan Ling became interested. "Sanshui, are you still hiding this from me? If you have any skills, show them off. Did you bring your guitar? Play it for me."
Tian Miao asked: "Are we still going down now?"
"It's open now—where were we talking about?"
"My probation period is almost over. Will you fire me?"
Gan Ling thought for a moment and said, "The bookstore isn't making any money. No, it's not that it's not making any money, it's losing money every month. I don't know how much longer it can last."
Tian Miao was nervous, "So, I..."
"However, if you are willing to stay, I welcome you to stay. I just can't give you a raise for the time being."
Tian Miao was very happy and nodded, saying, "I'm willing to stay. As for making money, I think it's not impossible as long as the three of us work together."
Gan Ling said, "The question is how to do it? Determination alone is of no use."
Han Xi said, "We can do online marketing, like setting up a live broadcast room. Didn't Pang Yuhui become famous by selling goods through live broadcast rooms..."
"Good idea! The question is, who will do it?"
Tian Miao pointed at Han Xi and said, "Isn't this a ready-made candidate? Han Xi's livestream already has thousands of fans."
Gan Ling looked at Han Xi, "Is it okay?"
"Of course I can. But," Han Xi said with a sly look in his eyes, "if it sells, can I get a commission?"
Gan Ling smiled. "Of course. I don't know anything about live streaming, so I'll leave it to you two. You decide how to plan and sell it. Anyway, we'll split the profits together!"
"yeah!"
The three were discussing excitedly when the grocery store owner Ju Ming rushed in.
"Tian Sanshui! Why are you still sitting here? Something big happened in your family!"
Ju Ming thoroughly enjoyed the shock of three pairs of eyes glaring at him. He walked up to Tian Miao and then blurted out, "Your aunt is getting a divorce!"
Tian Miao's brows knitted together, "Stop talking nonsense!"
"Hey! I won't argue with you today. Go to Madison and see if your aunt is there? And then ask Lao Fan if this is true."
Before Ju Ming finished speaking, Tian Miao jumped up and rushed out the door. Ju Ming sat down in his seat.
"What's going on?" Gan Ling stared at Ju Ming and asked, "Divorce shouldn't be so sudden, right?"
"Oh, I'm so thirsty!"
"Han Xi, make Boss Gu a cup of tea."
Han Xi also wanted to hear gossip, so she stood up with a pout to make tea. Meanwhile, Ju Ming couldn't wait to tell Gan Ling about it.
"I noticed something was wrong with Madsi this morning. You know how hard Tian Meiling works, right? No matter how busy she is, she always goes to the company every morning. But she didn't come today. This is very strange..."
Gan Ling's eyes suddenly became alert. "You don't observe every merchant so carefully, do you?"
Ju Ming laughed out loud, "That's basically it! Boss Gan, you have nothing to hide, so what are you afraid of?"
Han Xi heard this from behind the tea table and said in a loud voice, "Imagine someone watching you like this every day. Of course you'd be scared."
Ju Ming didn't know what "spying" meant, nor did he care. He continued to tell Gan Ling gossip.
"Just now, I finally had some free time, so I went over and asked a few questions. The doorman, Old Fan, let it slip that the boss was busy with personal matters today and wouldn't be coming. When I asked what the personal matter was, he quietly told me that there was an earthquake in Tian Meiling's house."
Gan Ling muttered, "If it's a private matter, how come outsiders know about it?"
"Of course it's because they can't hide something." Ju Ming winked. "Guess why they divorced?"
Gan Ling didn't want to guess, "I don't know."
Han Xi placed a cup of creamy Dahongpao in front of Ju Ming and said, "Boss Tian must be too capable, and her husband can't stand it."
"Wrong! She cheated!"
Gan Ling was surprised. "Who? Zhou Zhenchuan? He, he cheated too?"
"It's not a man, it's a woman, Tian Meiling!"
Han Xi and Gan Ling were both shocked, "Huh?!"
Han Xi was the first to react, "Tian, who is Tian Meiling cheating with?"
"It seems he's a migrant worker from out of town. I've never seen him. I heard about him from Lao Fan."
"Terrible!" Han Xi shook his head.
Ju Ming was very proud. "Scary, isn't it? He hid it so well that we didn't notice it at all, did we?"
Han Xi said, "I mean, Lao Fan and his gang are terrifying. They even dare to reveal the boss's secrets. If I were Tian Meiling, I would fire him as soon as I get back."
Ju Ming smiled, "Tian Meiling doesn't have time to deal with this right now. She must be busy dealing with her husband. I think this marriage is over! You all know Zhou Zhenchuan. He's extremely arrogant and he definitely can't stand being cuckolded!"
Gan Ling couldn't help but defend Tian Meiling and said, "It's not necessarily true."
Ju Ming sighed, "If it weren't true, Tian Meiling would have rushed to the company and torn Lao Fan's mouth apart!"
"How did Zhou Zhenchuan find out?" Han Xi asked curiously.
"If you want to know, go ask Lao Fan yourself!"
Han Xi rolled his eyes vigorously, "Just pretend I didn't ask!"
"That's right. You're just a young girl, why do you need to know so much? Just remember one thing: if you don't want others to know, then don't do it yourself!"
Within three days, news of Tian Meiling's infidelity spread throughout Xiaoxi Lane. Madsi Human Resources even closed its doors, suggesting the situation was serious. Tian Miao hadn't come to work at the bookstore for two days. He had simply requested leave from Gan Ling on WeChat, without specifying when he would return. Gan Ling tentatively inquired about the situation, but he didn't respond.
Gan Ling suddenly felt a little uncomfortable with Tian Miao's absence in the store. She secretly observed Han Xi and felt that she was not in a good mood and was not as focused on her private work as before.
The day before, the two of them took advantage of their free time to chat for a while about Tian Meiling's situation, but soon found that there was nothing much to talk about. Meiling was not a bad person, and her business was booming. Her human resources agency was the most profitable in the entire Xiaoxi Lane. She was kind-hearted, and if anyone had any difficulties, she would definitely help if she could. Gan Ling and Han Xi did not want to take advantage of her misfortune at this time.
Afang from the fruit shop and Miguo from the barbershop had both been to the bookstore, sharing the news with Gan Ling and Han Xi, expressing mutual shock. Ju Ming was the most frequent visitor, completely disinterested in business. Whenever he had a free moment, he'd wander the streets, asking people for their opinions on the matter, seemingly gloating.
Gan Ling was annoyed with him, but Ju Ming was her next-door neighbor after all, and she saw him every day. She couldn't bring herself to confront him, so she could only secretly defend Mei Ling. Han Xi was not so reserved.
"Boss Gu, what is your relationship with Tian Meiling?"
"It's okay!"
"It doesn't matter. What do you want from her if you keep talking about her all the time?"
"Just for fun! What's the matter?"
"Then go have some fun somewhere else! We have to open for business and don't have time for you to talk nonsense!"
"Oh my! Are you and Sanshui on the same page? You're really protective of your aunt!"
Gan Ling finally couldn't bear it any longer. "Boss Ju, when you were having trouble with your cash flow in March this year, it was Sister Meiling who lent you money to help you out. It's really not right for you to say this about her now."
Ju Ming was sullen. "I didn't say anything, did I? It's all true, isn't it?"
"We don't know whether it's true or not. Better keep quiet!"
"Okay! Since you don't welcome me, I'll go play somewhere else!" He walked out angrily.
Han Xi looked at his back and said loudly, "I don't think anyone on this street is perfect. Be careful or a boomerang might hit you on the head one day!"
Ju Ming turned his head and said "Hey", wanting to say something back, but seeing that Gan Ling and Han Xi both had gloomy faces, he scratched his head, decided not to bother himself anymore, and left.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, Gan Ling was reading "The Vegetarian," by Korean author Han Kang, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature two years ago. This book explores the plight of East Asian women, and the heroine's experience of facing her husband's cold violence in her marriage resonated deeply with Gan Ling. She was captivated by the author's stunning imagination and command of the text, feeling as if she had stepped into the heroine's own mysterious forest.
It took her a while to realize that Han Xi was talking to her.
"What did you say?"
Han Xi had obviously long been accustomed to her absence and repeated, "I said, Tian Meiling is indeed getting a divorce."
Gan Ling came to his senses and closed the book.
"So, she really..."
"Yeah. He fell in love with a young man who came to Madison to look for a job. Strictly speaking, he wasn't that young, in his thirties, seven or eight years younger than Tian Meiling. They were secretly dating, and it wasn't anything special, just eating and chatting, that kind of thing, anyway, that's what Tian Sanshui said. But then Zhou Zhenchuan bumped into them, and they started arguing."
"Then Zhou Zhenchuan filed for divorce?"
"No, it was Tian Meiling who brought it up. Sanshui said his uncle seemed willing to reconcile, as long as his aunt admitted her fault. But Tian Meiling got angry and was determined to get a divorce, and no one could persuade her to do so."
Gan Ling was stunned for a moment before she said, "Isn't Zhou Zhenchuan doing well?"
"Maybe he's not very good to his wife!"
"How do you know?"
"Sanshui told me on WeChat."
Gan Ling raised an eyebrow. "This guy, I asked him questions on WeChat and he was very frugal with his words, but he told you everything."
Han Xi pursed his lips, with a hint of pride in his expression, but he didn't say anything more. He lowered his head and continued to work on his handicrafts.
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