1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 141 My Cousin Gets Promoted to Assistant Store Manager
"Ugh."

My cousin sighed softly, "What's the point of bringing in so much business? I even signed a huge contract with Liu Ye the other day—renovating a whole building, with a gross profit of hundreds of thousands. People wouldn't even look at a business like that."

"What's going on?"

Lin Xiyu frowned slightly: "Who offended you? Why are you so resentful?"

"The new store manager has arrived."

My cousin gestured angrily toward the store manager's office inside.

"So fast?"

Lin Xiyu was quick-witted and immediately understood the source of her cousin's grievances.

"It's fast, isn't it?"

My cousin felt a pang of jealousy and said in a bad tone, "Wang Fan is really quite capable. He found a professional manager, who is said to have studied in the United States and has an MBA. We don't even know what that is."

"An MBA? I've heard Gu Bin mention it."

Lin Xiyu understood immediately: "It seems to be a Master of Business Administration, that's pretty impressive."

"Cut~~"

My cousin retorted, "What MBA? It's all for nothing without work experience."

"Shh, keep your voice down."

Lin Xiyu glanced warily into the manager's office: "Don't let anyone hear us."

"So what if I heard? That's just my personality."

My cousin not only didn't back down, but she raised her voice even louder, deliberately shouting towards the manager's office: "Just say what you mean, no need for all this beating around the bush!"

"That's a good temperament."

The door to the store manager's office opened from the inside, and a young man of medium height, with regular features and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, walked out.

"Hello, store manager."

Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously nudged her cousin, urging her to greet the shop manager as well.

"Cut~~"

My cousin, being stubborn, ignored her and looked at the newcomer with a defiant gaze: "I know in my heart whether I'm a good person or not. I don't need anyone pretending to be a good person here."

"Sister Leilei"

Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat again. Just as she was about to stop him, she was interrupted by a clear laugh.

"I had heard before I came that the head office's business manager had a very fiery temper and was not someone that ordinary people could handle."

Instead of getting angry, the new store manager, Li Xiao, smiled and changed the subject, saying, "However, her business skills are really strong. If it weren't for her young age and lack of social experience, she could easily be an assistant store manager."

"Assistant store manager?"

My cousin's ears twitched, and she perked up: "Is there still a position for assistant store manager?"

"As the company's business gradually expands, the number of employees will also increase."

Li Xiao spoke eloquently, painting a rosy picture for her: "The head office's current plan is to recruit at least fifteen more salespeople, plus graphic designers, accountants, and cleaners, making at least twenty people. With the increase in numbers, the corresponding management positions will naturally also increase."

"Twenty people?"

My cousin was stunned: "You're going to hire so many people?"

"The head office is responsible for training personnel."

Li Xiao, true to her MBA background, spoke eloquently: "As Dingsheng Decoration's market continues to expand, it will inevitably enter major cities across the country and form a chain of well-known brands."

"Employees with excellent work ability and outstanding business performance at the head office will have the opportunity to be sent to serve as store managers of branches in various places. In this way, fifteen salespersons are not many. As long as they work hard and accumulate experience, they will stand out one day."

"Could I also be seconded to serve as a branch store manager?"

My cousin's mood instantly soared, and she regained her enthusiasm.

"of course."

Li Xiao stated earnestly, "As long as you have the ability, you will have opportunities."

"Where's the assistant store manager?"

My cousin's eyes lit up: "Do I have a chance too?"

"That's not up to me to decide."

Li Xiao frowned, just about to brush it off, when the company door creaked open from the outside.

"Sister Lei wants to be the assistant store manager?"

Wang Fan entered with a head of blond hair, his peach blossom eyes flashing with a playful glint.

"hiss."

My cousin was taken aback by him and forgot all her resentment: "When did you dye your hair? It's so eye-catching!"

"Did you just dye it this morning? Does it look good?"

Wang Fan flipped his hair in a smug manner, looking quite pleased with himself.

"You're like this."

My cousin offered a candid assessment: "You really can't tell he's the owner of a renovation company; he looks just like a street thug."

"Hahaha."

Wang Fan smiled contentedly, not taking her words to heart at all: "Who says that the boss of a decoration company has to be dressed in a suit and tie, looking like an old scholar? I like to be unconventional and different from them; that's called being trendy."

"Trendy my foot!"

His cousin was used to joking and teasing him, so she casually retorted.

"Cough cough."

Li Xiao's expression changed slightly, and she coughed twice, sounding somewhat dissatisfied.

"It's ok"

Wang Fan didn't take it to heart and instead spoke up for his cousin: "Sister Lei is just treating me like family, that's why she's so casual. I like Sister Lei's personality, she's straightforward and doesn't have many ulterior motives."

"Humph."

His cousin couldn't stand his pretentious act and snorted, "All talk and no action, what's the use of just talking nicely? Show some sincerity."

"Didn't Sister Lei just say she wanted to be the assistant store manager?"

A glint of light flashed in Wang Fan's peach blossom eyes, and he extended an olive branch, following her thoughts: "Sure, that's exactly why I came. Brother Xiao is new and not familiar with the company's business, so he needs Sister Lei's strong support."

"Are you serious?"

Happiness came too suddenly. My cousin rubbed her ears, wondering if she was hallucinating.

"More real than gold."

Wang Fan remained as carefree and irresponsible as ever, making it hard not to believe him.

"Xi Yu, did I hear that right?"

Faced with the real boss, my cousin chose to believe Lin Xiyu.

"No."

Lin Xiyu proved to be trustworthy, giving the answer she most wanted to hear: "I heard it too. He said my cousin is capable of being the assistant store manager."

"Great."

My cousin was overjoyed: "I got promoted and became the assistant store manager. When my mom finds out, she'll be so shocked her eyes will pop out. Her daughter is born to do business. The richest kid in our family has to be me."

"Yeah, I think so too."

Lin Xiyu nodded in agreement enthusiastically.

"Brother Xiao, let me take you for a walk around the job market."

Ignored by the two sisters, Wang Fan touched his nose helplessly and found a way to back down: "Let's finalize the hiring as soon as possible."

"it is good."

Li Xiao was also a shrewd person; she could tell that his relationship with the two sisters was unusual, but she wisely didn't ask any more questions.

The two walked out of the gate one after the other, and a moment later the sound of a motorcycle starting up and roaring could be heard from outside the window.

"Ha, that kid Wang Fan."

My cousin peeked out and teased, "It's time to get a new car. Riding a motorcycle around all day like a street thug, it's embarrassing to have a boss like that."

"This is probably what he'll look like for the rest of his life."

Lin Xiyu shrugged helplessly as she recalled Wang Fan's misdeeds throughout his three years of high school.

"Xiyu, actually I think you're a bit prejudiced against Wang Fan." Her cousin turned around and glanced at her, hesitant to speak, wanting to tell her the truth about why Wang Fan had specially bought the house for them to rent.

"Do I have a prejudice against him?"

Lin Xiyu was visibly taken aback when her cousin spoke up for Wang Fan.

"Wang Fan may seem a bit unreliable on the surface, but he's actually quite good."

Her cousin offered her some advice: "Like last time, he was very attentive in helping our family find a place to live. The area around Qinglong Back Street has seen exorbitant rents due to the demolition of the old city. We spent a long time looking around before we found a suitable place. The rent was only 100 yuan a month, which was like getting it for free."

"Gu Bin also said that Wang Fan handled this matter quite well."

Lin Xiyu didn't think much of it and smiled in agreement: "The rented house is very close to the one my mom bought, so it will be convenient for us to live here in the future."

It's more than just close!

My cousin muttered to herself, "The house that my second aunt bought was actually transferred by him; it was originally meant for you to live in."

"Sis, you don't actually have feelings for Wang Fan, do you?"

Seeing her cousin constantly speaking up for Wang Fan, Lin Xiyu's mind raced, and she had a wild idea: "He's your boss, and he usually takes good care of you. You wouldn't be interested in him because of that, would you?"

Why would I have feelings for him?

My cousin laughed in exasperation and gave her a look that said, "If he really liked me, that would be great. Finding such a rich husband would allow me to achieve a leap in social class, escape poverty and become rich. I'd be laughing in my sleep."

"You didn't say that before."

Lin Xiyu became increasingly alarmed as she listened: "Didn't you dislike people younger than you? You said they were immature and didn't like taking care of your younger brother."

"Xi Yu, you've been blinded by Gu Bin."

My cousin sighed and rubbed her forehead: "He's all she can see, she can't see the good in other people."

"I do like Gu Bin, I admit it."

Lin Xiyu pretended not to understand her cousin's implied meaning and returned her a playful smile.

"Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore."

My cousin quietly lit a candle for Wang Fan, abandoning her gossipy thoughts: "I have to go to work now, making money is the priority."

"go Go."

Seeing her cousin regain her energy, Lin Xiyu was genuinely happy for her: "That's the real you, the most capable person in our family. From now on, the happiness of our whole family depends on you."

"no problem."

My cousin is full of enthusiasm: "When I have money, I'll buy each of you a house by Daming Lake."

"Wow."

Lin Xiyu cheered enthusiastically: "Sister is awesome! Sister is so powerful! You will be the richest woman in Jinan in the future!"

"Hahaha."

My cousin was delighted to hear this, and with an air of nonchalance, she walked out the door in high spirits.

-

Seeing that her cousin had left and no business was coming in, Lin Xiyu sat down at the coffee table by herself, picked up a calculator, and happily calculated her little savings.

She worked at a decoration company during this period and earned a lot of commissions, roughly totaling more than 3,000 yuan.

She planned to take the money to Shanghai as tuition.

The mother wants a divorce. It's not easy for her to raise her son alone, and she doesn't want to add any more burden to the family.

Being able to spend money you earned yourself sounds pretty good.

Since dating Gu Bin, her luck seems to have turned around, and her family's living conditions have improved considerably.

That's truly a case of "she snagged a rich husband"!

-

"What are you laughing at? You're secretly enjoying yourself by yourself. I've been standing outside the window for ages, and you didn't even see me."

A soft laugh came from outside the window, startling her heart.

"Mengmeng, it's you."

Seeing that it was Wu Meng, she patted her still-shaken heart and gave her a sweet smile: "Come on in, why are you standing outside the window? Aren't you afraid of the sun?"

"I was coming back from the new campus of Shandong University and just happened to be passing by."

Wu Meng, still on her bicycle, spoke to her through the window: "I thought you were working here, so I came to see you. I didn't expect to see someone so infatuated in broad daylight. Who were you thinking about, smiling so lewdly, like you were having a wet dream?"

"It must be you."

Lin Xiyu was used to joking and teasing her, so she retorted without thinking, "Who else could I possibly think of besides you?"

"very scary."

Wu Meng pretended to feel nauseous and shook her arm: "Please stop thinking about me. I'll have nightmares if I'm being haunted by a lovesick girl."

"Showing off."

Lin Xiyu laughed in exasperation: "You're getting all worked up just because I said you're fat. Do you think I'd actually miss you?"

I also think you wouldn't.

Wu Meng laughed and joked, "The person you were thinking of just now definitely wasn't me."

What were you doing at the new campus of Shandong University?

Lin Xiyu didn't want to be dragged into this, so she changed the subject.

"I went to deliver clothes to my mom."

Wu Meng didn't hide anything, and changed the subject, saying, "Guess who I saw on the Shandong University campus just now?"

"Who is it?"

Looking at her gossipy expression, Lin Xiyu had a bad feeling.

"Your cousin."

Sure enough, the next second, Wu Meng gave the answer she least wanted to hear.

"My cousin went to the new campus of Shandong University? Are you sure you're not mistaken? She should be busy doing business at the newly developed real estate project right now."

"How could I mistake your cousin?"

Wu Meng rolled her eyes: "That must be some really bad eyesight. You're really underestimating people."

"What's my cousin doing there?"

Lin Xiyu's expression changed slightly.

"I don't know that."

Wu Meng smiled mysteriously: "But I saw her with a boy, and they were talking quite intimately. Their relationship is probably more than just friendship."

"Boys?"

Lin Xiyu's heart pounded: "What does it look like? Did you see it clearly?"

"It was a bit far away, I couldn't see it clearly."

Wu Meng was a little annoyed: "But judging from his appearance, he should be quite handsome. He's not very tall, a bit thin, and wearing a white shirt and blue pants. He's the type that young girls like."

"hiss."

Lin Xiyu gasped, feeling a slight toothache.

Judging from Wu Meng's description, she could guess who that person was without even having to guess.

My cousin's high school classmate, the one whose family was very poor and whose life was very difficult.

His cousin had been secretly helping him out, spending all her living expenses on that person.

"How are you?"

Seeing that her expression had suddenly changed and her face had turned deathly pale, Wu Meng was a little confused: "She was fine just now, why did her complexion suddenly turn so bad? Are you sick?"

"I'm fine"

Lin Xiyu covered up the truth for her cousin and didn't tell her the truth.

"Is it because of your cousin's classmate?"

Wu Meng and she had been classmates for three years and were close friends. How could she be easily fooled by her? "Their families don't approve of their relationship?"

"Cough cough."

Lin Xiyu didn't expect Wu Meng to be so good at gossip; she got close to the truth in just a few words.