My Terrible Life in Those Years

I know it's a bit taboo to say this directly to Miss Panpan in front of Aunt Shu.

But I only have three days left.

Excluding the daytime, there are only two and a half days left.

This is the timeline that Uncle Ye and I agreed upon.

Hong Panpan was overjoyed: "So, you're going to lose your job tonight?"

I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but I couldn't.

Aunt Shu and Zhou Tong chuckled.

"What are you so happy about? I lost my job, do you need to be this happy? Believe me or not, I'll make you eat charcoal next time!" I really didn't take her for some big reporter.

I guess she wouldn't want to be treated like a big shot.

Little Zhou Tong never expected that I would be so polite to Reporter Hong.

She looked utterly shocked. If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, she probably would have exclaimed in amazement to me long ago.

Who is Hong Daji? Leaving aside the big shot behind her, just look at herself, a columnist for a top-tier newspaper. She can easily make you suffer with a few words. Good heavens, you, Jiang Xiaoge, actually act like you don't care about anything when you're with her.

Are you sure this is okay?

Aunt Shu didn't respond for the moment, but slowly drank her drink while listening to our conversation.

Seeing that I was getting a little angry, Hong Panpan was overjoyed and downed half a beer in one go.

"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. Tell me, what's going on inside?"

"A trick?? What trick? You've already pocketed all that profit."

Hong Panpan laughed again.

"I gave you a pole, and you're still trying to climb it? If you don't tell me, I'm leaving."

I don't believe your nonsense. I don't believe that a senior reporter like you would be uninterested in a potential news story.

I slowly ate the rest of my food, drank a few sips of wine, and ignored her for a long time.

Hong Panpan was at her wit's end. She snatched the plate from my hand: "Are you going to tell me or not? If you don't, you're not eating!"

I think the heat is about right, but it doesn't seem like a good idea to make her irritated.

I later realized that the company would need her help quite a bit.

"This little stall is run by two siblings. Their father passed away, and their mother is seriously ill. They rely on this stall to make a living. If the stall closes down, they'll be in big trouble!"

My strategy was to be subtle and not directly mention the renovation. Otherwise, it was hard to say how Aunt Shu would react.

I suggested this to Miss Panpan because I wanted to get a starting point from her.

Hong Panpan almost slammed the plate down on my face.

"Hey, do you have to make such a big deal out of this? Are you looking for a beating?"

"Is this a small matter? Think about it, if they had no livelihood, no source of income, and a seriously ill mother, what if they did something rash and caused a social uproar?"

Seeing my self-righteous attitude, Miss Panpan's smile faded: "As far as I know, you've only been in Huacheng for a few days. You're just doing temporary work here. Where did this sympathy come from? What's your relationship with the boss?"

Aunt Shu also raised her face and looked at me.

In this situation, Xiao Zhou Tong would not make a sound.

I was just focused on slowly sipping my drink. As for what she was thinking, I didn't care anymore.

What I need to worry about now is the reactions of Hong Daji and Aunt Shu.

At this moment, Hong Panpan stopped joking around with me and regained her composure, showing that she wasn't so easily fooled.

I paused for a moment, picked up the bottle, took a sip, and then another, until the bottle was empty.

He put down the wine bottle and said, "You know, I've only been in Huacheng for less than two weeks."

"However, if I hadn't met Mr. Shu... Mr. Shu's kindness... if I hadn't received help from the two siblings who own this small business, I might still be destitute on the streets, or doing illegal things like those people who stole my money."

"You know what? The little boss helped me rent a house the first time we met, and it was below market price, and he didn't even ask me for a deposit."

The "little boss" here refers to Wan Ning, of course.

They listened quietly as I recounted my experiences from the previous week.

"Do you know what that feels like? Being all alone, having your meager savings stolen twice, almost going hungry—do you understand?"

My face was quite calm, but the lifelessness in my tone, coupled with my low voice, made their thoughts follow my every move.

"Look at that barbecue uncle, he's been working here for a long time. That day, he looked at the other end of the street and saw many people moving things, and there was despair in his eyes."

"I think this little shop might not just be a matter of livelihood for a few people; perhaps, it also represents their hope for the future!"

At this point, I realize I've been quite sentimental. If I were to apply to a film academy or something, I should be able to get past the third hurdle, right?

Miss Panpan interrupted directly: "That little boss, isn't she a pretty girl?"

I was shocked.

I'm telling a tragic story, what kind of thought process is this? Can't you have a little sympathy?

Suddenly, all six eyes of the three beautiful women were fixed on me at the same time!

This Hong Daji, with her extremely keen insight, made me feel that I should have just served her some baijiu (Chinese liquor).

I thought for a moment and said, "I think it's alright!"

Wan Ning is absolutely capable! She's not just capable, she's incredibly capable!

Hong Panpan stopped laughing: "What? Jiang, you pretty boy, trying to be a hero and save the damsel in distress? You're up to no good!"

After saying that, he chuckled.

"The thing is, what does your heroism in rescuing a damsel in distress have to do with us???"

you do not say.

That's the point; you're not here to save us!

The three beautiful women nodded in unison, a rare occurrence.

"Don't you have any compassion at all?" I retorted.

"At most, we'll just pack the stall up a bit and make it more organized. We might make a little less money here, but we still have you, right? I've heard you've become famous overnight, a shining star employee. Supporting a small boss shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Holy crap, what's going on here?

You've gone off on a tangent!

This method doesn't seem to be working.

Let's try another one.

"Did you see Uncle Ye? Yesterday, I overheard him saying that if the village insists on demolishing this place, he's thinking of fighting someone to the death. This is no small matter. You know, people who are usually quiet can be ruthless when they're really determined. Can you imagine such a social incident happening?"

Hong Panpan looked at Uncle Ye carefully and nodded.

"This middle-aged man does seem like that kind of person. But you don't seem like you can't handle him."

"How can we manage? That's all the space inside. How many tables can we fit? We don't even have enough money for food."

Hong Panpan waved her hand dismissively: "Get to the point!"

I was speechless for a while: "I heard this village is rife with corruption, and this operation is a huge violation! Aren't you interested in digging up a story?"

That's when Miss Hong's interest was truly piqued!

His eyes widened in surprise.