My Terrible Life in Those Years

I stared at the documents, feeling dizzy, until I got off work.

How strange, no one else or anyone from the sales department has assigned me any work?

Aunt Shu came out once during that time, but she didn't even glance at me.

But I saw her back as she headed to the restroom. She had changed into a casual, light-colored outfit that covered her figure.

This sudden shift from a professional to a casual style still left me speechless.

The middle-aged woman suddenly turned into a young girl?

If you told me she had just graduated from university, I think I could believe it!

Finally, it was time to leave work. From the moment I left the company, to the moment I boarded the bus, and on my way back to my rented apartment, I was still counting in my head how many zeros were after that one!

You know, this is the first time in my life I've ever heard of earning so much money, even though I haven't received it yet!

I ate something quickly, took a nap, and tried to recover my strength and energy to prepare for the night shift.

Although I have a kind of drunken illusion that I'm about to become a white-collar worker, I'm not going to give up the few dozen yuan I could immediately earn from the night shift.

The number of zeros, though somewhat abstract, is not as tangible as the money I can get my hands on immediately, in my mind and in my habits.

I leave home promptly at 7:30. I like to arrive three to five minutes early for every agreed-upon time. I don't like the feeling of rushing, and I especially dislike being late.

Especially in front of Kang Ning, the boss who always looked at me with displeasure.

As soon as Xiao Luo saw me approaching from afar, he immediately went into the store, washed his hands, collected his wages, and left.

Seeing that he looked very unhappy with me, I didn't bother to greet him.

Who knows how long he or I will stay here? Why should I go and get close to someone who's inexplicably hostile towards me? You're so spoiled!

I wouldn't even bother flattering the boss of Corning, let alone someone who's practically a stranger to me, not even a colleague!

Let alone you, Luo, even if it were Aunt Shu, the person who holds my current destiny in her hands, the person who has the ability to put me into a mid-to-high-level job, I would still talk about her and use her as a pillow.

I went inside to greet the young owner of the Kangning stall first, then immediately returned to my stall and lit a cigarette for Uncle Ye.

"Uncle Ye, hasn't Wan Ning arrived yet?"

It's still early, and there aren't many customers yet, so I took the opportunity to chat with Uncle Ye for a bit.

Uncle Ye glanced at me and said, "What's wrong, kid? You've got your eye on that girl?"

I was shocked. What happened? Was it that obvious? Did he see through me?

"I wouldn't say I'm worried about her, but she's been kind to me, so I'll ask her a few more questions." I calmly helped Uncle Ye organize the various dishes, placing the items from the freezer one by one into baskets. Everything had to be prepared in advance, otherwise we wouldn't be able to keep up when there were more customers.

Uncle Ye's face, which was blackened by the charcoal fire, suddenly smiled.

"Young man Jiang, Wan Ning is indeed a good girl. The fact that you've taken a liking to her shows you have some taste. However..."

I knew it; whenever there's a word like "however," it's bound to mean something bad is coming.

"Wan Ning is a girl from the village. According to their customs here, I don't think she'll ever marry someone from outside the village." Uncle Ye suddenly started talking to me about this today for some reason.

Why is that?

"If someone marries out, their villager status automatically disappears, and they'll no longer receive the village's annual dividends. So, basically, marrying someone from outside the village is a disadvantageous move, unless their spouse is also a villager. If their partner is from another village, the village elders will never agree to it!"

"Dividends? These villagers get dividends too? Why? How much?"

I remember that our brigade used to give each family some fruits and vegetables every year. They weren't worth much money. Is it really that serious?

"I can't say for sure, but last year in their village, the men earned 100,000 a year and the women earned 30,000 a year! It's not fixed, and it's estimated that it will increase year by year."

I gasped in shock.

100,000 a year? 30,000 a year? Are you kidding me? What kind of village is this? It's just a bunch of dilapidated rental houses. Where did they get so much money?

With current prices, 100,000 yuan a year is enough to live off someone else and win without even having to work!

"Why do they get so much in dividends? And why is there such a big difference between the man and the woman?"

"See those shops on the outermost ring of this village? They're all village properties. And to the north, there are all high-rise hotels and upscale shops. Their annual income from rent alone is in the hundreds of millions. Do you think they only make money by renting out their own small houses?"

Uncle Ye gave me a disdainful look.

I was shocked!

"As for why there is such a big difference between men and women, it's all due to tradition. Men have inheritance rights, but women, no matter where they marry, have no inheritance rights. Even if they marry into their own village, they only have the right to share in the profits."

"Don't be shocked, hurry up and help me divide the dishes, there will be more customers soon."

I've finally managed to rebuild my understanding of this dilapidated village.

The question is, why is Uncle Ye telling me all this today?

Did he think I was going to pursue Wan Ning? And then he gave me a heads-up?

At that moment, I looked up at the counter inside the glass door, and there was the young boss, Corning, watching our conversation.

"Uncle Ye, what you're saying today isn't what you wanted to tell me, is it?" I cut straight to the point.

Uncle Ye was amused.

"You're quite the clever one. You figured it out?"

He quickly placed the items the customer had just ordered onto the rack one by one and started baking them.

"How could someone as quiet and introverted as you suddenly spout such profound道理 (principles/truths)? Did the junior boss tell you to say it?"

I was a little annoyed. Last night, what happened between me and Little Ponytail probably made him angry or anxious.

I was afraid that my little sister might accidentally be fooled by this pretty boy!

To be honest, I don't really have that thought in my mind right now. We've only known each other for two days, okay?

However, she has a kind heart and is quite good-looking. Getting to know her better and making a good friend would actually be a good idea.

However, this little boss Kang Ning, who seems to be inviting trouble, even sent Uncle Ye to warn me, a poor kid from out of town. What does that mean?

Should I be self-aware enough to keep my distance from Wan Ning?

Are you kidding me? Do you think I'm the kind of person who goes with the flow?

My favorite thing is going against the current!

I raised my voice and said to Uncle Ye, "It's just a 30,000 yuan dividend a year, just a villager's quota, what's the big deal? If a man could earn her 300,000 yuan a year, do you think she would still consider it a bad marriage?"

I know that the young boss of Corning heard and saw it, but right now he can only look unhappy on the face, without any way to deal with me.

Uncle Ye gave me a thumbs up: "You've got potential, I'm rooting for you!"

Just then, Uncle Ye and I saw Wan Ning arrive at the stall. She must have heard what we said.