Chapter 27 The only one in the compound

In the Gu family’s Western-style house, as soon as Gu Xiao and Song Youyou left, Old Madam Gu perked up and had Old Master Gu push her out the door.

“It’s almost mealtime. Where are we going?” Old Master Gu asked in a hurry.

“Going to chat with Wei Shufen.”

“To chat with Wei Shufen? You two start bickering the moment you meet—what is there to chat about?”

Old Madam Gu waved her hand. “Don’t bother asking. Women’s business—men shouldn’t stick their noses in.”

Old Master Gu: “…”

Wei Shufen also lived in the compound, so it didn’t take long to reach her house.

“Oh my, isn’t this Yingzi? I just saw you two rushing out in a panic. Something must’ve happened, right? And yet you still have time to wander around?” Wei Shufen’s greeting was full of gossipy probing.

“What do you mean ‘rushing out in a panic’? Tsk tsk, though you’re not wrong—I was picking up my granddaughter-in-law. Of course I had to hurry…” Old Madam Gu replied with a smile.

Wei Shufen froze. “Granddaughter-in-law? When did you get a granddaughter-in-law? Don’t tell me you’ve gone senile. Your grandson getting married? Please. So many matchmakers have tried to introduce girls to him, and he wouldn’t even meet them.”

At that, Old Madam Gu immediately looked smug. “Ah, see, you don’t know—my Xiao wouldn’t go see those matchmaker types because he could get a wife on his own. They even got the marriage certificate!”

“Oh my, and you haven’t even seen how wonderful my granddaughter-in-law is! When she saw I wasn’t feeling well, she was so concerned—she even gave me a massage… Here, and here. It felt so good! My old ailments were gone instantly!”

She beamed proudly as she gestured. Hmph, she and Wei Shufen had been competing since they were young. Back when Wei Shufen got a granddaughter-in-law, she had bragged for months. Now that she had one, of course she had to show off in return.

Wei Shufen, clearly seeing through her intentions, pursed her lips. “Heh, is it really as good as you say? ‘Magically cured old problems with a massage’? That sounds fake.”

Old Madam Gu just smiled even more brightly. “She really is that good! Beautiful, kind-hearted, sweet and soft—I’m so lucky!”

Hearing Old Madam Gu praise her granddaughter-in-law so highly, Wei Shufen rolled her eyes. “Speaking of beauty, my granddaughter-in-law is still the most stunning in the whole compound.”

Old Madam Gu waved dismissively. “That was before. Just wait until everyone sees mine—they’ll know what true beauty is.”

“Heh, Yingzi, you sure are good at self-promotion.”

“Who’s self-promoting? I’m just telling the truth. My granddaughter-in-law is so pretty she looks just like…”

“Like what? Can’t even finish your sentence?” Wei Shufen jumped in, trying to seize the moment.

Old Madam Gu didn’t respond, still trying to recall. She had felt right away that her granddaughter-in-law was gorgeous—and oddly familiar—but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember who she looked like…

Meanwhile, Song Youyou had no idea she was the center of gossip. After sending Gu Xiao off to his gathering point, she went straight home, only to find Wen Xiaorou waiting anxiously at her door.

“Youyou, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s all been handled.”

Song Youyou then explained everything that happened at the educated youth office in detail, which finally put Wen Xiaorou at ease.

“Damn that Song Baozhu—stealing everything from you and still trying to cause trouble!”

“It’s fine. I reported her. I’m not the soft pushover I used to be.”

“Mm, that’s great. It’s good to see you standing up for yourself. Makes your sister feel relieved.”

After Wen Xiaorou left, Song Youyou went about her routine: cooking, eating, and fully immersing herself in her translation work. For several days in a row, she stayed home translating manuscripts. When she needed a break, she watered the vegetables on her balcony—her life was peaceful and content.

That day, after finishing the remaining documents, she packed them up and headed to the Xinhua Bookstore.

She arrived just as the afternoon shift was starting. Surprisingly, she didn’t see Song Baozhu.

Ever since the report incident, every time she came in, Song Baozhu would glare at her with deep resentment. Suddenly not being stared at like that felt… a little strange.

“Youyou, you’re here! The general manager’s been waiting for you—go right in,” said the department head when she saw her.

Song Youyou nodded and headed straight to the general manager’s office.

“Mr. Lin,” she said, knocking on the door.

General Manager Lin, who had been buried in work, looked up—and his gloomy face instantly lit up with a smile.

“Ah, good girl, you’re finally here!”

“Yes, I’m here to submit the translated materials.” Song Youyou took out the neatly packed documents and placed them on the desk.

“These are from yesterday and today—about 30,000 words.”

“Great! Great, great! You’re practically a translation machine!” The manager’s eyes crinkled with joy at her productivity.

Song Youyou: “…”

“Here, this is your payment. The funds just came in today,” the general manager said, opening a drawer and handing her an envelope.

Song Youyou took it and peeked inside—it was a thick stack of large-denomination bills, maybe a dozen or twenty notes.

The manager explained, “This is your pay for the first three days—roughly 60,000 words total. You’re getting 183 yuan. As for the rest, it’ll come next week.”

“Understood,” she nodded. She knew review and payment processing took time. Honestly, getting paid this quickly was already ahead of schedule.

Seeing how calm and steady she was, Manager Lin nodded with approval. “And I have another piece of good news for you.”

“What is it?” Song Youyou asked calmly as she slipped the envelope into her shoulder bag.

“I’ve already submitted your application for Intermediate Translator status!”

“Intermediate Translator?” she repeated, stunned.

“Yes! Your translations are so accurate. As soon as you crossed the 200,000-word mark yesterday, I put in the application.”

“Thank you, sir,” Song Youyou replied happily.

This promotion had come way faster than in her previous life. More importantly, intermediate-level translators earned 5 yuan per 1,000 words—almost double the rate of junior translators!

With more money, her next plans could move forward much more smoothly.