Two women stood in front of the Yan family’s gate. The moment Xu Xiaoyue and the other three appeared, one of them hurried forward and spoke.  

“Director Liu, where have you all been so early in the morning? Manager Yan from the state-owned supermarket and I have been waiting at your door for quite a while now.”  

“Why were you waiting for us?”  

Liu Ye looked at the two of them, her face full of confusion.  

Beside her, Xu Xiaoyue suddenly slapped her forehead. After all the chaos caused by Hu Hongyan and her son, she had completely forgotten that she was supposed to start work at the state-owned supermarket today.

Before the woman could explain, Xu Xiaoyue stepped forward and said,

“Manager Yan, I’m truly sorry. Something came up this morning, and I ended up missing the time to report in.”

Liu Ye was surprised and said, “Don’t just stand at the door—come inside and sit first.”  

Zheng Jiaojiao, standing nearby, listened in bewilderment, her eyelids twitching incessantly.  

“Sister Xiaoyue, what’s this about reporting? How come I’ve never heard you mention it before?”  

Xu Xiaoyue briefly explained the situation.  

The woman who had been waiting at the door with Manager Yan looked Xu Xiaoyue up and down and praised, “Director Liu, is this the girl from the childhood marriage arrangement that Old Master Yan mentioned in his letter? She’s truly lovely.”  

“Such a pretty face—and even more impressive is her capability. She hasn’t been here long and already secured a job for herself. You’re truly blessed.”

Who wouldn’t be pleased to hear such flattering words? At that moment, Liu Ye felt incredibly proud.

Back then, when the neighbors in the compound heard that the Yan family had arranged a childhood engagement with a girl from the countryside, they gossiped endlessly behind closed doors.

But looking at her now—although she may be from the countryside, the girl Old Master Yan chose is in no way inferior to the city girls.

Zheng Jiaojiao sat nearby, listening to the praise heaped on Xu Xiaoyue. She bit her lower lip so hard it nearly bled, her face dark and her eyes fixed venomously on Xu Xiaoyue’s back. Jealousy surged wildly in her heart like untamed weeds.  

She steadied her breathing and pretended to say casually, “Sister Xiaoyue, you’re so lucky. The first time you went out, you happened to meet Manager Yan.”  

At these words, Manager Yan turned her gaze toward Zheng Jiaojiao.  

“And who is this?”  

Before Liu Ye could introduce her, Zheng Jiaojiao quickly stood up, her face full of fawning enthusiasm.  

“Manager Yan, my name is Zheng Jiaojiao. Like Sister Xiaoyue, I’m also from the countryside. I’m very hardworking—I can do any kind of work.”  

Xu Xiaoyue couldn’t help but sneer inwardly at these words.  

Before, Hu Hongyan had repeatedly emphasized their rural origins, yet Zheng Jiaojiao had never stepped forward to acknowledge it.  

Now, in front of Manager Yan, she was eagerly claiming to be from the countryside just like Xu Xiaoyue and boasting about herself. Where was all this enthusiasm before?  

Sure enough, Manager Yan showed some interest. “What kind of work can you do?”  

Zheng Jiaojiao glanced sideways at Xu Xiaoyue, wondering what exactly Manager Yan saw in her. After a moment’s thought, she said, “I can do things like sewing and needlework.”  

Manager Yan nodded but didn’t press further. Instead, she turned to Xu Xiaoyue and said,  

“Comrade Xu, as we agreed earlier, just bring your documents today, and you can start your job.”  

Xu Xiaoyue nodded in acknowledgment. She had already prepared all the necessary documents that day. She stood up and went straight upstairs to fetch them.  

As Xu Xiaoyue went upstairs, only Manager Yan, Liu Ye, and the others remained seated on the sofa. Zheng Jiaojiao lowered her head to adjust her clothes, then stood up and spoke.  

“Manager Yan, Sister Xiaoyue is new here and isn’t even familiar with the nearby roads. I’m worried she might struggle going to work alone.”  

“Actually, I think my qualifications are quite good too. When I visited last time, I really liked the atmosphere at the state-owned supermarket. If you’re hiring, maybe you could consider adding me as well?”  

As she spoke, she sidled up to Manager Yan, her fawning and ingratiating manner utterly nauseating.  

Liu Ye frowned slightly at Zheng Jiaojiao, thinking to herself that young girls really couldn’t contain their impulses. She quickly stepped in to smooth things over.  

“Both girls are quite ambitious and hardworking.”  

This was the first time Manager Yan had encountered such an assertive female comrade. She paused, thought for a moment, then said,  

“Being a salesclerk isn’t easy work. Are you sure you want to do this?”  

Seeing an opportunity, Zheng Jiaojiao immediately pressed her advantage, shamelessly declaring,  

“Manager Yan, I’ve made up my mind—I genuinely want to give it a try. I promise I’ll do even better than Sister Xiaoyue. Please give me a chance!”  

With things having reached this point, Manager Yan scrutinized Zheng Jiaojiao’s appearance. Though not as stunning as Xu Xiaoyue, she did seem honest and dependable.  

Tapping her fingers lightly on the table, Manager Yan finally said,  

“Fine, I’ll give you a chance. You’ll start as a trainee, just like Comrade Xu. Within a month, I’ll evaluate both of your performances.”  

“But there’s only one permanent position available. I hope you both make the most of this opportunity.”  

With Manager Yan’s words, the matter was settled.  

Zheng Jiaojiao’s face lit up with joy, her eyes darting as she schemed inwardly: *There’s only one permanent spot. If someone drops out midway, it’s as good as mine.*  

Xu Xiaoyue hadn’t expected that her brief trip upstairs would give Zheng Jiaojiao the perfect opening to undermine her.  

Logically, in the 1980s, a salesclerk position was highly coveted—a veritable “iron rice bowl.” Countless people would fight tooth and nail for such an opportunity, yet here was Manager Yan, generously making an exception not just for her, but for Zheng Jiaojiao as well.  

She wasn’t afraid of competing with Zheng Jiaojiao. What worried Xu Xiaoyue was how readily Manager Yan had agreed—there might be more to this than met the eye.  

…

The state-owned supermarket was unusually lively that day. The salesclerks, who usually lounged sleepily over the counters or chatted idly, were now all alert, their eyes fixed on the entrance.  

“What’s gotten into you all? Never seen you so energetic,” teased a nearby grain-and-rice salesclerk. Normally, the fabric and clothing clerks had the easiest jobs, but today was an exception.  

The clerks pursed their lips and glanced at the door, grumbling in dissatisfaction. “Don’t even ask.”  

“No idea what’s gotten into Manager Yan. Out of nowhere, she’s making us compete for our jobs.”  

“What do you mean?” one clerk asked, confused.  

“Exactly what it sounds like. The worst-performing employee gets ‘suspended for adjustment’—nicely worded sent home to ‘improve.’”  

The grain-and-rice clerks exchanged glances. This was the first time they’d heard of such a thing.

“Wouldn’t that leave a position open?”

“Not for long. Manager Yan’s already out recruiting. In a few days, she might just replace all of us.”  

No sooner had the words left her mouth than—speak of the devil—Manager Yan appeared.

A sharp-eyed clerk spotted the three people walking in through the door, and everyone immediately fell silent.