Chapter 66: The Pitiful Female Supporting Character from a Patriarchal Family in the 2000s (13)

Before Ai Xiaoling came to the hardware store, Mother Ye was the only one busy managing everything, single-handedly keeping the shop running.

She had waited for Ye Zhou to graduate and find a job, hoping he would come back to help out. But instead, he wanted to start a business and got scammed. Even after returning to deliver goods, he didn’t do the job properly. Now he hadn’t learned his lesson and wanted to start another business.

Fine. Let him start one. As long as he could earn a living outside and not get in her way, she didn’t care.

But now he wanted to take away her right-hand woman!

Mother Ye’s fierce glare made it look like she wanted to eat Ye Zhou alive. Ai Xiaoling was startled and quietly stepped behind the counter to reduce her presence.

Ye Zhou remained calm. “I’ve started a company with some people. We’re short on document controllers. She can learn a lot in there—”

“I don’t care if you started a corporation!” Mother Ye’s hand trembled as she pointed at him. “You’re deliberately trying to make my life difficult. What kind of lousy company is this? It’ll probably go under in a few days!”

She turned to Ai Xiaoling and tried to persuade her. “Xiaoling, listen to Aunt. A lot of small companies don’t last long. Especially one like his.”

But Ai Xiaoling looked as if she was witnessing the birth of a major corporation. Her eyes sparkled. “Aunt Ye, you have to believe in the little boss. He will definitely succeed in this venture!”

Make money, make money.

They were about to make big money.

She had had enough of this poor life. Ye Zhou had to take her along.

Mother Ye looked at Ai Xiaoling like that and felt a chill in her heart. Her lips quivered. “Xiaoling—”

Were they all going to abandon her?

Mother Ye had always taken good care of Ai Xiaoling and had even given her raises and bonuses. With her suddenly wanting to resign, Ai Xiaoling found it hard to speak.

But Ye Zhou was already prepared. He insisted on bringing Ai Xiaoling to the company because she was efficient and learned quickly. He couldn’t find anyone else like her. Mother Ye was about to say that she couldn’t either.

But Ye Zhou had already made arrangements. He found someone else with experience in the same field to replace her.

Mother Ye was so angry she ignored Ye Zhou for half a month. She cursed him several times and tearfully recounted her struggles to Ai Xiaoling, asking her to reconsider.

She even steeled her heart and told Ai Xiaoling, “His last startup failed before it even began!”

He’s not trustworthy, not trustworthy. Unlike her hardware store, which had been open for over ten years and was very stable.

Ye Zhou looked nervously at Ai Xiaoling when he heard that.

“Really?” Ai Xiaoling didn’t care at all. Instead, she spoke confidently with a smile. “This time, it will definitely succeed.”

That was nothing. As long as she followed Ye Zhou, she was bound to make big money.

Her ultimate goal was financial freedom.

Mother Ye: “?!”

Ye Zhou curled his lips into a smile and took Ai Xiaoling away more decisively. He had to keep her by his side. His mother was ruining her!

And just like that, Ai Xiaoling’s job changed.

From a cramped and stuffy hardware store to a spacious, bright, and cool office building.

Ye Zhou and a few others partnered to start a company. He also taught himself cost estimation and was preparing to get certified. Ai Xiaoling’s job was to handle documents, organize contracts, and deliver materials.

Sometimes she even helped with paperwork for permits.

They had clear divisions of labor. Everything related to documents was Ai Xiaoling’s responsibility. There were no meals or lodging included, but her base salary increased to 1500 yuan.

She usually took home around 2000 yuan per month.

The company wasn’t far from the hardware store. The new sales clerk didn’t live in the store, and Mother Ye, worried Ai Xiaoling would feel bad about spending money on rent and not live well, offered to let her keep staying in the shop.

After all, no one else lived there.

Ai Xiaoling insisted on paying rent. Mother Ye symbolically accepted 88 yuan—a lucky number.

Since she was still living at the hardware store, Ai Xiaoling could also catch a ride to and from work with Ye Zhou. During breaks from her documentation work, she often followed him out to construction sites. The two of them were “inseparable” and stuck together all the time.

He liked to take her with him wherever he went.

Ai Xiaoling was printing and binding a contract when Ye Zhou walked in and looked at her. “Come with me to Longhai Village. Bring a measuring tape and a notebook.”

“Mm-hmm.” Ai Xiaoling responded quickly and sped up her work. “Almost done. Wait for me.”

She swiftly finished processing the documents and placed them on the desk. She told the cost estimator, “The contract is bound. I left it here for you.”

The person looked up from the computer and teased, “The little tail is going out with Mr. Ye again?”

Everyone in the company knew that Ai Xiaoling was Ye Zhou’s little tail.

Every day she followed him around cheerfully with a smile.

“Yeah.” Ai Xiaoling didn’t hide it at all and even smiled very happily.

They didn’t understand.

Some shiny golden opportunities had to be held tightly.

As soon as the two of them left, the office immediately started talking:

“It’s so hot, Xiaoling still follows Mr. Ye outside to run around, really hard for her.”

“Hard? Xiaoling likes Ye Zhou. Being able to stay with the person she likes, what’s hard about that?”

“Right, you guys didn’t see her eyes. Every time Ye Zhou asks her to go out, her eyes light up. It’s that kind of joy when you see your loved one. Tsk tsk, you just don’t get it.”

“That’s really liking someone—so envious. But I wonder if Mr. Ye, that cold gourd, realizes it.”

…

The people in the office discussed it with great interest. Meanwhile, Ai Xiaoling was already sitting in Ye Zhou’s car.

The car was a bit old, but at least it could block the sun and rain.

She had just fastened her seatbelt when Ye Zhou handed her a hundred yuan.

Ai Xiaoling saw the hundred and couldn’t help but sparkle in her eyes. “Do I need to give you fifty back?”

“No need. Today’s task is a bit heavy. We have to go to three construction sites and probably won’t be back until evening. After we finish, I’ll take you out to eat.” Ye Zhou gave her the money and got ready to drive.

“No problem!” Ai Xiaoling nodded firmly, holding the money with a smile. “Thank you, Little Boss! I will definitely complete the task.”

Her coworkers who stayed late working probably didn’t know that every time she went out to a construction site with Ye Zhou, she got attendance pay.

And it was high!

Fifty yuan for half a day, one hundred yuan for a full day!

If she went to several sites in half a day, she could still get a hundred yuan, plus a meal!

Since Ye Zhou started his business, his status had changed, and he always took Ai Xiaoling out to restaurants.

Last month, Ai Xiaoling earned eighteen hundred yuan from the company, six hundred eighty from side jobs, and Ye Zhou gave her attendance pay of seventeen hundred yuan. That was almost half a year’s worth before, and she could have big meals every day.

Some waiters only earned six or seven hundred yuan and worked very hard. Ai Xiaofen managed a supermarket that opened from morning to night. After costs, the monthly net profit was just over two thousand yuan. Even so, Ai Xiaofen felt it was a lot and went to the supermarket to open the store no matter rain or shine, waking early and sleeping late.

Ai Xiaoling knew clearly that the money she was getting was definitely high pay, and this was just the beginning.

When they arrived at their destination, Ye Zhou parked the car and reminded Ai Xiaoling, “Wear your hat. It’s a bit sunny.”

“Okay.” Ai Xiaoling thought he was really considerate. That was the kind of boss she wanted.

A boss who treated employees like people and shared money.

Today’s task was not heavy — just measuring dimensions and recording requirements and data.

On the way back, Ye Zhou took Ai Xiaoling to a newly opened Northeastern cuisine restaurant.

A plate of twice-cooked pork, a plate of roasted chicken, plus pig stew and di san xian.^[1]a local vegetable dish

“What drink do you want?” Ye Zhou asked Ai Xiaoling.

“Juice!” She looked at the drinks and thought she could drink whatever she wanted now. She usually didn’t even dare to buy it.

When the dishes arrived, Ai Xiaoling couldn’t take her eyes off the table.

It smelled really good.

The two of them had a simple meal again.

After eating, when Ai Xiaoling got into the car, she was still holding her juice and carefully set aside the data she had measured today. “Can’t lose this. It’s very important.”

“If we lose it, we’ll just measure again.” Ye Zhou held the steering wheel.

After eating well and earning a hundred yuan, Ai Xiaoling also picked up a part-time job with documents on the way. Looking at Ye Zhou with “deep affection,” she drawled, “Little Boss—”

“Hm?”

She said in a lazy, emotional tone, “I hope I can always follow you and live a life of luxury and ease.”

Crunch—

Ye Zhou suddenly slammed on the brakes. His eyes flickered, and he awkwardly held the steering wheel.

“Is this person bad at driving?” Ai Xiaoling looked at the car that suddenly appeared ahead, her pretty brows furrowed tightly.

“It’s okay.” Ye Zhou tried to calm himself and slowly pressed the accelerator again.

His side glance couldn’t help but look at Ai Xiaoling, nervous and sweating all over.

His heart was pounding.

Was she hinting at him? But he hadn’t even thought about confessing yet.