Chapter 49: Paying Aunt Zhao’s Wages

Because of the nature of her work, as a divorce office clerk, she had to encourage reconciliation rather than separation. After stamping the papers, she added, “No matter what happens, if the man knows he’s in the wrong, you should lower your head too. Otherwise, life after divorce will be tough! You still have to eat and dress, and all that costs money!”

Xie Yunshu tilted her head and said, “Sister, what if the man spends his whole salary on another woman outside? Should I still lower my head?”

What? The man is keeping a mistress? The sister’s expression changed, and she found no more words to persuade.

Xie Yunshu received the divorce referral letter, her smile brightening. She pointed to her bicycle parked outside, eyes shining with confidence and joy: “Sister, see? I sell boxed lunches, and I make a lot of money every day!”

After saying that, she briskly walked out of the office, the ringing of her bicycle bells fading away.

Most women who came here for divorce wore sorrowful and hopeless faces. This lively and energetic girl was a first! The sister shook her head and chuckled — how much money could selling boxed lunches make? Young girls really were easily satisfied.

She looked down at the form she just recorded. The man’s name was Lu Zhixing, and his workplace was Haicheng First People’s Hospital. She frowned slightly; the name sounded familiar. Doctors were supposed to be intellectuals, so why was he keeping a woman outside?

What a hypocrite!

After leaving the office, Xie Yunshu rode her bike to the vegetable market again. She had already bought vegetables for tomorrow but had just gotten a big order, so it definitely wasn’t enough. Also, the standard price was one yuan per meal; she couldn’t cook large communal meals like before, or she wouldn’t make money long-term.

After thinking it over, she bought 10 jin (about 5 kg) of mung bean sprouts, 5 jin of tofu skin, 10 jin of green peppers, 8 jin of pork, and finally 10 jin of eggs.

No need to buy rice — there was plenty at home!

By the time she returned to the apartment block, it was already past 5 pm. She was sweating and heavily laden, shouting loudly, “Mom, come help me carry this stuff!”

Aunt Liu, washing vegetables downstairs, peeked out in surprise and hurried over to help. “Yunshu, what are you doing?”

Xie Yunshu slung a large woven bag over her shoulder before parking her bike. “Cooking meals. The project department at the construction site asked me to deliver boxed lunches, so I just bought some groceries.”

“Project department? Those are important people, and they want you to deliver meals?”

Aunt Liu widened her eyes and looked at all the stuff on the bike. “How many people are eating? You bought so many vegetables and meat? Yunshu, you’ve never done business before — selling meals needs at least a 50% profit, otherwise it’s losing money!”

At this moment, Li Fenlan came out of the house. Seeing this, she quickly took the vegetables and meat from Aunt Liu, looking worried. “How much did all this cost?”

Weren’t you going to negotiate a business deal? Why come back buying so much meat? There’s still 5 jin of meat at home!

Xie Yunshu was all smiles, quite proud. “The project department has 32 people eating. One yuan per person is the standard price. I have to do a good job — this is a long-term deal!”

The two women carried the groceries inside, leaving Aunt Liu calculating in her head.

How much? How many people did Yunshu say were eating?

One yuan each, but if counting profit as 50 cents, that’s 16 yuan a day! Even if the profit is only 40 cents, that’s still 12 yuan a day! Wait, Yunshu still does big communal meals separately?

So how much does she make a day? 13, 15?

Aunt Liu wandered dizzily toward the water room, too stunned to think more. It was unbelievable — how could that be possible?

Actually, Xie Yunshu had already done the math on the way. She earned a total of 13.40 yuan, plus the cost of rice and cooking seasonings, making meals for 32 people at around 17 yuan total.

No 50-cent profit, but a steady 15 yuan a day was enough to satisfy her.

However, cooking was becoming a big problem. Their home had only a small balcony and two pots. Cooking for nearly 40 people was not easy, and fetching water was a hassle.

Li Fenlan came up with an idea: “Let’s tidy up the main living room and buy two more pots and two stoves — that way we’ll have more space.”

The apartment had two rooms. If one room was turned into a kitchen, all three of them would squeeze into the other room — they wouldn’t sleep or live well. Making money was to live better; if it made life harder, what was the point?

Xie Yunshu pursed her lips. “Mom, how about we move?”

Move?

Li Fenlan was startled and quickly refused: “No way! Where would we move to? This is a house allocated by the packaging factory — we can live here for life!”

She knew her mother had a special attachment to this place. Their father worked at the packaging factory, got married here, and had the children here. Even though the place was dark and damp with hardly any sunlight, her mother didn’t want to leave.

Also, she had dreamed of the final fate of this apartment building: by the late 1990s, Haicheng’s rapid development meant many old houses were demolished, and relocation families received new homes and money. So this house was precious.

Xie Yunshu hugged Li Fenlan’s arm and half-pouted: “I just said maybe we can rent a place across the alley to cook, not that we have to move out! I still have my little bed here — I wouldn’t want to leave it!”

Li Fenlan pinched her daughter’s cheek: “You’ve only been in business a few days — hiring people, renting a place. Are you making money or losing money?”

Xie Yunshu suddenly remembered she needed to handle the cooking arrangement and dashed upstairs: “Oh, I forgot! I have to go see Aunt Zhao! I can’t handle everything myself, so I need to discuss if she can work full time.”

Full time? Then the wages would have to go up to one yuan, too?

Li Fenlan stood up hurriedly. “Hey, I can work too! Yunshu, since when do you hire long-term workers to sell boxed lunches?”

Xie Yunshu pressed her shoulder, telling her to sit down. “Mom, don’t worry. Once I make money, I’ll buy you new clothes!”

That girl — who’s the mom and who’s the kid? Using new clothes to coax her?

Li Fenlan sighed and sat down but smiled. It was good that her daughter hadn’t been defeated by a failed marriage.

Upstairs, Aunt Zhao had guests. As Xie Yunshu reached the second floor, she heard a woman’s sarcastic voice from Aunt Zhao’s house: “Sister-in-law, I’m just looking out for you. You’ve had three daughters who cost money, and they all have to go to school. Isn’t that going to exhaust your brother-in-law? Xiao Yun is 18 now — better to marry her off early to help the family. Supporting a university student is no joke — just the food costs over ten a month!”

Aunt Zhao snapped back sharply, “I’m happy to support my daughter’s education — what’s it to you? Get out, or I’ll chase you away with a broom!”

“Hey, don’t hit me! That man is the small team leader at the steel factory and older — Xiao Yun will be comfortable married to him!”

“Liu Xiulian, one more word and I’ll beat you!”

A woman in a patchwork cotton jacket, about 30 years old, came out of Aunt Zhao’s house, spat, and grumbled, “Five mouths to feed, only Zhao the Second earns money and supports a university student! I bet you’ll starve sooner or later!”

Passing by Xie Yunshu, she rolled her eyes, “What are you looking at? A bunch of poor ghosts!”