Chapter 4: Cultivating Feelings

Song Chunhui had a simple reason for his change of mind: since he couldn’t revamp the business department, he might as well cultivate a subordinate of his own. He didn’t take the little incident at the hospital to heart. He couldn’t handle the prickly sales reps, but surely he could manage a fresh graduate?

“Xiao Li, you can sit here,” Song Chunhui said, tapping his knuckles on the empty desk. “Go to the warehouse and get yourself a laptop. Don’t forget to turn it on and test it.”

As soon as Li Huan got close, he caught a whiff of the cheap hair gel on Song Chunhui’s head, a sickly sweet smell that made the greasy hair even more nauseating. He discreetly stepped back a bit, eyeing the workstation closest to the manager’s office. It was like a VIP seat chosen by the homeroom teacher, and he couldn’t help but wonder if this four-eyed guy was taking revenge on him because of Cheng Yao. So he asked proactively, “Manager, do I still need to go out and run business?”

Song Chunhui replied, “Isn’t that obvious? If you don’t run business, are you going to live on air?”

Li Huan: “…”

Seeing the intern standing there honestly, with a naive look of someone who doesn’t know the world, Song Chunhui recalled his own early days in the workplace and softened his tone appropriately, “But you can just follow me. I’ll personally guide you.”

Li Huan hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

With a pile of work in hand, Song Chunhui checked his watch. There was still time before lunch, so he instructed Li Huan not to wander around and to come back quickly after getting the computer.

Li Huan’s gaze swept over the shiny Rolex on Song Chunhui’s right wrist, which oddly matched the cheap suit he was wearing.

“Wait a minute,” Song Chunhui said, looking Li Huan up and down from his overly casual work jacket to his sneakers, and commented on his outfit, “I wanted to mention earlier, are you wearing those ripped jeans to look cool? Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”

“…” Li Huan was visibly stunned.

Apart from his dad, no one had ever dared to criticize him like this.

Song Chunhui, a bit displeased, said earnestly, “When you come to work, you should look the part. Your image represents the company’s image. Go buy a couple of suits, got it? And comb your hair, like me, it looks more spirited.”

“…” Li Huan’s eyebrow twitched slightly. He suddenly felt like giving this four-eyed guy a good slap. With that greasy slicked-back hair and those heavy black-framed glasses, he really couldn’t see where the spirit was.

He lowered his head, putting on a humble and teachable demeanor, “I just graduated and don’t have much social experience. Thank you for the reminder, Manager.”

A teachable young man. Song Chunhui was increasingly satisfied with Li Huan and waved his hand, “Go on, Xiao Zhang from the warehouse should have shown you around. When you come back, I have some things to explain to you.”

Li Huan let the words go in one ear and out the other, not taking Song Chunhui’s words to heart at all.

Once the intern left, Song Chunhui returned to his office, worrying about performance as usual. He picked up the calendar given by a supplier and couldn’t help but reminisce about the past. Although being a lackey was frustrating, the perks were real. When Ma Jianguo ate meat, he could at least drink the soup. Now, he couldn’t even drink the soup, let alone the air.

The unsold drugs in the warehouse needed to be dealt with quickly. He had to visit two hospitals in the afternoon. In the past, Song Chunhui wouldn’t even look at small orders that were like mosquito meat, but now he was afraid he couldn’t even secure those small orders and had to grovel to the hospital’s procurement department head.

However, after years in the workplace, “nodding and bowing” had become a reflex for Song Chunhui. To make money, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

But with so many worries, he often got headaches. There was no one to share the workload with him, and he lacked someone to talk to about his feelings. When it got serious, he had to rely on medication to relieve it.

Luckily, a little assistant had arrived.

Just as Song Chunhui felt he could catch a breath, his phone on the desk rang, displaying “Debt Collector.” His face instantly darkened, and he put it on silent mode without answering. But the calls kept coming one after another.

He reluctantly got up, opened the office door, and confirmed that no sales reps had returned before answering the call, starting with, “Uncle, my money doesn’t grow on trees. This is the last time I’m answering your call.”

“Our Chunhui has made it big now, huh? Making money and turning your back on your uncle, forgetting who raised you and paid for your education. You’re the only college graduate from the village.”

Song Chunhui clenched his phone tightly, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. He gritted his teeth and endured the same old words he’d heard countless times, saying, “Let’s settle it once and for all today. Don’t ask me for money again.”

“How can we settle it? I took care of your parents’ funeral. Who else in the village would do that? I took you in out of pity. Without me, you would’ve starved to death. I even sent you to school. Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?”

Song Chunhui firmly believed that knowledge could change his fate, but it couldn’t change his poor and humble background.

The memories of eating spoiled food in his childhood clung to him like a bone, and the sour and rotten taste seemed to linger on his tongue, making his stomach spasm at the thought.

“Xiao Hu is getting married. You should buy him a house in town and a car worth ten thousand.”

The voice on the other end was from Song Chunhui’s nominal adoptive father. Every time before answering the call, Song Chunhui mentally prepared himself, thinking the other party might ask for two hundred thousand, which was his financial limit. But he didn’t expect the other party to demand a house and a car for his son’s wedding.

“I can’t come up with that much money,” he refused.

“Don’t think I don’t know. You can make a lot from your job. Work for a few months, and you can buy a house in town. Xiao Hu said you drive a Mercedes, which costs tens of thousands, right?”

“If working for a few months could buy a house, that would be illegal.” Song Chunhui didn’t want to explain further. Unable to bear it any longer, he suddenly laughed, “Alright, Uncle, I’m Xiao Hu’s big brother after all. Let’s follow the order of seniority. I’ll get married first, then I’ll help him.”

“When will you get married with your problem? You’re almost 31 and still don’t have a partner.”

His male dignity was severely wounded, and Song Chunhui was furious. He immediately hung up the call, citing work as an excuse. No one would get another penny from him unless he was dead.

The office returned to silence.

Song Chunhui couldn’t calm down. After a while, he looked out at the barren land outside the window to comfort himself. Next year, when the house is ready, he can move his household registration out of the company. He’ll be a Jiangcheng resident, have his own home, and work hard. Even if he can’t change his social class in this lifetime, he won’t let the next generation suffer like he did.

He decided to change his afternoon work plan and continued analyzing the sales data reports from the first half of the year for the business department. It was a good opportunity to teach the little assistant how to make reports.

The previous business manager, who was fired, was also a slippery old fox. The data on the computer was a mess, and there were several hidden porn videos. It took Song Chunhui more than half a month to sort out the data and understand all the business.

Once he got into work, Song Chunhui lost track of time. It wasn’t until his stomach growled that he realized it was almost two o’clock.

He took off his glasses and rubbed his temples, slowly remembering that he had a little assistant. Considering lunch and a break, he should have been back by now.

When he picked up his phone, he realized he hadn’t asked the little assistant for his phone number, so he couldn’t contact him for the time being. He decided to wait and see, as eating was more important.

The branch office didn’t have a cafeteria, and meals weren’t provided. The break room next to the business department had a fridge and a microwave. To save money, Song Chunhui often brought his own meals, which also helped him maintain the image of a good man who could cook. It was convenient for a quick lunch.

After filling his stomach and washing his lunchbox with the company’s water and detergent, he still didn’t see the little assistant. The entire business department was empty.

Meanwhile, Li Huan was near the nearest shopping center to the company, looking at cars outside a dealership.

Zhang Cong didn’t know Li Huan’s position was an assistant and pointed to the most expensive electric scooter, saying, “This one has a long range, but it’s a bit pricey. But since we’re always out, sometimes a hundred kilometers isn’t enough.”

Li Huan had never ridden an electric scooter. After Zhang Cong’s introduction, he only remembered that the one with the long range could reach Beicheng. The small county under Ancheng was close to Beicheng, so he could visit his cousin on weekends.

“I’ll take this one,” he said.

“Wow, you’re really decisive when buying things,” Zhang Cong couldn’t help but look up to Li Huan, who even used the latest iPhone. His family must be wealthy.

Li Huan had always been generous with money. To him, money was just a string of numbers.

As long as he behaved and got good grades, he had plenty of pocket money. For twenty-two years, he had played the role of the obedient child in his parents’ eyes. Unfortunately, this year he was tired of acting and wanted to be himself.

When the boss quoted a price of seven thousand, Li Huan was thrown into disarray, feeling terrible. Zhang Cong was still actively helping him haggle, and they finally settled on six thousand eight hundred. The boss reluctantly took out the payment code and said, “It’s not easy for you young people to make a living,” making Li Huan want to disappear on the spot.

Zhang Cong said, “Boss, can you throw in a lock? I’ll introduce more business to you next time.”

Boss: “I can’t. I’m already selling this at a loss.”

“…” Such a poor scene, Li Huan was seriously uncomfortable. He turned to Zhang Cong and asked, “Do you have any money? Can you pay for me first? I’ll transfer it to you later.”

Unexpectedly, Zhang Cong refused outright, “I didn’t bring any money either. I only have a few dozen in WeChat. How about we come back after work? You don’t need to go out on your first day.”

Li Huan: “…”

“Awkwardness” was the welcome gift society gave Li Huan, teaching him a solid lesson.

If he had the habit of saving money, he wouldn’t have been embarrassed over a few thousand yuan for a cheap item, getting white-eyed by the boss.

When Li Huan, carrying a bulging woven bag and holding large and small packages, looking like a migrant worker, finally returned to the staff dormitory on Zhang Cong’s broken electric scooter, he ran into his supervisor checking on him.

“Damn, that annoying guy is checking on us. I can’t stand seeing him,” Zhang Cong braked urgently and pushed Li Huan off, “I’m out of here.”

Li Huan was speechless. Seeing the four-eyed guy raise his wrist to show off that golden Rolex again, he was even more speechless.

This place was full of oddballs, like a ragtag theater troupe. If they weren’t spitting while talking, they were gossiping. Now there was someone pretending to be rich.

He stepped forward and explained, “Manager, I wanted to get into work mode quickly, so I went to buy a suit. Zhang Cong showed me the way.”

“Do you know what time it is?” Song Chunhui said with a stern face, tapping his watch with his finger, “I told you to get a computer at 11, and now it’s 5:30. The warehouse is about to close. Does it take over six hours to buy something? On your first day, you’ve already learned to slack off. Can you still do this job?”

When Song Chunhui scolded people, his voice unconsciously got louder, a habit he developed after being transferred to Ancheng. His loud voice spread around, penetrating, afraid that the little assistant wouldn’t listen and would treat him like the other sales reps.

“Did you hear what I said?”

Not knowing if anyone was back in the dormitory, Li Huan had never been so embarrassed. At home, he had no choice but to be scolded because Li Yunxian was his biological father. But what was this four-eyed guy in front of him?

He pondered whether to give the guy a good slap.

Seeing the little assistant silent, still a bit naive fresh out of school, Song Chunhui kept his composure and advised kindly, “General Manager Liu asked me to train you well. With your work attitude, you won’t achieve anything in any company. Wrong is wrong, don’t make excuses.” Then he added, “I’ll let it go this time, but don’t let it happen again.”

Strictly speaking, Li Huan wasn’t slacking off. He planned to return to the company after shopping, but Zhang Cong wanted to play games at an internet cafe on the way back. Without a means of transportation, Li Huan couldn’t return, and he didn’t know where to buy a suit, so he decided to relax and pay a “temporary driver” to play for two hours.

He spent a little money to understand the business department better. Zhang Cong was nosy and loved eavesdropping. He was curious about everything, even about Li Huan’s dad’s secretary, so he couldn’t resist gossiping about the medical reps.

Li Huan found out that Song Chunhui was indeed kicked out of the headquarters for sexual harassment of a female colleague and offending the procurement department’s raw materials manager, Ma. It was a promotion in name only, meant to force him to leave, but Song Chunhui was too thick-skinned. Knowing he wasn’t welcome at the branch either, he just wouldn’t leave, venting his grievances by wielding his authority.

Zhang Cong, having enjoyed his game, told Li Huan on the way back that after the previous manager was fired, the best-performing sales rep was supposed to be promoted. His family had connections and had already arranged it, but then a new manager was parachuted in.

After saying so much, Zhang Cong tried to recruit Li Huan, suggesting they unite and ignore the annoying guy. They could just muddle through their performance, claiming to be out on business when asked. Song Chunhui had no way to deal with it, and in two months, he’d have to leave.

This four-eyed guy had been here for a month without achieving anything. Li Huan thought he could endure for another month.

He suppressed his anger, still putting on a humble and teachable demeanor, and squeezed out five words through gritted teeth, “I’m sorry, Manager.”

Since the little assistant was honest and sincere, Song Chunhui didn’t pursue it further and reminded, “In the future, if you need to go out during work hours, report to me. Don’t leave your post without my approval.”

“I understand.” The woven bag’s handle was cutting into his arm, and Li Huan feared he’d lose control if he endured another second, “Can I go now, Manager?”

“Wait, give me your phone number so I can save it.” Song Chunhui took out his phone and entered the number, not noticing the little assistant’s dark expression. After saving it, he opened WeChat to search for friends, “Accept my WeChat request later for easier communication.”

Having been given a hard time, with more work to do later, Li Huan was so frustrated he wanted to hit someone.

He carried his large and small packages up the stairs, hearing footsteps that weren’t his own. Turning around, he saw the four-eyed guy following him.

Not understanding what it meant, he feigned ignorance and asked, “Manager, are you staying in the dormitory too?”

Winter was approaching in a few days, and the sky darkened quickly, with the wind stronger than during the day. Song Chunhui was purely drawn by the youthful figure, reminiscent of his own past, carrying large and small bags, step by step out of a poor mountain village.

Back then, no one taught him, and he had to figure everything out on his own.

“Xiao Li, you have to work hard.”

“…” Li Huan was baffled, the footsteps still following him.

Song Chunhui had never raised a lackey, but he understood the principle of “a stick and a date.” After all, his former boss, Ma Jianguo, always treated him that way.

He couldn’t afford to give monetary rewards, but verbal concern was easy.

So when he saw Li Huan struggling with chores, Song Chunhui immediately took on the role of an experienced mentor, teaching the little assistant how to tidy up the room, make the bed, and clean the glass, occasionally sharing his work insights and life lessons.

His good intentions, however, appeared to the little assistant as an annoying chatterbox with no sense of boundaries, his fatherly advice more nauseating than his greasy hair.

“Such a big guy can’t even do chores properly. Being able to do chores is a hallmark of a good man, you know?” Song Chunhui could tell Li Huan was a pampered child, using such an expensive phone, a bit vain.

Of course, he himself was also vain, so he couldn’t criticize others.

“The dormitory has a kitchen. Learn to cook too. Away from home, you have to rely on yourself.”

Already irritated by the chores, Li Huan’s fists were clenched tight. Watching the “live dad” sitting on the chair he had cleaned, pointing fingers, he not only wanted to hit Song Chunhui but also wished to pour the dirty water from the plastic bucket into his mouth.

This damn four-eyed guy, his face was really big.

“Manager, it’s dark outside. Aren’t you going home?” Li Huan issued the third eviction order. If Song Chunhui didn’t get it, he wouldn’t be polite.

Going back meant being alone, and Song Chunhui found the rented place too quiet, usually choosing to work overtime at the company, saving on electricity bills.

As for why he wasn’t in a hurry to leave, firstly, he had to take the little assistant to the hospital tomorrow, meaning lunch would be outside, so he didn’t need to buy groceries tonight.

Secondly, it was an opportunity to cultivate a master-servant relationship with his little lackey, preventing Li Huan from being led astray by the prickly sales reps, slacking off every day.

“I’ll leave once you finish mopping the floor.”

“…” Li Huan looked at the almost finished concrete floor and held back.

As the sky darkened, Song Chunhui got up, briefly explained the work hours and the next day’s work plan to Li Huan, and as he was about to leave, he remembered something and turned back to ask the little assistant. The weathered wooden door slammed shut in his face, leaving a layer of choking dust.

Finally, he was gone. Li Huan sat down, lit a cigarette, and after a few puffs, heard the security guard’s voice outside, the one who spat in the morning.

The broken door had poor sound insulation, so he put on his headphones, turned on the music, and smoked while listening, questioning his life: was he still Li Yunxian’s son?

*

The next day, the last autumn rain fell in Ancheng.

The drizzle carried a chill, and when the wind blew, the coldness hit people’s faces.

Song Chunhui rushed to his car in the rain, shivering before starting it. The company was about ten minutes away from his rented place. When he arrived, he wanted a sip of hot tea, but his thermos was empty.

And it was already eight o’clock, yet the entire business department was empty, and his little assistant was nowhere to be seen, just like yesterday.

This little brat.