Chapter 32: An Xiu Xiu Looks for Work

In the morning, sunlight streamed through the window and into the room. The woman on the bed was holding a sleeping baby in her arms.

Jiang Banyue opened her eyes, gently rubbing her forehead with her fingers. She felt dizzy, and her face hurt. She was sure that her face was swollen from being hit.

She regretted inviting Xu Jingjing into the store because of the incident where Xu pushed her nephew, which caused tension with her sister-in-law. Everything had been fine before, but after what happened yesterday, her relationship with her sister-in-law had completely soured, leaving her elder brother stuck in the middle, in an awkward position.

“Sigh! This is so frustrating!”

Jiang Huaijin rubbed his eyes and sat up, a tuft of hair sticking up on his head.

“Mom, your face is swollen. Does it hurt?”

“Baby!” Jiang Banyue reached out and pulled the baby into her arms.

“Don’t worry, baby. Mommy is much better now, it doesn’t hurt.”

“Really? Mommy, you’re lying. Your face is all swollen.”

Jiang Huaijin looked at his mom with his big, clear eyes.

Jiang Banyue, unusually lazy, cuddled her son back into bed, not wanting to get up. A soft “humph, humph” sound came from the bed as Erbao and Sanbao opened their eyes, sat up holding the rails of the bed, and reached out their hands. They blinked their innocent, large eyes, looking at Mommy on the big bed and sweetly asking for attention.

“Mommy, hug me!”

Jiang Banyue sat up and hugged both little ones, placing them on the big bed. She still felt dizzy and was too lazy to move. Instead, she took out three bottles filled with milk powder from the space and let them lie on the bed to drink.

The four of them stayed in bed, eating, and sleeping, sleeping, and eating. After spending a few hours upstairs, Jiang Banyue felt much better. Finally, she carried the three baby’s downstairs, opened the shop door, and started selling cakes to earn some money.

Outside, many people were gathered, looking at something. Jiang Banyue walked over, curious, and saw a chubby, fair-skinned girl lying on the ground. The girl raised her chubby hand and pouted her lips in a pitiful way.

“I’m so hungry! Who can give me something to eat? I will serve them like a slave for the rest of my life!”

Jiang Banyue couldn’t help but laugh. The girl was so cute, chubby, and fair-skinned, looking like the lucky children from a traditional Chinese New Year painting. Jiang Banyue went back to the shop, grabbed a piece of cake, and squatted down to offer it to the girl.

“Here, has a piece of cake!”

An Xiuxiu stared at the delicious cake, gulped hard, and put her hands together in front of Jiang Banyue, bowing.

“Great benefactor, you are truly a kind person! I haven’t eaten for three days, I’m so hungry, I’ve even lost weight!”

“Eat quickly!”

Jiang Banyue held out the cake again, and An Xiuxiu grabbed it, devouring it hungrily. Before long, the cake was gone, and she even licked her chubby hands.

“This is the best cake I’ve ever eaten in my life!”

An Xiuxiu knelt on the ground and bowed to Jiang Banyue. Jiang Banyue was startled and hurriedly helped her up.

“What are you doing? Get up!”

An Xiuxiu stood up, patting her chest dramatically.

“From now on, you are my lifesaver! I will serve you like a slave for the rest of my life. If you tell me to go east, I’ll never go west!”

Jiang Banyue looked at the girl amusedly, wondering if this girl had watched too many martial arts dramas.

“You’re exaggerating. It’s just a piece of cake, after all.”

“Wrong!”

An Xiuxiu waved her chubby hand, her expression serious as she said:

“This is not just a piece of cake; this is a lifesaving cake given by my benefactor! This cake has extended my life and elevated my soul, it’s simply a life-saving cake!”

Jiang Banyue covered her mouth and laughed. Where did this girl come from? She’s too cute!

An Xiuxiu followed Jiang Banyue back to the shop. As she looked at the shelves full of cakes, she took a deep sniff. It smelled so good, and she could hardly resist. She lifted her chubby hand to cover her nose tightly. As long as she didn’t smell the sweet aroma, she wouldn’t feel hungry.

The two nannies, seeing the girl covering her nose as soon as she entered the house, couldn’t help but laugh. Jiang Banyue turned around, curious.

“What are you covering your nose for?”

An Xiuxiu mumbled, “The cakes are too sweet, I can’t resist the temptation, so covering my nose helps!”

Jiang Banyue chuckled. Was this girl here just to be funny?

“What’s your name?”

“My name is An Xiuxiu. I came out to work after leaving home.”

After her divorce, An Xiuxiu returned home, where her parents still cared for her. However, her sister-in-law didn’t like her and kept nagging her. Her mother fought with her sister-in-law on her behalf, and not wanting to cause trouble for her mom, An Xiuxiu packed her things and left to find work. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find a job, and someone secretly took the money she had, leaving her broke. She was so hungry that she almost had to fight a dog for food.

Jiang Banyue nodded, understanding. After what had happened with Xu Jingjing, she didn’t dare hire anyone else at her shop. An Xiuxiu thanked Jiang Banyue and turned to leave, still needing to find a job. No job meant no money, and no money meant starving. Oh, she was in such a bad situation.

On this street, many shop owners ran their own businesses. She asked from one to the next until she entered a restaurant. The restaurant owner was looking for a waitress, offering food and accommodation. An Xiuxiu’s heart fluttered, and she was so eager to apply for the position.

The boss looked at the chubby girl and twitched his mouth. A waitress this chubby? She’d probably eat a lot. He didn’t want his restaurant to go bankrupt.

An Xiuxiu, afraid the boss wouldn’t hire her, raised her chubby arm, clenched her fist, and said,

“Boss, I’m very capable!” I’m also very good at eating!

The boss was tempted. Who wouldn’t want a capable employee? But this girl seemed more suited to be a mascot. She was plump and looked like someone with good luck.

“Alright, you can stay. Just to be clear, I’ll only cover your food and accommodation. I’ll pay you two dollars a month, and that’s all!”

“Okay!” An Xiuxiu was easily satisfied. As long as she had food and a place to stay, she wouldn’t  be picky.