Chapter 24: Internship

Chen Jin held a new form with the room numbers of 20 apartments listed vertically and the months from August to December arranged horizontally. The empty boxes in the middle were for tenants who had paid rent to sign.

After collecting rent from one household, she had them sign the form.

Collecting rent like this each month was quite a hassle, but asking them to pay three months’ rent at once felt burdensome for the tenants. For now, she decided to stick with this method.

Her uncle had recently bought a house that was being prepared for transfer to share among his three children, but the house was still being rented out. Both her second and third uncles had their properties rented out too. Chen Jin wondered if she should discuss with them the possibility of hiring someone specifically to handle the monthly rent collection.

Or she could learn from Chen Wenzhen and find a trustworthy person to act as a manager, responsible for collecting rent and handling any property issues.

However, it was challenging to find someone reliable; it had to be someone she trusted.

Actually, Tian Miao would be very suitable, but she preferred running a small grocery store and was now working at a newly opened supermarket in West District.

As she thought about how to make rent collection easier in the future, Chen Jin quickly drove to beautiful Community. To avoid not finding anyone, she specifically chose to come out at eight in the evening, accompanied by her third uncle.

Collecting rent went very smoothly; the tenants paid and signed, and Chen Jin’s small bag quickly filled up. She came out of Building 4 and was about to head back to Building 2 to wait for her third uncle by the car when someone called out to her.

Chen Jin turned around, and oh! It was Aunt Kexin?!

If it weren’t for her distinctive facial features, Chen Jin might not have recognized Jiang Kexin, who had been busy with fish ponds and didn’t have time to dress up!

Now, Jiang Kexin had her long brown hair down, wore delicate makeup, high heels, and a fitted white silk dress that swayed gently with her steps. She looked like a fashionable new woman!

The admiration in Chen Jin’s eyes made Jiang Kexin happy. Sure enough, the village’s smart girl had good taste!

“Aunt Kexin, you look so beautiful!” Chen Jin exclaimed. It really was a shame that she had to suffer after marrying Chen Wensong. But now, it was not too late for her to dress up. Just look at how well Aunt Kexin was doing now—she had a whole building to rent out! That meant thousands in rental income every month!

“Haha, you’re too flattering, Sanmei,” Jiang Kexin laughed. “Where are you living now? I should invite you to try out my sister’s hair salon sometime; my hair was done there, and I guarantee you’ll get a beautiful hairstyle!”

Chen Jin was a bit interested but thought it might be too ostentatious. She didn’t comment on whether it was good or bad, but she exchanged phone numbers with Jiang Kexin and mentioned that she would be living near the South University West Gate in the future.

“Is the housing there expensive? I also want to buy a place for our Chen Yue. She’s in her senior year now, and based on her grades, she could aim for Nanda,” Jiang Kexin said, a bit troubled. “Lately, because her father and I have been on bad terms, her mood hasn’t been great.”

Chen Jin replied, “It’s a lot of pressure for seniors; weekends and holidays, take her out to relax. As parents, you shouldn’t ask her about her grades too much; it only adds to her stress.”

“Okay, thank you so much, Sanmei. When Chen Yue has a break, if you’re free, let’s go out together. You’re about the same age; you should have plenty to talk about. I’d like you to help me guide Chen Yue a bit.”

The adults’ issues had escalated to this point, and Chen Wensong and his family didn’t care at all about how the uproar would affect Chen Yue. They heard that the mistress was pregnant and had gone to the hospital for an examination, which revealed it was a boy. Now, Chen Wensong was remarried.

Chen Jin readily agreed, “Let Chen Yue contact me next time. I’ll also get my brother and sister together; we can arrange to go out for dinner and watch a movie.”

“Sure, I’ll reach out then.” Jiang Kexin saw Chen Jin’s third uncle coming downstairs, nodded at him, and smiled at Chen Jin. “I came to collect rent and need to head back. Let’s chat when we have time.”

“Goodbye, Aunt Kexin.”

As Chen Jin’s third uncle approached, he noticed Jiang Kexin leaving on her motorcycle. “How did you end up chatting with her?”

“Oh, she said to let Chen Yue come find me when she has time, so we talked a bit more.” They had grown up together in the same village, so there was nothing strange about keeping in touch.

“She’s changed quite a bit since her divorce.”

Chen Jin laughed, “Who wouldn’t change when they have a building in beauiful Community to rent out?”

“That’s true.” Hearing her say that, Chen Jin’s third uncle found it very reasonable. Did he feel pity for her because she got divorced? In reality, she didn’t have to endure her in-laws’ pressures, nor tolerate a cheating husband. She got custody of her daughter and acquired a building. Talk about a winner in life!

Once the National Day holiday was over, Chen Jin called the village chief, Chen Guangman, to set up a time to meet him for a certification.

Chen Guangman was quite accommodating; when she brought fruit over, he had already prepared the certification for her.

“Didn’t your uncle take you along when he bought land in the suburban district of Xicheng?” Chen Wenzheng lived across the street. When he heard that Chen Jin had arrived, he walked over to take a look. He had previously heard that Chen Jin was moving her household registration to Qiaoxi Village and could acquire quite a bit of homestead land, which made him uneasy. Could it be that Chen Wensong had heard some news again?

Previously, he thought that Chen Wensong had some ability but not much. However, after seeing that the land he obtained was much more substantial than his, he began to wonder if Chen Wensong had really connected with someone influential.

“No, I don’t want to get involved in my uncle’s business. I don’t know much about real estate; it’s better to earn money steadily.” Building two apartments in the village for rent would be fine, but the scale was too large for her to handle.

Chen Guangman admired Chen Jin and asked if she planned to work at a unit or a company.

“I want to stay at the school as a counselor, but I’m not sure if I can pass the exam; there are quite a few competitors.”

Chen Guangman smiled, “Staying at the school is a good choice; it’s a respectable job.” After all, Chen Jin was currently the wealthiest girl in Qiaodong Village. If she could find a job she liked that was stable and respectable, her life would be much smoother.

Speaking of wealth, Chen Guangman was even more satisfied with Chen Jin. Just look at her; she had as much money and real estate as anyone else, but her mindset was more stable than others. She spent money when needed but didn’t show off; she was diligently sticking to her plan of finding a job.

So many people get a Xiao money and float away!

“Come visit us more often; Hanyin Garden and Rose Garden are close by. Oh, your third uncle also bought a house in Rose Garden, right?”

“Yes, but he and the others have been busy looking at commercial spaces, wanting to open a store and find something to do. He said he would come over to visit when he’s done.”

“Haha, tell him I welcome him to come often. Several families in our village have bought houses in Rose Garden, so we can get together more in the future.”

Chen Jin nodded in agreement.

Indeed, several families from Qiaodong Village had bought houses in Rose Garden. Besides her third uncle, the village chief and his two sons, there were also Chen Sangong and Chen Sanpo, along with their son Chen Wenxing’s family, Uncle Chen’s family, and the old party secretary with his two sons.

That’s right, Chen Wensong ended up buying a house in Rose Garden. He couldn’t get the villa, but he followed Chen Wenzheng and bought a piece of land to prepare for building apartments.

Rose Garden was indeed lively. Unfortunately, she had bought a house in Hanyin Garden, so it wouldn’t be as convenient to catch up on gossip.

Chen Jin drove her uncle and Lawyer Mo to Qiaoxi Village again, picking up the village chief, Liu Mantang, then headed to the suburban police station in South District. Chen Wenhao took them to handle the paperwork, and soon, Chen Jin’s new household registration and new ID card were processed.

She hadn’t been registered in Qiaoxi Village when she was born. Now, after more than twenty years, she had finally returned to having her household registration in Qiaoxi Village.

Her uncle patted her shoulder, “Don’t think too much.” Cautiously glancing back to see no one was following, he whispered, “It doesn’t matter where your household registration is; what counts is getting the benefits. Your mom will just praise you for being smart when she sees this.”

Chen Jin laughed, “That’s right! What’s in a name? The real thing is the benefits. Don’t worry, Uncle; I’m well aware of what I’m doing.”

With the household registration issue settled, she made another trip to Qiaoxi Village that same day. Chen Jin signed the homestead land transfer agreement with the village chief, the village party secretary, and the accountant, instantly gaining an additional four hundred square meters of homestead land under her name.

Look at that! If she hadn’t consulted Lawyer Mo, these people could easily have used the law to reclaim her land in the future if any issues arose, and she wouldn’t have had a solid case.

Looking again, aside from the 100 square meters assigned to her by the village, the remaining 300 square meters were transferred from these three individuals.

Hah, they say there’s no more homestead land in Qiaoxi Village, but in reality, much of it is in certain people’s hands. In the past, the management of homestead land in the village wasn’t very strict; each village had its own internal rules. Now, however, various regulations have become more standardized, making it harder to distribute large plots of homestead land.

Chen Jin purchased the 400 square meters of homestead land, but she would only use the 100 square meters allocated to her for building a house. The remaining 300 square meters would be used to build four apartments for her three uncles and aunt.

Aunt refused to get involved, thinking it was unnecessary to build land in the village to collect rent. She believed it was better to invest in other things where the profits would be stronger than renting out properties. The uncles didn’t press the issue further; they had already done their best, and if the cow wouldn’t drink water, they couldn’t force its head down.

The younger aunt couldn’t come up with the money, but the third uncle and his wife said the money could be considered a loan to her. The younger aunt thought this was a good idea since the houses wouldn’t be in her name, saving her from having to argue with the Zhang family in the future.

Finally, there was some progress with the demolition in Mutang Village. The houses and contracted land belonging to her father-in-law’s family were finally going to be torn down, and they would receive money for it in due time. Although the younger aunt had relaxed her stance and was willing to consider a divorce, the Zhang family might not give her a fair share. After some hesitation, she decided to postpone the divorce for now.

The elders are gradually sharing their matters with the younger generation, concerned that they might not know anything at all. The uncle said that if they don’t know anything, they won’t be able to handle things in the future.

Now that the land use rights were secured, the subsequent construction of the buildings was left to the uncle to arrange. Chen Jin became a hands-off manager.

“Here, as promised, thirty thousand yuan. I’m a person of my word,” Chen Jin said, handing the thirty thousand yuan in cash to her grandfather.

Old man Liu didn’t count the money; he simply stuffed it into his pocket. Boss Liu’s eyes went wide; he truly didn’t expect that Chen Jin, having obtained the land in the village, would give her grandfather thirty thousand yuan as a referral fee. He could have made money from this too!

“Are you going to have dinner at home before heading back? I’ll tell your grandma to make two dishes you like.”

“No need, I have plans with friends. I’m leaving now.”

Chen Jin felt that staying at home every day was boring. Her thesis was starting to take shape, and she planned to ask Lin Xinran if the internship at Cheng’s Group they discussed last time was still available.

Although she had plenty of money now, sitting at home every day could lead to boredom. Money could eventually run out, but the skills one learned wouldn’t disappear. So, she decided to give the internship a try!

Students from the Chinese Department have a wide range of job opportunities upon graduation. If they rely on the school’s job placement, they might not end up with a good position. It’s not like the 1980s anymore, when university students were a scarce resource and large organizations fought to recruit them. But now, it’s hard to say.

Take Chen Jin, for example; her household registration is still in the countryside, so she might be assigned to an ordinary school in the suburban areas of the southern district or a school in a nearby county. To secure a good job, one must rely on both ability and connections.

Of course, if one doesn’t strive for a big organization and seeks employment in outside enterprises, finding a job isn’t difficult, but the salary and benefits might not be great. After all, clerical workers are not technical personnel, and the salaries they earn are usually fixed.

She still wants to give it a try; she thinks working as an office clerk in a company wouldn’t be too bad.

Lin Xinran received a pager message and called Chen Jin back. When Chen Jin mentioned wanting to do an internship, Lin Xinran immediately agreed. Since Chen Jin was free, she also wanted to invite her out to watch a movie and go shopping.

Now that she had secured her quota for graduate school, confirming that she would continue her studies at her current university, her dad gave her two thousand yuan as a reward. In November, she was going to start her internship, and she needed to buy a few outfits to wear to work.

“In that case, I’ll buy two outfits as well,” Chen Jin said, asking for Lin Xinran’s address. “I’ll come pick you up.”

Lin Xinran agreed, thinking that when Chen Jin said “pick you up,” she meant she would meet her at Lin Xinran’s home.

After she finished tidying up, her mom shouted from downstairs that her classmate Chen Jin had arrived.

“Chen Jin, you’re here so quickly! I…” Lin Xinran looked down from the balcony and was surprised to see Chen Jin standing next to a white sedan, waving at her. No wonder she arrived so fast; her family had driven her over.

But when she came down, she noticed there was no one else in the car. “Did you drive here yourself? When did you get your driver’s license? That’s so fast!”

“I took the test in August when I had some free time.”

“Aren’t you busy at home in August?”

“I was quite busy in July, but August was fine.”

“This car is nice; is it from your relatives?”

Once they got into the car, Chen Jin explained, “The car is mine. Our village was demolished, so…” Wait, what?! Demolished?!

Lin Xinran went from shock to envy, feeling as if her own family had been demolished. “Wow! You’re so good at hiding things! Demolition? You must have struck it rich!”

“Just a Xiao bit.” Chen Jin laughed and, after Lin Xinran calmed down, continued, “So today, I’m treating you, so don’t argue with me about it. Thanks for helping me find an internship.”

“Then I’ll choose an expensive restaurant!”

“No problem.”

Lin Xinran didn’t quite understand what Chen Jin meant by “her family was demolished.” She didn’t recognize the car Chen Jin was driving, but the restaurant they were eating at was a bit pricey. However, she could afford it if she tightened her belt. When they bought clothes, Chen Jin picked brands that were similar to hers and didn’t buy anything overly expensive.

When she got home that night, her mom asked what her classmate’s family did, and she replied that her classmate’s family was undergoing demolition.

Lin’s father casually asked, “Demolition? Which village is your classmate from?”

“Qiaodong Village in the southern district. Her family has an orchard, so they should get quite a bit from the demolition.”

Lin’s father almost choked. “Qiaodong Village? Isn’t that the village where every family gets at least a million from the demolition? Your classmate is said to be living alone, so what’s her wealth…? Looking at how clueless my daughter is about it, it seems they’re keeping a low profile.”

“Your classmate seems pretty good; you should keep in touch more.”

“Of course! Chen Jin is my best friend in college. By the way, Dad, about the internship, can you keep an eye on it for me? Chen Jin and I have already agreed to go together.”

“No problem. We’ll report next Monday. Once you start working, it’s not the same as being in school; you’ll have to deal with the complexities of human relationships…”

“I know, I understand the theory. Isn’t this just about putting it into practice? I’ll figure it all out on my own.” Lin Xinran was impatient with her dad’s rambling. It was always the same advice—how to act when dining with leaders, how to hold your wine glass, etc. It was annoying!

Once the internship was confirmed, Chen Jin contacted Professor Jiang, made a trip to the school, and discussed some ideas she had about her thesis with him. She received a number of reference books and planned to borrow a batch of books from the library to read.

Professor Jiang said, “I heard from your counselor that you want to stay at the school as a counselor after graduation?”

He had been thinking that Chen Jin performed well academically and had a good attitude toward learning, so if she pursued a graduate degree, he would consider bringing her on. However, when the list of candidates for graduate school came out, he didn’t see Chen Jin’s name. Upon inquiring, he learned that she had decided to forgo further study and go straight into employment.

“Yes, but the college hasn’t started sending out notifications yet, so I don’t know what the requirements are for hiring counselors this year.”

“Hmm, make sure to prepare well when you get back, and don’t let your thesis fall behind.” Professor Jiang thought for a moment and added, “Prepare some backup options; if you can’t stay on campus as a counselor, you can do something else.”

“Okay, thank you, Professor.”

Professor Jiang looked up at her again. “Have you moved to the small villa now?”

Chen Jin was taken aback for a moment but quickly realized that the former owner of her small villa was Professor Shen, and it wouldn’t be surprising for Professor Jiang to know since they were close.

“It was just renovated last month, and I’ll move in after a while.”

“No wonder. The dean next door and Professor Song have praised you a lot. My house is in the third building on the far right; come over to my place when you have time.”

“Sure!”

It seemed that Professor Jiang not only had a good relationship with Professor Shen but also with the two teachers next door.

Recently, she had heard many invitations like “come over to my place when you have time”! But sometimes, it was really confusing whether she should go or not. There seemed to be no particular reason to visit, but since they mentioned it…

So, she was sometimes quite afraid of hearing some “serious” polite remarks. She could handle studying and exams, but when it came to deciphering the thoughts of strangers, she was really at a loss.

She could always say she was “busy” later.

Starting in November, Chen Jin began her internship journey.

The Cheng Group’s office building is located in the Dongcheng District and was once a landmark building in the area. Ten years have passed, and Rong City has developed rapidly, with skyscrapers rising, so the Cheng Group office building has become just another one among many.

The group’s business covers a wide range, with over a dozen subsidiaries under the Cheng Group, such as Cheng Technology Company, which will be moving to the technology park once it is developed.

On the first day of reporting, Chen Jin and Lin Xinran were assigned to follow the latest batch of new employees for training to understand the group’s culture and business.

The person responsible for guiding the two of them was An Lan, the team leader from the administrative department.

“After three days of training, you should have a general understanding of the group, right?”

Chen Jin and Lin Xinran both nodded.

The Cheng Group is involved in various industries, including real estate, hotels, technology, entertainment, and culture. Chen Jin and the new employees were astonished as they listened to the training. However, the two of them were just there to help out.

Starting tomorrow, they would begin learning how to use the printer, where to quickly restock toilet paper and paper cups in the office, how to set up the conference room…

To be honest, Chen Jin felt a bit disappointed. She had thought that being a clerk would just involve sitting at a desk and typing on a keyboard. Sigh, not everyone in the office had a computer. She had overestimated it.

“You two didn’t apply for dormitories? Are you both locals?”

“Yes, we’re both locals.”

“Is your commute far? If it’s too far, it would be more convenient to apply for a dormitory.”

“No, no, we can get home easily.” Chen Jin refused the idea of collective dorms a thousand times. She had just managed to escape the school dormitory and really didn’t want to live in an eight-person company dorm again.

Lin Xinran’s home wasn’t far; she could get to the bus station by walking a short distance after exiting the building. Moreover, this side of the old city had the provincial government and other government units, making it one of the safest areas.

As for Chen Jin, she drove back and forth every day. She planned to pack up the things she regularly used from Hanlin Garden over the weekend and take them to her small villa to officially move in.

Additionally, it was closer to the company from the small villa.

During the first two official working days, Chen Jin and Lin Xinran felt quite awkward, often not knowing what to do. An Lan was too busy to guide them, and the others in the office were busy with their own tasks, rarely asking them for help.

They clocked in and out on time every day, and after two awkward days, the first weekend after the internship was approaching.

“Isn’t it a bit too easy for us to earn this money?” Lin Xinran joked.

“Let’s cherish these days. I think it’s just that Sister Lan is too busy to pay attention to us; we won’t be able to be this relaxed for long.”

This weekend, Chen Jin packed her things, loaded them into the trunk of her car, and headed to her new home.

While driving on Wutong Road outside the West Gate, she saw a flower shop ahead, parked on the side of the road to buy two bouquets, and got two vases before proceeding into the residential area.

A car was parked in front of her neighbor’s house, different from last time, but this time both the yard gate and the front door were tightly closed.

“Xiao Chen is here! What did you buy this time?” Professor Song came out as he heard the car, and seeing it was indeed his Xiao neighbor, he greeted her.

Chen Jin first brought the vases and flowers inside. “I’m moving my luggage over this time; I’ll be living here long-term from now on.”

“That’s wonderful!” Professor Song clapped his hands and went back inside to call his housekeeper for help.

“No, no, I can move everything myself.”

The items Chen Jin brought weren’t too many; she hadn’t moved her winter clothes over yet, and the heaviest things were the books and materials she borrowed from the library. Her new home already had appliances and kitchenware. She just needed to spread out the sheets she brought, place the pillows and blankets, and the bedroom would be ready. She had prepared daily necessities early on, and at most, she would need to go out to buy some snacks and rice or flour, occasionally cooking a meal herself.

The fridge was still empty and needed to be filled; otherwise, it would be a waste of electricity.

After organizing everything, Chen Jin went out again to buy two large bags of food, finally stocking the fridge.

November in Rong City began to get cooler, but after a busy day, Chen Jin felt hot all over.

She called her three uncles to tell them about her move. This time, she didn’t plan to hold a housewarming party for the new home and just wanted to let them know so they wouldn’t go to Hanlin Garden looking for her.

“Xiao Chen, come over for dinner later.” Professor Song called from her yard, and Chen Jin stood up and responded. She quickly went upstairs to shower and change clothes, and after blowing her hair to about seventy percent dry, she went out.

Then, she had her first encounter with the neighbor next door at the gate.

In a hurried glance, Chen Jin didn’t have time to assess what the person looked like; the neighbor got into their car and left after taking a long step.

The neighbor seemed to have a bit of a bad temper.

“Xiao Chen, come over for dinner,” Professor Song called out.

“Oh, I’m coming.”

Chen Jin withdrew her gaze, shrugging nonchalantly. It was just a neighbor; whether their temper was good or bad had nothing to do with her.