Chapter 31

“Ha? You just say ‘buy it’ like that. Let me ask you, what if no one buys it and next month’s sales don’t meet expectations? You’ve only been working for a few days and you’re shamelessly saying this, typical of a high school graduate…”

The editor-in-chief coughed to interrupt. It’s fine for people to argue about work matters, but when it turns into personal attacks, that’s a bit too much.

Jiang Rou was hired through connections. She was a young girl who had some influence with the boss. She wasn’t from a big background, but it wasn’t okay to make someone cry either.

“How about this, Qin Zhen, the two long stories you’re in charge of will continue.”

Qin Zhen glanced at Jiang Rou lightly, a smug look spilling from his eyes.

The editor-in-chief changed the topic: “As for Xiao Jiang’s… we’ll put it on hold for now. This month’s articles are already decided, so no changes. Next month, I’ll free up some space in the short stories section for you. Let’s publish one issue and see the response.”

The editor-in-chief smiled and said, “We should give the newcomer some trust. During this time, you should try to contact the original author, make any necessary edits, and ask about the upcoming content. Do a comprehensive evaluation.”

Jiang Rou excitedly stood up: “Okay, I’ll do it right away!”

She couldn’t focus on anything else, wanting to get back to work quickly.

Qin Zhen hurriedly said: “How can this be? She’s only been here for a short time and is still an intern!”

And he was in charge of the long story section. Now, with Jiang Rou coming in, didn’t that mean they were on equal footing?

The editor-in-chief leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples: “Forget it, calm down.”

He was getting worked up over such a young girl.

“When we recruited these fresh graduates, we were hoping to get a different perspective from theirs.”

Qin Zhen: “But that doesn’t mean we can let them do whatever they want!”

The editor-in-chief raised his eyes: “So, tell me, what’s wrong with the long story? Aside from the theme, what else is the problem? I’ve seen the serialized story. The art style is unique, the story is complete, and the entire creation is quite mature. Apart from the story itself, the quality is above average.”

“Right now, you have two ongoing serials, one is a Hong Kong comic you introduced, the other is a sports-oriented one you discovered. This new serial’s quality is not inferior to either.”

Qin Zhen said nothing.

Of course, he knew the serial was of good quality, but it was precisely because it was so good that he felt something was off.

It was just that Jiang Rou had picked up such a great opportunity just by reviewing the submissions.

He had never seen anything like this before.

For Qin Zhen, he knew that the underlying anger wasn’t anything else but jealousy.

Jealous of Jiang Rou’s luck, and more so of her youth.

The editor-in-chief waved his hand: “Alright, Jiang Rou will be in charge of this one. You go handle your work.”

The implication was clear: Jiang Rou wouldn’t be promoted to a full editor anytime soon. This opportunity was just for this one serialized work, and if it didn’t go well, she would return to her original position.

It was the editor-in-chief’s usual tactic of giving a slap and then offering a sweet date, but Qin Zhen didn’t feel happy about it.

From the half-open office door, he could see Jiang Rou excitedly running around, making calls and chatting with other interns.

The editor-in-chief sighed behind him: “The future belongs to the young.”

Qin Zhen left the office with a stiff face.

—-

Autumn in Peach City always passed by in the blink of an eye. Before winter clothes could be worn for long, the cold winter air would rush in.

Usually, every winter, the family compound would be busy for a while.

Jian Li’s most vivid childhood memory was having to buy coal. Every house would have a big pile of coal balls in front, enough to last the whole winter. Then there were cabbage and radishes, which could occupy most of the winter’s meals.

Jian Li had eaten so many radishes as a child that she would almost throw up, so after she started living on her own, she never touched radishes again.

Later, as life improved, fresh vegetables were available in winter, and people gradually stopped stockpiling so many cabbages and radishes.

But coal still had to be bought.

This year, thanks to Wang Mengmei opening a small stall, coal was used a lot. The coal that usually had to be hauled by herself was now delivered right to the door, neatly stacked.

Jian Feng handed a pack of cigarettes to the coal delivery driver, thanking him for saving her the trouble this year.

With the cigarette passed, it was easy to ask about the driver’s income.

The coal driver laughed heartily: “What area do you mean? If it’s just within the city, the earnings aren’t much. But if you go to other provinces, it’s tough work.”

Jian Feng tried: “What about delivering furniture within the city?”

“Well, it’s not fixed. There are a lot of jobs at the furniture stores, but people wait around for them. If you drive a van, sometimes people buy furniture and need delivery, just like a taxi driver. More jobs means more earnings, fewer jobs means less. But as long as you’re hardworking, at least this much a month.”

The driver showed two fingers.

Jian Feng’s heart skipped a beat. Two thousand a month? He couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement.

“But for this job, you need a vehicle.”

“Having a vehicle” didn’t extinguish Jian Feng’s enthusiasm, it only gave him a new goal.

“So, brother, are you planning to do this job?” The driver, being curious, saw that Jian Feng was asking detailed questions and, with a cigarette in his mouth, asked him, “Your wife runs a store, living a peaceful life. Why not just stick to that?”

Seeing that the other person was straightforward, Jian Feng didn’t hide anything: “Is this job for me?”

Wang Mengmei was proficient in all kinds of cooking. She managed the shop, but other than collecting money and washing dishes, she couldn’t really help with anything else.

Even when it came to collecting money, she wasn’t as quick as Qian Ping.

Qian Ping had a sharp memory. She could remember clearly who came first, who paid, and who didn’t.

Sometimes, Jian Feng had to make a note of it.

“So, I’m thinking of learning to be a driver and see what other opportunities I might have.”

In the last couple of months, Jian Feng hadn’t been idle. He originally thought of requesting a transfer within the factory to become a driver. But after asking around, he learned just how difficult the situation at the factory was.

Currently, the cotton mill was barely producing enough goods, and a significant number of drivers had already left. Those who stayed were working on side jobs.

When Jian Feng asked them about it, they all had complaints.

“The factory isn’t paying, but I still need to live!”

The drivers’ salaries were lower than the workers in the workshop, and although it was once a good position, due to the factory’s lack of output, everyone’s wages were naturally low. They were all skilled workers, but should they just wait around?

When they heard Jian Feng wanted to learn to drive, someone immediately advised him.

“If you learn well, don’t think about changing positions in the factory. If you don’t want to lose your job, find someone to take your shift. Keep your worker status and do something else outside.”

This was a common method in the factory—some people had found substitutes for their shifts.

If a person didn’t need the money or had found a higher-paying job elsewhere, they’d have someone take their place at the factory. This way, they could still enjoy the factory benefits and have a pension when they got older.

Jian Feng discussed it with Wang Mengmei at home, and she agreed he should find work outside.

“We’re not saying you won’t come back. The factory isn’t doing well right now. Go work outside first, and when the factory picks up, we’ll come back.”

Wang Mengmei did the math. If Jian Feng learned to drive and things went smoothly, he could earn at least five or six hundred a month.

Why stay in the factory for that meager salary?

Encouraged by his wife, Jian Feng abandoned the idea of changing positions in the factory and began focusing on finding work.

After hearing about coal truck drivers, he realized it wasn’t easy. Not only did he not have a driver’s license, but he also couldn’t afford a car.

A single car cost as much as two apartments, and Jian Feng didn’t see any hope of buying a car in the short term.

The coal truck driver said, “Why bother with that? Go work at a grain and oil shop. Every time they deliver, they have a car. You could be a driver, and the work would be less demanding. You’d drive the big truck less and mostly do deliveries in the city.”

Jian Feng thought for a moment and didn’t tell Wang Mengmei. Instead, he went to ask the owner of the grain and oil shop, who came by to make deliveries regularly.

The shop owner became excited as soon as he heard: “I’m actually looking for a driver! If you can come, that’d be perfect!”

Jian Feng never expected it to go so smoothly. He stood there in a daze, even stuttering: “R-really, is that possible?”

The shop owner, chubby and smiling with his eyes squinted, replied: “Why not? When can you start?”

The owner was familiar with Wang Mengmei’s small shop and trusted Jian Feng’s character.

Jian Feng lowered his head: “I don’t have a driver’s license yet.”

The shop owner stopped smiling: “Oh…”

Jian Feng mustered his courage and looked up at him: “Here’s the thing: I don’t have a license yet, but I promise I can get it in two months. However, I’d like you to cover the cost first, and then deduct it from my salary. Is that okay?”

This was the solution Jian Feng came up with.

Wang Mengmei’s small shop had been making some money, but there were many expenses at home.

If they used this money for the license, Wang Mengmei would have to stand outside in the cold for months.

The winter in Taocheng was very cold, and Jian Feng couldn’t bear to let his wife suffer.

Besides, they couldn’t leave the family with no savings. There were always things to spend money on during the year-end holidays.

Jian Feng spoke quickly: “I’ll study hard and get my license quickly. I can even forgo my salary for the first few months…”

The grain and oil shop owner chuckled: “Brother, lucky for you, you met me.”

If it had been someone else, he wouldn’t have even entertained the idea of discussing terms when the person had already laid everything out.

The shop owner looked at Jian Feng and felt quite satisfied.

As a boss, he didn’t need someone too clever.

Just like his wife’s cousin, who was sharp but couldn’t be trusted to deliver goods properly. If it hadn’t been for his mother-in-law insisting on giving him a chance, he would never have hired him. Now, he was glad to have found a reliable person like Jian Feng to replace him.

People like Jian Feng, who had a family and a bit of innocence, were the ones he preferred.

“Alright, alright, it won’t take a few months. I’ll cover the cost of your license. Once you pass, I’ll give you a thousand a month. You’ll need to make a few deliveries to a neighboring province, but the rest of the time will be in the city and nearby counties.”

The owner’s eyes gleamed with interest: “I don’t want the cost of the license back. But if you leave before two years, you’ll have to repay it. If you work for two years, it’s forgiven.”

Anyway, since his wife’s cousin is here, he has to give him a salary every year, plus a holiday bonus during the New Year. When you calculate it, this amount of money is enough to cover the cost of the driving school fees for Jian Feng.

“Alright, it’s settled then!”