Chapter 185: Receiving the Payment Notification

Looking at the newspaper in her hand, Luo Qiao wondered about the other letter and why there had been no news yet.

Lu Yichen had finished handling the chicken, while Luo Qiao was still lost in thought.

Lu Yichen asked, “Did you submit your work?”

Luo Qiao replied, “Yes. Look, I’ve received a response. Since it’s my first submission, they paid four yuan per thousand characters and one yuan per illustration. I sent in a fable story with a few words and five illustrations, and now I’ve received a payment notification for nine yuan.”

Lu Yichen thought to himself that this girl was becoming quite impressive. Nowadays, an ordinary worker might earn only twenty or thirty yuan a month, but she managed to earn nine yuan just from one story with illustrations. It was indeed remarkable.

Feeling a sense of urgency inside, but maintaining a calm demeanor, Lu Yichen congratulated her sincerely, saying, “Congratulations, that’s impressive,” and even gave her a genuine thumbs-up.

Luo Qiao said, “It seems like taking this path might be worthwhile in the future, although I can’t expect to be selected every time.”

In her mind, she considered that if this didn’t work out, she could always try writing novels. It might save her some trouble, and she could also include illustrations where appropriate, which should also be good.

After successfully testing the waters and gaining confidence, Luo Qiao happily decided to put the payment slip back into the envelope and continue picking vegetables.

Lu Yichen asked, “About the house in the city, how long are you planning to start repairs?”

Luo Qiao thought for a moment and replied, “Since there’s no work in the village tomorrow, I’ll go over there again to take a look.”

As he helped pick vegetables, Lu Yichen suggested, “I’ll accompany you tomorrow to see it. If there are any repairs needed, my friends can help with them.”

Luo Qiao looked up at Lu Yichen, knowing his intentions were good. However, after what happened with Ding Xiangdong last time, she really didn’t want to rely on Lu Yichen’s connections anymore. She felt it was better to handle things financially without burdening him.

She said, “Really, there’s no need. There aren’t many repairs needed, and I feel bad about using your personal connections all the time.”

After hearing this, Lu Yichen cursed Ding Xiangdong inwardly, feeling frustrated with him.

He said, “I’m heading to the city tomorrow anyway. If you don’t want their help, that’s fine. I’ll go with you and personally check if anything needs fixing.”

Luo Qiao looked at Lu Yichen, unsure why he was so insistent on helping her with repairs. But since it had come to this point, rejecting him again would obviously not be good. Besides, they were so familiar now, she could just treat him to a nice meal to thank him.

Lu Yichen felt that Luo Qiao had changed quite a bit today. He knew she was becoming more attractive, but today her face seemed noticeably fairer and her skin much smoother than before.

Seeing Lu Yichen looking at her, Luo Qiao asked, “Is there something on my face?”

Lu Yichen shook his head and said, “I feel like your skin looks much better today.”

Luo Qiao suddenly realized she had forgotten about this: “Oh, I made some whitening moisturizer myself before. Maybe it’s starting to show results now.”

Lu Yichen didn’t doubt Luo Qiao’s words too much. After all, she had changed a lot over the past half year, a stark contrast from when she first arrived in Qingshan Village.

Moreover, if she could make those ointments for Shitou, making some nourishing moisturizers for herself shouldn’t be difficult.

Before, she was just tall with no flesh on her body, and her hair was dry and yellow. After these six months, she had grown taller and gained some weight. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was now slender and graceful.