Chapter 91: It’s Settled!

In her past life, Jing Xi was not a very organized or highly disciplined person.

Especially when she first started working as an internet ghostwriter, it was only because the pay, though small, came with little effort.

But to her surprise, she ended up doing quite well in that field, which gradually improved her ability to execute plans.

The next morning, she woke up naturally without an alarm and headed out.

Before leaving, she didn’t forget to bring her small water bottle.

When she arrived at the bus station and got off, she immediately spotted her target—the same vendor who sold steamed buns and dumplings last time.

Jing Xi walked straight up to him. “Brother, give me two meat buns—pork ones.”

Then she sat down at a small table and ordered a bowl of millet porridge.

“Alright!”

The vendor quickly grabbed two steaming hot meat buns from an oversized steamer.

Jing Xi noticed that the dozen or so towering steamers behind him were nearly empty—he had almost sold out.

“Brother, looks like you’re about to close up for the day?”

The vendor chuckled. “Yeah, the morning rush is over. Sales peak during school and work commute hours. Sometimes factory workers stop by too, and they buy dozens at a time.”

“How many do you usually sell in a day?”

The vendor thought for a moment. “On a slow day, at least twenty to thirty steamers’ worth. I sell out in the morning, then steam another batch at noon, and by the afternoon, I wrap up for the day. I actually have a shop—it’s right behind here!”

Only then did Jing Xi notice the small storefront behind him, steaming with heat.

“Oh, I see! Steaming this much every day must be exhausting!”

The vendor nodded. “It’s all hard-earned money! Regular folks like us have to work for it. But still, it’s better than working in a factory or farming. It’s tough, but at least we make a little more.”

Jing Xi nodded in agreement.

The vendor seemed like an honest person.

In no time, her millet porridge was served. Jing Xi poured in some vinegar and started eating the buns.

The porridge was well-cooked, neither too thick nor too hot.

The millet used was clearly of good quality.

She dipped the bun in vinegar before taking a bite. The slight acidity balanced out the greasiness of the meat filling perfectly. Since she loved vinegar, the combination of savory meat juices and tangy vinegar was absolutely delicious.

Looking up, she noticed the vendor sitting across from her.

“Hey, young lady, you’re asking about steaming buns—are you interested in learning?”

Jing Xi replied, “I am a little. I can steam buns and dumplings, but mine don’t look as nice as yours.”

The vendor’s eyes lit up as if he had found a treasure. “Hey, we’re actually looking to hire someone! Would you like to help out and learn at the same time?”

“I’ve been trying to hire someone for a month with no luck. I was even thinking of making my son learn, since he has no interest in studying. Might as well have him inherit the business!”

He pointed to a hiring notice posted by his shop entrance.

Following his direction, Jing Xi finally spotted it. The sign was practically invisible—it was inside the courtyard, swinging in the breeze. Was he trying to recruit his own courtyard wall?

No wonder he hadn’t found anyone in a month—probably no one had even seen the sign.

[Hiring: Helpers; Master Steamer; Waitstaff. Salary negotiable.]

Jing Xi wasn’t concerned about the salary; she just wanted to learn the skill.

She put down her chopsticks. “Brother, I do want to learn, but I’m not sure how long I can stay. My goal is to learn the craft and open my own shop. Just being honest—I hope you don’t mind.”

The vendor thought for a moment. “I see! But I’m really looking for someone who can work long-term. I’m flexible on pay—it’ll definitely be more than a factory job.”

Jing Xi asked, “Do you take apprentices?”

“Apprentices? Like in a barbershop?”

“Yes. You teach me, and I’ll pay tuition.”

The vendor laughed heartily. “No need for tuition! It’s not that hard. People buy these buns mostly for convenience. I can see you’re serious about learning. If you have time, come by tomorrow. If you have the talent, you can pick it up in a few days. I don’t mind doing a good deed.”

Jing Xi nodded eagerly.

“Great! What time should I come?”

“Where do you live?”

“I live in Fucha Village.”

“Fucha Village isn’t exactly close. Come at ten in the morning—there aren’t many buses running too early.”

“Alright! Should I come with you now to let your wife know?”

Jing Xi was overjoyed—she hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly!

After the two finalized the deal, a few more bus station drivers came by to buy steamed buns and mantou. In the end, they bought everything, and the older brother even gave them all the remaining shredded pickled vegetables to eat.

After finishing her meal, Jing Xi helped the man pack up his stall and return to the shop.

She then noticed a small sign on the back of a parked bicycle that read: “Old Zhao’s Steamed Buns, Mantou, Millet Porridge, Tea Eggs.”

Just those four items.

“Hey, little girl, I still don’t know your name. My surname is Zhao—Zhao Shunli. Come inside, I’ll introduce you to my wife!”

Jing Xi smiled. “My name is Jing Xi—‘Jing’ as in scenery, and ‘Xi’ as in happiness!”

“Alright then, I’ll call you Xiao Jing. Are you an adult yet?”

Jing Xi nodded. “Yes, I am.”

“Good. Come on in!”

Past the entrance was a hallway, with the kitchen for steaming buns on the right.

Beyond that was a small courtyard, and behind it seemed to be their living quarters.

As soon as they stepped into the yard, a woman came out to greet them.

She appeared to be around the same age as Zhao Shunli, in her thirties or forties, but looked a bit more tired and older than her peers.

Jing Xi quickly greeted her. “Hello, sister-in-law!”

The woman was momentarily stunned but quickly responded. “Oh! Is this the girl here to help? Hello, hello!”

“This is my wife, Tian Jun. And this young girl is Jing Xi!”

Jing Xi nodded politely as Zhao Shunli explained the situation to his wife.

When Tian Jun heard that Jing Xi only wanted to learn the trade temporarily and wouldn’t be staying long-term, she seemed a little disappointed.

However, she didn’t show any rejection or displeasure, which gave Jing Xi some hope.

But then, Tian Jun hesitated. “Young lady, I was really hoping to find a long-term helper. You understand, right? If we teach you everything and you leave right away, it’ll be hard for us to hire someone else. My husband and I are already overwhelmed—every day is exhausting. That’s why we wanted to hire help. We just don’t have the time to train an apprentice.”

Jing Xi understood completely.

She could tell that Tian Jun was rejecting her.

Zhao Shunli looked a little awkward, but Jing Xi wasn’t foolish—she could see that the real decision-maker in this household was the wife.

“Sister-in-law, how about this? I won’t learn for free—I’ll pay a tuition fee! We can count it as a monthly fee. You don’t need to teach me separately; I’ll just work alongside you and learn as I go!”

Tian Jun glanced at Zhao Shunli, who then spoke up. “Wife, Xiao Jing helping out for a month is still a month of help. We haven’t found anyone else anyway, so let’s just let her join. We’ll keep our hiring notice up—there’s no rule that we can only take in one person, right?”

Tian Jun sighed. “Give me five minutes to think.”

Jing Xi stood in the courtyard, watching the couple go inside to discuss. Her heart was filled with anticipation.

It had taken her so much effort to find such a suitable place—she really didn’t want to let it slip away!

The shop was less than fifty meters from the bus station, making it super convenient to return to the village.

And she wasn’t just here to learn how to steam buns and prepare fillings—she wanted to observe how they ran the business, too!

Even small shops like this had their own survival strategies.

After all, weren’t most big businesses once small ventures?

About ten minutes later, the couple emerged from the house.

Jing Xi wasn’t sure what they had discussed, but Tian Jun finally agreed to let her learn.

However, they wouldn’t charge her tuition, nor would they pay her any wages. She was asked if she could accept that.

Of course, Jing Xi accepted.

They agreed on a start date—tomorrow.

Then, she followed them for a tour of the kitchen and found that the shop was quite clean. The meat they used was high quality—not cheap scraps like lymph nodes or bloody neck meat.

She had definitely picked the right place!

Before leaving, Jing Xi didn’t forget to pay for her breakfast.

Zhao Shunli insisted on treating her, but she firmly refused.

She had already gotten a huge bargain by being able to learn for free—how could she take a free meal, too?

Just as she was about to leave, Zhao Shunli spotted two leftover vegetable-filled steamed buns in the steaming tray.

He packed them up and handed them to Jing Xi. “Here, eat these on the way.”

Jing Xi happily accepted her two extra buns.

As she headed toward the bus station across the road, the delicious aroma of the buns filled the air from her pockets.

She felt that today had been an absolute win!

Once she got home, she checked the almanac.

Sure enough, today was an auspicious day!