Xiong Miao methodically sterilized the morning's washed milk bottles one by one with hot water. She filled six bottles from the thermostat and, following her daily routine, prepared six bottles of milk.
After the little ones received their milk and began to drink it in their usual way.
Without wasting a moment, Xiong Miao headed to the kitchen to prepare solid food for the children.
The children were three and a half years old, and they couldn't just live on milk; solid food was necessary to fill their bellies.
Today, she planned to make them carrot soup.
Just as she put the cleaned carrots into the blender, her phone rang in her pocket.
It was the landlord.
"Miss Xiong, you're three days behind on your rent. I'm giving you one more day. If you don't pay, you'll have to move out. There are many people lined up to rent this place," the landlord spoke harshly from the start.
Forced by life's circumstances, Xiong Miao didn't retort, but maintained a good attitude and said, "I'm sorry, I've been busy lately. Don't worry, I'll definitely pay the rent tomorrow."
Years ago, she had left her home country with nothing.
Abroad, she worked multiple jobs to support herself and her child.
In her home country, she had no fixed assets.
The place where she and her children lived was rented.
In the blink of an eye, they had been in this city for three months.
For the first three months, she worked part-time, barely earning enough for the children's milk powder and daily expenses.
In the blink of an eye, it was time to pay the rent again.
For the time being, she couldn't come up with the twelve thousand yuan.
Because she was too poor to hire a nanny, she usually asked Su Mumu to help look after the children.
Fortunately, the six children were well-behaved and wouldn't run around even when left at home.
However, this couldn't go on forever. A nanny was necessary; otherwise, if the children were always left alone at home, something would inevitably go wrong.
Worried, Xiong Miao finished preparing the food, brought out the baby dining tables, and neatly arranged six tables. Five were blue, and one was pink, specially for Xiong Baobei.
She first seated Xiong Baobei at the baby dining table, lowered the table board, fastened the safety belt, and then seated the other five children one by one.
She then placed a bowl of the prepared, warm carrot soup in front of each one.
Perhaps the little ones were really hungry. Even after having their milk, they were still eager to eat, picking up their spoons and eating happily.
Xiong Miao stood to the side, watching them eat with relish, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
But deep down, she was starting to feel troubled.
Should she go to work at the company tomorrow?
Not to mention being harassed by Zhang Huansheng on her first day, it turned out that the design company was part of the Rich Corporation.
According to Gu Yi's assistant, the Rich Corporation was currently placing a lot of importance on design. The product launch was imminent, which meant that Zhan Yeling would often be inspecting the design department.
If she went to work, she would run into him often.
If you walk by the river often, your shoes will eventually get wet.
If she frequently interacted with Zhan Yeling, he would inevitably discover her six children and take them
But just now, Gu Yi made it very clear. She was a design talent personally selected by Zhan Yeling, and she can't quit her job.
If she directly abstains from going to the company, it would provoke Zhan Yeling.
And her, a commoner with no standing, has no way to challenge Zhan Yeling. He stood at the pinnacle of the pyramid, a symbol of wealth and power.
Crossing him, she'd be in trouble.
While the little ones were still eating, Xiong Miao called Gu Yi.
When she was onboarding earlier, Gu Yi gave her his phone number.
"Mr. Gu Yi, I forgot to ask earlier, is the salary for the design department manager high?"
"Not particularly, about thirty thousand a month," Gu Yi answered.
Thirty thousand! And he said it wasn't high!
For Xiong Miao, who had not graduated long ago, thirty thousand was a figure she didn't dare dream of.
Swallowing hard, Xiong Miao said, "I'll report to work on time tomorrow."
In the future, she'd just avoid Zhan Yeling when she saw him. There was no need to miss out on money because of him.
The world is big, but earning money is the biggest.
Next, Xiong Miao borrowed twenty thousand from Su Mumu and transferred twelve thousand to the landlord, leaving eight thousand for this month's daily expenses.
In the evening, she'd take on some part-time jobs to earn money for the baby milk powder.
When she got her salary next month, she'd repay Su Mumu.
After she settled everything, the six little one had finished their meal.
"Mommy, are you unhappy?" Her Eldest son, Qianqian, climbed down from the table on his own, walked to Xiong Miao with his short legs, tilted his head up to look at her, furrowing his little brow.
Xiong Miao looked down, saw the carrot puree smeared around his little mouth and his serious little expression, an amalgamation of maturity and childishness that made her laugh: "Mommy's not unhappy, sweetie."
"Mommy, Mama is Ultraman. Mama will help you fight the monster." Her fourth child, Mama, was energetically swinging his little arms after his meal.
"Right, tell us who hurt you, Mommy. We will help you fight!" Her second child, Junjun, was also serious, ready to charge into battle.
Xiong Miao touched the wound on her face, warmed by her children's words: "Thank you, my babies. Mommy will keep trying. I'll strive not to be bullied."
The understanding shown by her children gave her courage. There's no hurdle that can't be overcome. As long as she had motivation, she must maintain a strong heart and keep moving forward.
Usually, Xiong Miao would let the children sleep in their own room and only return to her room after they fell asleep.
But today, she wanted to sleep with her chidrdens.
The bed was a Japanese-style one. You could just sleep on the floor.
In the daytime, it would be tucked away in the cabinet and filled with toys, turning it into a toy room.
At night, the bedding was laid out, and she wouldn't have to worry about the children rolling off.
Xiong Miao slept in the middle, with her six little one scattered on either side of her, snuggling into her. They fell asleep in no time, some with their bottoms in the air, some sprawled out like turtles, various adorable poses. With steady breathing, they drifted off into dreamland.
The next day, Su Mumu arrived early to look after the little ones.
Xiong Miao went to report to the design department.
In the morning, unexpectedly, Gu Yi was waiting for her in the design department.
He introduced her to her colleagues: "Starting today, Xiong Miao will be your design department manager, leading you in your design work. Everyone must cooperate with her and strive to complete this quarter's new product launch."
Xiong Miao also introduced herself.
Afterwards, Gu Yi arranged an office for her.
As she was the manager, her office was separate.
While everyone else was in a shared office.
After arranging everything, Gu Yi returned to headquarters.
Xiong Miao, being new, was not familiar with the internal operations and needed to start feverishly studying. Only then could she keep up with the company's current pace.
That thirty-thousand salary wasn't going to earn itself.
At one point, feeling tired, she took her mug to pour some coffee.
A cacophony of random, harsh words found their way into her ears.