In the midst of exceptionally busy days,Xiang Yu received a letter from Siping. It had been a long time since she had heard from Siping and Hanxing, and she couldn't remember when their contact had gradually dwindled. They only exchanged cards on New Year's and each other's birthdays, and phone calls were rare. Xiaozhanyuan hadn't been in touch for just a few months, but it felt like he had become a distant memory, and Xiang Yu couldn't even remember missing him that much. There was a slight sense of loss in Xiang Yu's heart, a faint sadness enveloping her, but she couldn't quite explain why. In his letter, Siping talked about some anecdotes with Hanxing and asked how Xiang Yu's university life was going. He also mentioned that he would be returning to China for the December holidays, which Xiang Yu was eagerly anticipating, although he didn't mention whether Hanxing would also be coming back. Xiang Yu wanted to write to ask him right away but thought that they would be back in just over a month, so maybe it would be a pleasant surprise then.
On Friday, Xiang Yu hurried back to meet the nanny introduced by the agency, a woman in her forties or fifties named He, who was very neat and efficient. Xiang Yu was satisfied and decided to call her Auntie He. The rest depended on whether Grandma liked her or not. When Grandma saw her, she also felt that she was acceptable and agreed to let her stay for a trial week. The job came with room and board, and Xiang Yu had explained beforehand that their living conditions were not very good. Also, Friday night through Sunday morning at ten was the rest time, which could be freely arranged. The final negotiated wage was eight hundred yuan, with the possibility of an increase if she performed well. Auntie He agreed readily and stayed on.
On Saturday and Sunday, Xiang Yu was busy with part-time work at an exhibition. Her English proficiency and manners caught the attention of a foreign company participating in the exhibition. Upon learning that she could also speak some French, they were even more pleased. They asked if she would be willing to take on some reception work for the company, especially when foreign visitors came for visiting, accompanying them on tours and explanations. Xiang Yu left her phone number and thanked the company for the opportunity but politely declined, prioritizing her academic studies. However, she decided that mastering multiple languages would be very helpful for future work and secretly resolved to check nearby foreign language universities for suitable French courses after returning to school. The two days of hard work earned Yue over four hundred yuan, which was indeed very generous compared to most fifty-yuan-a-day jobs. However, there weren't many opportunities for exhibition etiquette work, and the requirements were high. Xiang Yu was almost rejected by the organizers because of her height, but her other strengths were evident, so she finally got the opportunity. After these two days of work, the organizers also recognized Yue's ability, and they were willing to assign similar work to her in the future. However, Xiang Yu hoped more that her weekends could be spent with Grandma. When she returned home in the evening, Auntie He had already helped Grandma take a bath, and dinner was ready on the table. Xiang Yu felt very pleased; she was at ease. That night, she slept soundly holding Grandma's arm. She hadn't had a dream in a long, long time, but that night she had a good dream. In the dream, she was wearing a wedding dress, and Grandma was watching her get married. The only regret was that she couldn't remember the groom's face; she only remembered that he was tall and should have been like Lu Heng.