Summer Yunjie had originally intended to help the woman with her sprained ankle, but after hearing her teasing remark, he became a bit embarrassed. He cleared his throat and was about to explain, but the woman, seeing his awkward and shy expression, giggled and looked at him playfully. "You're such a sweet guy. Thank you for helping me get my bag back."
Although Summer Yunjie was secretly a witch, he had just graduated from secondary school and was only twenty years old. He had never even had a relationship, let alone joked like this with a woman. Hearing her words made him even more embarrassed and shy, so he quickly responded humbly, "It's nothing, just a small help."
"Nothing? This is a huge favor! Otherwise, I'd have wasted this whole month." The woman countered.
Summer Yunjie smiled shyly at her words and didn't continue to insist on being humble.
"There's a KFC up ahead. How about I treat you to a meal as a thank you? It's already lunchtime anyway." The woman smiled and suggested.
"No need, it's really just a small help." Summer Yunjie felt a little awkward. After all, not only had he randomly thrown a bag and made a "black market" profit of fifty yuan, but now a beautiful, young woman was offering to treat him to KFC. He didn't know how to handle this situation.
"You're not going to refuse, are you? Besides, you aren't planning to just leave me here under the sun, are you?" The woman raised an eyebrow in surprise at his refusal and pouted her lips, clearly acting a bit playfully.
After all, she was a beautiful woman!
Only then did Summer Yunjie remember that the woman had hurt her ankle. If he left now, it would be inconvenient for her. Of course, her injury wasn't serious, but after she had teased him earlier, he was too shy to mention it. He could only nod and say, "Alright then, let's go to KFC together."
After saying that, Summer Yunjie held up the umbrella with one hand while offering his arm to support her.
When he had helped her up from the ground earlier, Summer Yunjie hadn't felt much, but now that he was supporting her bare arm, he could feel her soft body brushing against his occasionally. Through the thin summer fabric, he could clearly feel the smoothness of her skin, which made him a little nervous. This was the first time in his life he had been this close to a woman in this intimate way.
The woman noticed his nervousness and couldn't help but smile secretly. She hadn't met a young man like him in many years, one who was so pure and innocent.
"By the way, little handsome guy, my name is Cheng Ping. What's yours?"
"Summer Yunjie." He replied simply.
"I saw you holding some job materials just now. Are you looking for a job after just graduating this year?" Cheng Ping asked curiously, noticing that Summer Yunjie wasn't saying much. She was increasingly intrigued by him, especially since he didn't flatter her just because she was beautiful.
"Yes." Summer Yunjie nodded and sighed slightly.
When he first graduated, he thought it would be easy to get a job like an ordinary person, but after more than a month of trying, he realized that it wasn't easy at all. Just like the bag snatcher had said, "I have an old one to take care of, and kids to feed", it was probably nonsense, but when he said, "This damned life has forced me into it", Summer Yunjie believed that was his heartfelt truth.
"So, have you found anything yet?" Cheng Ping asked, sensing his frustration.
"There are so many university graduates these days, and I'm just a secondary school graduate. It's tough!" Summer Yunjie shook his head and laughed bitterly.
"That's true. Many companies care more about degrees than actual ability." Cheng Ping seemed to empathize.
"Hehe, that's understandable. After all, with so many university graduates, why would companies hire secondary school graduates for the same salary?" Summer Yunjie smiled wryly.
"You're defending them now. Oh, by the way, our bar is hiring. How about I introduce you to a job there? The hours are a bit upside down, and it's noisy, but the pay is better than most companies." Cheng Ping suddenly thought of something and added brightly.
Summer Yunjie had never been to a bar before, and he didn't have the money to spend in such places. In his mind, a bar was a place filled with neon lights and people seeking pleasure. If it had been before, just out of school, Summer Yunjie wouldn't have considered working in a bar. But as the bag snatcher had said, "This damned life has forced me into it," and now with just 150 yuan left, including the fifty yuan he'd "earned" from the thief, if he didn't find a job soon, he might end up on the streets next month. So, Summer Yunjie didn't immediately refuse Cheng Ping's offer but began to consider the bar job.
"Of course, I could still go back to the construction site. My strength is great, and the foremen usually like me. But I really dislike the dusty environment. I prefer cleaner places, and a bar is definitely cleaner than a construction site."
"Our bar is called BULENIGHT, which means 'Blue Night' in Chinese. The starting salary for a trainee waitress is 1,300 yuan a month, and after becoming a full-time employee, it's 1,600 yuan. But some customers tip, and if you're good at it, earning 3,000 to 4,000 yuan a month is not difficult. We get one day off a week, and we start at 6 PM. The end time depends on the customers; usually, in summer, we get off around 2 or 3 AM, and in winter, it's earlier, around 1 AM. Think about it, and if you're interested, I can call my boss to let her know." Cheng Ping explained, eating her chicken wing as she talked about the job at the bar.
In Jiangzhou City in 2003, salaries were generally low. Most internships in companies paid between 800 and 1,000 yuan a month, with full-time positions offering about 1,200 yuan. As a secondary school graduate, Summer Yunjie would likely earn even less. So when he heard that a bar waitress could earn 1,300 yuan a month during the trial period, and up to 3,000 to 4,000 yuan a month with tips, he was both surprised and tempted. This salary was already comparable to the income of middle-level managers in small enterprises.
"Aha, that's a pretty good salary." Summer Yunjie said, feeling a bit tempted by the offer. "But I've never worked in a bar before. Do you think I have a chance? Would it be embarrassing for you to recommend me?"
Cheng Ping sized him up carefully. When Summer Yunjie's slightly uncomfortable expression appeared, Cheng Ping smiled and said, "Don't worry. You look good, you'll fit in well in a bar. As for experience, they'll train you once you're there."
Summer Yunjie really did have a good appearance: a handsome face, a well-proportioned body, and a height of 1.76 meters, which was considered quite tall in Jiangnan Province.
"I never imagined I'd have to rely on my looks to make a living." Summer Yunjie thought, both laughing and feeling helpless at the same time, as a sense of life's harsh reality suddenly rose within him.
"Being a worker is tough!"
As Summer Yunjie had this silent lament about his life, he could clearly feel a subtle shift in his mindset, as if the restless, naive mentality of his youth was gradually maturing.
"My master really did care for me, advising me not to use witchcraft to gain wealth or power." Summer Yunjie thought about his master, the old witch Wu Ze, and how much effort he had put into guiding him.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Cheng Ping had already taken out her phone and called her boss. After a brief conversation, she hung up and said, "I've spoken to my boss. She said you should come to the bar at 5 PM. Are you free then?"
"Of course, I'm free. What else do I have to do, being an unemployed drifter?" Summer Yunjie smiled bitterly.
"Alright, then it's settled. I'll meet you at 5 PM at the entrance of BULENIGHT on Nanshan Road." Cheng Ping said.
After confirming the job, they continued chatting while finishing their meal.
Once they were done eating, they got up to leave. But just as Cheng Ping stood up, she suddenly winced in pain, inhaling sharply. She quickly sat back down, grimacing from the pain in her left ankle.