“Ah, Teacher Li, you’re here. Please, sit.” Department Head Hu Zhenping greeted him with a smile.
“Hello, Director Hu. You called me in—do you have some teaching tasks for me?” Li Anping asked with a polite smile, though inwardly uneasy.
Could it be that Director Hu had heard about Lin Jingwen wanting a divorce and wanted to talk to him about it?
“Professor Qiu needs assistants. Don’t you want to compete for the position?” Hu Zhenping asked with a grin.
“Of course I do! If I had the chance to work on projects alongside Professor Qiu, it would be a huge boost for me. Such a valuable opportunity—I’d never give it up!”
Unable to hide his excitement, Li Anping asked eagerly, “Director Hu, do I need to prepare any application materials? Do I have a good chance?”
Hu Zhenping wasn’t surprised by his enthusiasm. Smiling, he said: “Your abilities may be a little lacking, but that’s alright. You can put in extra effort—study some books in this field, strengthen your professional knowledge.
Professor Qiu doesn’t really care who his assistants are. As long as you have the knowledge and the right attitude, and you work hard, it’s reasonable for me to recommend you.”
Hearing this, Li Anping knew the assistant position was practically secured for him. Overjoyed, he immediately stood up, bowed, and expressed his gratitude: “Thank you for trusting me, Director. I’ll definitely work hard, do my best to satisfy Professor Qiu, and never embarrass you!”
“Good, good.” Hu Zhenping nodded, pleased with his attitude, then added with a smile: “Do you know why I’m willing to give you this opportunity?”
Li Anping’s thoughts raced—many guesses came to mind, but none were certain. He dared not speak rashly, only shook his head and asked the director to explain.
“At the beginning of the year, my father accidentally fell outside. It was your wife who found him, rushed him to the hospital, and even helped take care of him for half a day.”
Hu Zhenping’s face showed genuine gratitude. “At the time, your wife didn’t even leave her name, so we didn’t know who she was. A while ago, my father happened to meet her again, and that’s when I learned she was your wife. I had originally planned to bring gifts to your home to thank her, but now that there’s this excellent assistant opportunity, I decided to recommend you instead. You’re a couple—if things go well for you, it’s good for her too.”
Hearing this, Li Anping’s face nearly froze. He forced out a strained smile and tried to smooth things over: “If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known about this. These past few days, Jingwen and I have been quarreling over the child, so she didn’t mention it. She’s always warm‑hearted and eager to help others. Helping your father was just fate, and she never expected anything in return. It’s very kind of you to remember it. Thank you for giving me this opportunity—I’ll definitely work hard and make sure Professor Qiu is satisfied, so I won’t embarrass you.”
Hu Zhenping was pleased with his words. He didn’t take the mention of marital quarrels seriously, only smiled and said: “What couple doesn’t argue? But in today’s society, we men should put aside pride and ego, coax our wives a little. A harmonious family brings prosperity.”
“You’re absolutely right, Director.” Li Anping quickly agreed with a forced smile. Not daring to linger, he added, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go study now.”
“Take these books and study the professional knowledge carefully.” Hu Zhenping handed him the volumes he had prepared in advance.
Only then did Li Anping realize the director was genuinely supporting him. He quickly accepted the books with both hands, thanking him again.
“Oh, and on Friday evening, I’ll still come by to personally thank your wife for helping my father. That’s his strong request—I have to fulfill it.” The director added with a smile.
Hearing this, Li Anping had no choice but to keep smiling. But in truth, he could barely hold the smile. He nodded nervously and left with a heavy heart.
Even though he had secured the assistant position, Li Anping felt no joy—only deep anxiety. He never imagined that this opportunity had come to him thanks to Lin Jingwen!
In the past, he wouldn’t have thought much of it. Whatever belonged to Lin Jingwen was naturally his too—without question.
But now, Lin Jingwen seemed utterly determined to divorce him, treating him harshly and giving him no respect at all.
Li Anping let out a frustrated sigh. After last night’s quarrel, he had even thought about ignoring her for a month, giving her the cold shoulder. Once he secured the new apartment and the “Outstanding Teacher” honor, he could divorce her smoothly.
But today, seeing the department head’s attitude—so clearly grateful to Lin Jingwen—he realized that if he divorced her too soon, he might lose the assistant position altogether. And with the director planning to visit in two days to personally thank her, if Lin Jingwen refused to come back, wouldn’t that ruin everything?
The more he thought about it, the more miserable he felt. He had no choice but to coax Lin Jingwen back home and keep her appeased so she wouldn’t cause trouble again. It was humiliating beyond words!
That day, Lin Jingwen worked the morning shift and came home before 4:30. As soon as she returned, she began knitting gloves, eager to make use of her time. But after only a short while, she grew so drowsy her eyes wouldn’t stay open, her head nodding as she dozed off. She didn’t force herself to stay awake. Dropping the yarn, Lin Jingwen went to bed and took a quick, efficient half‑hour nap. Sometimes, when exhaustion hit hard, a short nap was the best way to refresh and restore energy.
For the next few hours, she would be full of vitality, working more efficiently—far better than forcing herself to stay awake.
When Lin Jingwen woke up, it was already 5:30. She prepared to steam rice. Tonight, she planned to cook two dishes instead of the usual quick noodles. As she was rinsing the rice, she heard the sound of the door closing across the hall. Pausing, she stepped out and knocked on the opposite door.
When it opened, she saw Qiu Ze still wearing his coat, clearly just back from outside. Smiling, she asked: “Mr. Qiu, I’m about to make dinner. Shall I prepare a portion for you too?”
“Alright, thank you.” Qiu Ze nodded, then volunteered his preferences: “I like spicy and savory flavors, heavier seasoning. I don’t have a specific favorite dish or meat—I can eat anything.”
“Perfect. I also love spicy and savory food. Since our tastes match, cooking will be easier. How about stir‑fried spicy radish strips and chili scrambled eggs tonight?” Lin Jingwen said with satisfaction.
If he had preferred bland food, she would have only invited him this once and afterward stuck to making breakfast.
Li Anping’s family always insisted on bland dishes. Living with them, she never got to eat the spicy food she loved, always having to cater to their tastes. She was sick of that life. Now she just wanted to cook what she enjoyed.
Since Mr. Qiu shared her taste, it was perfect. She could cook two dishes, eat more herself, avoid leftovers, and even earn a meal fee. Not bad at all.
“No meat?” Qiu Ze frowned.
“I didn’t buy any today. But tomorrow evening, if you’re home around six, I can prepare braised meat.” Lin Jingwen replied. “Oh, and tomorrow I’m on the morning shift again, so there won’t be breakfast.”
“Alright. Count me in for tomorrow’s dinner too.” Qiu Ze nodded, pulling out his wallet. “How much should I pay for the meals?”
“You still haven’t finished offsetting the cost of the skincare products you gave me, so no need to pay yet.” Lin Jingwen waved her hand. “Once I finish cooking, I’ll bring it over.”
Qiu Ze thanked her again, then asked: “My apartment is a bit messy. I’d like someone to help tidy it up. Ms. Lin, do you have anyone to recommend?”
Lin Jingwen immediately volunteered herself! Of course, cleaning the apartment would be a separate fee.
Tidying up wasn’t that tiring, and it was another way to earn money. Lin Jingwen wasn’t about to pass up the chance. She wanted to save up to buy a house, and within reason (without overcharging), she couldn’t afford to miss any opportunity to earn from Mr. Qiu.
Qiu Ze was pleased to hear she could handle the cleaning. It was better to have someone familiar, and he found her easy to communicate with. After a few interactions, he already felt comfortable with her.
“You’ll just need to handle the daily tidying of the apartment. Clothes, sheets, and covers can go in the washing machine—you don’t need to wash them by hand.”
He invited Lin Jingwen inside, showing her around while explaining his cleaning requirements.
“My study, I’ll organize myself. It contains all my research materials, and I don’t want anyone touching them—I’d be afraid I couldn’t find things afterward.”
Lin Jingwen nodded repeatedly, thinking this job was far too easy.
Just cleaning the bedroom and living room, no need to touch the study, and the washing machine handles laundry. The apartment was new and not dirty, so it would be simple to keep clean. With this setup, she could tidy everything in under half an hour each day, leaving the place spotless.
“I’ll pay you two hundred a month. Is that too little?” Qiu Ze asked.
“That’s actually quite a lot.” Lin Jingwen shook her head.
For a moment, she wavered between conscience and treating him like a “fat sheep” to earn from. In the end, she chose the latter—after all, Mr. Qiu clearly wasn’t short of money, so why should she save him any?
“Mr. Qiu, shall we set the cleaning time for after dinner today? On days when I work the morning shift, that’s usually when I’m free to do housework. If I’m on the evening shift, I’ll tidy up right after breakfast. It won’t take more than half an hour, and since you’ll be working in your study, it won’t disturb you.” Lin Jingwen confirmed the schedule with him.
Qiu Ze had no objections. He appreciated her proactive communication and organization.
“Then I’ll go back and cook now,” Lin Jingwen said. “Dinner will be ready in about an hour. Would you like to come eat at my place, or should I bring you a separate portion?”
Before Qiu Ze could answer, she quickly added: “I’d better bring you a portion. I’m a divorced woman, you’re a single man. I can act as your housekeeper, but if you came to my home for dinner every day, it would affect your reputation. And I’d probably be criticized unnecessarily too.”
“Apologies for disturbing you late at night the other day—it must have caused you inconvenience,” Qiu Ze said, apologizing for his previous visit.
Lin Jingwen smiled and waved it off.
“You’re technically my employer now. We have a working relationship. Occasional contact is fine, but too much would be inappropriate. Why don’t you write up a simple contract? We can both sign it, so there’s proof.”
Words alone weren’t reliable. A written agreement would serve as evidence and, if disputes ever arose, would protect her.
“Good idea.” Qiu Ze agreed that a paper agreement was indeed better. He drafted a contract with a one‑year term. It specified not only the cleaning fee of two hundred yuan per month, but also two hundred yuan per month for meals. If he gave her gift boxes, those would be considered gestures of courtesy, not part of her wages.
Lin Jingwen looked over the contract, noting the generous pay and the clause about gifts, then glanced at Qiu Ze with the expression of someone who’d just found a “big spender.”
“If Ms. Lin isn’t satisfied with the salary, we can renegotiate,” Qiu Ze said.
“No, I’m more than satisfied!” Lin Jingwen replied firmly. She wasn’t about to argue with a wealthy employer about the pay being too high. Instead, she resolved to do her work well, ensuring her quality matched the generous compensation.
After both signed the contract, Qiu Ze immediately paid her one month’s meal fee in advance, adding with emphasis: “I like meat.”
“Alright, I’ll arrange it for tomorrow,” Lin Jingwen nodded, taking the money.
At present, buying pork still requires ration tickets, but the supply is much better than before. No more waiting ten days or half a month in long lines just to get half a pound.
Pork tickets weren’t scarce anymore, and meat was easy to buy. She’d even read in the newspaper that in the south, ration tickets for grain and pork had already been abolished. Besides, it didn’t have to be pork—chicken, duck, goose, and fish were all options. As long as the money was there, everything could be arranged. She could even ask the kitchen procurement manager to bring her half a pound of meat if she slipped him some cash.
With Qiu Ze’s advance payment in hand, Lin Jingwen happily went home to cook dinner. Thanks to the two hundred yuan, she quickly ran down to the grocery shop downstairs to check if they had any meat. She ended up buying half a chicken, chopped it into pieces with a flurry of cuts, and set it to stew. Then she steamed rice—thankfully, there were two stoves, so she could multitask. She washed and cut radish, beat eggs, and prepared everything in advance. Once the chicken was stewed, the radish and eggs would cook quickly.
After more than an hour of busy work, three dishes and rice were ready.
The aroma made Lin Jingwen’s mouth water: spicy stir‑fried chicken, spicy diced radish, and chili scrambled eggs—all cooked to her own taste. This meal was absolutely satisfying!
She felt she could eat two big bowls of rice herself.
She plated the food for her employer, Mr. Qiu, and as she carried it out, she thought it was time to buy a serving tray.
“Today’s all spicy dishes, but the red chili isn’t too hot. Since eating too much spice can cause heatiness, starting tomorrow we’ll limit it to one spicy dish per meal, or none, to balance the diet.” When she handed the food to Qiu Ze, she explained the adjustment.
Qiu Ze inhaled the aroma and had no objections at all. Cooking was best left to professionals. Ms. Lin’s culinary skills were far superior to his previous housekeeper’s!
Qiu Ze felt very fortunate—moving here and immediately meeting such an excellent neighbor had solved one of his biggest worries.
“Mr. Qiu, please taste each dish and give me feedback. I’ll adjust the flavor accordingly.”
Lin Jingwen smiled as she spoke, treating Qiu Ze like an honored guest.
Qiu Ze nodded, sampled each dish, and generously offered his praise: “Ms. Lin, your cooking is outstanding. I really enjoy it. With skills like yours, your restaurant is lucky to have you.”
Lin Jingwen was speechless. Mr. Qiu, you really know how to flatter!
She was only a kitchen helper, after all.
“Is it really that good?” Lin Jingwen asked honestly, almost dizzy from his compliments. “I’m just a prep cook who chops vegetables, not a head chef.”
Hearing this, Qiu Ze showed genuine surprise for the first time. Then he shook his head and said: “The domestic job market is truly disappointing. Talented people can’t find opportunities to show their abilities. Ms. Lin, you should strive for a better position.”
Lin Jingwen was equally astonished. It was the first time anyone had recognized her like this, truly lifting her up.
“Maybe my cooking just happens to suit your taste,” she said with a smile, delighted by his praise and recognition.
“I’m actually better at making pastries. I don’t stir-fry that often.”
“Then… may I have the honor of tasting your soup dumplings someday?” Qiu Ze asked, his eyes full of sincerity.
You’ve already sweet-talked me so much, and even given me so much money—what’s a soup dumpling compared to that? I’ll make it for you when I’m on leave!
After returning home, Lin Jingwen sat down to eat. She thought the dishes she cooked today were especially delicious—an above-average performance. No wonder Mr. Qiu had praised her so highly!
In her cheerful mood, she ate two big bowls of rice until she was uncomfortably full.
Rubbing her stomach, Lin Jingwen quickly got up to move around, first tidying the dishes and cleaning her own home. Then she went over to Qiu Ze’s apartment to officially begin her other job—housekeeping.
Qiu Ze went into his study to work, while Lin Jingwen cleaned the outer rooms. The two didn’t disturb each other, both feeling at ease. She washed the dishes, tossed the dirty clothes into the washing machine, tidied the bed, organized the wardrobe and folded the clothes neatly, then swept and mopped the floor.
Because it was her first time cleaning, it took longer. But Lin Jingwen was efficient—within an hour she had finished a thorough deep clean.
By the time she was done, the washing machine had also finished. She hung the clothes out on the balcony, then knocked on Qiu Ze’s study door to have him inspect her work.
After looking over the freshly cleaned rooms, Qiu Ze gave her work high praise, speaking seriously and almost academically:
“Ms. Lin, your housekeeping and cleaning skills are professional-level—just like your cooking!
I’m very glad, and very fortunate, to have you as a neighbor and now as my employee. Here’s to a pleasant collaboration.”
As he spoke, Qiu Ze even extended his hand for a handshake.
Lin Jingwen was stunned. Having been belittled her whole life, she felt her worldview shaken again by his praise. She had only done some ordinary cleaning, yet in Mr. Qiu’s words, it became something professional. Could housekeeping really be called a profession?
For the past eight years, she had done this kind of work every day at her in-laws’ house, but not once had anyone praised her or acknowledged her effort!
“Mr. Qiu, you’re far too easygoing and pleasant to deal with,” Lin Jingwen said with a smile, shaking his hand.
“In your eyes, even a cleaner like me becomes someone impressive.”
It was the first time Qiu Ze had ever been called easygoing or pleasant.
Because of his high standards for others’ work, people often accused him of nitpicking, being cold, and difficult to get along with.
“There are many cleaners,” Qiu Ze said seriously, “but not everyone can make a room so neat and orderly, or fold clothes so professionally. I’ve employed professional housekeepers from England before, and your skill in organizing clothing is just as excellent as theirs.” He spoke with complete seriousness, not thinking of it as flattery—only stating facts.
Lin Jingwen was left speechless again.
Another bowl of sweet talk poured down, and she was already dizzy from all the praise. Hard to understand, but very gratifying!
With an employer like Mr. Qiu—generous with money and so skilled at praising her work—if the chance arose, she would gladly work for him her whole life!
When Lin Jingwen returned from Mr. Qiu’s apartment, her hands weren’t empty. She carried a bag of fruit—tangerines and apples.
“Someone gave these to me. I can’t finish them myself,” Qiu Ze had said when handing them to her.
Lin Jingwen accepted without hesitation. By now, she had a clear picture of Mr. Qiu’s household—everything except the study.
There was indeed plenty of fruit, and no shortage of gift boxes, all given by others.
She peeled a tangerine for herself, but the sourness made her wince and shiver. Her teeth couldn’t handle sour flavors at all. This sweet-and-sour tangerine was something she couldn’t enjoy. Tomorrow she would take it to her master instead.
After finishing the tangerine and washing her hands, Lin Jingwen turned on the television and quickly began knitting.
Because of her work for Mr. Qiu, her side business had been delayed somewhat. But that didn’t matter—no matter how much money knitting brought in, it could never compare to what she earned from Mr. Qiu.