Li Anping truly couldn’t understand it, and he began to resent his two sisters‑in‑law. How could household chores turn into such a mess in their hands?
“Mom, tomorrow evening, my department head is coming over. You take eldest sister‑in‑law and second sister‑in‑law and give the house a thorough cleaning,” Li Anping said to Zhang Lanxiang.
“Huh? Why is your leader coming here?” Zhang Lanxiang asked nervously.
In her mind, a leader visiting the home was never a good sign—just like when Li Dongle’s teacher came for a home visit.
Li Anping explained, feeling uneasy, that Lin Jingwen had saved the department head’s elderly father. Because of that, the department head had awarded him the assistant lecturer position and now wanted to personally thank Lin Jingwen.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lanxiang scoffed: “Hmph, your wife finally did something right—at least helped you a little. But your department head is ridiculous. He should just thank you directly. Why bother thanking Lin Jingwen? She’s nothing.”
“Mom, don’t say that. We have to at least pretend to care about Lin Jingwen. Especially tomorrow when the department head comes, you must put on an act,” Li Anping said, his face darkening.
“Fine, fine, I get it. After dinner tonight, we’ll tidy up the house,” Zhang Lanxiang replied, then suddenly realized something was off.
“Where’s your wife? When is she coming back? Didn’t you say yesterday you gave your mother‑in‑law plenty of gifts, and today she was supposed to fetch her from the restaurant?”
“Mom, Jingwen will definitely be back tomorrow,” Li Anping said, recalling how his father‑in‑law had sworn to it over the phone. He decided to trust it once more.
Yes—once Lin Jingwen lost her job, she would have no choice but to obediently return.
Today, Lin Jingwen was going to Liberation Bridge to interview for the pastry chef position. She was a little nervous, worried she might not pass.
It wasn’t that she feared being unemployed or without wages—what she truly longed for was to have her abilities recognized, affirmed, and even respected.
Just like the treatment she received from Mr. Qiu: not only was the salary generous, but her cooking skills were highly praised and valued.
Although yesterday she told Supervisor Qin that failing the interview wouldn’t be a big deal, that she could always set up a breakfast stall, in reality, she knew she wouldn’t do that. With Mr. Qiu’s salary, she would never go out in the freezing winter to run a stall.
Even if she didn’t have Mr. Qiu’s wages, she would rather stay home knitting sweaters and try selling them. Even if she only earned thirty yuan a month—just enough for rent and food—she still wouldn’t brave the cold to sell breakfast outdoors.
The reason was simple: running a stall in winter was too hard, too cold, too punishing.
In her nightmare past, she had done that for years—pushing a tricycle cart loaded with food, with no security, constantly chased away, sometimes even having her stall smashed.
Especially in the dead of winter, with freezing temperatures and biting winds—when the stove was burning and customers kept her busy, it was bearable. But once business slowed, the cold was unbearable.
If she went back to that life, she could forget about having smooth, beautiful skin or keeping her hands looking nice.
In short, her guiding principle now was clear: prioritize living comfortably and healthily. On that foundation, earn money in a way that makes her look good and live with dignity in the eyes of others. She refused to suffer unnecessary hardship or endure needless torment. After all, she didn’t need to save money for children, nor did she have to consider a husband’s family anymore.
Although she also wanted to buy a house and have her own little nest, she believed that happiness and security weren’t something a house alone could provide.
As long as she felt content inside and lived happily each day, that was enough. For now, renting was fine—she could enjoy life first, and save money slowly while doing so.
She didn’t want to sacrifice everything for the sake of buying a house—no down jacket, no skincare, no good food.
Otherwise, wouldn’t that mean she had just escaped from her scumbag husband and oppressive in‑laws, only to turn around and become a slave to a house?
That kind of life would have no enjoyment, no self‑care, no love for herself.
Thinking through all this, Lin Jingwen felt less nervous. She reminded herself that people like Mr. Qiu, who could truly recognize talent, were rare.
Besides, positions at a state‑run restaurant were highly sought after. If she failed the interview, it might not be because she lacked ability, but simply because she didn’t have strong enough connections compared to others.
With her mood settled, she prepared breakfast, brought a portion to Mr. Qiu, and cleaned his room for him. Only after finishing all that did she head out.
She rode her bicycle for twenty minutes to reach the restaurant at Liberation Bridge. The ride left her frozen through. Her knitted gloves did nothing against the wind, and her hands were already stiff with cold.
Lin Jingwen realized she needed not only a proper down jacket but also a pair of fleece‑lined leather gloves. If she succeeded in today’s interview, she would immediately buy them for herself.
If she didn’t pass the interview, she planned to stay home through the winter, knitting sweaters. In that case, there would be no need to buy gloves.
Lin Jingwen entered through the restaurant’s main entrance. Since it was a fairly upscale state‑run guesthouse restaurant, the lobby had heating. After staying there for a while, she finally warmed up.
Next, she went to find the manager, presented her recommendation letter, and introduced herself.
First of all, her marital status was something she had to be honest about.
If Li Anping and his family came here to cause trouble, and the manager wasn’t prepared, they could be infuriated. Worse, if they discovered she had deliberately concealed the situation, they might resent or even despise her.
“Leader, don’t worry. My ex‑husband is a university teacher, and he cares a lot about his reputation. If he dares to come here and make a scene, I’ll retaliate in kind—I’ll go to his school and cause trouble there, make it impossible for him to stay. At most, he’ll only dare to come once. He definitely won’t come again, and it won’t interfere with my work here.”
“You’re quite a fiery woman,” Manager Zhao said with a laugh after hearing her words.
“I was forced into it. With outsiders, I’m always polite and kind, never one to stir up trouble on my own,” Lin Jingwen replied with a confident smile.
“Leader, I can assure you my pastry skills are solid. In addition, I can make Western desserts—cookies, cakes, and more. I can also create pastries in various shapes and designs that are sure to catch the eye.”
Manager Zhao chuckled. “This is the first time I’ve met such a confident woman. Alright then, come with me. Let’s hope you’re not just boasting.”
“I won’t disappoint you, Leader,” Lin Jingwen replied with a calm, steady smile.
Manager Zhao glanced at her again, secretly hoping she truly had some real skills.
Lin Jingwen followed Manager Zhao into the kitchen.
Besides the chefs and helpers working on stir‑fried dishes, there were five pastry chefs—all men.
Two of them looked to be in their forties, both broad‑shouldered and stout. One had a fierce expression, the other looked more amiable.
Through Manager Zhao’s introductions, Lin Jingwen learned that the stern one was Master Bao, and the kind‑looking one was Master Qian. Both held relatively high status. There were also two younger apprentices in their twenties, surnamed Wu and Jiang—called Xiao Wu and Xiao Jiang.
Finally, there was one around thirty, about the same age as Lin Jingwen, named Master Zhong.
When they heard that Lin Jingwen was here to be assessed as a pastry chef—and that she was a woman—they all looked at her with surprise.
“Instead of staying home to care for elders and children, or working as a helper, you want to be a pastry chef? Women these days really think too highly of themselves,” Master Bao said bluntly.
Lin Jingwen glanced at him, then laughed lightly and replied, “Mind your words, Master Bao. If you want to say I lack ability, fine—but don’t lump all women together. Our restaurant has female leaders too. If they overheard you, you’d be in real trouble.”
Lin Jingwen’s poised attitude and sharp, to‑the‑point remark immediately made everyone realize she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
Manager Zhao couldn’t help but admire her, thinking her comeback was excellent.
“Women hold up half the sky—men and women are equal. That’s been promoted for years now. Master Bao, you’re stuck in the past,” Manager Zhao said with a faint smile.
Master Bao’s face turned sour, but he didn’t argue further. After all, he had spoken rudely and was clearly in the wrong.
If she had been soft‑tempered, she might have just swallowed the insult. If she had been hot‑tempered but thoughtless, she might have simply cursed back.
But Lin Jingwen’s response was clever—she invoked the female leadership, elevating her point and making her rebuttal more effective.
“Master Qian, you’re the most senior pastry chef here. You’ll be responsible for assessing Comrade Lin,” Manager Zhao said.
Master Qian agreed, smiling kindly at Lin Jingwen.
“Our assessment isn’t complicated. Just make the pastries you know. For a pastry chef, all skill lies in the hands—once you knead the dough, your ability will show.”
“Alright, no problem.” Lin Jingwen found Master Qian’s words fair and reasonable. She smiled back warmly, rolled up her sleeves, washed her hands, and began to work.
“Alright, no problem.” Lin Jingwen found Master Qian’s words fair and reasonable. She smiled kindly, rolled up her sleeves, washed her hands, and began working.
“Fermented dough takes time. Use this basin of already‑risen dough to make your pastries,” Master Qian pointed to a large basin and said.
Lin Jingwen smiled in response, walked over, and saw that the dough was indeed ready—any longer and it would be over‑fermented, spoiling the taste. She took all the dough from the basin, placed it on the counter, sprinkled flour, and began kneading.
Master Qian and the others watched for a while. Seeing her skilled technique and solid fundamentals, they stopped staring closely. They had to get busy preparing the lunch pastries themselves. Besides, her true level would be shown not just in her kneading, but in the finished products.
Half an hour later, Master Qian and the others couldn’t help but notice the pastries Lin Jingwen had shaped. They were eye‑catching because the designs were fresh and unique—not the usual styles seen in the market. She had crafted flowers, grass, fish, and rabbits—more beautiful, more charming, and more appealing than ordinary pastries.
“Excellent! Excellent! Master Lin truly has skillful hands and clever ideas,” Master Qian said with a smile and a nod.
On the strength of this alone, she had passed the assessment.