Sang Sang only found out the next morning that Bai Tingting had stumbled into such luck by sheer chance.
Over the past three years, Bai Tingting had become almost like a different person—so low-key that she barely had any presence, even less noticeable than Bai Lanlan.
At first, Sang Sang would throw a few sarcastic remarks her way, but Bai Tingting never reacted. It felt like punching cotton—no matter how much force she used, it was pointless and boring.
Over time, Sang Sang simply ignored her.
Now that she was suddenly mentioned again—and was even ahead of all of them with a stable job—Sang Sang couldn’t help but feel irritated.
She clung to her mother and complained, “Hmph, Mom, Bai Tingting is inferior to me in every way. I have to find a job better than hers.”
“Of course. Don’t worry—my daughter is so outstanding. You’ll definitely find a job better than all of them,” Qin Yunxi reassured her, patting her back. In her heart, she believed it too—her daughter deserved the very best.
Mother and daughter were both full of confidence.
But the reality was that Bai Tingting was already working as a clerk in the finance department of one of Harbin’s top steel factories. In a time when job competition was so fierce, finding something better than that was no easy task.
At a time like this, any good positions were already reserved for the relatives of city officials.
Bai Anrong was only a section chief at a textile factory. He wasn’t particularly ambitious and had a straightforward personality, nowhere near as well-connected as his elder brother Bai Anhua.
So even if he wanted to help, he simply didn’t have the means to meet Sang Sang and her mother’s expectations.
As for Qin Yunxi’s idea of using money to buy a job—while there were certainly people greedy for money, very few job opportunities were even circulating at this point, let alone reaching her.
…
Sure enough, another month passed, and the mother and daughter continued to face setback after setback.
People around Sang Sang’s age had either found jobs or signed up to go to the countryside.
That only made them feel worse.
Even the two straightforward men in the Bai household could sense the tense atmosphere at home and hardly dared to breathe too loudly.
Sang Sang was in a terrible mood—she felt like kicking even stray dogs on the street.
Knowing her daughter best, Qin Yunxi understood how she felt. To distract her, she gathered up fabric coupons and shoe coupons from the entire textile compound and sent Sang Sang shopping to dress herself up nicely.
If her mood improved, maybe good things would follow.
Shopping did lift her spirits. Sang Sang invited her only friend, Yuan Yuan, to go to the department store together.
That evening, she asked Bai Zhixin to pass a message to Yuan Yuan, inviting her out the next day.
Yuan Yuan hadn’t seen Sang Sang for over a month, so after hearing the news, she showed up early the next morning—so early that she practically caught Sang Sang still in bed.
Most people, seeing a friend arrive so early, would hurry to get ready.
But Sang Sang was clearly not “most people.”
So Yuan Yuan’s early arrival ended up being in vain.
By the time Sang Sang finally finished getting ready, it was already 11:30. Yuan Yuan had waited the whole morning without a single complaint—after all, seeing Sang Sang dressed up beautifully was a treat for her eyes.
Though… her stomach was growling loudly from hunger.
Looking at her fully dressed, stunning deskmate, Yuan Yuan said, “Sang Sang, let’s go eat at the state-run restaurant first. Otherwise, we won’t have the energy to shop at the department store.”
Sang Sang rolled her eyes at the pleading expression on the chubby girl’s face and reluctantly said, “Fine. Let’s eat first.”
Forget it—better feed her so she has the strength to carry my things later.
“Wow, Sang Sang, you’re the best!” Yuan Yuan exclaimed, about to pounce on her.
Sang Sang immediately grabbed her bag and ran off.
Her freshly ironed clothes couldn’t be wrinkled by this girl.
The two girls, their hair in braided pigtails, chased and laughed as they ran out of the compound.
…
Yuan Yuan’s father was a head chef at the state-run restaurant, holding a high position. As soon as she walked in, the staff recognized her—and over the years, Sang Sang had become a familiar face as well.
Having connections in a state-run restaurant came with plenty of advantages.
For example—right now, at lunchtime, workers had just gotten off their shifts, and the line had already stretched to a two-hour wait.
Yet Yuan Yuan brought Sang Sang straight to the front, cutting in line openly to order.
Of course, people in line grumbled.
But in the 1960s, the idea that “the customer is always right” didn’t exist. The staff at state-run restaurants were notoriously bad-tempered.
There was even a slogan on the wall: “No beating customers without cause.”
Which basically meant—if you caused trouble, they could easily find a reason to beat you, and you’d just have to endure it.
“What are you shouting about? Keep it up and none of you will eat!” Auntie Zhang, who was taking orders, barked loudly. The line instantly quieted down.
Fine—better to eat late than not at all. Besides, no one wanted to offend the staff. If they got on their bad side and ended up with less meat on their plate, it wouldn’t be worth it.
“Sang Sang… do you feel bad about cutting in line? Maybe next time we should queue?” Yuan Yuan asked after ordering, sitting at the table.
She assumed someone as beautiful as Sang Sang must be thin-skinned.
But she had overthought it.
Sang Sang had no such moral burden. This was privilege earned through connections—others were just jealous.
She didn’t believe that if those same people had a father working as a chef here, they would willingly stand in line.
People were like that—if they didn’t have something, they envied those who did.
As for her? She enjoyed this kind of preferential treatment.
If others didn’t like it, they could just deal with it.
“Are you stupid? Why choose hardship when you don’t have to?” Sang Sang scoffed.
Yuan Yuan chuckled foolishly, thinking—being pretty really is an advantage. Even rolling her eyes looks good.
…
Because of their connections, the dishes were served unusually fast—and Auntie Zhang even brought them over personally.
This level of service was usually reserved for city officials.
“Thank you, Auntie Zhang.”
“Thank you, Auntie Zhang.”
The two lively girls spoke in unison.
Auntie Zhang’s bad mood from the busy lunch rush improved instantly. She waved her hand generously. “No need to be polite. If you need anything, just call me.”
Before she could finish, someone called out impatiently, “Hey, hurry up! I’ve been waiting forever and still haven’t ordered!”
“Alright, alright, I’m coming! What, are you going to starve to death if I delay you a minute?” she snapped, hands on her hips, scolding them before returning to work.
The person she scolded lowered their head, too angry to speak but not daring to argue.
…
Sang Sang focused on eating, uninterested in the commotion.
Their meal today was especially lavish—three dishes, one soup, and two bowls of white rice.
Braised pork, braised fish, stir-fried eggs with cucumber slices, and winter melon rib soup—the portions were enormous.
Even for a state-run restaurant, known for generous servings, this was excessive.
All thanks to Yuan Yuan’s father.
The moment Chef Yuan heard his precious daughter had come, he made sure to heap the dishes generously.
“Yuan Yuan, your dad’s cooking is amazing. Every dish is delicious—this braised fish is the best I’ve ever had,” Sang Sang said, clearly satisfied.
Mentioning her father filled Yuan Yuan with pride. She puffed up her chest. “Sang Sang, I’m going to start helping in the kitchen next week. Once I learn enough, I’ll treat you to meals here anytime!”
Her job had already been arranged—in the restaurant kitchen.
She spoke happily, not noticing the change in Sang Sang’s expression.
“Oh? So you’ve got a job now, and you’re showing it off to me?” Sang Sang’s delicate face darkened instantly, her tone turning cold.
She felt annoyed—of all things to bring up, why this?
She had just managed to feel a little better, and now this reminded her of being unemployed again.
Realizing her mistake, Yuan Yuan hurriedly waved her hands. “No, no, that’s not what I meant! Don’t be angry, Sang Sang. I’ll treat you to this meal, okay?”
She carefully watched her friend’s expression.
“What, you think I can’t afford to eat? You don’t need to treat me—save your ration tickets for yourself,” Sang Sang snapped, still displeased.
Unwilling to upset her further, Yuan Yuan thought for a moment, then took out a few fabric coupons from her bag.
“Th-then… I’ll give you these. It’s not much, but you can make another undershirt…”
Only then did Sang Sang’s expression soften.
In this planned economy, money alone wasn’t enough—coupons were essential. And since she loved dressing up, she certainly didn’t mind having more.
“Hmph.” She snatched the coupons, her tone easing slightly but still domineering. “I’ll pay for this meal. Consider it in exchange.”
“No arguing. What I say goes.”
Yuan Yuan wanted to object—she knew Sang Sang, despite her temper, never let herself lose out—but fearing she might anger her again, she simply nodded.
…
Logically speaking, with Qin Yunxi willing to spend money, Sang Sang shouldn’t have been unable to find a job when others could.
But her standards were simply too high.
Factory work was out of the question—she would never consider it.
Even when a rare position as a sales clerk at a supply cooperative became available, she rejected it.
That job was highly sought after—normally passed down within families.
It had only opened up because the previous holder was leaving to follow her husband.
Knowing Qin Yunxi was generous, the middleman had offered it to her first.
Yet Sang Sang still wasn’t satisfied.
“A sales clerk? Besides being convenient for shopping, what future does that have? And standing behind a tiny counter all day—how boring and tiring,” she had said.
“And my temper isn’t good. If someone provokes me, I won’t back down. Arguing would ruin my mood—and a bad mood shortens your lifespan. So forget it.”
At first, Qin Yunxi had tried to persuade her—but after hearing her reasoning, she oddly found it convincing.
So she let her be.
Still, unwilling to let the opportunity slip away, Qin Yunxi bought the position for herself.
After staying home for three years, she was tired of it.
Though the price was steep—800 yuan—she could afford it.
And so, while the whole family had been searching for a job for Sang Sang…
In the end, she was the only one still unemployed.
Even Bai Zhixin—the often-overlooked one—had managed to get a position doing miscellaneous work in the security department of the textile factory.