“Yes! Ji Yao, you understand me so well. You truly are my sworn sister!” Qiao Zixi suddenly grew excited, tightly grasping Ji Yao’s hand and glancing at the nearly finished grilled sausage in her hand.
“Wait for me, I’ll go buy a few more for you!”
As they continued on their way to Ningjiang, Qiao Zixi’s gloomy mood improved significantly, while Ji Yao had eaten enough grilled sausages to feel, half-full.
Her appetite wasn’t originally very large, but the food in the otherworld was so terrible that her appetite had grown considerably since returning a few days ago.
If possible, she’d love to have a carbonated drink right now.
The grilled sausages alone weren’t quite satisfying enough.
“Zixi, on our way back, can we get some barbecue?”
The dilapidated small courtyard was just ahead. Ji Yao timidly voiced her idea. Qiao Zixi merely glanced at her, wanting to say that important matters should come first and they could discuss it later, but Ji Yao’s expression was just too craving.
She looked exactly like someone who hadn’t had barbecue in ages.
Besides, she was actually quite picky about food.
“We’ll have to go back to Xijing for that. I know a small barbecue place that’s particularly delicious, especially when paired with some beer.”
“It’s settled then! I can hold out until we get back!” Ji Yao responded eagerly.
After all, she had eaten five grilled sausages and wasn’t that hungry just really craving more.
Having reached an agreement, the two got out of the car and walked into the small courtyard.
Grandpa Qiao was waiting for them, standing beside a boy of about seventeen or eighteen.
After exchanging greetings, Grandpa Qiao asked Ji Yao to hand over her documents and procedures, which he then gave to the girl to process her employment paperwork. Only then did the three of them enter.
“Ji Yao, although you’ve just joined, you’re exceptionally talented. Grandpa has high hopes for you.”
The praise made Ji Yao almost too embarrassed to listen. She barely dared to make eye contact with Grandpa Qiao until just before entering the Heavenly Master Hall.
Grandpa Qiao didn’t pause, though. Once inside, he called Ji Yao over to sit and presented her with a contract.
“The top one is the labor contract, and the one below is your assignment document.”
“The assignment document doesn’t require a signature. It only contains the employer’s contact information and address, no detailed information. This is to prevent any potential bias or criticism towards the employer.”
“Additionally, the employer requests that you report as soon as possible, ideally within three days.”
After briefly explaining the situation to Ji Yao, Grandpa Qiao continued discussing the commission: “This is a long-term assignment. Besides the base salary, the employer is offering a monthly remuneration of five hundred thousand.”
“Five hundred thousand?!”
Ji Yao was so excited she nearly jumped up. She didn’t even want to read the contract anymore and was ready to sign her name right away.
But Qiao Zixi pressed down on her shoulder, stopping her excitement, and looked helplessly at Grandpa Qiao. “Grandpa, could you please explain things clearly?”
“Ahem! Xiao Ji, don’t get too excited just yet.”
Grandpa Qiao’s beard was white, but he still had a playful heart. He looked at Ji Yao, let out a dry laugh, and then picked up her labor contract, opening it to the hidden clauses.
“Xiao Ji, do you see this?”
“The final interpretation right for commissions belongs to the Ningjiang Branch.”
“So, what does that mean?”
“The commission rate is 10% to 20%. The bonus is entirely yours to keep.”
“You mean, I’ll get at least fifty thousand in commission?” Ji Yao’s eyes lit up, and her voice rose with excitement by the end.
Beside them, Qiao Zixi covered her eyes in disbelief, while Grandpa Qiao beamed brightly and nodded. “Exactly! After three months on the job, if your performance is outstanding, you can receive a twenty percent commission. That’s something I can personally guarantee.”
Although the difference between 500,000 and 100,000 was significant, for Ji Yao, it was still a solution to a major problem.
She had never experienced poverty growing up, but she had never earned this much money on her own before. Burdened with debt, she desperately needed this income. The only question was,
How long could she keep earning it?
“Grandpa, how long will this job last?”
“That depends on your abilities. As long as you don’t get fired, it could last quite a while.”
“For example, Zixi’s job is publicly funded with a monthly salary of 50,000, but the Xu family signed a long-term contract with her. Her commission is also special she’s been at it for two years now.”
Hearing this, Ji Yao glanced at Qiao Zixi, clearly curious about just how “special” that commission was.
Qiao Zixi didn’t give a direct answer but hinted, “Let’s just say it’s more than yours.”
“That’s fine. After all, I’m just starting out, and there are bonuses too they’re not bad either.”
Ji Yao had an innately optimistic personality.
Even after returning to a life mired in debt and chaos, she hadn’t been crushed by it. Instead, she worked even harder to earn money and live well.
“Good, then prepare yourself. Report for duty within three days!”
“Okay.” Ji Yao agreed readily. The thought of earning money filled her with energy, and she wished she could start the very next day.
Unfortunately, the onboarding procedures wouldn’t be finalized until tomorrow.
As they left the Celestial Master Hall, the young man who had been standing beside Grandpa Qiao earlier was already waiting. He handed Ji Yao all the necessary documents.
It was only then that Grandpa Qiao remembered to introduce the boy.
“Ji Yao, this is Xiao Zhu. If you’re too busy and need someone to run errands, you can call on him.”
“He’s an inheritor of ancient martial arts and quite strong.”
This wasn’t unusual, as this was a special unit that always needed to train newcomers. The boy, as Grandpa Qiao had said, was indeed muscular and well-suited for assisting.
After all, Ji Yao had no idea what might happen during her work, so having someone with high combat skills to help was definitely a plus.
After exchanging contact information with Xiao Zhu, Ji Yao and Qiao Zixi drove back to Xijing.
Since it was nighttime, Qiao Zixi drove noticeably slower. Worried that Ji Yao might be too hungry, halfway through the journey, she shared the contact of a small restaurant owner with Ji Yao so she could order in advance.
By the time they arrived, a large table of barbecue was already waiting.
Ji Yao didn’t drink, so only Qiao Zixi indulged.
On this cold winter night, they sat indoors instead of outside. Qiao Zixi took a big gulp of beer, burped, and said, “If only it were summer. We could sit outside, drink, enjoy skewers, and check out the long legs of female alphas and omegas.”
Ji Yao, who was munching on a lamb skewer, paused and gave her a slightly disgusted look.
“Are you that indiscriminate? Even female alphas?”
“Just looking! Everyone appreciates beauty, and female alphas tend to have longer legs.”
“Pervert!”
“Wait! Ji Yao, are you that innocent? The gossip about you didn’t seem to suggest that. Weren’t you Shi Yu’s stalker?”
At the mention of this, Ji Yao lost her appetite entirely. Staring at the beer on the table, she felt an urge to chug it.
But she couldn’t, Qiao Zixi had been drinking, and someone had to drive them back.
“I’m not her illegitimate child. I was just, once her fan. Those photos were just for my own amusement, but some people always believe them anyway.”
The photos couldn’t be hidden, so she had to change the narrative. Fortunately, Qiao Zixi didn’t press for details and let it go after hearing her explanation.
Ji Yao continued eating. It was getting late, and she needed to finish up and go back to sleep.
Ji Yao paid the bill. After settling it, she helped the slightly tipsy Qiao Zixi toward the car.
Qiao Zixi was a bit taller than her and quite unsteady, so Ji Yao struggled to get her to the car while her phone kept ringing incessantly.
With no time to answer, Ji Yao could only endure the annoying ringtone as she practically shoved Qiao Zixi into the car.
“Can’t hold your liquor but still drink so much? What’s the point?”
Recalling how Qiao Zixi had downed her drinks earlier, Ji Yao couldn’t help but complain. Then, she opened the car door and slowly drove off.
It had been too long since she last drove, and she was nervous.
She crept cautiously out of the intersection, only to be startled again by her phone ringing.
It was the same unfamiliar number, persistently calling for the fifth or sixth time.
Ji Yao answered, her tone less than friendly, “Hello, who is this?”
After she spoke, the other end of the line fell silent for a few seconds. Just as Ji Yao grew impatient and was about to hang up, she heard a soft, sweet voice say, “Mommy!”
Ji Yao’s hands trembled violently on the steering wheel, and she quickly glanced back at Qiao Zixi.
Seeing that she was asleep, she turned her attention back to Panpan.
“Wh-what’s wrong?” She tried to soften her tone, but the words came out stuttered.
Panpan didn’t seem to mind, her soft, sweet voice sounding almost like a whine as she said, “Mommy, I miss you.”
Ji Yao froze, nearly forgetting to hit the brakes at the red light.
She still wasn’t quite used to having such a grown daughter, especially one who knew how to act so sweetly.
A tender feeling, as if breaking through the soil, swayed within her. She pressed her lips together, wanting to respond gently, but Panpan abruptly changed the subject, bringing up Shi Yu: “Grandpa came to talk to Mommy today. They talked for a long time.”
“And! Mommy cried.”
The story lacked coherence. Just as Ji Yao was about to ask whether Shi Yu had been made to cry or had cried on her own, she heard Shi Yu’s voice from the other end: “Panpan, who are you talking to?”
“It’s Mommy!” Panpan answered cheerfully, followed by a rustling sound.
Then, the call was disconnected.