To outsiders, Gong Nanxing indeed had a great start in life and a smooth career. However, for him nowadays, life was not quite as satisfactory. For instance, just as he had spent a great deal of effort finding a little calf out of a hundred candidates, he now had to coax him into learning Mandarin like an overbearing mother, and right after that, his live-in housekeeper resigned because her husband had taken a fall and needed care.
No matter how devoid of human empathy Gong Nanxing might be, he still managed to stuff a large red envelope and personally called a car to send the housekeeper off to the train station. Ever since then, he could only sit alone in his empty, massive luxury apartment and worry. Good housekeepers were genuinely hard to find nowadays, let alone live-in ones. As a man, many things were inconvenient for him to handle, and it was impossible to ask his company-assigned assistant, Qiao Xi, to manage his domestic affairs. For now, he could only let the cooperating housekeeping agency slowly scout candidates for him.
Even though Gong Nanxing detested anything that slipped out of his control, he now had to follow online tutorials step by step to learn how to operate his own washing machine. Despite being a master strategist and decisive commander at work, when it came to dividing liquid laundry detergent and fabric softener, he wore the exact same expression as an elderly person looking at a smartphone on the subway.
This domestic frustration made Gong Nanxing’s naturally stern countenance look even more intimidating. Watching him come to work looking like this every day, Qiao Xi was almost tempted to advise him to change careers and join the mafia. She had even kindly warned the little calf who was scheduled for a company shoot today that Mr. Gong had been frequenting the studio to supervise projects lately, so he had better tuck in his calf tail and behave himself.
Yet, the little calf was a crystal-clear, bright-eyed college student who would not be easily frightened.
At noon that day, just as Gong Nanxing and Qiao Xi returned to the office after reviewing samples, they spotted a tanned young man squatting honestly beside the corridor’s potted plants. It was the little calf who had arrived at the company ahead of schedule.
Seeing this, Qiao Xi hurried forward to inquire about his purpose. The little calf smiled foolishly, baring a set of striking white teeth, and crisply announced that he was looking for Mr. Gong.
Hearing this, Gong Nanxing found it inexplicable as well, but one does not strike a smiling face, let alone his personally designated little calf. Thus, he waved his hand and told him to follow him into the office.
Entering such a massive office for the second time, the little calf did not feel quite as nervous. He found a seat on his own and sat down. Seeing this, Gong Nanxing could not help but chuckle, and the fierce aura on his face faded by a fraction.
“You look like you are here to negotiate with me.”
“Why did you throw it away!”
The little calf was at that age where he could not hide anything. Since Gong Nanxing had called him out, he had no intention of beating around the bush either. He reached straight into his bag and pulled out a lunchbox.
“What is this?” Gong Nanxing took the lunchbox, which could not possibly have been simpler, feeling utterly perplexed. Opening it, he saw it was packed full of homemade meals, looking identical to the fragrant construction-site lunchboxes he had scrolled past on short video apps.
“Boss, you should eat first.” The little calf did not answer, smiling brightly as he handed over a pair of disposable chopsticks. “Don’t worry, I brought this from my coworker’s house. It is clean and hygienic!”
“Alright, I will try some. Have you eaten?” Gong Nanxing had never eaten food like this; it gave him the surreal feeling of pulling a meal straight out of a video. He un-packaged the chopsticks and took a bite.
“I ate already, I do not steal food.”
An honest kid was quite dedicated indeed. Thinking this, Gong Nanxing’s expression toward the little calf grew even kinder.
“I can eat while you talk. What is on your mind?”
At this point, the little calf could no longer beat around the bush. Stammering slightly, he began to explain: “Boss, I… I learned some things. Learning Mandarin is really expensive, and I heard that you… your family needs someone to do chores. I was wondering if I could do your housework while you teach me Mandarin.”
Seeing Gong Nanxing’s expression sink across from him, the little calf assumed he had failed to explain his capabilities properly, so he blurted out a hurried stream of explanations:
(Calf language translation version) “Rest assured, my chores are top-notch! I can do anything! Building houses, fixing plumbing, raising chickens, ducks, and cattle, boiling water, cooking, washing clothes, and tidying up the house are all fine. If you have children, I can pick them up and drop them off too. You are the most articulate person I know, so after thinking about it, having you teach me directly is the best option. Just tell me what results you want and teach away, I will learn!”
This rapid-fire string of words left Gong Nanxing utterly bewildered. He had to guess his way through just to figure out what the other person was saying, and it almost choked him. Fortunately, his calculation-driven brain was always spinning, and he instantly thought of a countermeasure.
“Little calf, I know you might feel that learning Mandarin is expensive, but you should look at it positively. This is an investment in your future job search after graduation. How about this: the company will advance this portion of your learning expenses for you. These costs will not be deducted from your basic earnings; instead, we can deduct them in installments from your performance bonuses. How does that sound?”
(Calf language translation version) “Boss! Can I do some other chores to pay off this part? Delivering goods for the company works too! Enrolling in a class costs thousands of yuan, and I rely on part-time jobs to earn my tuition and living expenses… I know this might put you in a very difficult position… but I really need to save this money, and I can only swallow my pride and say this to you. I am not learning for free, really…”
The more the little calf spoke, the softer his voice became. He knew that as a superior, Gong Nanxing might not agree to such a request. Yet, he also had his reasons for striving to earn every single penny, and he had to try as long as there was the slightest possibility.
“Alright.”
Gong Nanxing’s expression turned exceptionally sour at that moment. He almost wanted to slap himself across the face, but thinking of the little calf as a student from a remote mountainous region, his conscience unusually gained the upper hand, forcing his mouth to squeeze out that single word of agreement.
“Really? Boss, you are such a kind person!” Seeing the little calf beam with a mouthful of white teeth, the meal in Gong Nanxing’s hands suddenly smelled appetizing again.
Having achieved his wish, the little calf stated that he would not disturb the boss’s dinner and that he would come back to clean up afterward, before happily running off. Left behind, Mr. Gong could only hold his lunchbox and silently reminisce: how exactly did his broadcasting elective professor back at the communication university teach the course?
That evening, after finishing his shooting tasks, the little calf eagerly clutched his school bag and waited on the reception room sofa for Gong Nanxing to get off work. Spoken words are like spilled water, so even if Gong Nanxing regretted it, he had no choice but to drive the calf back to his home.
“Let me make this clear first. You only need to come over and help clean up my house during the days you have scheduled shoots each week. You do not need to come every day, and I do not need you to cook.”
“Is my cooking not good, Boss?”
“It is good, but I cannot eat stir-fried dishes every day; there is too much oil.” Gong Nanxing motioned for the little calf to sit on the sofa, resigning himself to discussing the future rules with him. “Also, you do not need to keep calling me Boss. Call me Mr. Gong, just like everyone else.”
“Got it, Mr. Gong.”
“I am saying this beforehand: my temper is not great. If I teach you, you must study properly. If you do not learn well, I will issue a punishment, a fine!”
(Calf language translation version) “I… I will definitely study hard, but please do not fine me too much. Twenty yuan a time, okay?”
Although this little calf looked like a big oaf, he knew how to bargain. Gong Nanxing found it amusing and agreed to his request.
(Calf language translation version) “Then let me deposit 100 first.”
As if afraid Gong Nanxing would find it too little and renege, the little calf swiftly pulled a brand-new one-hundred-yuan bill from his wallet and handed it to Gong Nanxing. It had been a long time since he had seen physical cash, leaving him holding it with a mixture of laughter and tears.
“Then add me on messaging. When you are at school, I will give you online lessons. As long as I am not busy, do not even think about skipping class.” After adding each other’s contacts, Gong Nanxing still felt slightly unhappy about digging a hole and jumping into it himself, so he could not resist threatening the little calf.
(Calf language translation version) “Understood! I already borrowed my classmate’s voice recorder, I am starting to study right now! Once I finish studying, I will wash your clothes and mop the floor!”
“Wait a minute, did you figure out all along that I would agree to you?”
Gong Nanxing felt like he had been outsmarted by this little black calf playing the pig to eat the tiger. He could not help reaching out to pinch one of his calf ears, resorting to private punishment to force a confession.
Who would have known that the wincing little calf would still flash a foolish grin, baring his white teeth and crisply telling him: “Because I think Mr. Gong is a good person!”