“Renting a house?” Hong Jie opened her mouth in surprise. “Aren’t you going home with your man? Not going to live at his place?”
Lin Xiangxiu waved her hand. “We’re divorced.”
Even in the open-minded city of Shencheng, divorce was a rare occurrence. Hong Jie looked at Lin Xiangxiu, then at Lin Xiao, moved her lips, and ultimately swallowed the words she wanted to say.
She quite liked Lin Xiangxiu and was even fonder of the clever and quick-witted Lin Xiao. During the few days the mother and daughter had stayed at the inn, she had heard many interesting stories from them.
Thinking to offer some advice, Hong Jie asked, “So, are you planning to stay? How will you make a living?”
“When we were at the Police Station, I heard that the Deputy Chief’s brother-in-law is looking for a housekeeper. I thought I’d go try it out tomorrow.” Lin Xiangxiu stroked her daughter’s head, her smile particularly excited as she spoke with great enthusiasm, “The pay is really good—three yuan an hour!”
“Even if this family isn’t suitable, it doesn’t matter. I can keep looking for work.” Lin Xiangxiu felt as if she had opened the door to a new world, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve thought it through—I don’t have an education or any special skills, but I’m pretty good at cooking and quite efficient at cleaning. I can work as a housekeeper to save up some money. If I don’t want to do it later, I can learn something else and change careers!”
Lin Xiangxiu didn’t think there was anything shameful about being a housekeeper. Earning money through labor to support herself and her daughter—what was there to be ashamed of?
Besides, that shameless Lin Shuping wanted her to be a housekeeper, taking care of both adults and children, for only seventy yuan a month. This family was offering three yuan an hour. Even if it was just one hour a day, that would still be ninety yuan a month.
Lin Xiangxiu did a quick calculation in her head and immediately felt that being a housekeeper was a pretty good profession. After all, being a housekeeper for anyone was still being a housekeeper!
“Being a housekeeper?” Hong Jie raised her eyebrows in surprise, but upon careful thought, it seemed quite suitable. She was happy for the mother and daughter too. “What you said makes sense. No matter what the job is, as long as it earns money, you should settle down first. But isn’t it too early to look for a place to rent now? You could wait until you find a job and see if there are any houses for rent nearby.”
She explained, “Shencheng is much bigger than you imagine. You might end up finding work in another district. If the house is too far away, it would be very inconvenient for commuting—wasting time and unsafe on the road.”
Lin Xiangxiu quickly thanked her, “I really hadn’t thought of that. Then I’ll look for a place after the job is settled. Thank you so much, Hong Jie. You’ve been a great help to us.”
Hong Jie hurriedly waved her hand. “I only said a word or two—what help is that? When you find a job, just let me know the address, and I’ll help you ask around about housing.”
“I’ve lived here for decades, running this inn since it opened up. I know which families have houses for rent. Don’t stand on ceremony with me.”
Lin Xiangxiu’s nose tingled slightly. “Hong Jie, I really don’t know how to thank you.”
“Ah, what are you doing! It’s just a small favor.” Hong Jie was naturally warm-hearted and didn’t think it was a big deal. Seeing Lin Xiangxiu on the verge of tears actually made her feel a bit embarrassed.
Lin Xiangxiu thanked her a few more times and was about to take Lin Xiao back when, after a few steps, she remembered she hadn’t paid for her room yet.
The room she was currently staying in cost two yuan per day, and she had already stayed for five days. Lin Xiangxiu calculated that from finding a job to securing a place to move, it would take at least two days, making it seven days in total. Additionally, she had to account for the money for using the kitchen.
Although Hong Jie hadn’t specified how much it would cost, she didn’t want to take advantage of others.
After doing the math in her head, Lin Xiangxiu took out twenty yuan and stuffed it firmly into Hong Jie’s pocket. “This is for the room and the kitchen use. I’ve stayed five days and plan to stay two more. Let me know if it’s not enough.”
Hong Jie was taken aback and quickly said it was too much.
Lin Xiangxiu smiled at her, took Lin Xiao back to the room, mixed hot water from the thermos, washed herself and her daughter clean, changed into fresh clothes, and then lay down to sleep.
Since arriving in Shencheng, Lin Xiangxiu hadn’t had a single peaceful night’s sleep, dreaming constantly of searching for her husband.
But today, after the divorce, she slept soundly. In her dream, she found a good job earning a hundred yuan a day, three thousand a month, bought a house in Shencheng, and made Lin Xiao a city girl. She nearly laughed herself awake from the dream.
She almost overslept. In the morning, she washed up in a hurry and glanced at the wall clock as she left the inn. It was already 7:40, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, she was still on time. Any more dawdling and she would have been late.
Lin Xiangxiu had a good memory and remembered the way to the Police Station from yesterday. With Lin Xiao in tow, she reached the entrance in about ten minutes.
Once there, she looked around but couldn’t find anyone who looked like Deputy Director Liu’s wife.
“Xiao Xiao, do you see her?”
Lin Xiao was also searching. After a moment, she shook her head honestly. “No.”
“Probably not here yet. Let’s have breakfast first.”
Lin Xiangxiu took her child to the same snack shop from the day before. The shop was open in the morning, but the people running it had changed to the male owner and his mother. The offerings were simple: steamed buns, Changfen, tea eggs, and thick, hearty congee.
Feeling nervous, Lin Xiangxiu only ordered a tea egg for herself and a portion of lean meat Changfen for Lin Xiao. The mother and daughter ate while keeping an eye out.
Halfway through the meal, Lin Xiao patted her mother’s arm and pointed to a woman outside. “Mom, is that her?”
In the rush of last night, they had forgotten to exchange any identification details. Now, she had no choice but to approach and ask directly.
Lin Xiangxiu wiped her mouth, took Lin Xiao’s hand, and went over. “Hello, are you Deputy Director Liu’s wife? He probably mentioned it to you yesterday—I’d like to apply for the nanny position for your brother.”
“Oh, it’s you.” The woman was straightforward and confident. She turned around and introduced herself first. “I’m Lu Xiaoxia. What’s your name?”
“Lin Xiangxiu.”
While Lu Xiaoxia sized her up, Lin Xiangxiu did the same. She hadn’t personally encountered such situations, but she had heard of scammers in the north who pretended to offer job opportunities. She needed to make sure this Lu Xiaoxia wasn’t a fraud.
Lu Xiaoxia was quite tall, nearly 1.7 meters, which made her stand out even more in the south. Lin Xiangxiu compared their heights and felt they were about the same.
Although they were about the same height, their figures differed greatly. Lin Xiangxiu herself had a well-proportioned figure—neither too thin nor too plump—but Lu Xiaoxia was exceptionally slender. The exposed part of her wrist showed almost no flesh, with skin clinging tightly to the bone, and her collarbones were clearly visible.
Lu Xiaoxia, however, was quite amiable and spoke in a warm, friendly manner.
Noticing Lu Xiaoxia’s gaze resting on her daughter, Lin Xiangxiu introduced her, “This is my daughter, Lin Xiao.”
Lu Xiaoxia was taken aback. “Your daughter? I didn’t realize you had such a grown-up daughter.”
Both she and her husband had busy jobs. They had briefly met the day before, and Deputy Director Liu had only mentioned that a woman wanted to apply for a nanny position, that her life was quite difficult, and that they should help if possible. Beyond that, he hadn’t shared any details.
Now, seeing that this woman had brought a child along, Lu Xiaoxia was genuinely startled.
A little embarrassed, Lin Xiangxiu pulled Lin Xiao closer to her side and said, “Say hello to Auntie.”
Lin Xiao, being well-behaved, called out in a clear, sweet voice, “Hello, Auntie!”
Her sugary tone and smiling face instantly won Lu Xiaoxia over, who immediately began rummaging through her bag for cookies.
Lu Xiaoxia asked, “Are you planning to bring your child along to the job interview? Why not leave her with her father first?”
“I divorced her father yesterday—right here at this police station. I have custody,” Lin Xiangxiu explained, pointing to the police station behind her. Hesitating for a moment, she added, “Not only do I have to bring her to the interview, but I’d also need to bring her along to work. Do you think that would be possible? My daughter is very well-behaved and won’t mess with other people’s things.”
Though Lu Xiaoxia had taken a strong liking to Lin Xiao, she wasn’t the employer and couldn’t make the decision. She looked at Lin Xiangxiu with a troubled expression and said, “I’m afraid that won’t be possible. My cousin has no family or children of his own, and he’s naturally not fond of kids.”