Lin Xiangxiu froze, completely stunned.
She never imagined she’d encounter such a major problem before even going for the job interview. The employer didn’t like children and wouldn’t allow her to bring her child to work – what was she supposed to do?
Back in the countryside, because of her excellent cooking skills, every household hosting banquets would invite Lin Xiangxiu to take charge. Even when she brought her child along, it wasn’t an issue. Some families, seeing how clever and adorable Lin Xiao was, would even slip her extra candy – sometimes milk candy, sometimes Golden Monkey. Lin Xiao had never suffered while following her around.
Lin Xiangxiu considered looking for another employer, but this family offered such high wages, and only required a few hours of work each day. The remaining time she could find other part-time jobs. She still wanted to try negotiating.
Lin Xiangxiu composed herself and discussed with Lu Xiaoxia, “What if I talk to the employer and try to work something out?”
“My daughter is very well-behaved and polite. She never runs around or makes noise. As long as she has a place to sit, she can stay quietly for a long time. I’ll take her away as soon as I finish work.”
“And I won’t need to bring her to work all the time. Xiao Xiao is already 4 years old and can start kindergarten in the second half of the year. I just want to keep her with me during summer vacation. If that’s still not acceptable, I’m willing to accept slightly lower wages.” She had already made a concession.
“It’s not about the money. My cousin just returned from abroad and is now a specially appointed expert at the Public Security Bureau. He definitely doesn’t lack money – he just… naturally doesn’t like children.” Lu Xiaoxia affectionately patted Lin Xiao’s little head, speaking with deep sympathy.
This reminded her of what happened when her cousin first returned to China. Their whole family had gathered for a welcome dinner party. Her son was at that mischievous age – while waiting for the food to be served, he had been jumping around the private room, practically wanting to climb on everyone’s heads, occasionally letting out screams that assaulted everyone’s eardrums.
Even Lu Xiaoxia, his own mother, couldn’t stand it anymore and was about to spank him when her newly returned cousin kindly called the little rascal over, saying “Uncle will tell you a story.”
Then Lu Xiaoxia heard him vividly tell her son a Western vampire story, adding that vampires particularly loved to find children who liked to howl and wail, biting them right on the neck.
The effect was remarkable. The little rascal let out a terrified yelp, ready to burst into tears, but remembering what his uncle said, he quickly held back, his eyes welling up with tears.
“Is there really no way?” Lin Xiangxiu took a deep breath.
Lu Xiaoxia immediately snapped back to attention and started thinking of solutions for Lin Xiangxiu. As a woman, a mother, and a working mother herself, she understood Lin Xiangxiu’s difficulties.
After thinking for a while, she suddenly clapped her hands and laughed: “I remember! During summer vacation, there are childcare classes on the street where you can send children to learn singing, dancing, painting, musical instruments – they have everything. The childcare classes specifically enroll children their age.”
Lin Xiangxiu’s eyes lit up, and she quickly asked: “Are they expensive? Can they help look after the children?”
“Of course you can. They call it learning, but it’s really just basic early education for the children. At this age, we can’t expect them to actually learn much. It’s just a place to keep them occupied, burn off some energy, and free up time for adults to take care of their own matters,” Lu Xiaoxia explained. “If you go to a privately-run childcare class and pay a bit extra for them to watch the child for two hours, they’ll agree. The price isn’t too high either. As long as you can handle working for my cousin, money won’t be an issue for you—he’s very generous.”
It sounded great, and Lin Xiangxiu was tempted, but she had another concern. “Sister Xiaoxia, are these childcare classes you mentioned safe? Could they secretly take the children and sell them?”
After hearing what the Public Security Officers said yesterday, she realized that Shencheng wasn’t entirely peaceful either—there were cases of child trafficking—so she was especially cautious.
When she left home this morning, Hong Jie had even offered to help look after Lin Xiao, but Lin Xiangxiu hadn’t agreed. She wouldn’t feel at ease unless the child was right in front of her.
Lu Xiaoxia was taken aback for a moment, then broke into a smile. “How about this: if you can stay, I’ll pull some strings to get your child into our company’s daycare. It’s affordable, with fewer children and more teachers, so they have plenty of energy to focus on each child. You won’t have to worry.”
She looked Lin Xiangxiu up and down, genuinely feeling that it would be best if she could stay and work as a nanny for her cousin. Lin Xiangxiu was the cleanest nanny she had seen in a long time. Though her clothes weren’t fashionable, they were neat and tidy, and she herself was well-groomed. Even Lin Xiao’s little outfits were washed until they were faded.
If she could get Lin Xiangxiu to stay, pulling strings to get her into the daycare wouldn’t be a big deal. That way, her aunt who lived out of town could rest easy.
Upon hearing there was a company-run daycare, Lin Xiangxiu was immediately interested. She pressed her lips together, determined to do her best later and secure the job.
“It’s getting late. Let’s talk as we walk. I’ll take you to my cousin’s place to have a look,” Lu Xiaoxia said, glancing at her watch.
Along the way, the two chatted quite amiably, mostly about child-rearing, with Lu Xiaoxia occasionally teasing Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao was both clever and pretty, with her hair in two pigtails tied ingeniously with red ribbons at the roots. She never tugged at them randomly—the little girl loved beauty and took good care of her clothes and hairstyle, skipping along as she walked.
Lu Xiaoxia was envious. “How on earth did you raise your child like this? If my son wears a new outfit, within three hours it looks like it’s been dragged through a dog’s backside.”
Lin Xiangxiu shuddered at the mental image. “I don’t really know how to raise her. Xiao Xiao has just always loved cleanliness.”
Lu Xiaoxia’s eyes turned green with envy.
As they chatted and climbed the stairs, nearing her cousin’s home, Lu Xiaoxia decided it was time to get down to business.
Remembering the nannies her cousin had driven away—the ones who came to her in tears after just a couple of days—she began preparing Lin Xiangxiu. “Let me first tell you about my cousin. He was taken abroad by his parents when he was very young and grew up in the United States, receiving a foreign education. He only returned a year ago and is now specially hired by the Public Security Bureau as a criminal psychology consultant. I can assure you, his character is beyond reproach—there’s absolutely no way he would mistreat you.”
“As she spoke further, Lu Xiaoxia’s voice grew weaker, lacking conviction as she said, ‘There’s just one thing—he’s been abroad for a long time, so he speaks and acts very directly, without any roundabout ways. If he ever says anything harsh, please don’t take it to heart. He’s just a bit picky with his words, particular about cleanliness, and somewhat difficult to please in daily life. Other than that, he should be fine.’
Even Lu Xiaoxia, his own cousin, found him hard to handle—it seemed this money wouldn’t be easy to earn.
Lin Xiangxiu’s heart grew uneasy as well, wondering just how demanding this future employer would be.
‘We’re here,’ Lu Xiaoxia said, leading Lin Xiangxiu and her daughter around the staircase and pointing at the large metal door.
No sooner had she spoken than the door suddenly swung open, and a woman in her fifties stumbled out.
‘How dare you fire me over such a trivial matter? Who do you think you are? I’ve never met anyone as particular and hard to please as you!’ The woman steadied herself against the doorframe, one hand on her hip, and began cursing loudly in a strong Shencheng local accent. Her voice was shrill, and her swearing echoed through the entire hallway.
She had barely finished her first curse when a grimy, discolored rag was flung out from inside. Had the woman not dodged quickly, the dirty cloth would have smacked right into her face!
Lin Xiangxiu covered Lin Xiao’s ears, staring in stunned disbelief.”