“Smoking is not allowed here, and sneaking into your room to smoke isn’t allowed either…”
Jiang Yichi didn’t expect Xu Qiushi to notice that detail.
Seeing that he didn’t answer, a trace of constraint appeared on the man’s stoic face. Jiang Yichi felt as if he were looking at a large dog sitting in front of him, staring expectantly for an instruction.
“No, it’s just that I’m too lazy to peel them,” Jiang Yichi said bluntly.
Compared to animal organs, his acceptance of seafood was much higher, but the hassle of eating it was a major issue. Shrimp and crabs have shells, and fish have bones; using his hands would get them dirty. At home, servants always waited on him while he ate peeling shrimp shells, picking out crab meat, and removing fish bones so he never had to lift a finger. This led him to completely forget that he needed to inform Xu Qiushi of his shrimp eating habits in advance.
“Then should I just use shrimp meat directly next time?” Xu Qiushi asked tentatively.
“No, I don’t like dishes made with pre-peeled shrimp meat,” Jiang Yichi rejected without thinking. “If you’re going to make them, they have to be whole. Once the shell is gone, all that freshness escapes. What’s the point of eating that?”
Xu Qiushi understood. Jiang Yichi didn’t say he wouldn’t eat them; he just meant they couldn’t be peeled before cooking, but could be peeled after they were done.
“Your room is over there. You can rest in your room when there’s nothing to do. Tell me if you’re missing anything.” Jiang Yichi pointed to the housekeeper’s room on the first floor, gesturing for Xu Qiushi to go in.
The room wasn’t large, but the layout was tidy and the lighting was excellent. A double bed was placed against the inner wall, and next to it was a bay window. Through the glass, one could see a panoramic view of the residential complex; the field of vision was vast.
To Xu Qiushi’s surprise, the room actually had an en-suite bathroom.
The bathroom floor used light gray non-slip tiles, and there was a half-body mirror above the white washbasin. The toilet was a smart one, featuring washing, drying, and seat-heating functions, which truly opened Xu Qiushi’s eyes.
Staying in the living room, Jiang Yichi remembered that the bed in the housekeeper’s room hadn’t been made. He got up to find Xu Qiushi. No one was in the room, so he walked toward the bathroom with the open door: “Xu Qiushi, are you using the toilet?”
“No,” replied Xu Qiushi, who had been looking a bit longer out of curiosity about the smart toilet.
Hearing his answer, Jiang Yichi poked his head into the bathroom: “That’s a smart toilet. There’s a remote control on the side; just operate it according to the buttons. If you’re not used to it, you can turn off the power and use it as a regular toilet.”
Xu Qiushi: “Okay.”
Jiang Yichi briefly explained how to turn on the hot water for the shower and the sink before remembering his original purpose: “By the way, the bedding is in the closet. Set it up yourself.”
“Okay, thank you.” Xu Qiushi turned on the faucet and washed his hands.
Jiang Yichi’s gaze lingered on his three-dimensional profile for two seconds. Not knowing what he thought of, he suddenly asked: “Do you smoke?”
“I do,” Xu Qiushi said truthfully.
“Smoking is not allowed here, and sneaking into your room to smoke isn’t allowed either.” Jiang Yichi frowned. He hated the smell of smoke, especially second hand smoke. However, smoking was a personal habit; he wouldn’t demand Xu Qiushi quit, but he had to follow the rules.
When he heard Jiang Yichi say smoking wasn’t allowed at home, Xu Qiushi nodded understandingly. Soon Jiang Yichi added: “If you want to smoke, you can go to the smoking pavilion downstairs. That’s a dedicated smoking area. Before you come back, you have to air out the smell outside.”
“Understood.” This was the first time Xu Qiushi had heard the term “smoking pavilion.” He thought to himself that rich people were quite particular.
Xu Qiushi had started working at construction sites at eighteen. To pay off debts and support his brother’s schooling, he worked high-intensity hours every day. The lack of an outlet for his dual mental and physical pressure led him to learn how to smoke.
There were no entertainment activities on construction sites. Buying a pack of Hard Baisha for five yuan and gathering to take a few puffs during breaks to refresh himself was a good pastime.
When his addiction was at its peak, he could smoke two packs a day. It wasn’t until Xu Qiuze, who was only in his first year of junior high, curiously asked “What does a cigarette taste like?” that Xu Qiushi realized what a bad example he was setting for his growing brother.
Since then, although Xu Qiushi hadn’t quit, he showed much more restraint and never smoked in front of Xu Qiuze. Now, a pack of cigarettes could last him several days, so he accepted Jiang Yichi’s request.
Seeing Xu Qiushi agree so readily, Jiang Yichi’s dissatisfaction with his smoking habit dissipated somewhat. Instead, he asked: “What’s your phone number?”
Xu Qiushi recited his number. A moment later, a ringtone full of “old-age vibes” echoed from his pants pocket.
So tacky, Jiang Yichi complained internally. He then pressed the end-call button and said: “Save my number too for easy contact later. Your phone has a caller ID, right?”
“It does.” Xu Qiushi took out his phone and operated it for a moment. “Saved.”
“Then go ahead and tidy up.” Jiang Yichi waved his hand and walked out of the room.
Xu Qiushi opened the wardrobe. Sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases were neatly folded in the top compartment. The color was a matching blue-gray, made of pure cotton, soft to the touch, and carried the faint scent of laundry detergent.
He nimbly spread the sheets on the thick mattress and put on the pillowcases. He didn’t put on the duvet insert; the weather was still very hot, and a layer of the cover was enough.
The bedding was a matching blue-gray; once laid out, it added a touch of low-key sophistication to the entire room.
The only thing that looked out of place was his old backpack by the door, which contained two sets of clothes and some daily necessities.
The trial period was one week, and Xu Qiushi felt uncertain. He wasn’t sure if he could get this job. In the past, he had done manual labor; foremen would hire him directly upon seeing his physique; there was never such a thing as a trial period.
Lacking work experience, Xu Qiushi felt his only merit was being down-to-earth and willing to work. Thus, he didn’t choose to rest in the room but went out to ask Jiang Yichi if he wanted the sheets and duvet covers changed or the quilts aired out, as the afternoon sun was very good.
Looking at Xu Qiushi proactively looking for work, Jiang Yichi’s impression of him rose a bit: “No need, they were just changed two days ago.”
Hearing this, Xu Qiushi acknowledged it and turned to go back to his room, but was stopped by Jiang Yichi: “I have class this afternoon. If you’re bored, you can go out for a stroll. I finish class at 6:10, and it takes about twenty minutes to get back. Have dinner ready before 6:30. You can manage the rest of your time freely.”
“Then can I go now? Just wandering around the complex.” Not knowing what else to do, Xu Qiushi thought it would be good to go out and familiarize himself with the environment.
“Up to you. I’ll send you the door lock code; you can open the door yourself when you come back.” Jiang Yichi’s apartment used a code lock.
“Okay.”
…
The property management fees at Jinlin Bay were exorbitant, so the supporting services naturally had to match. In addition to various complete hardware facilities, the complex placed great importance on environmental issues; the monthly expenditure for greenery maintenance alone was a significant sum.
Owners who could live here possessed considerable economic strength and certainly had high requirements for their living environment. Who would want to walk down the road and suddenly inhale someone else’s second-hand smoke? Therefore, smoking in public places within the complex was strictly prohibited. Several dedicated smoking pavilions had been built at great expense, ensuring fresh air in public areas while providing a solution for owners who needed to smoke but didn’t want to pollute their indoor environment.
Xu Qiushi walked along the main road of the complex, looking around as he went. The lawns and walkways were all perfectly clean without a trace of trash. The air was filled with a fresh scent of vegetation, which was refreshing to the soul.
Thinking of Xu Qiuze, who was still in school, Xu Qiushi sincerely hoped that he could live in such a place in the future.
Two uniformed security guards approached him. One of them was the guard who had led the way for Xu Qiushi this morning.
Clearly, the other person remembered him too and nodded with a smile: “Going out?”
“No, just taking a stroll in the complex,” Xu Qiushi said.
“Are you a friend of Mr. Jiang’s?” the guard asked tentatively.
“No, I’m here to be a housekeeper.”
Hearing this, the guard was taken aback, and then his facial expression relaxed a bit. Since they were both in the complex as workers, his speech became a bit more casual: “Being a housekeeper for Mr. Jiang is a lucrative job. His pay isn’t low, right?”
“Still in the trial period,” Xu Qiushi said vaguely.
“We’re going to the smoking pavilion for a puff. Want to join us, brother?” This guard seemed to be an outgoing person and had already started calling Xu Qiushi “brother.”
“Sure.” Xu Qiushi happened to want to see what the smoking pavilion was like.
The guard who spoke to Xu Qiushi was named Wu Ming, and the quieter one beside him was Chen Shun. The three chatted as they walked, and soon an independent building made of transparent tempered glass and a metal frame appeared before them.
A conspicuous sign stood outside the smoking pavilion, reading “Please do not litter cigarette butts” and “Smoking is harmful to health.” Below it was marked the property’s cleaning schedule; someone would come every two hours to clean up and empty the ashtrays to keep the pavilion tidy.
Two benches were placed against the walls on both sides, next to two trash cans whose openings served as ashtrays. The top was equipped with a ventilation system that operated constantly to purify the air.
This smoking pavilion was built in a corner hidden by green trees. Xu Qiushi sat on the bench and took out his Hard Baisha.
Wu Ming and Chen Shun were smoking White Liqun, which was a bit more high-end than his, so Xu Qiushi didn’t offer them his cigarettes.
Instead, Wu Ming handed him one: “Brother, have one of mine.”
Xu Qiushi politely declined: “No need, I’m used to these.”
Wu Ming smiled and didn’t insist, casually chatting with Xu Qiushi.
The security post at the entrance of the complex operated on a 24-hour shift system with two shifts. Each shift had four guards on duty. They could take turns coming out to get some air; as long as it was just for a smoke, management implicitly allowed it, provided they didn’t stay away for too long.
After finishing his cigarette, Wu Ming extinguished the butt, threw it into the trash can, stood up, and said to Xu Qiushi: “Brother, we’re heading off first.”
“Okay, take care.”
“Meeting is fate. Since we’ll be in the same complex from now on, come to the security post to find me if anything happens.” Wu Ming clearly had a good impression of Xu Qiushi. He was older and usually acted as a “big brother” figure among the guards, being very enthusiastic.
“Thanks, Brother Wu. You can just call me Xiao Xu.” Xu Qiushi was not an ungrateful person; facing someone’s proactive kindness, he accepted it smoothly.
After Wu Ming and Chen Shun left, Xu Qiushi didn’t stay much longer. He walked out of the smoking pavilion to let the smoke smell dissipate and started heading back.
It wasn’t until he reached Building 2 that he remembered there was an access control system and he didn’t have a key card. There was a dial-up intercom at the entrance, but he didn’t know how to use it.
Worried that Jiang Yichi might have a habit of taking an afternoon nap, Xu Qiushi gave up the idea of calling him. Anyway, he had to go to class in the afternoon and would definitely be coming out. He would just wait downstairs for a while; perhaps someone would enter or exit soon.
When Jiang Yichi came out, he was still wondering where Xu Qiushi had run off to—how could one stroll around a residential complex for an hour?
As a result, as soon as he stepped out of the building’s main entrance, he saw Xu Qiushi standing in front of a tree, focused on counting ants.