Yang Zhengkang felt it was utterly absurd to trust a young girl's words on such an important matter.
Though he wanted to refuse, he couldn't bear to watch his mother suffer from illness.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," he thought to himself. He would first pacify his mother while secretly continuing to seek out renowned doctors—there was no way he'd actually rely on a young girl to save her life.
"Alright, alright, Mom, don't worry. I'll go look for her right away. But don't get your hopes up too high. You don't even know her name—finding her will be like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Mother Yang truly regretted it now. If only she hadn't doubted the girl's words earlier. The girl had kindly reminded her, yet she had misinterpreted it as an attempt to curry favor. Now, she hadn't even asked for the girl's name, making the search nearly impossible.
Shu Jin Yue had no idea someone was looking for her. Lately, she had been busy seeking opportunities.
Two more days had passed. If she didn't leave soon, she would miss her return to the production team. If the team leader wanted to make things difficult for her, he would have a clear new excuse.
"You child, you rarely come back, yet instead of focusing on what's important, you're out all day without telling us what you're busy with."
In Zhao Wan Qiu's mind, nothing mattered except matchmaking. But Teacher Shu didn't share her view. "Jin Yue is ambitious and not in a hurry to get married. Let's not discourage her—we should think of ways to help her instead."
The elderly couple hadn't been idle these past few days either. Carrying gifts they usually saved for the New Year, they visited their former unit leaders one by one, hoping to find a way to get Jin Yue a job, even if it was just a temporary position.
But they were never good at socializing and had little presence in their units back in the day. Now, asking for favors at the last minute made it even harder. For several days, they returned empty-handed.
For urban poor like them, finding a job in these times was exceptionally difficult.
"By the way, Wanqiu, what did the head nurse say when you went to see her this morning?"
Zhao Wan Qiu's face fell.
"Didn't you tell her our Jin Yue learned Traditional Chinese Medicine in the countryside? Our Jin Yue can give injections and diagnose illnesses!" Though he had never seen it himself, Teacher Shu unconditionally believed his daughter.
"I did, I did. But you know what she's like. I never liked her bootlicking attitude and argued with her a few times before… Now that I'm asking for a favor, she won't even acknowledge me."
If only she hadn't been so sharp-tongued back then.
Who wouldn't regret it? But if regret could solve anything—if kneeling and begging could secure Jin Yue a temporary job—she would do it without hesitation.
The elderly couple exchanged glances. Their last hope now lay with the Xu family. The day before, they had swallowed their pride and brought gifts to Director Xu's home. Director Xu wasn't in, but his wife received them politely, served them tea, and spoke kindly. Yet, they couldn't tell if she was genuinely willing to help or just being courteous.
Shu Jin Yue sighed inwardly. Though she lacked life experience, she knew that whether asking for favors worked depended entirely on how much value the other party saw in you.
Resources had to be exchanged.
What could two elderly people possibly offer in return? Whether they had argued with others in their youth hardly mattered now.
"Should I try talking to Old Liu again?" Shu Li Nong had approached the principal of the local elementary school—a former colleague—two days earlier. The principal said he could arrange a substitute teaching position but hinted it would cost four hundred yuan.
"If it were a permanent position, that would be one thing. But paying four hundred for a substitute teaching job that might only last one semester—that's just throwing money away. Dad, don't go." Shu Jin Yue said calmly.
After running around for days, she had only managed to scrape together 150 yuan.
If the family really sold everything they had, combined with her savings, they could barely gather four or five hundred. But spending that on a temporary job felt worthless to her.
Lately, even her second brother Shu Wen Ming, who usually paid her little mind, had been asking around among his acquaintances about job opportunities. Shu Wen Yun, whether sincerely or not, had also inquired at her workplace and among her classmates.
Just last evening, when Wen Yun returned from work, she mentioned that a high school classmate's family had an opening at the city's sixth state-owned canteen. Though it was just a server position, it was widely considered a coveted job, with many people competing for it.
Jin Yue was tempted, but they were asking for eight hundred yuan. Even if her parents sold their bones, they couldn't scrape together that much.
The whole family was worrying over this when they suddenly heard the Zhao family's grandson call out, "Sister Jin Yue, that uncle from last time is here again!"
"Comrade Shu, are you busy right now?"
"Not at all! Do you have news, Brother Xu?"
Seeing that the elderly couple were both home, Xu Si Qi entered and greeted them first. "I have a classmate whose mother is in poor health and plans to retire early this year. Originally, the position was meant for his younger sister, but she's pregnant now and unsuitable for that job. I came to ask if you…"
"I'm willing."
"Aren't you going to ask which factory or what the position is?"
Jin Yue shook her head with a bitter smile. Did she even have the luxury of choosing these days? Xu Si Qi had genuinely been putting in effort recently, but job openings were scarce. Director Xu, due to unresolved historical issues, could barely protect himself and couldn't arrange anything at the Machinery Factory. After making rounds to several nearby factories, the opportunities that existed came with high prices, while reasonably priced jobs had hordes of people scrambling for them.
"City Third Pesticide Factory, powder workshop. They specialize in producing BHC powder. It's harmful to the body, and you're still young. Working in such a position might…" Xu Si Qi stammered, unable to finish.
Even Shu Li Nong knew that BHC powder was highly toxic. He was about to say it was impossible—how could her body withstand it?—but when he saw his daughter's expression, he could only shut his mouth awkwardly.
Zhao Wan Qiu, however, couldn't hold back. "No, no. You're a young woman, not yet married or with children. This won't do."
Jin Yue thought to herself that she might not even get married. But now wasn't the time to argue with Zhao Wan Qiu—this wasn't the most pressing matter.
Seeing that it was almost time for Shu Wen Yun to return from work, Jin Yue didn't dare let her run into Xu Si Qi. She hastily smoothed her hair, put on a borrowed blouse from her sister-in-law, and headed to the pesticide factory to check it out.
At this point, she wasn't just willing to smell pesticides—she'd even consider drinking them if it meant a chance.
Unfortunately, reality didn't even give her the chance to drink pesticides. When she arrived at the pesticide factory, she was informed that the position had already been transferred by Xu Si Qi's classmate's mother to her nephew from her maiden family.
The nephew had just graduated high school this year, and the Educated Youth Office was pressuring households.
Perhaps she had faced too many disappointments lately and had gradually built immunity. Shu Jin Yue merely said a faint "thank you" and got on Xu Si Qi's bicycle to head home.
Besides job hunting, she had also been exploring ways to earn money during her early-morning and late-night excursions. She had met an older sister at a scrap collection station and, being literate, went every evening to help sort and organize trash. Working late into the night, she could earn twenty cents.
At the same time, if she came across any old books or newspapers there that caught her eye, she could take a couple of them home.
Recently, she had discovered an ancient medical text there. Its authenticity was still uncertain, and the recycling station didn’t value it, treating it as mere scrap paper. She brought it home, intending to take it to the Ghost Market for appraisal.
Logically speaking, she would be reluctant to part with such a fine item, but she was short on money at the moment. She could only console herself with the thought that once she had a job, she would be able to afford any rare ancient books she wanted.
When they reached the vicinity of Construction Bridge, she said, "Brother Xu, you can drop me off here. I’ll get down at this spot."
Xu Si Qi didn’t think much of it and turned his bicycle around, heading toward Jinyu Hutong. Although his father’s historical issues had yet to be fully resolved, the Xu family’s ancestral home had been temporarily returned to them for living purposes, though it hadn’t been formally restored to them yet.
As he entered, a tall, bronze-skinned man emerged from the bathroom, drying his hair. Despite the harsh winter, he wore only a white tank top and seemed unaffected by the cold. The muscles on his arms were perfectly defined. Without his solemn military uniform, the man appeared slightly less stern, though a faint furrow remained between his long, slender eyebrows.
"Has Uncle just returned from outside?"
"Yes."
The man wore a pair of well-fitted old military trousers, but hidden deep beneath, near his upper thigh, was a vicious scar about eight centimeters long. A bullet had severed his major artery, and he had nearly bled out. By the time he was transferred back to Shu City, his life was saved, but the scar had missed the optimal treatment window, twisting into a grotesque, centipede-like mark.
It was precisely because of his uncle’s meritorious service, earned through this injury, that his father’s case was thoroughly reinvestigated, allowing him to barely resume his work.
As for himself, he could never return to the military.
Xu Si Qi’s heart felt heavy as he parked his bicycle. The Xu family’s ancestral home was a traditional courtyard with three interior courtyards, a rarity in the highly sought-after Jinyu Hutong. The Xu family had once been among the wealthiest merchants in the province, which was why they had been targeted by the Japanese as prime prey.
Unfortunately, the property had been severely damaged in recent years. The carved beams, painted rafters, pavilions, and towers had all been reduced to rubble, and the exotic flowers and rare plants had withered into desolation.
Xu Si Qi’s mother, Zhang Zhen, had the intention to restore the courtyard, but Xu Ping felt the situation was still uncertain and advised waiting.
Thus, although four people now lived in the Xu residence, only three bedrooms, one living room, and one kitchen were in use. The other rooms remained sealed and untouched, just as they had been.
"If Uncle isn’t busy right now, I’d like to talk to you. Is that alright?"
Xu Duan finished drying his hair, his expression still neutral. "Let’s talk inside."
"I was wondering if Uncle knows anyone who might have a suitable job for a young female comrade—something light and, ideally, respectable. If not, any formal position would do."
Xu Duan’s deep gaze fixed directly on him as he repeated, "Light?"
"Yes, after all, she’s a young female comrade. She can’t handle heavy manual labor."
"Respectable?"
Xu Si Qi finally noticed that his uncle seemed displeased. He wanted to explain but didn’t know where to start. The fault lay with him from the beginning. If only he had mustered the courage to confess his feelings for someone earlier to his family, he wouldn’t be feeling so guilty for having deceived Shu Jin Yue.
Xu Duan crossed his arms over his chest. Though only 26 years old, he carried an imposing aura.
He didn't need to say anything. Just by quietly watching his nephew like this, he seemed able to peer into the deepest corners of the young man's heart, where all those hidden little thoughts became completely exposed.
When it came to helping Shu Jin Yue find a job, he indeed had personal motives. The gratitude from the previous generation felt too distant to him—he simply wanted to live his own life well. He didn't want someone constantly appearing in his life under the guise of being his family's savior, demanding favors today and making requests tomorrow, only to be accused of ingratitude at the slightest dissatisfaction.
Although the Shu Family seemed decent enough for now, who could predict the future? The Xu Family had encountered such relatives before. Rather than endlessly catering to their trivial demands, it was better to help resolve a major matter in one go and consider the debt of gratitude repaid.
These selfish thoughts were something he dared not let his father and uncle know.
Noticing his unease, Xu Duan let out a light chuckle. "Have you decided to marry your partner?"
It took Xu Si Qi a moment to process the question before realizing his uncle had misunderstood. He quickly clarified, "It's not for my partner. This job is for Comrade Xiao Shu, the one I went on a blind date with last time."
An image of a sparrow-like young woman surfaced in Xu Duan's mind. "Su Jin Yue?"
For some reason, Xu Si Qi sensed that his uncle's attitude seemed to have softened slightly.