When she returned home, it was already noon. She casually cooked a bowl of egg noodles and ate it.
Lying on the bed, the aftereffects of that earlier eye contact appeared. Wen Qingyu’s smile kept flashing in her mind from time to time. Yan Jin’er, who had never been in a relationship before, suspected that she had fallen for looks at first sight.
The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if she had become the type of person with a “love brain.” A love brain could easily end up digging wild vegetables in the fields. Within just a few minutes of mental storming, she had already imagined a full tragedy of being deceived by a man in both heart and body and then abandoned.
She shook her little head. She could not think like that. She was still young, and life had many opportunities and many choices.
At the dining table, Yan Jin’er ate somewhat absentmindedly. Father Song and Mother Song exchanged a look, thinking she had not done well in the morning’s job examination.
“Jinbao, it’s okay even if you didn’t do well. If you want to get into the Textile Factory, Dad can help you get in. If you don’t want to go, there will still be many opportunities in the future,” Father Song said earnestly. Mother Song also chimed in, “Jinbao, don’t think too much. If you can’t find one, just buy a job.”
Yan Jin’er came back to her senses and nodded seriously. A bright smile blossomed on her face. Yes, she had such loving family members, so she should cherish herself even more and love herself properly. She could not let those who loved her be sad.
After a night of emotional settling, she had calmed down from the impact Wen Qingyu brought. As for the future, she would just let things take their course.
Today was another energetic day.
After washing up, she changed into a pink floral patterned dress, wore small cloth shoes, casually braided her hair into a fishtail braid, ate the breakfast Mother Song had left for her in the kitchen, and then walked lightly toward the Textile Factory.
Outside the Textile Factory gate, a crowd was already waiting. As soon as Yan Jin’er arrived, Zhao Jing pulled her aside.
“Are you nervous?” Zhao Jing asked, not even waiting for Yan Jin’er’s answer. “I’m a bit nervous. If I don’t pass, I’ll have to go down to the countryside. If I go down, I don’t even know when I’ll be able to come back.” Her voice carried uncertainty about the future and fear of going down to the countryside.
Yan Jin’er did not know how to comfort her. They had not known each other for long, so she only gently patted her shoulder.
“The results are posted!” The crowd immediately boiled over. This could be said to be the moment that decided their futures.
“Please let us through. Make way!” Zhao Jing pulled Yan Jin’er forward and squeezed toward the bulletin board. Her hair was completely messy before they finally squeezed in.
At this moment, Yan Jin’er finally became a little nervous. Her eyes scanned the Human Resources Department results board, and when she saw her name ranked first, she completely relaxed. A smile rippled in her eyes.
“I passed too,” Zhao Jing’s excited voice came over. She looked toward the Public Relations Department board, and the first place was clearly Zhao Jing’s name.
They both pushed their way out of the crowd and looked at each other. Seeing each other’s disheveled appearance, they could not help but laugh lightly in relief.
“We can be colleagues now, even though we’re in different departments,” Yan Jin’er said with a slight curve of her lips.
“How is that possible? How is it possible that I didn’t pass!” A shout suddenly erupted from the crowd, drawing everyone’s attention.
A thin young man around twenty years old collapsed onto the ground, covering his face and crying loudly.
Kind-hearted people around him quickly stepped forward to comfort him.
Human lives came in all forms. Most of the people taking the exam were just accompanying others. Some were sad, some were happy. Not everyone could get what they wished for. All they could do was not become discouraged, not give up, keep trying, and life still had to go on.
Yan Jin’er’s excited mood from earlier turned slightly complicated.
That night, Yan Jin’er prepared steamed white rice in advance. She stir-fried some cured pork with long beans, and also cooked a soup with two eggs and leafy greens. The aroma of meat filled the air. Fortunately, their home was a single-story house with a courtyard. If it had been a shared apartment building, it would have caused a lot of gossip.
The neighbors nearby were all worker families and, at this time, were considered relatively well-off.
The neighbor on the left was Li Liang’s family, Father Song’s colleague. A household of nine people lived there. Li Liang’s parents, his three children, and even his eldest son was already married and had a one-year-old child. Yan Jin’er often heard the noise of children.
On the right lived a middle-aged couple. The man worked in the Steel Factory, while the woman usually did paper-box wrapping work at the Neighborhood Committee Office. Yan Jin’er sometimes ran into her when going out, but they were not close and only greeted each other. The couple’s three daughters were already married, leaving only a son who had joined the military and was away.
“Ring, ring, ring.” The sound of a bicycle bell came from the door. Father Song had returned carrying Mother Song. Yan Jin’er quickly brought the dishes to the table.
At the meal, Yan Jin’er happily announced that she had gotten a job and would start work tomorrow.
“The Textile Factory is quite far from home. Dad will buy you a bicycle tomorrow,” Father Song immediately responded, showing more and more signs of being a daughter doting father.
“Then I’ll go find my bicycle tickets later and buy a women’s one,” Mother Song said hesitantly, worried about whether her daughter’s small frame could handle riding a bicycle, but thinking it would be much more convenient.
Before Yan Jin’er could even speak, the matter was already decided. After dinner, she was urged by Father Song and Mother Song to go back to her room and rest.
The next morning, Yan Jin’er was pulled out of bed by Mother Song. Washing up, dressing, and eating breakfast were all done in one smooth sequence, and she was quickly urged out the door.
Once again arriving at the Human Resources Department, she found that there was another person reporting in at the same time as her. It was a strikingly beautiful, tall girl—and also an acquaintance. Although it was only Yan Jin’er’s one-sided familiarity, she was the eldest daughter of the Cheng family, Cheng Yu, the main character from the previous gossip scene.
It seemed she had come to take over the job left by her biological mother.
Yan Jin’er suddenly became a little curious about what would happen to their family afterward. She wondered who would end up going down to the countryside in the end. After all, from what she saw before, that little white lotus younger sister did not seem simple either, and going down to the countryside might not even happen.