Chapter 424: I Have a Job for You
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Wenwu still could not bear to eat the two lotus-wrapped poached eggs, as he would feel guilty. He knew how precious the two eggs were to the family, and they would be unwilling to eat such things normally.
As this happened, Song Yi returned. Su Wenwu heaved a sigh of relief when he saw his close friend.
‘I’ll let Song Yi have the poached eggs.’
Song Yi was ecstatic when he saw Su Wenwu. He hurriedly put down the wood he carried on his back and rushed into the house. “Why are you here, Wenwu?
His face was full of surprise and joy as he hugged Su Wenwu. The duo patted each other’s shoulders happily.
Su Wenwu started, “Your mother made me two lotus-wrapped poached eggs, but l i ve already had breakfast and can’t eat another bite.”
“My mother cooked them for you, so you must eat them. There’s no need to be shy.”
Su Wenwu insisted, “You and your parents should eat them. Quick, I’ll tell you something after you’ve eaten.
“You have something to tell me? I knew you must’ve had a reason for visiting.” There was no need for formalities between the two brother-like friends. Only people with close bonds could speak this way with each other.
Su Wenwu always felt relaxed and casually spoke whenever he was with Song Yi. Still, Su Wenwu would show self-restraint in front of Mr. and Mrs. Song since they were older.
“Yeah, I have good news, so you should quickly eat with your parents first.”
Still, Song Yi could not bear to eat the poached eggs and insisted on giving them to his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Song felt warm and touched. They knew that Su Wenwu was a good child.
“I have a job for you. Are you willing to do it?” Su Wenwu asked.
Song Yi answered readily, “Of course, I’ll work for you!’
Northern Mountain Village was relatively rural, so they knew little about what was happening outside. Song Yi was unaware of the changes to Su Teng Village and the Su family.
“You don’t even know what I’ll ask you to do. How can you be so sure of yourself?” Su Wenwu teased.
Song Yi chucked, saying, “I know it’s something good, especially knowing what kind of person you are. How can I not trust you?
Just this sentence made Su Wenwu’s heart feel warm. It felt wonderful to have a close friend’s complete trust.
Su Wenwu briefly explained, “My sister opened a tofu factory and will start making stinky tofu too. It’s a delicacy she recently developed. You’ll know how delicious it is after you try it.
“She wants to hire someone to run a stall in town to sell it. You don’t have to worry about the details since you’ll only be responsible for handling the stall. Your monthly salary will be 150 copper coins, and you’ll also receive bonuses.
“Although you’ll need to work in Teng He Town, you only need to be there from noon till night. You can come home after closing the stall. However, since you live so far away, my sister’s dessert shop has rooms in the backyard where you can stay. Still, you can choose to come home if you want.
Song Yi suspected he had misheard what his brother-like friend had said.
‘What? Isn’t Wenwu’s family struggling? Didn’t Wenwu have to leave the village to earn money to treat his sister well when he returned? Also, his mother works hard in town to help people wash their clothes, right?
I understand his family’s situation. Wait, maybe I’m missing something here. Why is there a tofu factory so suddenly? Although I don’t know what a factory is, it sounds like a big place.
‘Wenwu also says his sister has a shop in town. It doesn’t sound like a small shop, either, since he says there are places to rest in the backyard.’ Song Yi was stunned, not to mention his parents.
‘Did we hear Wenwu say Song Yi can earn 150 copper coins monthly?’ The two parents were so excited they did not know where to put their hands.
‘Does that mean Song Yi will have an actual job to do? He can earn a lot in a year if he gets paid that much a month. That’s almost two silver taels a year!’ The older couple was so excited they could barely speak.
Northern Mountain Village was too remote, and its crop yields were lacking. Whenever the autumn harvest ended, the villagers had to carry heavy baskets of grain out to sell.
Harvesters usually avoided going there to buy crops because of the village’s
remoteness. Instead, the harvesters would go to their neighboring villages to buy crops. Therefore, the Northern Mountain villagers had to carry their crops far away to sell them for a reasonable price.
Sometimes, the Northern Mountain villagers would walk ten miles in the morning to sell their goods. However, they would have to bring their crops back to the village if they could not sell them all.
The Northern Mountain villagers would go back and forth with their heavy loads to get a few more coins.
The Songs had grown accustomed to this life. Previously, when Mr. Song was walking on the mountain road in the dead of night and could barely see where he was going, he fell and broke his leg.
Afterward, the Songs’ lives became challenging. Song Yi had to take on the family’s heavy burden at a young age. He went to town to find work to earn money, but it was tough.
He realized his body was strong and decided to work at a bodyguard agency.
After experiencing a life-and-death situation, Song Yi became afraid.
However, he did not fear dying—instead, he feared leaving his parents behind. Therefore, Mr. and Mrs. Song no longer wanted him to take such risks when he returned to them. After all, he would have a bite to eat and would not starve if he worked at home.
The older couple became misty-eyed when they heard Su Wenwu’s explanation and understood what was happening. Mrs. Song discreetly wiped her tears.
Song Yi returned to his senses and said hoarsely, “Wenwu, is that true?
Although Song Yi had many questions, he did not ask them because he trusted his close friend.
Su Wenwu patted Song Yi’s shoulder and said, “Why would I lie to you? Of course, it’s true. So, are you in or not?”
“Yes! I’m in,” Song Yi nodded thoughtfully.
“Then it’s settled. You’ll follow me to my village in a while. I won’t explain much, but you’ll find out when we arrive?’ Su Wenwu knew Song Yi had some doubts, so it would be more helpful to take Song Yi to Su Teng Village to see things for himself than to explain.
“Mr. and Mrs. Song, I’ll have your son tell you the details when he returns home tonight.”
Mr. and Mrs. Song returned to their senses and nodded happily. “Thank you so much, Wenwu.”
“Of course! Song Yi and I are like brothers. You don’t have to thank me, okay?” Su Wenwu said, “Besides, I trust Song Yi to do these things instead of someone I’m unfamiliar with. Song Yi should help me.”
Although that was what Su Wenwu had said, the older couple knew the true meaning behind his words. They knew he was there to help them. “Don’t worry, Wenwu,” Song Yi said, “I’ll do my best.”
“Of course! I wouldn’t have offered you a job if I didn’t trust you.”
After chatting, Su Wenwu took his close friend to Su Teng Village on his horse.
Song Yi sat on the horse and got so excited that he barely knew how to react.
“Wow, you can ride a horse, huh, Wenwu?” Song Yi was envious but also happy for his friend.
“Yeah, it belongs to my sister since she bought it,” Su Wenwu explained. He could not bear leaving his sister out of the conversation whenever he spoke to Song Yi on the way to Su Teng Village.
Song Yi listened attentively as if Su Wenwu was telling a story of legend. It was unbelievable. Of course, he trusted Su Wenwu but was just in disbelief.
‘It was summer when Wenwu and I were at the bodyguard agency.. We returned home on the day of the Mooncake Festival, but such dramatic changes happened to Wenwu, his family, and Su Teng Village after just a few months?’
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