Chapter Sixty-Five: Xu Shu’s Younger Sister

I gently withdrew my right hand and adjusted her blanket a little. Then I went to the kitchen, fetched a broom and dustpan, and swept up the cigarette butts and ash from the floor beside the bed. After making sure there was nothing else to tidy up, I saw that Gu Ruoyan was already sound asleep. I glanced at my watch—it was already eleven forty-six at night.

I turned off the bedside lamp, tiptoed out of the bedroom, opened the outer door, and quietly closed it behind me.

By the time I managed to hail a taxi and got home, it was more than half an hour later. My family had all gone to bed. Exhausted, I went to my room and lay down, my mind still replaying everything that had happened in the past two weeks.

I opened my nightstand drawer, took out a pack of cigarettes, unwrapped it, and lit one. As I smoked, I pondered whether Qiu Xieqin or Hua Jingjing was better for me.

Halfway through my cigarette, I suddenly chuckled to myself. “Tang Qian! Do you think you’re some kind of Casanova? Do you think beautiful women are lining up for you to choose from? Haven’t you already made up your mind—to cherish the person in front of you? With Qiu Xieqin treating you like this, what more could you ask for? Yet here you are, still wavering. That’s really inexcusable. How can you face her devotion to you? Instead of indulging in these thoughts, you might as well focus on what you’ll do after resigning!”

I shook my head, pushing away all thoughts of romance, and started to seriously consider how I would support myself from now on.

I analyzed my situation: I had neither the acumen nor the capital to do business. Starting something on my own seemed to have little promise. Besides, I had no idea what kind of business I should get into. After much thought, I realized that aside from knowing a bit more physics and chemistry than the average person, I had no particular strengths.

Still, I had great confidence in my specialty. I possessed rich, professional knowledge of the chemistry of beverages, with a unique touch when it came to taste and nutritional balance. If only I had enough funding and equipment, I was confident I could develop many beloved, uniquely flavored drinks.

Of course, that was all just wishful thinking. Without branding and corporate marketing, no one would buy my drinks no matter how good they were. To build a capital group and a famous brand—how long would that take? I might not achieve it in my lifetime. Where would my expertise find a place, then?

So I decided I should be more practical and abandon the unrealistic idea of striking out on my own for now. I should first find a stable job.

With my degree and knowledge, it shouldn’t be too hard to find work in the beverage industry in China, should it? If I could develop one or two bestselling products, my reputation and prospects would brighten. If I accumulated some wealth, and later started a small company, with my reputation and unique new products, maybe I could carve out a place in the fiercely competitive market.

But thinking is easy—actually doing it would surely be fraught with hardship and setbacks. Maybe I’d end up with nothing to show for it. But if I didn’t try, I’d certainly get nothing. I stubbed out my cigarette, my mind gradually set: starting tomorrow, I would look for a job that allowed me to do product development in a lab.

It was very late. I yawned, undressed, and went to sleep.

The next morning at breakfast, I announced two things to the family: one good, one bad. The good news was that I now had a girlfriend, Qiu Xieqin, a high school classmate. The bad news was that, since my performance had been poor for several months and I saw no future at the company, I’d resigned.

My parents had already suspected I was seeing someone, but hearing it confirmed still made them excited. As for my poor performance, they were aware of that too, so though surprised by my resignation, they weren’t too shocked. They comforted and encouraged me, then asked me to bring my girlfriend home to meet them when I could.

Only my little sister Tang Ying was puzzled. She asked, “Didn’t you say that the woman with the Ferrari was your boss? She seems really nice to you! Why’d you quit? Did you two have a fight?”

I couldn’t explain and snapped, “You’re just a kid, stop talking nonsense. Eat your bun!”

Tang Ying, unconvinced, made a face at me and took a big bite of her bun.

I told my parents, “Dad, Mom, I’ll spend the next couple of days job hunting. Once I find something, I’ll bring Qiu Xieqin home for you to meet properly.”

My parents smiled and agreed. After breakfast, my sister left for school with her backpack, my mother went to wash the dishes, and my father sat down with me to talk.

He mainly wanted to discuss my job search, cautioning me about things to pay attention to, and advising me not to set my sights too high—if the pay was a bit low, that was fine as long as the job suited me.

I nodded. After a short rest, I went to my room, dug out my university diploma and some award certificates, and put them in a bag, ready to head to the talent exchange center to see what jobs were available.

I told my parents I was heading out. Now that I was unemployed, my time was my own and I wasn’t in a hurry. I stopped by a copy shop to make several copies of my certificates, then bought a morning paper to catch up on national news—though mainly, I was interested in the job and recruitment sections.

I took the No. 28 bus to the job market. With the end of the year approaching, the crowds weren’t what they were after the Spring Festival or during the summer. Few companies were recruiting; only a handful of employment agencies were busy.

I didn’t immediately sign up or pay any fees, just browsed company by company to get a feel for things. I wasn’t a laborer desperate for work; I needed a position suited to my skills.

After visiting several agencies and reviewing the jobs posted, most were for manual labor, with only a few technical positions—none matching my field.

Some agency staff came to see what service I needed. After hearing my intentions, they shook their heads, then asked me to register, saying they’d help me find something but I’d have to pay a fee first.

I didn’t trust these agencies much, so I refused to register and moved on.

By noon, I’d walked the whole market and hadn’t found anything remotely related to my specialty. Disheartened, I left, planning to grab a bite and try another job center.

At a crosswalk, I noticed an elderly blind man waiting at the curb, tapping his long bamboo cane, hesitant to cross amid the constant flow of traffic.

I stopped beside him and asked, “Sir, do you need help crossing?”

He nodded eagerly. “Yes, I’ve been waiting here for ages for you.”

I was puzzled. “Waiting for me? Do you know me?”

The old man realized his mistake. “Oh, you’re not the traffic officer? Sorry, every time I cross here, a traffic cop helps me. I’m used to that. I’ve been waiting for them, and when you spoke, I thought they’d arrived.”

I smiled. “No worries. If the traffic officer isn’t here, I’ll help you. Here, take my arm.”

“Thank you, thank you! There really are kind people in this world.”

When the pedestrian light turned green, I helped him across. He thanked me repeatedly. I laughed, “It’s nothing. Since your eyesight isn’t good, it’s our duty to help. Where do you live? I could walk you home.”

The old man shook his head. “No need, no need. I’ve walked this road blind my whole life—I know every pit and alley. Don’t trouble yourself. You’re a good man; may Buddha bless you.”

“Are you sure you don’t need help?”

“Really, you go on with your day. Goodbye!”

Since he insisted, I could only watch him leave, noticing he truly was familiar with the way. Relieved, I stopped worrying and turned to look for a snack bar—my stomach was rumbling.

Suddenly, someone slapped my shoulder. “Hey, Uncle Lei Feng, what a coincidence! We meet again.”

Startled, I turned to see a girl grinning at me, her fresh, delicate beauty instantly swallowing the rebuke that was on my lips.

I looked more closely—she was sixteen or seventeen, in the prime of youth, tall and dressed in a winter school uniform. Wasn’t this Xu Shu’s younger sister? Why was she here?

She noticed my confusion and pouted. “Seriously? We just met yesterday, and you’ve already forgotten me?”

I replied, “No, I remember you’re Xu Shu’s sister. You just startled me—I haven’t recovered yet.”

She giggled. “You’re really funny! Anyway, my classmates and I are upstairs having coffee. Come up and have a cup with us!”

I glanced up. It was a pretty fancy café, the kind I’d never dare to frequent. I said, “It’s not a holiday—shouldn’t you be in school? Why come all the way here for coffee?”

She replied, “We’re here for a competition. The boxed lunches the school provided were awful, so we sneaked out to get steak. Since fate brought us together, have you eaten? If not, lunch is on me.”

I said, “I haven’t eaten yet, but it’s really not necessary. Steaks there are expensive. I can’t let you, a young lady, spend on me. I’ll manage.”

She insisted, “Oh, you’re so fussy! I said it’s my treat, so stop being polite. Come on, I have something I want to tell you!” With that, she grabbed my hand and, without giving me a chance to refuse, pulled me into the building.