Chapter 27: That’s Twenty-Seven Fifty Already?

As Qin Huairu saw her parents out, they passed through the middle courtyard, where she locked eyes with the cold, piercing gaze of Mrs. Jia.

"Hmph, you brazen hussy..." Mrs. Jia spat viciously.

Qin Huairu chose to ignore it, but when she saw Bang-geng peering out from inside the house, she couldn't help but pause.

"What are you looking at, you brazen hussy?" Bang-geng shouted.

Qin Huairu’s face turned ashen. She held back her parents and brother, who were about to scold the boy, and walked straight toward the gate.

At the bus stop.

"Huairu, come over here, I need to have a word with you." Li Hong pulled her aside.

"Mom, why do we have to be so secretive?" Qin Huairu asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"What is going on between you and Dr. Lin?" Li Hong asked sternly.

"He and I... aren't we just friends?" Qin Huairu offered a strained smile.

"Don't try to fool me."

Li Hong gave her a gentle pinch and whispered, "If you want to stay with him, you need to bear his child. As long as you have a child, you’ll have security."

"Huh?"

Qin Huairu was stunned. She stammered, "Mom, I’m a divorced woman. If I have a child, how can I ever hold my head up again?"

"Are you a fool?" Li Hong said, frustrated by her daughter's lack of resolve. "Once you're pregnant, come back to the village. The village doesn't know about your divorce yet. After the baby is born, you can just go back to the city and claim you adopted your brother's child, right?"

This was the plan she had spent all last night concocting.

"I... I'll think about it. The bus is here, Mom, you should go back," Qin Huairu said, blushing.

"This is a serious matter, don't forget it," Li Hong emphasized.

"I know, I’ll talk to you about it next time I have a day off."

After seeing them off on the bus, Qin Huairu headed straight for the rolling mill without a moment's delay.

Forty minutes later.

Rolling Mill, Medical Clinic.

"Dr. Lin, this comrade says she is here to see you."

Security staff brought Qin Huairu over.

"Right, thank you."

Lin Shaowen smiled and tossed half a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes to the guard.

"Thanks, Dr. Lin!"

The guard beamed with joy and walked away, offering repeated thanks.

Qin Huairu was just about to speak when she noticed a man and a woman sitting in the clinic.

"Is this her?"

Wang Kui-rong sized Qin Huairu up and gave Lin Shaowen a knowing, masculine grin.

"Director Wang, Dr. Lin is a gentleman; don't go corrupting him," Li Chunhua scolded.

Lin Shaowen’s reputation among the female comrades was impeccable.

"How could I?" Wang Kui-rong chuckled dryly.

"Qin Huairu, this is your future supervisor, Director Wang Kui-rong," Lin Shaowen said, standing up to make the introductions.

"Hello, Director Wang."

Qin Huairu said nervously.

"This is Sister Li from the Personnel Department. She is in charge of your onboarding and will be handling your salary disbursements later," Lin Shaowen added.

"Sister Li," Qin Huairu greeted her.

"Right, fill out this form."

Li Chunhua took out the onboarding paperwork.

Qin Huairu panicked. She was semi-literate; how could she possibly fill out a form?

"Her education level isn't very high. I'll fill it out for her."

Lin Shaowen took the form and finished it in less than half a minute.

"Wait, Dr. Lin, your handwriting is so elegant? How come the prescriptions you write for me look like ghostly scribbles?" Wang Kui-rong exclaimed.

The last time he had received a prescription from him, he had studied it for a long time and couldn't decipher a single word.

"What do you know? That’s a doctor’s secret code. Just tell me, did the pharmacy staff recognize it or not?" Lin Shaowen joked.

"They did recognize it," Wang Kui-rong admitted with a nod.

"Then there you go. Alright, take your person and get going."

Lin Shaowen started shooing them out; he had drunk too much yesterday and was still nursing a hangover.

"Well, look at you—using people when you need them and casting them aside when you don't," Li Chunhua laughed.

"Fine, you win." Lin Shaowen pulled two large watermelons from under the table. "Is this enough to make up for it?"

"You can actually get your hands on these?" Wang Kui-rong’s eyes widened.

Even though he was in a leadership position, watermelons were rare, especially ones this large.

"A patient gave them to me. Do you want them? If not, I'm keeping them..."

"I want them!"

Without a second thought, Li Chunhua grabbed both watermelons and scurried off.

"Li Chunhua, one of those is mine!" Wang Kui-rong immediately chased after her.

"Little Lin..."

Qin Huairu called out, sounding utterly charming.

"Go to work."

Lin Shaowen pulled a large apple from under the desk and stuffed it into her hand.

Clutching the apple, Qin Huairu looked toward the door. Once she was certain no one was watching, she stepped forward, cupped Lin Shaowen’s face, and gave him a quick, loud peck before running off with a blushing face.

"This woman."

Lin Shaowen shook his head with a bitter smile, then began his day of slacking off.

First Canteen Kitchen.

Sha Zhu was busy directing the staff when Wang Kui-rong suddenly appeared with Qin Huairu.

"Everyone, this is the new kitchen assistant, Qin Huairu. She’s a formal employee, so don't you dare bully her."

"What?"

Sha Zhu was stunned.

Sister Qin became a formal employee? Twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents a month?

"Sha Zhu, especially you. If I find out you’re bullying her, I’ll definitely deal with you," Wang Kui-rong said sternly.

"How could I? She's my sister," Sha Zhu hurriedly replied.

"Your sister?" Wang Kui-rong looked surprised.

"No, we’re neighbors in the same courtyard. She’s even renting my house right now," Sha Zhu laughed.

"Fine then."

Wang Kui-rong nodded and gestured for Liu Lan to come over, whispering in her ear, "Qin Huairu was recommended by a friend of mine. Give her some light tasks, and if anyone bullies her, come find me."

His voice wasn't loud, but the kitchen hadn't started working yet and was quite quiet.

Many people heard him, and the eyes of the men who had been leering at her instantly cleared.

This woman had connections.

"Qin Huairu, work hard. If you have any trouble, find me... or find him," Wang Kui-rong instructed, though no one understood who he meant by "him."

"Yes, Director Wang," Qin Huairu said with a smile.

As soon as Director Wang left, Sha Zhu immediately stepped forward to get close to her. However, Qin Huairu was pulled away by Liu Lan, leaving Sha Zhu feeling dejected for quite some time.

At noon.

The workers who came in high spirits to eat were surprised to find a stunning new beauty in the First Canteen.

Jia Dongxu, Yi Zhonghai, and the others also spotted Qin Huairu.

"Qin Huairu, why are you here?" Yi Zhonghai asked, walking up to her.

"Master Yi, get in line, please," Liu Lan said, tapping the lunch box with a spoon.

"We’re neighbors. I’m just saying a word to her," Yi Zhonghai said, shamelessly persisting.

"Uncle Yi, I’m working here now," Qin Huairu smiled.

"Did Lin Shaowen get you a temporary position?" Jia Dongxu asked with a sour expression.

"What temporary position? Qin Huairu is a formal employee earning twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents a month," Liu Lan rolled her eyes. She didn't know the history between Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu and assumed he was just trying to curry favor.

"What? Twenty-seven fifty?"

Jia Dongxu felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

To be honest, he regretted it deeply at that moment.

If he hadn't divorced her, they would have been a two-income household.

"Comrade, are you going to get your food or not? If you are, get in line," Liu Lan said impatiently.

"That's right, Jia Dongxu, don't cut in line," a worker in line shouted.

Yi Zhonghai hurriedly pulled Jia Dongxu to the back of the line.

Liu Haizhong watched Qin Huairu serving food, looking utterly incredulous. She became a formal employee just like that? Just like that... she was earning twenty-seven fifty?

Since when was the rolling mill so easy to get into?