Linxia

Chapter 39, Xuan Mo

It has to be said that Fu Hong was very good at pretending, which dealt a heavy blow to the arrogance of Song Kai and his gang. However, Fang Lin didn't care much about this. He said goodbye to Geng Shi and went home.

When I got home, Tian Xuan was cooking.

Fang's mother was still mending clothes. When she saw Fang Lin coming back, she didn't even stand up to greet him as enthusiastically as usual. She held his hand and looked left and right, as if she was afraid of getting hurt. Today, she just sat there and said, "My son is back!"

"Ah."

Fang Lin thought Fang's mother would ask whether she had found a job, but she didn't ask at all, as if this was not important at all.

"Mom, it's late now, it's pitch black, why are you still working on it? It won't be too late to do it tomorrow."

"Why, if you mend one piece, you get one piece of money!"

Fang's mother was overjoyed: "Linzi, guess how much I earned today?"

Without waiting for Fang Lin to answer, she couldn't help but say, "That's thirty-two copper coins! Add Xiaoxuan's thirty copper coins and your father's six cents earned at the dock, and our family has earned more than one copper coin today!"

Next to him, Fang's father straightened his chest silently when he heard Fang's mother talking about him. When Fang Lin looked over and asked if he was tired, he immediately waved his hand and said, "It's okay. It's much better than when we were rushing to harvest crops."

This was half true and half false. It was true that 'working as a porter at the dock' was easier than 'harvesting crops', but it was false that it was not tiring. However, even this tiredness gave him a sense of security, a feeling of being needed by this family, as if it had helped him find his place in this family.

On the other side, Fang's mother was angrily stopped by Fang Lin after his clothes and needlework were taken away. Then she remembered to ask, "Linzi, how did you find the work today?"

"Still looking."

"Well, it's okay, take your time. Even if we can't find you, we will support you." Fang's mother said and waved her hand, looking very heroic.

"Brother Lin!" At this time, Tian Xuan called softly.

Fang Lin looked over and saw Tian Xuan cutting a thin slice of pork for him and putting it to his mouth without telling Fang's father and mother.

——Although there are many oil pressing workshops in the city and vegetable oil is relatively cheap, Fang's mother was still reluctant to buy it. She used the old method she used in Xiaohe Village. She bought a piece of fat meat with pig skin and rubbed it on the bottom of the pot when cooking. The thinnest layer at the bottom would be cooked. This was the piece that Tian Xuan cut for him.

"Sister Xuan is trying to comfort me, but even if I can't find a job for the time being, I won't feel depressed at all!"

Fang Lin felt amused in his heart, but still accepted this kindness. He opened his mouth and ate the piece of pork. His tongue accidentally touched Tian Xuan's fingertips. She gave him a reproachful look, and blushed on her cheeks. She quickly turned her head away.

Zi la la!
During such casual chat, wild vegetables were poured into the pot and stir-fried. The smoke rose and spread, dispelling everyone's day's fatigue and filling the family's hearts with peace.

……

The next day, Fang Lin and Geng Shi continued to look for work. In the afternoon, they came across a rice shop that was hiring. The shop owner extended an olive branch and said that they were willing to hire Geng Shi as a temporary worker.

It turned out that the Yangtze River was flooding and many places were affected. The people in the city had not felt anything at first, but after seeing refugees coming to the city for the past two days, they felt a sense of crisis and began to stock up on food. But behind this, it was the wealthy merchants who were causing trouble. The city was not short of food at all, so all the shops opened up their supply. For a while, business was booming, so much so that many grain shops were short-staffed and couldn't handle it.

"Yes! Yes!"

When Geng Shi heard that the grain shop was willing to take him, he didn't know where to put his hands for a moment. He scratched his head foolishly, obviously he was a little overwhelmed with joy, but then he reacted and said, "We are together, Linzi, you should take him too!" The manager glanced at Fang Lin and said, "He is too thin, no."

"So I'm being rejected?" Fang Lin originally wanted to decline and recommend Fang's father, but now he himself is being rejected. When he asked, he found out that older people were not wanted either, and Fang's father was not an option either.

Geng Shi hesitated. This was indeed a good opportunity, but if he was alone, and if he left Fang Lin behind, wouldn't he be the same as Fu Hong? That's not how it works.

Fang Lin naturally saw Geng Shi's worries and pulled him aside: "Brother Geng, although this is a short-term job, you can get 6.5 cents a day, and it's paid daily, which is easier than working at the dock. The manager even said that if you perform well, you can become a formal worker. I think that's great, you can consider it."

"I think so too, but you..."

"Don't worry about me. I have my own way."

Fang Lin paused for a moment and continued, "As for Fu Hong, it is true that the pawnshop itself has some problems, so I don't recommend it. However, this grain shop is really good, so you should go there. Opportunities like this don't come around often."

"Okay, I'll continue looking with you this afternoon, treat you to dinner tonight, and come back tomorrow." Geng Shi stopped being pretentious.

"No, you can go to work in the afternoon. There's no need to rush to eat. When I find a job, we can have a meal together to celebrate."

Fang Lin waved his hand and turned away.

He was not trying to comfort Geng Shi, but he had really finished collecting enough information and had already shortlisted three targets in his mind: a teahouse, a restaurant, and a bookstore. All of them were hiring, paid fairly well, had good reputations, and never withheld or delayed payment of wages.

"For me, the best place is naturally the Xuanmozhai bookstore. It is convenient for learning to read, so it is my first choice." Fang Lin made up his mind.

Of course, he liked the girl, but the girl didn't like him. He still needed to prove himself and gain recognition before he could get in and become a waiter.

……

Xuan Mo Zhai.

The shopkeeper of this bookstore was an old man in his forties or fifties. His surname was Liu, and his name was Liu Zhentang. When he saw Fang Lin coming, he immediately frowned and said, "Why are you here again? You can't do the job I do here. You are a refugee, and you only work for ten days or half a month before running away."

When you apply for a job at a company that's hiring people, they will naturally ask about your household registration.

"Manager Liu, my family has already registered in the provincial capital, so we have settled down there." Fang Lin responded with a smile.

"That won't work either." Shopkeeper Liu shook his head. He had heard that many of the refugees who came to the city were petty thieves, so he made up his mind not to let Fang Lin enter his shop.

"Manager Liu, can you please reconsider? I am quite strong, so I can move books easily. I have a very good memory, so I can put books back in place accurately. I am eloquent, so I can guide customers to buy more books. Also, I am good at math, so I can keep accounts easily... I think I am particularly suitable for our bookstore, so please consider it!"

This era values ​​humility and reserve. Fang Lin's self-praise can be considered unique, especially the word "our bookstore", which directly made the shopkeeper Liu laugh.

……

(End of this chapter)