Chapter 24: First Day of Work
During a break from work, Ji Yunqi couldn’t help but ponder.
Her son had finally grown up, and she had returned to her youth. However, her thoughts always followed her old way of thinking.
Especially when she saw her classmates playing together in groups, their faces filled with happy smiles.
Ji Yunqi often recalled in her mind that she had no parents since childhood and had to struggle for a living, enduring much hardship.
Although she met the love of her life and had a sensible son, she had always been struggling to make a living.
It seemed…
She had never truly experienced the joy of youth. Now that she had regained her youth, should she try to do some things she had always wanted to do but never had the chance?
Ji Yunqi was startled by her own thoughts. What right did she have to say such things now?
Didn’t the “she” of today also have to struggle for a living?
“When flowers bloom, youth will naturally come.”
Such words might seem romantic to young people, but unfortunately, in Ji Yunqi’s eyes, it was merely a phenomenon that could only be observed.
At this moment, a middle-aged man with a potbelly looked at the bustling Ji Yunqi with a gloomy expression and beckoned her over.
“Sir, is there anything I can help you with?”
The middle-aged man’s lips curled slightly: “Miss, please bring me a dry martini.”
The middle-aged man’s voice was calm and unremarkable. Ji Yunqi wouldn’t have any special reaction. Even if this person had impure intentions, she could only quietly do her job.
After communicating with her colleagues at the bar, Ji Yunqi received the corresponding drink. This drink was not cheap. Ji Yunqi handled it with great care.
If she accidentally dropped it, she would have worked for nothing today. She didn’t want to be taken advantage of by the boss on her first day… well, by the boss taking advantage of her labor.
Looking at the drink on the tray, Ji Yunqi swallowed. For some reason, she suddenly felt a craving for alcohol. In the past, she rarely had the opportunity to encounter such high-end drinks.
Now, these high-end drinks were right in front of her, but she could only watch from the sidelines, unable to taste them even a little. It was truly a pity.
However, if such a drink were placed in front of her, Ji Yunqi wouldn’t dare to drink it. In such a chaotic place, how could she dare to drink unfamiliar beverages?
Even her own drinks, if left out of sight for more than two seconds, she wouldn’t dare to drink them. Especially since she looked like someone who could easily encounter danger.
“Here is your martini, sir. Please enjoy.” Ji Yunqi gently placed the glass in front of the middle-aged man.
The man accepted the glass, his fingers inadvertently brushing against Ji Yunqi’s slender hand. Ji Yunqi instinctively flinched, her brows furrowed slightly.
However, the young girl remained silent. She knew very well that in such a place, a beautiful girl like her would inevitably be taken advantage of.
Although Ji Yunqi had prepared herself mentally, she still felt disgusted when it actually happened. Not to mention, she would automatically imagine the original her being taken advantage of by this scoundrel in her mind.
Ugh! So disgusting!
The middle-aged man naturally noticed Ji Yunqi’s disgust from her frowning brows. But he didn’t care: “Little girl, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. You look so thin, are you having financial difficulties at home?”
Ji Yunqi was stunned for a moment, then realized with a jolt: this scoundrel was trying to… pick her up?
Although she felt disgusted, she knew she couldn’t offend this guy, or who knew what would happen later: “Thank you for your concern, sir. I’m just earning some pocket money.”
At this moment, Ji Yunqi could only hope that this person would believe her explanation, knowing that she had a family behind her and was not alone.
The middle-aged man nodded and said no more, just looking at Ji Yunqi thoughtfully. Seeing that she had nothing more to say, Ji Yunqi finally left to attend to other matters, mentally labeling him.
If she encountered him again, she would just steer clear of him and try not to bother with him, as she wasn’t the only one working.
…
The atmosphere in the bar grew more fervent, with various sounds mingling together, making one feel dizzy.
Ji Yunqi’s steps began to feel heavy, her legs aching from the prolonged standing and busy work. But when she saw more tips on her tray, a small sense of satisfaction surged within her.
The four hours of work finally ended, and Ji Yunqi dragged her tired body out of the bar.
The night grew deeper, and the streets were deserted, with only the occasional passing vehicle breaking the silence.
She pulled her jacket tighter and walked in the direction of home.
The moonlight shone on her, casting a long shadow. Although tonight’s work was hard, Ji Yunqi knew that in every night in this city, countless people like her were striving for a living, and she was just an insignificant yet incredibly determined part of it.
She had experienced such days before. Now she was just experiencing it again. Of course, the difference this time was that she could experience campus life.
Instead of being like before, where life seemed to have no meaning other than working and earning money.
At this moment, the streets were still bustling with people, even though it was quite late. Everyone seemed to have no intention of going home.
They were all out enjoying themselves. But this was also what Ji Yunqi hoped to see. More people were better than fewer people, at least she was relatively safe.
However…
Looking at the “junk food” around her, Ji Yunqi couldn’t help but swallow. She had been busy all night and basically hadn’t eaten dinner, so she felt extremely hungry.
As she took a step forward to buy some barbecue, she saw the price… and got scared.
The current prices were truly terrifying. Just one glance made her extremely scared, let alone buying anything. If it were in the past, she would have definitely bought a lot to eat.
Not only would she eat it herself, but she would also bring her wife and son to eat together!
It’s just a pity that she couldn’t do it now…
“Sigh, forget it. I’ll just go to the convenience store in the residential area to buy a pack of instant noodles. No sausage today, it’s a bit expensive.”
A hot dog from a good brand costs three yuan. Her wages today were only 300 yuan, which would be one percent of her wages. It was so expensive, who would buy it?
However, she still needed to consider whether to continue this job.
“The salary is quite high, the work… it’s not too tiring, and the danger… it’s not really dangerous. The only drawback, perhaps, is occasionally being taken advantage of.”
Ji Yunqi thought a lot and finally confirmed her idea!
That is…
Continue working!
After all, there was no real danger, and it was a high-paying job that was hard to find. And it was part-time, so she didn’t have to do it full-time. She could come here every day.
…
