Chapter 49: A Call from Sister

In the morning, on her way to work, Yao Jia shared the elevator with Meng Xingzhe and Tian Huasheng. Meng Xingzhe stood lazily at the back of the elevator.

Coincidentally, the little greedy dog that had sniffed out the meat and sneaked into the building yesterday was also brought into the elevator by an elderly couple.

From the back, Meng Xingzhe could clearly see that once the dog entered the elevator, Yao Jia shifted her position, conveniently blocking the view between him and the dog.

At that moment, a complex emotion surged within Meng Xingzhe. This feeling had been vaguely present since last night—as if the better she was to him, the more suffocated he felt.

It was like when he was a child, accompanying his father to a jade exhibition. He had his eye on a piece of jade, but it already had an owner, meaning it could never belong to him. The more he liked it, the more regret and frustration he felt.

Later, his father told him that if something was unattainable, it was best to remove it from his list of desires, and then he wouldn’t feel dejected.

He hadn’t fully understood his father’s words back then, but now he thought, his father was right.

Meng Xingzhe tore his gaze away from Yao Jia’s graceful silhouette and looked straight ahead.

During work that morning, Yao Jia received her first paycheck.

Yao Jia had never lacked money growing up. Her father was a successful businessman, and above him was a wealthy grandfather who had left her a substantial trust fund before he passed away. Money was just numbers to her; even millions laid before her wouldn’t stir much emotion.

Yet somehow, facing this meager paycheck of a few thousand yuan, Yao Jia felt a thrill as if a little person inside her was dancing with joy.

During her morning break, she sat in the pantry, holding her phone and repeatedly reading the message about her salary deposit. Though her expression was calm and composed, beneath the surface, she was grinning foolishly at the modest sum.

The amount was small for her, but for most people, wasn’t it this kind of monthly salary that supported families and raised children? It was money earned through her own efforts, marking a milestone in her journey towards independence.

If she didn’t need to eat and support herself, she would have loved to withdraw this month’s salary, laminate it, and preserve it. This money, symbolizing her step into self-reliance, deserved such a dignified ritual.

But that wasn’t possible.

After all, she was out of money.

Yao Jia sighed and looked up.

She noticed Meng Xingzhe had been sneaking glances at her phone.

Yao Jia immediately clutched her phone to her chest. “If you keep peeking, I’ll gouge your eyes out!”

Meng Xingzhe sneered. “Earning so little and still admiring it for so long, can’t you have some ambition?”

“???” So he meant his salary was higher than hers?

“How much did you earn this month?” Yao Jia asked immediately.

Meng Xingzhe raised an eyebrow. “Guess.”

—Guess your big head!

“Do you believe I’ll bring some ants home to keep you company?” Yao Jia said menacingly. “Come on, you’ve seen my salary, be fair, how much is yours?”

Meng Xingzhe took out his phone, found the message, and smugly handed it to Yao Jia.

Tian Huasheng curiously leaned over to look as well.

After reading it, Yao Jia nearly choked. Last month, because Meng Xingzhe had fewer complaints, his salary was indeed slightly higher than hers, but only by less than ten yuan.

Was she to be looked down upon for this less than ten yuan difference?!

Yao Jia turned to Tian Huasheng and asked, “Xiao Tiantian, how much is your salary?”

Tian Huasheng, shy yet a bit proud, said, “About a thousand more than Brother Meng.”

Yao Jia immediately turned to Meng Xingzhe with a mocking smile. “Did you hear that? Xiao Tiantian earns a full thousand more than you!”

She tossed the phone back to Meng Xingzhe.

Meng Xingzhe caught the phone, showing off his math skills. “So he’s a thousand and ten more than you.”

Yao Jia: “…”

For a moment, Yao Jia was tempted to tear off her disguise and shout at Meng Xingzhe for the humiliation of those ten yuan: I am the Chairman’s daughter, next month I can set my salary as high as I want!

But she stopped herself at the brink of madness.

She couldn’t let her disguise be worth just ten yuan! Meng Xingzhe wasn’t worth revealing her true identity for!

On the other hand, Meng Xingzhe was also puzzled by his own behavior.

There was a time when a decent meal cost more than this few thousand yuan salary, yet he had just felt joy and pride over earning ten yuan more than Yao Jia?

He thought he must be crazy, that living in Kunyu had shrunk his values, that poverty had driven him to find joy in such a small sum.

This was not like him at all; he needed to try to find his former self, the one who knew how to enjoy life luxuriously!

He turned to Tian Huasheng and said, “Tiantian, don’t cook tonight. I’ll treat you to dinner, a seafood feast.”

******

Yao Jia snapped out of her thoughts just in time to hear Meng Xingzhe boasting to Tian Huasheng about taking him out for a seafood feast.

“???”

Yao Jia was shocked. It was the first time she’d seen someone who, after getting paid, didn’t think of repaying debts but instead planned to spend it all in one day.

She suddenly realized something important, something that could redeem her from the shame of those ten yuan—

“Can you pay back the money you owe me before you start showing off?” Yao Jia demanded righteously and indignantly from Meng Xingzhe.

Meng Xingzhe turned to look at her, presenting a side profile that seemed perfectly calculated to make him look devastatingly handsome. With an air of nonchalance, he said, “If I paid you back, what would I spend? Isn’t it good enough that I wash dishes for you every day? Isn’t it comfortable when I let you use my massage chair? Doesn’t having a debtor give you a sense of superiority that makes you happy? So why not let me owe you a bit longer?”

“…?” Yao Jia had never encountered someone so shameless, twisting the situation to make it seem like he was doing her a favor by not repaying his debt.

She pushed his face away. “If you’re going to talk, just talk. Stop trying to charm me!”

Meng Xingzhe, unfazed by her push, turned back and shamelessly continued, “I’m really doing this for your own good.”

“…??” He actually dared to say it out loud!

“Think about it. If I pay you back, I’ll have no money left, and then I’ll have to borrow from you again. Isn’t that just the same as not paying at all? Why go through the trouble of paying back and borrowing again?”

“…???”

Yao Jia realized that when it came to shameless logic, Meng Xingzhe was unmatched.

Tian Huasheng chimed in, “Even though I know Brother Meng is just making excuses not to pay, somehow I feel like he’s got a point. Have you brainwashed me, Brother Meng?”

Then he turned to Yao Jia and said, “Jia, I’m siding with Brother Meng.”

“…………”

So they’re just not going to pay back, huh?

Yao Jia couldn’t understand what she did to deserve facing this absurd alliance that had formed around the idea that not paying back was justified.

She pointed at Meng Xingzhe and said fiercely, “Fine, you love washing dishes to repay debts, right? Tonight, I’ll use ten bowls for dinner and wear you out!”

Meng Xingzhe’s lips curled into a wicked, charming smile. “See, you’re already experiencing the benefits of me not paying back. From now on, you can use as many bowls as you like at meals. Isn’t that liberating?”

“…………”

Yao Jia was speechless and didn’t want to look at Meng Xingzhe’s infuriating face any longer. She got up to pour herself a drink at the bar.

Hao Lidan happened to be there getting drinks as well. Seeing Yao Jia, she greeted her with a warm smile, so friendly that a colleague nearby gave them a curious glance. It seemed there was an unspoken rule at the call center to join Hao Lidan and Hou Wenwen in dissing Yao Jia as the politically correct thing to do.

Yet suddenly, the leader of the diss brigade was smiling at Yao Jia, which felt like a betrayal to those who followed her.

After the colleague left, Yao Jia quickly said to Hao Lidan, “Lidan, I have a favor to ask. In front of others, let’s pretend we don’t get along like before. Keep disliking me with Hou Wenwen and Tong Yumo.”

Hao Lidan was taken aback, her eyes wide with confusion. “Huh?”

Yao Jia explained, “I have my reasons for this, and I’ll definitely tell you why later.”

Though puzzled, Hao Lidan agreed unconditionally, “Alright, I’ll keep dissing you with them. But you should know, it’s all an act. I’m actually grateful to you!”

Yao Jia turned away so Hou Wenwen and Tong Yumo on the sofa couldn’t see her expression, then smiled. “Understood.”

After a pause, she added quietly to Hao Lidan, “By the way, Lidan, I have another small request. Can you keep up the superficial friendship with Tong Yumo and not show her any coldness?”

Hao Lidan immediately replied, “Sure. Whatever you say, I’ll do. Maintaining a superficial relationship is something I’m good at.”

Both women returned to their respective spots on the sofas with their drinks.

As soon as Hao Lidan sat down, Hou Wenwen asked, “What were you talking to Yao Jia about? I saw you smile at her.”

Hao Lidan said, “Oh, she knows I’ve moved into the dorm across from hers and suggested we hang out more. I said sure, and showed her what a fake smile looks like.”

Tong Yumo, with innocent curiosity, chimed in, “Is Yao Jia mocking you, Lidan? She’s probably mocking you. Something must have happened at home for her to move into the dorm. She’s gloating.”

Hao Lidan kept smiling, saying “Exactly,” but internally she was assessing Tong Yumo more clearly. Sometimes, understanding another’s thoughts comes from projecting one’s own. If Tong Yumo hadn’t secretly mocked and gloated herself, how could she so vividly project those emotions onto Yao Jia and label them as her thoughts?

After agreeing with Tong Yumo’s speculation, Hou Wenwen asked Hao Lidan, “You moved into the dorm? What’s going on?”

Hao Lidan replied, “Something happened at home, and I can’t live there anymore.”

Tong Yumo immediately asked with concern, “Lidan, what’s happened at home?”

Hao Lidan smiled outwardly while inwardly she was sarcastic. “You’re no help, but you’re number one at prying.”

She initially wanted to make a sarcastic remark about how the bed and sofa at home were stained with “Aunt Flo” and uninhabitable. But remembering Yao Jia’s advice to maintain the status quo with Tong Yumo, she smiled and said, “Oh, there’s just a bit of trouble at home, so we’re selling the house. I can’t really go into details right now.” She added that last part to block Tong Yumo from probing further.

Tong Yumo immediately looked delighted, clapping her hands. “No matter what, Sister Lidan, it’s great that you’re moving into the dorm! Now we can go to and from work together every day!” She pouted a little, her delicate face showing a hint of innocence and grievance. “In our dorm, Yao Jia only gets along with those two male colleagues. She doesn’t even notice me.”

Hou Wenwen quickly chimed in, “I can’t stand women like that, always cozying up to the guys and bullying female colleagues. If you ask me, Yao Jia is just jealous of you, Yumo, for being so sweet and pretty!”

Tong Yumo smiled innocently and helplessly, “There’s nothing I can do. She’s so fierce, I just have to put up with it!”

Hao Lidan laughed along with them.

After joining in, she lowered her head and sent a message to Yao Jia, who was sitting not far from them: [Yao Jia, remember, when I talk bad about you to them, it’s not from my heart!]

On the other end, Yao Jia, who was chatting with Meng Xingzhe and Tian Huasheng, heard the notification sound, picked up her phone, and laughed at the message.

She replied to Hao Lidan: [Sister Lidan, go ahead and complain about me as much as you want, don’t feel burdened. The more you complain, the more you’re helping me out.]

Just as she was about to lock her screen, a call came in. The caller ID showed an international number.

Yao Jia’s smile vanished, and her expression changed.

Her change caught the attention of the two people beside her.

Yao Jia answered the call, put the phone to her ear, and said, “Sis.”

A gentle and warm voice came through the receiver.

“Xiao Jia, you haven’t called your sister in a while. I heard from Mom and Dad that you’ve been working for over a month now. How’s it going? Are you getting along with your colleagues?”

Yao Jia sat up straight, like a student reciting a formulaic answer to a teacher’s question. “Thanks for your concern, Sis. I mainly can’t figure out the time difference and don’t want to disturb your rest. Work is going well, and my colleagues are nice.”

Yao Hui laughed softly on the other end, “Why are you still so polite with your sister? Oh, today I should congratulate you on receiving your first paycheck!”

Yao Jia was taken aback.

“How did you know I got paid today? Did… Mom and Dad tell you?” Yao Jia couldn’t help but ask.

Yao Hui chuckled, “Silly girl, I don’t need Mom and Dad to tell me. Mom told me the day you started at Kunyu Electric, and I know when they pay salaries. I just did the math.”

Holding her phone, Yao Jia thought, as expected of the outstanding Yao Hui, her role model sister.

Yao Hui’s voice grew even more tender, “Xiao Jia, I called today to congratulate you on receiving your first paycheck. You’re amazing!”

Yao Jia felt a pang of sourness in her heart. How wonderful it would be if such affirmation and praise came from her parents. But unfortunately, all their praise was reserved for her sister. Her sister would then pass some down to her, which didn’t make her happy at all. She felt like she was receiving charity from her sister.

But at least her sister still cared about her, and Yao Jia accepted it.

She expressed concern for Yao Hui across the ocean, “Sis, how’s your health lately?… That’s good to hear. It’s still nighttime over there, right? You don’t have to adjust your schedule to call me. I’m young and strong, I can stay up late, but you shouldn’t. Take care of yourself.”

After the pleasantries, Yao Jia let out a long sigh and hung up.

She thought it was strange how feelings could be so fleeting. She was a bit reluctant to take the call, but after hanging up, she felt a sense of loss.

Putting away her phone, she looked up to see Meng Xingzhe and Tian Huasheng watching her as if they were witnessing a supernatural drama.

“?” Yao Jia asked, “Why are you both looking at me like that?”

Meng Xingzhe raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Tian Huasheng spoke up, “Can I make a bold guess?”

Yao Jia was curious about what he would guess, so she signaled with her eyes, “Go ahead.”

“From your awkwardness answering the call, the formality in your voice, and the stiffness in your greetings, I deduce that this sister isn’t your biological sister. She’s probably the kind of outstanding sister from a neighbor’s or relative’s family. To put it bluntly, she’s the annoying ‘other people’s child’ type! Am I right?”

Tian Huasheng was confident in his deduction and raised his hand, ready for a high-five with Yao Jia.

But his hand hung in the air for a long time without a response from Yao Jia.

Looking at Yao Jia’s expression, it was as if she had tasted something unpleasant and didn’t know whether to swallow or spit it out, leaving it stuck uncomfortably in her throat.

“She is my biological sister,” Yao Jia sighed, “We share the same parents.”

Tian Huasheng quickly lowered his hand, laughing awkwardly.

“You really couldn’t tell,” Meng Xingzhe unexpectedly chimed in. “If you hadn’t said she was your real sister, I’d have thought she was a stepsister, the kind who would steal Cinderella’s glass slipper.”

Yao Jia internally chuckled, thinking, So even a straightforward guy like you has heard of Cinderella.

She thought for a moment and explained, “Maybe it’s because of the age gap—my sister is over ten years older than me. There are several generational gaps between us. We haven’t lived together for years, so we’re not very close.”

Upon hearing the age difference, Meng Xingzhe seemed to find a relatable trigger point. He immediately said, “When you put it that way, I can somewhat understand your sister. Even though there’s just a generation gap between us, I find communicating with you quite exhausting. You’re always talking back to me without any regard. Just imagine how much more tiring it must be for your sister.”

Yao Jia wanted to protest, “I’ve never talked back to my sister in my life!” But she caught another point in Meng Xingzhe’s words. “Is there just a generation gap between us? It’s more like one and a third of a generation!” She turned to Tian Huasheng and said, “Xiao Tiantian, see how he tries to flatter himself!”

Meng Xingzhe let out a cold laugh and also turned to Tian Huasheng. “See? I wasn’t wrong about her. She’s talking back to me again. Imagine how tiring it is for me to deal with her every day. And think about how exhausting it must be for her sister to have a sibling like her.”

Tian Huasheng shrank back, not daring to respond. Both sides were dear to him, so he could only remain a difficult neutral party.

Hearing Meng Xingzhe’s last comment, Yao Jia felt both sad and angry.

The one truly exhausted is me, she thought. Having Yao Hui as a sister is what’s really tiring!

******

After the break, Yao Jia continued with the second half of her morning shift.

Shortly after sitting down at her workstation, she received a somewhat complicated phone call.

The caller was a local customer named Mr. Li. He called to report that the refrigerator he had bought just a month ago was malfunctioning—it wasn’t cooling and was leaking foul-smelling water.

Yao Jia searched for the purchase information provided by the customer. After repeated confirmations, she found that there was no purchase record for this customer in their system.

She asked the customer to provide the barcode of the refrigerator. It turned out that the code was either incorrect or fake, as Kunyu had no refrigerator corresponding to it.

She asked, “Mr. Li, are you sure the refrigerator you bought is a Kunyu brand?”

The customer got a bit emotional. “Of course! What do you mean by that? The Kunyu logo is clearly on the fridge. Do you think I, as an adult, would mistake it? Are you trying to avoid responsibility?”

Yao Jia quickly explained that she asked because she couldn’t find his purchase record, and the barcode on his refrigerator didn’t match any Kunyu products.

The customer, not being unreasonable, fell silent after hearing Yao Jia’s explanation, as if digesting this unexpected information.

“So what do you think is going on? I bought a Kunyu refrigerator!”

Yao Jia asked him where he purchased the refrigerator.

The customer said it was from a Kunyu appliance store in a mall near his home.

Yao Jia checked and found that the store mentioned by the customer wasn’t listed among their authorized dealers.

The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. She told the customer over the phone, “Mr. Li, here’s what we can do. I’ll arrange an after-sales service order and have our technicians come to your home to check the situation.”

The customer agreed. Yao Jia issued a service order to After-sales Service.

In the afternoon, Mr. Li called again, specifically asking to have the customer service line transferred to Yao Jia.

He told her, “Your company’s after-sales technician is at my house, and this situation is a real shock to me. I’ll let him explain the details to you.”

Yao Jia agreed.

When the after-sales technician spoke, Yao Jia recognized the voice as Lu Jingyi, a small leader from the After-sales Service repair department.

She greeted him, “Team Leader Lu.”

Lu Jingyi explained over the phone, “Here’s the situation. The refrigerator this gentleman bought is indeed not produced by Kunyu. It’s a counterfeit with a fake brand.”

Yao Jia was taken aback by the news.

— Translator’s Notes —

– “Aunt Flo”: A slang euphemism for menstruation or a woman’s menstrual period.