Chapter 26: Selling the Job

Su Yanchu had been wondering why Su Qiqi was suddenly being so kind and concerned about her, but it turned out she had passed the recruitment exam.

Su Qiqi wanted to buy the job from her.

"Su Yanchu, you shouldn't have any use for a job right now, right? If you sell it to me, you'll get a sum of money. I'm doing this to help you," Su Qiqi added when she saw Su Yanchu remained silent.

She had already asked others, but since everyone was in desperate need of jobs, no one was willing to sell.

"I advise you not to speak to me in such a condescending tone," Su Yanchu replied, her voice cold.

She had never seen someone begging for a favor act with such a poor attitude!

"I am not selling this job to you!"

"You..." Su Qiqi was fuming.

Su Yanchu couldn't be bothered to argue with her anymore and went straight to check the posted results. As expected, she had placed first in the exam. She could easily sell this job quota to someone else.

"Xiaoxiao, your name isn't on the list!" a young girl's voice called out nearby.

Su Yanchu turned to see the two girls she had noticed before the exam.

"I guess I won't have a chance after all," Lin Xiaoxiao said, having searched the list for a long time without finding her name.

"You could buy one from someone else," Cheng Qingqing suggested. "My uncle is the section chief of the personnel department at this factory."

"But people work so hard to get these positions, I doubt anyone would sell one!" Lin Xiaoxiao remarked.

As for the money to buy the job, her mother had left her some savings before passing away, and it would come in handy now.

"Comrade, are you looking to buy a job?" Su Yanchu asked in a low voice.

She hadn't expected to pass the exam herself, and now that she had, she naturally intended to sell the position. A job was worth several hundred yuan.

"Yes," Lin Xiaoxiao nodded, then asked eagerly, "Comrade, are you planning to sell your job to me? Don't worry, if you sell it to me, I won't let you lose out on the price."

"Eight hundred yuan." Su Yanchu had passed the exam for a clerk position in the propaganda department, which commanded a higher price. The girl before her looked delicate and sweet, wearing a stylish dress, clearly from a wealthy family.

"Deal." Lin Xiaoxiao agreed without hesitation.

"Then let's go find the personnel department leaders. I'll just say you're my cousin. Does that work?" Su Yanchu suggested.

"No need, the section chief of the personnel department is my uncle. We can just walk right in," Cheng Qingqing said, feeling happy that someone was willing to sell the job to her friend.

"Alright." Su Yanchu followed them to the Thermos Factory’s personnel department.

"Uncle, this comrade wants to sell her job position to Xiaoxiao," Cheng Qingqing said, leading Su Yanchu directly into the office.

"Xiaoxiao, do you have all your documents ready?" Chief Cheng had watched Lin Xiaoxiao grow up, as they lived in the same residential compound. He was well-accustomed to these situations, whether it was children taking over parents' jobs or transferring positions to relatives.

"I have them all," Lin Xiaoxiao replied.

"Comrade, are you certain you want to sell your job to Xiaoxiao? Have you both agreed on the price?" Chief Cheng asked to confirm the seller's intent.

"Yes," Su Yanchu nodded.

"Very well. Xiaoxiao, I'll process the paperwork for you." Chief Cheng took the documents and handled the hiring procedures without further ado.

After the paperwork was finished, Lin Xiaoxiao said, "Comrade Su, I don't have that much cash on me right now. I'll go home and get it. You and Qingqing go to the State-run Restaurant and have something to eat while you wait for me—it's my treat."

"Alright." Su Yanchu nodded. She understood, as people rarely carried large amounts of cash in those days.

Leaving the Thermos Factory, Su Yanchu noticed Su Qiqi was gone, assuming she had already left. She went to the restaurant with Cheng Qingqing and, without standing on ceremony, ordered a large bowl of dumplings and three meat pies. Cheng Qingqing, using her own money and food coupons, ordered a bowl of dumplings for herself as well.

"Comrade Su, do you have relatives working at the Thermos Factory?" Cheng Qingqing asked tentatively.

"My aunt works here," Su Yanchu replied, her head bowed as she focused on her dumplings.

"Oh." Seeing how focused Su Yanchu was on her meal, Cheng Qingqing didn't press further.

Soon, Lin Xiaoxiao arrived, walked over to Su Yanchu, and secretly slipped her a cloth bag. "Comrade Su, please count it when you have a moment. If it's short, you can come find me at the Thermos Factory anytime."

"Exactly, both Xiaoxiao and I work there now," Cheng Qingqing added. "If you're ever bored, you can come find us. Let's be friends."

"Mm." Su Yanchu didn't count the money immediately; it was best not to show off one's wealth, especially in these times with so many bandits and spies around. Now that she was full and had manuscripts to write back home, she said, "I'm full. Thank you both for your hospitality. I won't keep you any longer."

Lin Xiaoxiao sat down to eat her own bowl of dumplings, and Su Yanchu headed home.

...

"Su Qiqi, you good-for-nothing girl! Where did you run off to slack off first thing in the morning?" Old Mrs. Su had intended for Su Qiqi to cook breakfast and gather pig fodder. She hadn't expected to find her missing at dawn. When she asked Song Qiao, she wouldn't say a word.

"All you ever do is slack off! I've wasted so many years raising you!" The thought made Old Mrs. Su furious.

"I went to the city to take the recruitment exam, Grandma." Su Qiqi had learned this tactic from Su Yanchu, as it had proven effective in the past. "I wanted to get a job so Su Yaozu could go to the city to work and earn a grain ration."

"Why didn't you say so earlier!" Hearing this, Old Mrs. Su’s anger subsided by more than half. "Did you pass the exam at the Thermos Factory?"

"No." Su Qiqi thought to herself that this tactic really worked on her grandmother.

"Useless!" Old Mrs. Su moved to slap her, but Su Qiqi dodged the blow and shouted, "Grandma, even though I didn't pass, I ran into Su Yanchu, and she did!"

"What did you say?" Old Mrs. Su was shocked.

Su Dawei’s family had been in the city for a long time. Old Mrs. Su had wanted to find them several times, but was stopped by Old Mr. Su. Ever since they moved, they hadn't sent a cent and had cut off all contact. Now that they were the only ones in the family with jobs in the city—and given the old agreement that if Su Yanchu made it to technical school, she would help Su Yaozu—this new job belonged to Su Yaozu. If not, she wouldn't let them hear the end of it.

"Su Qiqi, do you know which street Su Yanchu’s family lives on in the city?" Old Mrs. Su asked, her expression darkening.