【027】90s cook 27

Gong Mingxia ultimately insisted on reporting to the police, and after they arrived, they collected some statements and registered the identity information of Zhang Tie Jun, not dispersing until late into the night. That night, she could not sleep at all.

Yesterday, because of her incident, it was Deng Guoqiang who found someone to clean up the kitchen. Everyone thought she would definitely quit the next day, but Gong Mingxia still got up early to cook.

The workers looked at her with trepidation, yet they couldn't bring themselves to offer words of comfort. Although there were many good people, and she was unharmed the previous night, they all felt that her calm, pale face hid an expression that slightly worried them.

Indeed, after having breakfast, she conveyed the result of her all-night contemplation to Deng Guoqiang.

"Mr. Deng, you should find someone to replace me. I've thought it over all night and feel that I may not be suited for this job. I'll continue working until you've found my replacement."

"Xiao Gong, the police have already registered that man's information. He can run from the monk but not from the temple. Don't worry. With him as a warning, no one will dare to treat you poorly afterward."

Gong Mingxia turned to look at her daughter, "Mr. Deng, it's not just me, but also my daughter. She is still so young. I can't watch over her twenty-four hours a day. So I... I'm afraid I can't keep going."

No matter how much Deng Guoqiang tried to retain her, Gong Mingxia was firm in her decision, and he had no choice but to agree to her request.

She worked until the end of June and had saved up 8,000 yuan. Because Zhang Tie Jun's actions were so despicable, the construction site decided to compensate her with his last quarter's salary. Gong Mingxia looked at Deng Guoqiang in surprise: "This... this doesn't seem right?"

"What's not right about it? He did such a thing; doesn't he have to compensate you for it? Although he didn't succeed, he also tarnished our construction site's reputation. His belongings are still here, but no one knows where he ran off to, and the police haven't got any leads yet. He forced you to leave your job, so it's only fair and reasonable for you to take his quarter's salary. Don't worry, don't feel burdened. The workers can all testify to this, and they all think you deserve it."

Deng Guoqiang brought up this matter in the kitchen in front of everyone, so all the workers overheard and chimed in their agreement.

"Yeah, Xiao Gong, you shouldn't feel any psychological burden. It's only right that you take this money. Jobs aren't easy to find, and this sum can help you out for a while."

...

In the end, she didn't reject the money, since the additional 5,000 yuan (over three months' salary) wasn't a small amount.

With savings of 13,000 yuan, it would count as being a "ten thousand yuan household" in the rural areas at the end of the 1990s, with no problem to build a grand house in style. But she was destined not to return to the countryside, so this money was still far from enough.

She never expected that she'd have to leave again before even four months had passed. After saying goodbye to her colleagues, she took a detour back to the place where she had initially stayed and saw Wang Hao.

After explaining the situation to Wang Hao, she bowed apologetically, "Master Wang, I'm grateful for your care all along. I'm sorry, this time I—"

"That's alright, big sister. I've already heard about it. Old Deng has told me. I was planning to visit you in a few days. Since you've already made your choice, I won't say much. But do you have any plans? If you want to go to another construction site, I can help you look for connections?"