From 4 to 5 AM, deliver milk to 28 households.
From 5 to 6 AM, deliver newspapers to 37 households.
From 6 to 9 AM, work at a breakfast shop on Sweetheart Street.
From 9 AM to 12 PM, walk the dogs for Mrs. Zhang, Mrs. Liu, Mrs. Jin, and others in Sweetheart Villa.
From 12 to 3 PM, work as a waitress at a restaurant on Sweetheart Street.
From 3 to 6 PM, work at a dessert shop on Sweetheart Street.
From 6 PM to 11 PM, work as a server at a coffee shop on Sweetheart Street.
From 2 PM to 11 PM, set up a street stall.
In this world, there must be people who hustle every day just to make a living. And there must be others who hustle not for anything else, but because they are driven by that... thing that makes the world go round... something that makes all beings called "humans" strive relentlessly for — M, O, N, E, Y! Money!
For many people in this world, talking about money is seen as a trivial matter. But for even more people, while it might be trivial, it's also incredibly important because it directly affects the quality of one's life. So, money may not be omnipotent, but without money, nothing is possible.
Money can't buy emotions, true love, or the stars in the sky... but even though there are many things money can't buy, there are many more things that money can. For instance, dreams. Actually, no, I shouldn't call it a dream, but rather the path that leads to it.
I, the grandly named Zuo An'an, am an 8-year-old girl at the peak of youth. Since I was little, I've had one exceptionally grand dream — that is, to someday attend the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in France.
I once estimated that the distance from Mihua City to the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Paris is probably about the length of half the Earth. Because of this almost unreachable distance, from the moment I dreamed of studying at the Le Cordon Bleu in France, I made the most important decision of my life: that is...
I'm going to become a master of working part-time jobs! That's right, you read it correctly. Trust your eyes! For the sake of my dream, my future, I've been working tirelessly, because the road to the Le Cordon Bleu is very difficult, especially because of the enormous costs involved — the tuition fees, travel expenses, and living costs. In order to pay these overwhelming costs, I began my part-time job journey, determined to become the greatest working expert, so that I could save enough money to embark on my way to the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School!
Any job that can earn me money, I'm all in, no hesitation. In other words, from the day I decided to attend the Le Cordon Bleu, I started my full and busy working life.
(For specifics on how full it is, just check out my work schedule at the beginning!) And as a part-time job expert, I take on jobs that you probably wouldn't even think of. There's no job I won't do.
Perhaps you're now wondering why I'm telling you all of this. Don't worry, I'll explain it to you in great detail in a moment! Of course, there's one important condition — remember to buy my book, got it? After all, we live in a market economy era, and kids like me who occasionally write and work hard to make money aren't that common. Without money, how am I supposed to attend the Le Cordon Bleu in France?
Life is about making money, but in this bone-chilling, icy weather, making money doesn't seem to do much good for my life! But for the sake of my dreams, for the money that makes me bend over backwards, I'll endure! It's just the cold, what's the big deal, right?
But... I really don't understand why we have to have winter in this world. Not only is it freezing, but winter clothes are also more expensive, and the most frustrating thing is that the money I make handing out flyers doesn't increase just because the weather is colder.
While grumbling to myself, I called out, "Come on! Come on! Take a look at these delicious mochis! Don't miss out!"
That's right, here I am, dressed in a super short qipao, standing at the street corner in front of a dessert shop, loudly advertising beautifully packaged mochis.
Although I'm a very professional worker, there's one thing I just don't get. Why do I have to wear a qipao while selling mochi that's made in Japan? The combination just feels off, doesn't it? Why couldn't I wear a kimono instead? At least a kimono would have more fabric than this qipao, right?
"Hey, little beauty, how about having some mochi with me?" Suddenly, a greasy voice interrupted my thoughts.
I looked up to see a middle-aged man standing in front of me, his face covered in stubble, his hair oily and greasy, looking like it hadn't been washed in ages. The clumps of hair on his head were a clear sign that he hadn't bothered with personal hygiene for quite some time.
He stepped closer to me, and with every step, the strong smell of alcohol emanated from him.
I looked at the man closing in on me with disgust. Oh my god! To be working in this cold weather and encountering a drunk like this... I'm really having the worst luck today.
Now, what should I do? If I shout at him in public, it might not be good. If the boss hears about it, he'll definitely dock my pay. But I can't just let him get too close to me, right? What if he vomits on me? I don't have any particular obsession with cleanliness, but if my clothes get dirty, I'll have to waste a lot of water to wash them!
Waste... That's a word that's absolutely prohibited in my dictionary! But getting my pay docked is also...
Just as I was agonizing internally, the strange drunk man in front of me suddenly stopped.
Huh... Could it be that the heavens heard my prayer? Just as I was secretly relieved, I noticed something: a slender, pale hand had appeared on the middle-aged man's shoulder. Compared to the filthy clothes he was wearing, this hand seemed so out of place.
The middle-aged man, who had been stopped, turned around irritably. And then, I saw the person standing behind him.
Wearing a sleek, silver-gray, tailored suit, his tall figure stood out even more. Of course, his body wasn't the most important part—what really stood out was his flawless face. His eyes, black and clear, had no impurities. His high nose bridge made his fair face even more handsome. His full lips seemed to shine like strawberry pudding.
Such a perfect person appeared behind this strange middle-aged man—what was he doing here?
"Miyamoto, big brother!" The answer was simple... because—he was my childhood friend, my "qingmei zhi" (literally, "green plum", a term for a childhood friend of the opposite sex who grows up with you), Miyamoto Han.
Seeing the guy who was a whole head taller than him, the middle-aged man who had been about to harass me quickly ran off.
"This is the... how many times now?" I looked at Miyamoto Han, who had his hands in his pockets, casually standing there with a relaxed expression.
"323 times," he said softly.
323 times? What does that mean? It's simple. It's the number of times Miyamoto Han has saved me.
It's actually quite strange. Since I met Miyamoto Han, whenever I've been in danger, he always shows up just in time.
"I think you might as well become Spider-Man! You always show up at the perfect time!" I said with a smile.
"NO! NO! NO! This time it's not just a coincidence. I have good news for you!" He grinned as he wagged his index finger, walking toward me. His smile made the girls following him freeze in awe.
"Handsome guy, are you planning to help me sell mochi?"
If this guy helped me sell mochi, those girls who were secretly following him might buy my mochis just because of his handsome face! If that happens, I'd sell out in no time, right? Each box of mochi brings me a 2 yuan commission, and there are 80 boxes here, and those girls following him...
I quickly calculated in my head the hefty profits I'd be making! Haha, soon I'd have 360 yuan flying right into my pocket! Thinking about that, my eyes almost turned into dollar signs.
"No, it's even better than that," he said with a smile.
What could be better than making money? I looked at him in frustration, and I'm sure my face clearly showed the "I'm busy right now, no time for nonsense" expression!
"What could possibly be better than making money?" I asked with a tone full of irritation.
"Making money! 300,000!" he said casually.
"You... you... you... What are you talking about?" His words shocked me so much that I quickly walked up to him and grabbed the sleeve of his expensive-looking branded suit.
Heaven help me! What is he talking about?
If my ears aren't playing tricks on me, after the captivating words "making money" just now, what follows is the even more captivating "300,000," right?
"Yeah, there's this opportunity to make 300,000," he said calmly, but the absolute weight of those words hidden in his otherwise nonchalant tone left me completely stunned.
Sometimes, certain opportunities feel like unexpected gifts from heaven, catching you off guard in the best possible way.
But what kind of opportunity could be worth 300,000? Could it be... My mind suddenly flashed with some less-than-appropriate images. With that strange uncle from just now in mind, I suddenly envisioned a middle-aged man with a large, odd-looking body, a bald head, and imagined how his face, full of excess flesh, would crease up into disturbing layers of folds due to a sinister grin.
At this point, I couldn't help but swallow nervously and wipe the cold sweat from my forehead.
"Well, um, although I really need the money, there are still some... certain things, you know... some things just can't be done..." I stammered, awkwardly tugging at the hem of my short cheongsam skirt, which barely covered my backside.
"Ah?" He frowned, seemingly confused about what I meant.
"I mean... my teacher always told us to be honest, law-abiding citizens. Some things really... really can't be…" I fumbled with my words.
"Ah? Where are you going with this? I'm talking about being an assistant!" Seeing me struggle with my awkwardness, it seemed like he realized what kind of inappropriate thoughts I had in my head.
"Just an assistant?" I looked at him skeptically. After all, given how rampant harassment is in the workplace nowadays, having the title of assistant doesn't necessarily mean you'd be doing assistant work! I mean, an assistant making 300,000 a year? That sounds almost like a fairy tale.
"Well, it's not exactly the same either," He said, after hearing my doubts, a slight hesitation appearing on his face.
Seeing that hesitance, I suddenly had an epiphany. Look, I was right! There's no way money like that comes so easily.
"To be honest, the person who wants you to be their assistant is someone really difficult to deal with. If it weren't for the huge bonus, I wouldn't have introduced you to them. But that guy, even though he's a bit temperamental, isn't a bad person," Miyamoto Han said, speaking to himself.
So, it turns out, human imagination is incredibly powerful. After hearing Miyamoto Han's muttering, I truly felt that way because my mind instantly filled with images of countless TV characters and novel personas who love to make life hard for others.
"Just temperamental, huh?" I said, not really believing him.
What kind of temperamental person needs an assistant like that? A person with such a big budget must be really hard to please, right? But... even if they're tough to deal with, it's nothing for me. After all, I've taken care of six dogs and three kids at the same time before! I don't believe someone as temperamental as Miyamoto Han described could be harder to handle than nine living creatures.
"Yeah! A kid-like guy," Miyamoto Han seemed to think of something, his expression souring slightly as he spoke.
Seeing his expression, I could almost feel how difficult this person he was talking about must be… After all, it's rare that anyone can make Miyamoto Han look this way!
"Well, I guess I'll have to meet them then! Okay, I'll reluctantly accept your offer," I said, excited.
Hearing the word "reluctantly" in my sentence, a slight smile tugged at the corner of Miyamoto Han's mouth.
This guy, just let yourself smile already, there's no need to keep holding it in. It must be tiring!
"The assistant interview is at 10:00, and it's now 9:30. If you hurry up, I think you should still be on time," he said, his voice full of amusement.
"Okay! Let's go now," I said, grabbing Miyamoto Han's hand and running.
"Do you know where it is?" Miyamoto Han, who was being unexpectedly dragged along, asked with a smile in my ear.
"Nope," I answered firmly.
"Our directions are reversed," he said, his tone shifting from a question to a resigned one.
He must be feeling utterly speechless right now!
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" I said, becoming even more smug.
"I…" He was left speechless, elegantly unable to respond, and could only let me drag him around to turn and keep running.