Chapter 105: Real Skill

Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Real Skill

Their eyes welled up. They quickly turned, grabbing their wives’ sleeves and whispering.

"Was the red envelope we gave her too stingy? Quick, add some more!"

No sooner said than done!

The two aunts immediately dug through their pockets, stuffed all their cash and notes into a red envelope, and handed it to Shen Songyao.

Shen Songyao froze.

"Eldest Aunt? Youngest Aunt? What... is this?"

"A red envelope!"

Shen Jiayue blurted out.

"Your Eldest Aunt and I, and even your two uncles, all feel that we gave you too little last time. You’ve been buying this and that for us, how could we let you spend your own money?"

In truth, she hadn’t been.

Shen Jiayue and Shen Jiajia had been generous, each giving her a thousand yuan directly.

The cashmere scarves were expensive, but they weren’t made of gold. One for each person came out to a few hundred yuan at most.

Song Yao hadn’t made a profit, but she certainly hadn’t lost money either.

Her pockets were just nearly empty now.

But she had never intended to get rich from reuniting with her family.

It was just that cruel people had been too vicious, brutally cutting her good life short.

Otherwise, her life should have long been filled with sunshine, laughter, and flowers.

At this thought, Song Yao smiled and waved her hands dismissively.

"Eldest Aunt, Youngest Aunt, you each gave me a thousand yuan. How could I be paying out of my own pocket? The thought is almost funny!"

It was true she wasn’t losing money, but her wallet was empty, and the two aunts knew it full well.

What were they trying to achieve?

Weren’t they just trying to help their niece relax a little, feel more secure, and stand a bit taller?

If the red envelope ended up back in their own pockets, leaving the girl’s pockets cleaner than her face, then what was the point of giving the money at all?

"You’re buying us gifts, so why are you the one spending money?"

Getting anxious, Shen Jiayue pushed the red envelope forward again.

"Take it!"

Hearing this, Song Yao quickly replied.

"You really don’t have to! I have money!"

Seeing their brows furrow in concern, she immediately added,

"A lot! So much I can’t even count it!"

Shen Jiayue was taken aback and blurted out a question.

"Oh, dear. You just got your marriage certificate. How could you have any money left?"

They had already heard from their mother how difficult their niece’s life had been with her adoptive parents—it was too awful to even mention.

That family had no shame; they had completely cleaned out Song Yao’s betrothal money.

It would be a miracle if she had a single coin left.

Song Yao just smiled and said,

"I earn it myself. I have a stall where I sell some trinkets. I make a few dozen yuan a day, nice and steady."

Just as she finished speaking, DING! A thought struck her.

Before, when she was helping restore artifacts at the museum, Director Han had slipped her a phone number before he left. He’d said a museum over in Beijing was short-staffed and had a few items waiting for her to fix up.

And what happened?

She had been so busy and preoccupied with reuniting with her relatives that she had completely forgotten about it.

When Shen Jiajia heard she ran her own business, her eyes immediately lit up. She scooted closer and sat right next to her.

"Goodness, you’re really something else, aren’t you?"

Song Yao scratched her head.

"Nah, I’m just getting by. I set up a small stall. I’m not aiming for much, just enough to cover groceries."

Shen Jiajia immediately waved her hand dismissively.

"Don’t be so modest! As long as you can sell your wares and the money’s coming in, that’s real skill!"

She patted Song Yao’s shoulder again.

"A top-tier skill, at that!"

Shen Jiayue chimed in from the side.

"It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice!"

Shen Jiajia, her curiosity piqued, asked a few more questions.

What do you sell?

What time do you set up your stall?

Don’t you get tired from standing?

Song Yao answered with a cheerful smile.

"Just for half the day in the morning. I sell hair clips, hair ties, elastic bands... just small odds and ends."

She paused, then added,

"I left in a hurry this time, so I didn’t bring anything. Next time I come to Beijing, I’ll bring a whole bunch for Eldest Aunt and Youngest Aunt!"

The words had barely left her mouth when Shen Jiajia threw her arms around her neck and planted several loud kisses on her cheek.

"What a good girl! You really are my dear niece, clever down to your bones!"

Song Yao was already in her twenties, and being showered with kisses like that made her face burn red.

...

Just as Song Yao reached the main gate, she saw a tall, thin, middle-aged man standing there.

He was wearing a dark gray shirt and a pair of black-framed glasses, his gaze fixed intently on the entrance.

Their eyes met, and they sized each other up for a second or two.

"Are you Director He?"

Song Yao spoke first.

The man looked her up and down, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.

"You must be Xiao Shen?"

He adjusted his glasses, smiling as he spoke.

"When old Han called, he kept praising how young you were. I was skeptical. How young could someone be to have skills that would impress that stubborn old mule? I didn’t expect you to actually be this young!"

He said, extending his hand.

"He Kang. I’m in charge here."

"It’s a pleasure, Director He! I’m Shen Songyao!"

She reached out and gave his hand a light shake, then followed him into the building.

Along the way, several people greeted He Kang. He nodded in acknowledgment as he led her toward his office.

He pushed the door open, stepped inside first, and gestured toward the sofa.

"Please, have a seat!"

Song Yao didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down graciously.

He Kang turned, poured a cup of hot tea, and handed it to her. Then he put on a pair of gloves and carefully brought out an artifact.

"Xiao Shen, take a look at this. Do you think it can be properly repaired?"

It was a glittering golden court crown, inlaid with numerous pearls, but a closer look revealed it was full of flaws.

Several golden threads were snapped, the breaks jagged and uneven.

A few sections had caved in completely.

But for Song Yao, this kind of work was about as difficult as making instant noodles. It required almost no thought.

So she said so directly.

"Oh, this? This is entry-level stuff. Someone experienced could do it with their eyes closed."

Hearing this, Director He’s eyes lit up, and he immediately asked,

"Then when do you think you could find the time? To help us fix up this pile of things?"

Afraid she might think the pay was too low, Director He quickly added,

"Don’t worry, the pay won’t be a single cent less than what old Han gave you."

Song Yao didn’t nod right away. She just said,

"I need to count how many pieces need repairs first, and then see if the materials are sufficient. Once I have a clear idea, I can give you a definite answer."

Without another word, Director He shot to his feet. He held the crown in one hand and gestured with the other.

"Let’s go! I’ll take you to see the main base!"

He led Song Yao out of the office, around a corner, and stopped in front of a door.

He then had Song Yao help him steady the crown while he unhooked a string of keys and, with a CLICK, unlocked the door.

The room was pitch-black. Director He reached out and flipped the light switch on the wall.

The lights flickered on with a SNAP, and Song Yao nearly lost her footing.

The entire room was filled with things!

Tall ones, short ones, round ones, flat ones—they were packed in, filling the whole room.

"...So many? You want me to do all of them?"

Her tongue felt tied.

"Yes, they all have some minor flaws. A whole miscellany of things, all stored in here."

Director He paced around the room for a couple of steps with his hands behind his back.

"Then... will I be working on this until the cows come home?"

She stared at twelve wooden boxes stacked like a tower in the corner.

Director He scratched his head.

"How about this: I’ll arrange a dorm for you, cover all your food and lodging, and pay you a salary. You can just stay in Beijing for a while and focus on this. How does that sound?"

’Could I?’

’It seems possible...’

’But maybe not?’

’It’s definitely a bit iffy.’

’It could work because I’d be getting paid.’

’But it might not work because my stall is still set up back home. If I’m not there to run it, I’ll feel like something is missing.’

"You don’t need to arrange lodging for me. I have relatives in Beijing; I can stay with them."

Song Yao said.

As for whether she could stay for a long time?

She thought for a moment and said,

"If it’s going to take too long, I’ll have to go home and discuss it with my family."

Director He nodded twice in quick succession.

"Of course, of course! There’s really no rush with this."

"If you really can’t get away, you can always come back next time. These things aren’t going to run off on their own. We can take our time."