That day, Qi Sui was as busy as usual in the small restaurant, flitting from table to table like a diligent little bee, asking about orders and serving dishes with warm and enthusiastic service.
She had been working at Sister Liang's place for over half a month now, and judging by Sister Liang's attitude, she was quite satisfied with her. Qi Sui hoped she could stay on long-term. At the very least, she wanted to settle down first, have a steady income, and then go back and talk to her parents. She wondered if they were angry.
They were definitely very, very angry.
Thinking of this, Qi Sui drooped her head, looking dejected.
Last Friday, that Young Master Lin had promised her that he would help her get her hundred yuan back if she came to see him after work today.
Qi Sui also felt a bit conflicted about it.
She and Brother Chen Ping were going to be together in the future. Her family had already prepared the betrothal gift and dowry, and Brother Chen Ping had promised her that by next year at the latest, they would enter into an ordinary marriage, like any other courting couple in the village.
Qi Sui had always thought that marriage was just like that.
Like her mother, you meet a man normally, become husband and wife normally, hold a few tables of banquet in the village, kill a pig for the feast, and then bury yourself in that marriage for the rest of your life.
There were girls at school who had tasted forbidden fruit. They blushed and said dating was fun, and that men spoke sweet words beautifully. But for Qi Sui, none of that held any interest, because her future was already set.
Even if she didn't have that so-called romantic love for Brother Chen Ping, she wouldn't change her mind because of external factors.
"Have some of this, it's got a lot of fat, so delicious."
A man's voice sounded behind Qi Sui, very attentive.
The woman at the same table wiped the sweat from her cheek and glared at him. "I don't like greasy food. Do you think I'm from the countryside?"
The man rubbed his head aggrievedly. "Third Sister, you are from the countryside..."
The woman said impatiently, "Cut the crap. What do you want?"
Qi Sui ran over and collected the menu, her voice sweet: "Hello, what would you like to order? The meat is really fresh today. Have some meat."
The woman at the table looked up, startled for a moment, then said sharply, "Qi Sui?"
Qi Sui also looked blankly at the woman's face, turning her head this way and that, struggling to pull information from her memory. She asked hesitantly, "Is it—Sister Xiaoxia?"
Xiaoxia's full name was Zhang Hongxia, a distant relative of Qi Sui, sort of a cousin. But Qi Sui wasn't very familiar with her; they only greeted each other when they met. She only knew that Xiaoxia had left the village three or four years ago, saying she had found a good job, and there had been little news since.
Zhang Hongxia immediately frowned, her face full of disgust as she looked Qi Sui up and down. "You work here?"
Qi Sui asked, "Is there a problem?" She didn't see anything wrong with it. Sister Liang was nice, and she even let her stay for free, sometimes even giving her a popsicle from the fridge.
The man on the left side of the table was more familiar to her. He was Zhang Hongbing, Zhang Hongxia's younger brother, who had been in the same class as Qi Sui before.
She didn't like him very much.
She felt that Zhang Hongxia came with ill intentions.
So she wrinkled her nose, clutched the small menu, and asked, "What do you want to eat?"
Zhang Hongxia pointed at the menu, tapping on the words, her voice cold: "These three. Bring them quickly."
Zhang Hongbing, on the other hand, had a smile on his face. He saw that his sister had ordered his three favorite dishes, so he rubbed his hands together and pretended to be generous: "Sui Sui, do you want to sit and eat together?"
But Qi Sui shook her two shiny and spirited braids, grabbed the menu, and ran off, saying, "No need, I won't eat!"
Zhang Hongbing watched her run away, her figure like a small fish, her pretty face expressionless but still making people itch. He could only sigh regretfully.
Zhang Hongxia glanced at her brother: "You're using my money to play the big shot? Does she even care about you?"
Zhang Hongbing was scolded, but he just smiled shamelessly and flattered, "Sis, I want to discuss something with you."
"If it's about money, no way." Zhang Hongxia wiped her chopsticks, and then, as if it wasn't enough, she wiped the entire table.
This love of cleanliness made Zhang Hongbing feel sarcastic inside.
It wasn't like this before.
Before, Zhang Hongxia was the one everyone in the family could boss around, and she didn't mind eating other people's leftovers. But now it was different. She had found a city boyfriend, and he was very capable.
"Not money, not money," Zhang Hongbing said. "I just wanted to ask brother-in-law if he can get me into Wanzi Qianhong too. I want to work and earn money!"
Zhang Hongxia looked at him askance and sneered, "Do you want to work or gamble? Besides, why should my man help you?"
Zhang Hongxia had found a boyfriend a few years ago, someone she said was a small boss at Wanzi Qianhong, with a lot of money in his family. She also said they had already met each other's parents and were getting married soon. For that reason, her family's attitude toward her had done a one-eighty.
Zhang Hongbing gritted his teeth and begged, "Sis, I'm begging you. I heard that even working as a waiter at Wanzi Qianhong can earn a lot of money. Besides, you're getting married soon, aren't we family? My brother-in-law has connections everywhere, getting me in should be a piece of cake, right?"
"Connections everywhere"?
Zhang Hongxia couldn't help but sneer.
What kind of good place was Wanzi Qianhong?
She put on a cold face: "I won't help. And stop whining here."
Their conversation was interrupted.
Qi Sui came with a plate, holding the edges to avoid burning her hands, and set it down on the table with a thud. "Watch out, it's hot."
Zhang Hongxia watched her deftly serve the dishes and said coldly, "Qi Sui, I'm getting married next month. You should come too."
"Me?" Qi Sui's expression seemed to say, 'What relationship do we have that you're inviting me?' But that was the custom in the village—whether close or distant, if someone invited you, you had to show face.
Reluctantly, her two braids reflecting her mood, she said dejectedly, "Oh, but I don't have much money, I can't afford the gift."
Hearing this, Zhang Hongbing eagerly urged her, "It's okay, Sui Sui. My brother-in-law is rich. You don't have to bring a gift, just come eat!"