Zhou Qiaoqiao has weaned her son Yan Miao. Well, okay, it’s actually her son Yan Miao who has been weaned. In fact, Zhou Qiaoqiao’s dietary restrictions during breastfeeding weren’t too strict, and it wasn’t too difficult to endure.
She just thought that after 10 months, she could wean him, and it would also be a good time for her to start working again, so she went ahead and did it.
Now Zhou Qiaoqiao is not short of money. Yan Wei made sure she kept her own money as pocket money. Typically, all expenses were covered from Yan Wei’s account, not to mention that Yan Wei’s assets and finances were always open to Zhou Qiaoqiao.
But if a person doesn’t have dreams, how is that any different from being a salted fish?
Zhou Qiaoqiao doesn’t want to be a salted fish, so she’s thinking of going out to work.
That day, when Yan Wei returned from work, he found Zhou Qiaoqiao and the household helper Yu Jie had prepared a table of delicious food.
Yan Wei raised an eyebrow, not that they didn’t usually prepare much food. It’s just that Zhou Qiaoqiao had been on a diet lately. From pregnancy to childbirth, confinement, and breastfeeding, Zhou Qiaoqiao had gained an extra 10 pounds. Now that she had weaned, she wanted to lose weight.
Actually, Yan Wei didn’t mind much. He really wanted to say that Zhou Qiaoqiao’s ten-pound weight gain wasn’t very noticeable. Most importantly, she felt much better to hold!
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Hbsw Ckysikys: “…”
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Fs…
Seeing the sumptuous feast on the table, Yan Wei wondered, “Is this the reward for losing two pounds?”
Zhou Qiaoqiao was visibly happy to see Yan Wei return. She smiled and said, “Yan Wei, you’re back! I prepared all these dishes. Yu Jie was just guiding me. Try them and see if they taste good.”
Yan Wei smiled at her, then took the chopsticks she handed him and picked up a piece of eggplant, taking a bite. Unexpectedly, Zhou Qiaoqiao’s culinary skills were quite good. Self-reliant individuals always managed to extract unlimited flavors from limited ingredients. Zhou Qiaoqiao had some talent in cooking, but she wasn’t particularly interested in creating gourmet dishes.
Yan Miao was already 11 months old. It was the hottest month of the year, and also the time when recent graduates were looking for jobs.
After finishing the meal, Zhou Qiaoqiao sat across from Yan Wei and said, “I’ve been thinking, during this period when companies are recruiting employees, I want to look for a job.”
Yan Wei considered that Zhou Qiaoqiao is only 26 years old after all. He nodded and said, “Of course, do you still want to work in finance?”
“No, no, no. I’m not so fixated on being a senior accountant anymore.” Zhou Qiaoqiao shook her finger and said proudly, “I heard that wealthy people are all going to the front desk. The work is easy and leisurely.”
“So, you want to work at the front desk?” Yan Wei asked.
Zhou Qiaoqiao shook her head and continued, “No, no, no. I want to work as a clerk. I’ve checked it out; this company’s clerks don’t have to work overtime. They start at 9:30 AM and finish at 5 PM. They have weekends and holidays off, and there’s even a subsidy. Plus, it’s conveniently close to our house! It’s like it’s tailor-made for me!”
Yan Wei questioned, “Tailor-made?”
“Yes! After all, Miao Miao and I have never been separated before. I don’t want to work too far from home.” Zhou Qiaoqiao looked affectionately at Yan Miao crawling on the floor and then falling and crying before continuing to crawl.
Yan Wei: “…” What’s the difference?
The next day, Yan Wei didn’t go to the office because Zhou Qiaoqiao had an interview scheduled. He decided to stay home and wait for her news.
Zhou Qiaoqiao returned at noon, excitedly telling Yan Wei, “Yan Wei, I got the job! The boss said I can start anytime!”
Yan Wei nodded as Zhou Qiaoqiao happily spun Yan Miao around in her arms.
The next day, Zhou Qiaoqiao dressed in her work attire, looking like a typical office worker. She and Yan Wei sat at the table together, drinking coffee and eating bread. She felt like her life was elevated to a new level.
When she was leaving, she lovingly kissed Yan Miao on the forehead and said, “Mommy is going to work to earn money to buy milk for you. Stay at home and wait for mommy, okay?”
On her first day of work, Yan Wei dropped her off. Zhou Qiaoqiao didn’t refuse. Once they arrived, she bid him farewell right after getting out of the car, not even leaving a goodbye kiss.
With a sigh, Yan Wei went to the office directly.
Zhou Qiaoqiao’s company was on the second floor. She entered the elevator with agility and saw a colleague carrying coffee. She smiled at the colleague and received a smile in return.
The office building was located in a plaza, with several companies occupying each floor. Zhou Qiaoqiao’s company was just one of them.
The office space was approximately 120 square meters, with a glass wall separating the boss’s office which was around 10 square meters. Seeing Zhou Qiaoqiao, the boss welcomed her with enthusiasm, saying, “Welcome, welcome! Come over here, this is your spot.”
Zhou Qiaoqiao looked at the spot the manager had assigned her and nodded with a smile.
Indeed, this spot was excellent! It was clean, close to the pantry, and had a full-length window by her side, offering a wide view.
With this feeling, Zhou Qiaoqiao happily began her day’s work…
When Yan Wei returned home in the evening, he saw Zhou Qiaoqiao already lying on the living room couch.
Without much thought, Yan Wei first gave Yan Miao a kiss, then fetched a bottle of cold water from the fridge. He walked over to Zhou Qiaoqiao, massaging her legs gently and asking, “How’s the new job?”
Zhou Qiaoqiao said weakly, “I quit.”
Yan Wei raised an eyebrow and asked, “What happened?”
“In the workplace, there are always challenges. Meeting difficult people is common in life. I was mentally prepared for that. As long as I didn’t encounter a group of difficult people…” Zhou Qiaoqiao trailed off in frustration.
Yan Wei took a sip of water, noticed Yan Miao crawling over, tossed a toy to him to play with, and then continued to inquire, “What kind of difficult people?”
With a deep sigh, Zhou Qiaoqiao said, “When I first arrived, my manager was nice and arranged a good spot for me. But the woman next to me must have sensed something valuable about me, she kept asking me to introduce her to a wealthy second-generation guy. When I said I didn’t know any, she even suggested that a broken second-generation would do.”
Yan Wei: “…”
Zhou Qiaoqiao sighed and said, “Alas, I do know some people, but why would I bother with her?”
Yan Wei: “…”
Seeing Yan Wei’s silent gaze, Zhou Qiaoqiao quickly explained, “I mean, I knew them before I knew you…” Her explanation only seemed to make things worse.
“That’s not the point,” Zhou Qiaoqiao waved her hand dismissively and continued, “During lunch, my colleague behind me ate the lunch I bought. She said my lunch looked tastier, so she gave me half of what she had already eaten and said it was a fair trade.”
Yan Wei: “…”
Zhou Qiaoqiao covered her face, “You think that’s the end of it? In the afternoon, everyone asked me to buy drinks outside, and I thought since I was new, I should go. But not a single person paid me back. They ordered those 45-yuan coffees, and the whole office, around 20 people, ordered them. That was nearly 1000 yuan, not to mention the snacks!”
Yan Wei: “…”
Heartbroken, Zhou Qiaoqiao cried a river of tears, saying, “Of course, I didn’t agree! I started collecting money one by one, and they sarcastically called me stingy, saying the new girl didn’t know better. They were friendly to me in the morning but turned cold in the afternoon.”
Yan Wei: “…”
Zhou Qiaoqiao suddenly sat up, looking at Yan Wei indignantly, “And that’s not all. A recent graduate made an order mistake, and the whole office blamed it on me. They even went to the manager on my behalf, saying, ‘Boss, don’t entirely blame Qiaoqiao for this. She’s new, and it wasn’t intentional.'”
Yan Wei: “…”
Zhou Qiaoqiao slumped back, tears still flowing as she continued, “Then the manager called me in and scolded me. I exposed the mastermind behind the mistake…” At this point, Zhou Qiaoqiao chuckled, “Coincidentally, when that woman was placing the order, I was sending you a video call, and I accidentally recorded her conversation about placing the order.”
Yan Wei: “…”
After Zhou Qiaoqiao finished laughing, she continued with a distressed expression, “But then the boss scolded me again, saying my emotional intelligence was low, and I didn’t know how to interact with others.”
Yan Wei finally grasped the situation; his wife had transformed into a pufferfish today.
With a wry smile, Zhou Qiaoqiao said, “Am I missing out on this job? I can afford to hire the boss.”
Yan Wei applauded quickly and reassured her, “Well done! My wife is truly exceptional.”
Feeling praised, Zhou Qiaoqiao blushed and said, “It’s because of you that I had the courage to stand up to him!”
Yan Wei continued applauding, “Honored, honored, but dear wife, can I ask a question?”
Zhou Qiaoqiao looked at him with innocent eyes, and Yan Wei asked, “How did you find a company like that?”
Zhou Qiaoqiao: “…”
When Liu Jie came downstairs after washing Yan Miao’s clothes, she saw Yan Wei speaking kindly behind Zhou Qiaoqiao.
“Qiaoqiao, I didn’t mean anything by what I said earlier; I was just curious.”
“Hehe!”
“Qiaoqiao, how about I make dinner tonight? You haven’t had my noodles in a while, right?”
“Hehe!”
“Qiaoqiao, how about I take you shopping tomorrow? You’ve gone quite some time without buying yourself any clothes.”
“Hehe!”
Yan Wei was at a loss, so he picked up Yan Miao and said to Zhou Qiaoqiao, “Look, Qiaoqiao, Miao Miao has grown taller.”
Zhou Qiaoqiao turned to seriously look at Yan Miao Miao for a while, sighed, and said, “Alas!”
Yan Wei: “…”
“Has Miao Miao… gained weight again?” Zhou Qiaoqiao asked with a pained expression.
Yan Wei: “Well, maybe a little?”
Yan Miao: “…”
After Zhou Qiaoqiao quit her job, she indulged in a “salted fish” lifestyle at home for a while. With Yan Miao weaned, she no longer needed to breastfeed. She spent her days learning a variety of signature dishes from the housekeeper, Liu Jie, and occasionally cooked while watching TV or using her phone.
But after a prolonged “salted fish” period, Zhou Qiaoqiao decided to continue looking for work outside.
Yan Wei had no objections; anyone would go crazy after being home for two years. However, he wasn’t entirely confident in Zhou Qiaoqiao’s ability to find the right job, but Zhou Qiaoqiao was clearly a determined person.
After discussing it with Yan Wei, she once again enthusiastically searched for jobs online.
After about two weeks, as the weather turned cooler, one day Yan Wei suddenly saw Zhou Qiaoqiao carrying a bag, saying she was heading to work.
Yan Wei asked where she was going. Zhou Qiaoqiao waved her hand and said, “You don’t need to know. I’ll tell you once I’m settled.”
Yan Wei looked at her puzzledly; why was she being so secretive about her new job?
However, since Zhou Qiaoqiao wasn’t willing to share, Yan Wei didn’t push her.
Yan Wei had his own tasks to handle; it was the end of the year, and he needed to prepare materials for the year-end meeting.
Two days later, Zhen Guoan came to him and said, “Did you hear? The building next to our office building got bought.”
Yan Wei nodded, “I heard.”
“And you must’ve heard who bought it — Mei En,” Zhen Guo’an whispered in his ear.
Yan Wei was taken aback, asking, “Mei En?”
“Yeah! You see, he bought this building and the one next door. What’s the purpose of that?” Zhen Guoan slapped the table, “He’s here to divide the cake. We must go meet him.”
Yan Wei frowned as he looked at him, asking, “What’s there to be happy about?”
Zhen Guoan burst into laughter, “Why wouldn’t I be happy? We’re going to meet him in high spirits.”
Yan Wei shook his head, clearly uninterested in the matter, but he couldn’t resist Zhen Guoan’s continuous insistence for several days.
Coincidentally, Mei En also sent an invitation for a meeting. Yan Wei thought that since they were in the same industry, they weren’t strangers. So, why not meet him?
Thus, the next day, Yan Wei and Zhen Guoan went together. The distance was short, so they didn’t need to take a car.
Clearly, Mei En had already received the news; he stood at the entrance with his people. Upon meeting, they shook hands and exchanged a few sentences in standard English. Then, under Mei En’s enthusiastic welcome, Yan Wei was invited inside to have a look.
In truth, the two buildings were so close that when Yan Wei was purchasing his own building, he had also looked at the nearby one. What could be so interesting about Mei En’s building?
Still, he had to put on a show of interest. So, Yan Wei had to follow Mei En inside, engaging in conversation as they walked.
In buildings as tall as these, dozens of stories high, the first floor typically had a receptionist, also known as the information desk.
Mei En led Yan Wei inside and pointed to the spacious first floor area, saying, “When I first came to look at this building, I was immediately drawn to the design of the first floor. Look at the guest lounge area over there; it’s not as conventional as in other places in China. The sofas have an irregular shape, giving a sense of fashion, similar to the one I have in the U.S.”
Mei En then pointed to a sign, saying, “I personally found an advertising company to discuss this with for three hours before finally getting a design that satisfied me. Look at this material, this shape…”
Tsk!
Yan Wei was really getting annoyed by Mei En; this guy had been talkative since the day they met. And, unfortunately, Yan Wei wasn’t one to chat much. So, he spent the whole time listening to Mei En boast.
Ironically, Mei En seemed to particularly enjoy talking to Yan Wei. Of course, the opposite was true for Yan Wei.
While pretending to listen attentively, Yan Wei’s mind wandered to his dear Qiaoqiao at home. He also took a moment to glance at the renovated first-floor lobby.
To be fair, Mei En might be chatty, but his taste was indeed good. After all, Mei En was quite narcissistic!
A person who appreciated beautiful things would naturally have a good eye.
When Yan Wei was making a name for himself in the U.S., Mei En had just taken over his company. They had competed for quite a few projects, yet they never became enemies. However, what made Mei En particularly resent Yan Wei was that the girl Mei En had been pursuing broke up with him after meeting Yan Wei once.
Due to this, Mei En hadn’t spoken to Yan Wei for two months and had tried to suppress him in various ways.
Yan Wei wasn’t sure if Mei En had a broad or narrow mind.
Of course, these were all things of the past. Yan Wei didn’t care about those old matters. With just a glance at the reception desk, he could tell that Mei En had found an exceptionally beautiful person to sit there. It was indeed Mei En’s style.
Yan Wei shifted his gaze, but apparently, there weren’t that many exceptionally beautiful people around. The woman who had been sitting next to the beauty earlier seemed a bit ordinary.
Hmm?
Yan Wei suddenly halted, following Mei En’s footsteps. He first cast an incredulous look at Mei En, then immediately turned his head to look at the reception desk.
This look nearly shocked him; wasn’t the extremely beautiful person next to the beauty none other than his own wife?
Clearly, Qiaoqiao had also noticed Yan Wei. She scratched her head while looking at him and burst into laughter.
“Wei, what’s wrong?” Mei En turned around and called to Yan Wei.
Yan Wei looked at Qiaoqiao, then turned back to Mei En and said, “Nothing.”
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely… Mei En must not find out that his wife was working in his company, absolutely not.
After Yan Wei rejoined the group, Mei En turned to look at the two young ladies at the reception, then playfully bumped into Yan Wei, saying, “Aren’t they beautiful?”
Yan Wei: “…”
Mei En chuckled softly, “That’s a real beauty! I was planning to make a move these couple of days…”
“You dare!”
As Mei En’s words dropped, Yan Wei glared at him.
Mei En: “…” Damn, that’s quite intimidating.
Hearing the exchange between the two, Zhen Guoan also turned to look, and then his eyes practically fell to the ground.
Damn, sister-in-law!!!
Seeing Yan Wei’s frosty demeanor, Mei En nudged his way over to Zhen Guoan and asked, “What’s up with him? Is he interested in my people? Is he trying to steal my spotlight?”
Zhen Guoan calmly shook his head, “Nothing.” Mei En must never know that his sister-in-law was in his company, absolutely not.
Mei En looked suspiciously at the two of them, feeling like they were hiding something from him.
Suspicious, very suspicious!!!
Mei En always trusted his intuition. In the investment business, sometimes intuition determined victory or defeat.
So, he immediately turned around and introduced the two to each other, saying, “Hey, let me introduce the receptionist I put a lot of effort into finding.”
Yan Wei: “…”
Saying that, Mei En led a group of people toward the reception area. Qiaoqiao and her colleague quickly stood up to greet them.
That colleague was indeed a beauty, with exquisite features and soft, natural hair. It was as if her whole body emitted a gentle radiance, extremely captivating.
Mei En pointed at her and said, “Come, say hello to Mr. Yan.”
The beauty gave a faint smile, and in an instant, it was as if spring had arrived, stunning the moment.
The beauty spoke softly, “Hello, Mr. Yan. I’m He Qian.”
Yan Wei nodded slightly, and Mei En smiled, saying, “Don’t judge He Qian by her looks alone and assume she’s a simpleton. She’s actually a PhD holder!”
Zhen Guoan chuckled and asked, “So she must have studied for many years, right?”
Mei En: “…” Damn, how could you imply the beauty is old?
He Qian smiled slightly and said, “Not really. I completed my university credits relatively quickly, and I’m only 27 years old this year.”
Mei En made a sound of agreement, then said, “You see, whose receptionist has a higher education level than mine?”
Zhen Guoan sneered and asked, “So, how much salary did you offer her?”
Mei En laughed heartily and said, “It’s just the average wage level in Yiwu City.”
Zhen Guoan asked, “So it’s probably over 20,000 RMB?”
Mei En made another sound of agreement. As a result, Zhen Guoan burst into louder laughter and said, “I think you’ve probably offered her the highest salary in Yiwu City for a receptionist.”
Mei En: “…”
He Qian: “…”
Perhaps out of a last-ditch effort, Mei En pointed at Qiaoqiao and said, “This one, I only offered her 4,000 yuan.”
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, both Zhen Guoan and Yan Wei turned to look at him and asked, “Based on what?”
Mei En: “… Huh? Based on me… being the boss?”
Zhen Guoan immediately exclaimed, “This won’t do! How can you be like this? How can you be a boss like this? Isn’t this salary offer way too low?”
Mei En felt unconvinced and said, “At least she has a PhD degree. What does she have?”
Zhen Guoan slammed his hand on the counter angrily and said, “Is having a PhD degree so extraordinary?”
Mei En said, “Of course it’s extraordinary!”
“What’s so great about having a PhD degree? Aren’t they just sitting at the front desk?”
“And you actually dare to look down on my receptionist? Let me tell you, she’s not only a PhD holder, but her family also owns mines. She’s just out here to experience life.”
“What? Is this young lady not here to experience life? Why give her such a high salary to others?”
“She’s just an undergraduate student. What kind of life is she experiencing?”
“…”
Seeing Zhen Guoan and Mei En arguing relentlessly, Qiaoqiao couldn’t help but think, “…Are you guys kindergarten kids?”
At the same time, Yan Wei was also angered by the situation. This salary isn’t just slightly lower; it’s more than four times lower. This is just plain unfair.
Watching the two on the other side argue, he suddenly felt, what’s the point of arguing? Annoying!
Yan Wei didn’t bother with those two and walked over to Qiaoqiao, asking her, “Is this the new job you were talking about?”
Qiaoqiao nodded, still looking at the two arguing across from them, and said, “I was planning to tell you once the job was confirmed. Look, how close is our workplace? Isn’t it surprising? I didn’t expect you to know my boss!”
Yan Wei chuckled lightly and said, “Yes, I’m surprised. I’ve missed you a lot too. So, being able to see you now is even more of a surprise.”
Meanwhile, Mei En, watching Yan Wei and Qiaoqiao converse, was astonished, “Wei, your taste is really strange. You like this type?”
Yan Wei glanced at him and softly asked, “What did you just say?”
Mei En felt a shiver, then said, “I remember you previously…”
“Previously?” Yan Wei retorted, smiling gently, “What did I do previously?”
Mei En blinked, then saw Yan Wei lower his head and kiss Qiaoqiao on the forehead. His gaze then shifted to Mei En.
Mei En exclaimed, “Ah,” looked at Qiaoqiao next to Yan Wei, and asked him, “Who is she?”
“You didn’t have time to attend my wedding last time, right? I didn’t get a chance to introduce her then. This is my wife,” Yan Wei’s calm voice reverberated in Mei En’s ears like thunder in spring.
Mei En exclaimed, “Ah,” then suddenly realized and shouted at Qiaoqiao, “Miss!!! You’re hired!!! Monthly salary of over 30,000 RMB! Please stay with us!!!”
Yan Wei: “…” I knew it…
Sansukini: My dream is to become a salted fish. Is that wrong? And by the way, why would someone get a PhD just to become a receptionist. You studied for so long.
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You can also check out my other translations Here
I would be the best salted fish. No one can be a salted fish like me.
Sis I want to be a stone. Salted fish is outdated 🤣
Zhou Qiaoqiao is too diligent. If it’s me, I’m going to be a salted fish forever. I already have nearly unlimited money, a house, and a husband that attend my every needs, why should I have to go out to work?
I want to be a salted fish too, and just take care of cats.
Erm…I don’t know if I want to be a salted fish, but… I don’t want to work my b*tt off too either. What does that makes me?
I would totally be a salted fish. It’s just, I’d be doing a ton of things with my hobbies: reading novels, making jewelry, weaving, planting, making soaps, making candles, making wines, making kombucha, doing embroidery, trying macrame, trying wool felting, growing fruit trees, raising fish, gaming, growing herbs, savoring tea, making snacks, making candies, making fermented goods, whittling, trying nail art, etc. I just have lots of craft-related hobbies. And my salted fish life would naturally involve my hobbies.