Cheng Tianyuan had some knowledge of English, but it wasn’t his strong suit. He glanced at the text Xue Ling was working on and noticed that there were quite a few words he couldn’t recognize. It seemed to be a short news report.
“What is this?” he asked.
Xue Ling replied without hesitation, “This is a translation assignment given to me by the newspaper. I visited two companies and Ronghua City Newspaper, and they all expressed interest in hiring me, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
Cheng Tianyuan poured himself a glass of water, seeming quite thirsty. He drank it down in two large gulps, his handsome face calm and composed.
“Tell me more about it,” he said.
Xue Ling explained, “The first company is the largest in Ronghua City, primarily involved in freight transportation. The position they offered is a data recorder, involving some accounting work. The second company is much smaller, but the job is less demanding, mainly responsible for account registration and verification. The salaries at both companies are similar, around 200 yuan per month, which is a bit low.”
Cheng Tianyuan raised an eyebrow slightly and responded, “That’s not bad at all. It’s not considered low in this day and age, especially for university graduates. Having a college degree makes you highly sought after by employers.”
He only had a high school education, and when he was looking for work, he hadn’t even received his high school diploma yet. That’s why he ended up with a stable job at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. After working there for a while, he got to know the situation in the county. In the evenings, he would take on casual labor jobs near the bus station to earn extra money.
The cooperative paid a meager 120 yuan per month, and with the income from the casual labor in the evenings, he could barely make 150-160 yuan per month.
He explained calmly, “Ronghua County is just an ordinary county, nothing like the big cities. The same job pays around 300 yuan in the capital city, while here, you can make at most 200.”
Xue Ling also understood this logic and nodded in agreement.
“So, I’m leaning towards the job at the newspaper. Last month, Ronghua City Newspaper started a small English learning column, but the current editor’s English proficiency is not high, and the content is rather dry. The director of recruitment hopes I can learn from him and take over this column in the future.”
Cheng Tianyuan remarked, “Jobs at companies can be unstable, and sometimes, they require overtime for accounting work. In comparison, a job at the newspaper is more stable, and it’s not too demanding.”
The Supply and Marketing Cooperative subscribed to Ronghua City Daily, with just one copy per day. He had seen the English learning column a couple of times.
It was a small section, usually consisting of a few words and a few sentences with translations. Indeed, it didn’t have much content.
Being in charge of such a column should be quite easy.
However, Xue Ling hesitated and explained, “The only issue is that the internship editor position at the newspaper only pays 180 yuan, and it will increase to 250 yuan after a year. But it only covers lunch, and I’ll need to find my own accommodation.”
With many years of working outside, Cheng Tianyuan immediately understood her concerns.
“In this area, renting a two-bedroom apartment with a living room usually costs around 30-40 yuan per month. But this job is stable and easy, which suits you.”
Typical daily labor work paid around 5 yuan a day and usually involved more physically demanding tasks.
Being an editor was a relatively easy job. You just sat in an office with a pen and handled light tasks. Tea was provided, working hours were fixed, and you had weekends off. Such conditions were excellent in this region.
However, Xue Ling shook her head and replied, “I’m still young, full of energy and motivation. I can’t choose a job that’s too comfortable and easy.”
Cheng Tianyuan was slightly surprised by her statement. He hadn’t expected her to say that.
Her delicate and charming appearance made her look like she preferred a comfortable and easy job, but what else could she do?
He couldn’t help but furrow his brow and ask, “Why? Isn’t an easy and comfortable job a good thing?”
Xue Ling shrugged nonchalantly, giving a matter-of-fact response.
“Young people should have a sense of striving. A job that’s too comfortable can make people lazy. After a few years, you might turn into half a waste.”
Cheng Tianyuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat taken aback by her unique perspective.
He had worked at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative for several years, manning the counter, handling money, and doing accounting work. It was one of the easiest jobs. There was even a guy who had graduated from a vocational school doing similar accounting work. His job was so easy that he had become quite lazy over the years, and despite still being relatively young, he already had a beer belly.
He couldn’t have expected her to have such a novel and ambitious idea – it was truly rare.
Xue Ling pouted and then smiled.
“However, after thinking it over tonight, I’ve decided to take the job at the newspaper. The newspaper has a wide reach, making it easier to access information and keep track of social trends.”
Cheng Tianyuan nodded in agreement. “It also offers better prospects.”
His gaze landed on her slightly pouted lips, and after a moment’s thought, he turned his attention away.
They were already adults, so why did she still pout like a child?
Xue Ling playfully tapped the English translation on the paper with her nose and smiled mysteriously.
“This afternoon, I called my classmate Xiaojia Xue. I heard she became an editor at a publishing house. I wanted to ask her for some advice. She told me that the publishing house has many English books waiting to be translated, and she’s trying to get us, her old classmates, to help with translation work!.”
Cheng Tianyuan listened attentively and asked, “Which publishing house is it?”
Xue Ling answered, “It’s in the capital city. She suggested that we all take on part-time translation work because the benefits are quite good. They pay 20 yuan for every 1,000 words. I thought it sounded good, so I agreed. She’ll send me the materials, and once I finish the translation, I’ll send it back to her. The publishing house settles payments quickly, within two weeks.”
Cheng Tianyuan slowly nodded, finally understanding her complete plan.
“So, you plan to work at the newspaper during the day and do part-time translation when you have free time?”
“Yes,” Xue Ling raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “What do you think?”
Cheng Tianyuan analyzed, “It’s related to your field of study, it can improve your professional skills, and it’s not heavy work. Plus, the working hours are flexible. I think it’s a good choice.”
Xue Ling laughed happily and grabbed his arm in excitement.
“I knew you’d agree!”
Cheng Tianyuan felt a little awkward as the young girl’s body clung to him. It was soft and fragrant, and his heart suddenly raced a bit, with a hint of warmth under his ear.
Xue Ling quickly released her hold, saying, “That’s settled then. I’ll go to the newspaper tomorrow. During the interview the day before yesterday, Director Liu mentioned that they urgently need English talent for this column and hope I can start soon. I should be able to start work the day after tomorrow.”
She looked around the small room, her eyes moving inside and outside.
“The environment here is pretty good, but it’s a bit expensive, 6 yuan a day. It adds up if you stay for a while, so I’ll need to find a place to rent.”
Cheng Tianyuan thought for a moment and said, “Tomorrow, after I finish work, I’ll accompany you to look for a place near the newspaper.”
“Great!” Xue Ling stretched lazily, yawned, and then lazily leaned on the low table with half-closed eyes, muttering, “I’m a bit sleepy…”
Cheng Tianyuan looked at her adorable appearance and smiled slightly.
“You should rest early.”
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