The small county wasn’t too big, but it wasn’t exactly small either. Lin Aiyun didn’t dare venture too far, so over the past two days she had scoured the surrounding area. She asked everywhere she could, but the economy was sluggish—no one was hiring. And even if there were openings, acquaintances had already snapped them up for their own relatives.
“We’re not hiring here. Try asking further ahead.”
“Alright, thank you.”
Lin Aiyun stepped out of a noodle shop, biting her lip. Her disappointment was hard to hide. It seemed she’d have no choice but to ask her aunt for help. If that didn’t work, she’d think of something else.
When it rained, it poured. She hadn’t gone far when a rickshaw sped past, splashing through a puddle on the roadside and drenching her head to toe in muddy water.
“…” Looking down at the relatively new outfit she had specially changed into for her job search, Lin Aiyun took several deep breaths to suppress her rising anger. She was about to chase after the rickshaw when she realized it hadn’t run off—it had stopped up ahead, waiting for her.
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry! That mud must be hard to wash out, right?” The rickshaw puller was a man well over fifty, wearing a tattered long gown. His face, weathered by years of sun exposure, was cracked like parched earth.
He hunched his back, his mouth drooping with worry, twisting his hands nervously.
Seeing this, the words that had risen to Lin Aiyun’s lips died in her throat. She could only wave her hand. “It’s fine. Just be more careful next time.”
“I’m so sorry—how much did your clothes cost? Let me pay for them. I was in a rush and told him to go fast.” At that moment, the female passenger in the rickshaw spoke up, already reaching into her bag for money.
“No need. You should go if you’re in a hurry.” Though the mud would be tough to wash out, it wasn’t impossible. Money was hard to come by these days, and they had already apologized. There was no need to make them pay for a new set.
“Then take this to wipe your face. You’re a kind-hearted girl.” Liu Hui didn’t insist. She looked up and couldn’t help but take another glance at Lin Aiyun, a flicker of admiration passing through her eyes. She hadn’t expected to find such a beauty in this small place.
“Go on now.”
“No need—oh, wait.”
Lin Aiyun took a few steps after them, then stopped when she couldn’t catch up. She stood there watching the rickshaw grow distant and let out a sigh. Looking down at the white handkerchief in her hand, she noticed a delicate orchid embroidered in the lower right corner—vivid in color and lifelike in detail.
As a lover of embroidery, Lin Aiyun unconsciously traced the stitching technique in her mind. The varied needlework was dense and meticulous—clearly done with considerable care and effort.
Not wanting to soil such an exquisite handkerchief, she simply wiped the mud from her face with her hands. Seeing that it was getting late, she traced her mental map of the area from the past two days and headed back toward the Ding household.
That evening, Zhang Wenyue was the first to return. After much deliberation, Lin Aiyun told her aunt about her desire to find work.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? It’s not easy to find work around here.” Zhang Wenyue set down her cup and thought for a moment. “Let me ask my old colleagues at work tomorrow and see if they know of anyone hiring.”
“Thank you, Auntie.” Lin Aiyun’s eyes lit up. Hope was better than nothing.
“Don’t be so formal with me.” Zhang Wenyue seemed to think of something. Looking at her niece’s radiant face, she asked tentatively, “Looking for work—are you thinking of staying in the city?”
Lin Aiyun wasn’t sure why her aunt asked, but she answered honestly: “Doesn’t everyone want to stay in the city?” It was just that she didn’t mean this city. The city she longed for was too far away—still beyond her reach for now.
“Haha, that’s true. If you could stay in the city, your mother would be overjoyed.” Zhang Wenyue’s words carried a hidden meaning, but she only gave a hint before changing the subject: “We’re having sweet potatoes for dinner. I’ll go peel them and steam them.”
“I’ll help you.” Lin Aiyun chimed in.
Many hands make light work—that saying proved true. The very next day, Zhang Wenyue had only asked around at her workplace when word came back. A colleague mentioned that a household next door to his was hiring for odd jobs—just sweeping the yard, wiping down and airing things out. The work was simple and easy to pick up, and the pay was good.
But there were requirements: women only, quick and efficient, clean and tidy, and most importantly, literate.
Zhang Wenyue ran through the list—her niece met every criterion. But… was there a catch? It all seemed too good to be true.
Her colleague saw her hesitation and scoffed. “It’s just an old man and his daughter—what trouble could a pair of father and daughter cause? I heard the son-in-law and grandson died in an accident years ago. Heartbroken, and with the war on, they fled back to their hometown. I’ve seen them around—they don’t seem like bad people. If my daughter could read a single word, I’d have shoved her in there myself.”
“Alright then. I’ll take my niece over tomorrow, since I’m off. You can make the introduction—next time, I’ll treat you to a meal.” They were colleagues who saw each other day in and day out—she knew him well enough. Zhang Wenyue gritted her teeth and agreed.
Lin Aiyun hadn’t expected to find work so quickly. She was so excited that night she could barely sleep.
Knowing her employer valued cleanliness, she combed her long hair into two braids, pinned them up at the back of her head, and changed into a long-sleeved shirt and trousers before leaving her room.
“That’s an unusual look—makes you look sharp. But I still prefer you in dresses.” Zhang Wenyue pulled Lin Aiyun around to inspect her from all angles. “Still, you look good either way. And it’s practical for work.”
“I thought the same—dresses aren’t convenient for chores, so I didn’t wear one.” Lin Aiyun tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with a hint of shyness, her delicate willow-leaf brows curving slightly.
“Mm. Let’s eat early and head out—no need to keep people waiting.” They had risen early and didn’t bother waking the others. After a quick meal, they left some food in the pot for later and hurried out the door.
The pale blue sky was tinted with a layer of pink as sunlight gradually pierced through the clouds, ushering in a brand new day.
Leaving the alley and arriving at the street corner, a small crowd had already gathered—mostly the elderly and children, sitting in small groups on the stone steps, chatting. They occasionally glanced over at their children, lest they get into trouble when no one was watching.
But when people gathered every day to gossip, even the juiciest news grew stale. Most of them were listless, with no interest in rehashing old topics.
So when they suddenly spotted Zhang Wenyue—well-known in the neighborhood and not exactly obscure—leading an unfamiliar young girl to the mouth of the alley, all eyes instinctively locked onto them.
“Mrs. Ding, where are you off to so early in the morning?” A grandmother holding a toddler was the first to speak, and her question seemed to open the floodgates of curiosity. Everyone began chiming in.
“And who’s this beside you? We’ve never seen her before.”
“A relative of yours? She actually looks a bit like you.”
Overwhelmed by this blaze of enthusiasm, Zhang Wenyue could only pull Lin Aiyun forward and give a brief introduction: “This is my niece. She’s never been here before, so I brought her over to stay for a while.”
“I knew it! I said she looked just as pretty as you. If she’s not your relative, who is? Is the young lady married yet?”
“Not yet, haha. We’ve got some things to take care of today—we’ll catch up another time!” Zhang Wenyue tossed out these words, then pulled Lin Aiyun through the crowd and made a swift exit.
“You must come back and chat!” Xiao Ju watched them leave, her mind already clicking away. Her second son had been having no luck with marriage lately—he’d been dissatisfied with every match they’d set up, complaining that the girls were too plain.
If she could set him up with Mrs. Ding’s niece, that would be wonderful. But Mrs. Ding had such a fiery temper—who knew what this girl’s personality was like…
Ah well, she’d ask around first. If no better match turned up, she could always come back to this.
Over on their side, Lin Aiyun was unaware of any of this. She had just followed Zhang Wenyue to the colleague’s house. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they were ready to head over for the interview.
In truth, this was her first formal job interview. In her previous life, she had spent most of her years in the countryside, and later, when she’d followed the younger generation into the city, Xiao Cheng had pampered her and kept her well-fed—she’d never had the chance to work.
But she was old enough to have seen the world. There was no need to be as nervous as a young girl. She composed her expression, put on a proper smile, and stood obediently beside Zhang Wenyue.
As the door slowly opened, the smile on Lin Aiyun’s face froze. She stared at the woman before her in slight surprise—small world, indeed. This employer turned out to be the passenger from the rickshaw that day.
The orchid handkerchief she had given her was still sitting in her wardrobe.
“It’s you?” The woman evidently recognized Lin Aiyun as well. She gave her a soft smile, her eyes curving warmly.
“You two know each other?” Zhang Wenyue looked from Lin Aiyun to Liu Hui, puzzled as to how they had crossed paths.
Lin Aiyun couldn’t help but laugh wryly as she recounted what had happened. Hearing the story, everyone marveled at the twist of fate.
After making the introduction, the colleague found an excuse and left.
“Please, come in. Forgive the humble surroundings.” Liu Hui invited Zhang Wenyue and Lin Aiyun inside. They crossed the small courtyard and sat down in the main hall on the first floor, where she poured each of them a cup of tea.
“My father is a doctor. He’s always dealing with herbs, so the place can get a bit messy. We’re hiring mainly to help tidy up the house, and occasionally to sort medicinal ingredients, copy prescriptions, and grind powders. But I’ll teach you the basics—it’s simple enough.”
Liu Hui took a sip of tea. Lately, more patients had been coming for consultations, and she was struggling to handle everything on her own. That was why she’d decided to hire help.
Especially the herbal powder used for medicinal baths—it absolutely couldn’t be delayed. The reason she’d been in such a hurry that day was precisely to get back and grind the powder and prepare the herbs.
Hearing this, Lin Aiyun’s eyes flickered. She spoke up: “I recognize most of the common herbs.”
“Oh?” Liu Hui was surprised. Zhang Wenyue was obviously caught off guard too. Both of them turned to look at Lin Aiyun.
Lin Aiyun remained calm and explained with a smile: “I grew up in the countryside. Whenever I had free time, I’d go up into the mountains. The older folks would talk about these things, and I picked up quite a bit.”
She naturally wouldn’t say that this was knowledge accumulated from her previous life in Fengyuan Village, which was why she knew so many herbs.
“That’s wonderful!” Liu Hui didn’t doubt her word. Hearing this, she pointed to a few herbs on the wooden shelf and asked a couple of questions. Seeing that Lin Aiyun could answer them all, her smile deepened, and she nodded in approval.
After a moment, Liu Hui set down her teacup. “Can you read?”
“Yes, she’s even finished middle school.” Zhang Wenyue had been taking in the layout of the room, but at Liu Hui’s question, she quickly answered.
The room was filled with herbs and books. A healer’s heart couldn’t be too harsh, Zhang Wenyue reasoned. Besides, Liu Hui spoke gently and gracefully—she didn’t seem like the type to make things difficult. The knot of worry in Zhang Wenyue’s chest eased a little.
“Oh? That’s excellent.” Liu Hui studied Lin Aiyun once more, growing more pleased by the minute. After a moment’s thought, she said directly: “You should already know the pay. It will be given to you on time at the end of each month. If there are no other issues, can you start tomorrow morning?”
Lin Aiyun exchanged a glance with Zhang Wenyue and nodded. “Yes, I can.”
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