Mrs. Xu’s eyes turned red as she secured the bundle in her arms. She understood, deep in her heart, that her mother was only trying to protect her. Afraid that her daughter would be bullied by her husband’s family, the elderly woman had thoughtfully prepared something that would help her maintain dignity in her in-law’s home.
“Mom… thank you.” Her voice trembled slightly, the words heavy with emotion.
Zhao’s mother felt her heart twist. A sour warmth welled up inside her as she waved a hand dismissively. “Thank you? Why thank your own mother? Silly child, go on now. Get going before it gets too late—you don’t want to lose your way.”
Xu Ying’s sister-in-law nodded, her eyes also misty, and said goodbye before pedaling away on her bicycle, leaving behind the small courtyard in her mother’s longing gaze.
—
The next morning, is the day she was to report for her new job, Xu Ying woke at dawn. The sky was still a pale gray, but she was already up and moving.
“Mom, I won’t have breakfast today—I’m heading to work first!” she called, her voice brisk with excitement.
With that, she wheeled out her bicycle and rode away, her figure disappearing down the narrow village path.
Xu’s mother came out, watching her daughter’s back vanish into the morning mist. She grumbled under her breath, both irritated and concerned. “I told her to finish her chores early and go to bed last night. Heaven knows what she was doing, staying up so late. And now she skips breakfast—how does she not feel hungry?”
Sister-in-law Xu emerged from the kitchen with a small chuckle. “Mom, the little one’s working at a restaurant. How could she possibly go hungry? Even if she doesn’t eat here, there’ll be food once she gets there.”
Only then did Xu’s mother feel slightly reassured. That was true—after all, a cook couldn’t possibly starve.
—
At the restaurant, several staff members had already gathered, peeking out through the windows since early morning. Word of Xu Ying’s arrival had spread quickly—especially the rumor that she had gotten the job through connections. They had all mentally prepared themselves to “show her her place” the moment she arrived.
“She’s here,” muttered a woman cleaning tables with a rag. Her sharp eyes had been scanning the street, and upon spotting Xu Ying’s figure, she immediately nudged the woman beside her.
Gao Guihua turned her head. Like the others, she wore a white cap and apron. Her high cheekbones and narrow eyes gave her a severe, almost hostile expression. She looked like someone who’d be hard to please—and harder to get along with.
Her face remained expressionless, a stern presence that might have intimidated most newcomers.
But not Xu Ying.
With a confident smile, Xu Ying stepped inside and greeted everyone with a clear, pleasant voice. “Good morning, everyone. I’m Xu Ying. Today’s my first day—let’s get along well as colleagues.”
Behind her, Gao Xianghong had followed in, observing everything in silence.
A woman with deeply tanned skin, clearly sun-darkened from long days of hard work, gave a warm, honest smile. “Hello, I’m Chen Chunfeng.”
Before Xu Ying could respond, a fair-skinned, delicate woman scoffed lightly and rolled her eyes at Chen Chunfeng, clearly looking down on her. But still, she reluctantly introduced herself. “Sun Lifang,” she muttered, her tone cold and dismissive.
At that moment, Gao Guihua suddenly changed her expression. She smiled, her sharp features softening—just enough to appear courteous. “Ah, Comrade Xu, I’m Gao Guihua. You can just call me Sister Gao.”
Gao Xianghong also spoke. “And I’m Gao Xianghong.”
Xu Ying nodded to them all politely.
Just then, a deep, familiar voice rang out from behind them—Director Hong had arrived. His face lit up as soon as he saw Xu Ying.
“Oh! Xiao Xu, your first day, huh? If anything feels off, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
His words were more than polite—they carried the weight of a favor. After all, he owed one to Dr. Gu. He had to look after this girl. Otherwise, his conscience wouldn’t let him sleep.
Hearing his tone, Sun Lifang curled her lips in disdain. Hah, Zhang Quan was right, she thought bitterly. Another one who got in through the back door.
She stared at Xu Ying with increasing contempt. A girl like her? Working in a kitchen? What can she do? Carry pots? Wield a spatula? Please—she’ll only mess things up.
—
Director Hong led Xu Ying into the kitchen. Chef Ge hadn’t arrived yet, but Zhang Quanquan was already there, preparing for the day’s work.
Seeing the girl trailing behind the director, Zhang’s eyes lit up with curiosity. He flashed a friendly smile and said, “Ah, Director Hong, this must be our new colleague, Comrade Xu! Welcome, welcome! Let’s all get along well.”
After a few brief words of encouragement, Director Hong departed, leaving Xu Ying under Zhang’s watch.
His initial friendliness faded quickly as he eyed her up and down, unconvinced. “Tell me, why would a girl like you want to work in a kitchen? All the heavy labor here is done by us old-timers. Can you even handle it?”
Xu Ying smiled, not missing a beat. “Comrade Zhang, the times are changing. The country now advocates equality between men and women. Women hold up half the sky—didn’t you know that?”
Zhang’s face twitched. She’d just slapped a big red slogan right on his forehead. His back broke into a cold sweat.
“You misunderstood me,” he said hastily, waving his hands. “I didn’t mean it like that!”
He sighed with theatrical resignation. “Well, if you like kitchen work, I guess that’s fine too.”
Xu Ying replied with a small smile, “As long as it contributes to the country, I’m happy doing anything.”
The way Zhang looked at her changed. So she’s not some soft little pushover, huh? He silently cursed his misjudgment.
“Well then,” he said curtly, “if you’re here to work, let’s begin. See those cabbages and potatoes? Wash them, peel the potatoes, and then shred them. Got it? If you can’t, learn it.”
He stood back smugly. If nothing else, he’d make her eat some humble pie.
He prided himself on his knife skills. He’d been in this kitchen for four years. Cooking wasn’t his strong suit, but cutting vegetables? That was his domain. Let’s see how long this little girl could last.
Xu Ying didn’t argue. She simply nodded and went to work.
Her movements were swift, efficient. She washed the cabbages leaf by leaf, peeled the potatoes quickly, and handled the mess with surprising neatness.
When Chef Ge walked in, he stopped in surprise. A little girl was already working hard in the kitchen?
Realizing this was likely the new hire Director Hong had mentioned, he approached. Xu Ying noticed him right away.
“Good morning, Chef Ge!” she said with a bright smile.
Taken aback by her cheerful demeanor, Chef Ge nodded hurriedly. “Ah, yes—morning!”
Zhang Quanquan frowned, displeased. Tch. Why is he smiling at her? Back when I joined, his face was colder than a winter stove!
Grumbling, he barked, “Alright, since you’ve washed everything, go ahead and start cutting!”
Xu Ying didn’t protest. She picked up the knife, placed the cabbage on the board, and began slicing. The blade rose and fell swiftly—each movement clean and even. The cabbage fell into tidy shreds, not a leaf wasted.
Zhang’s jaw dropped.
“You… you’ve cooked before?”
Xu Ying nodded casually. “I practiced a bit at home.”
His face turned red—redder than pork liver. He had thought she was a greenhorn, someone he could boss around, but she turned out to be more competent than he ever expected.
Chef Ge observed her with rising interest. This girl might be young, but she had real skill. She was even neater than Zhang, who usually just tossed things together without much care.
“Can you shred potatoes too?” Zhang asked, already knowing the answer but refusing to admit defeat.
Xu Ying picked up a potato, and with a few flicks of the knife, produced uniform, thin strips—smooth, even, flawless.
Just then, Sun Lifang stepped into the kitchen, saw the scene, and gasped. “Xu Ying… you actually know how to cook?”
—