Chapter 80 The Troubles of a Large Family and Business

She spent her adolescence in poverty and embarrassment, and her college years filled with both inferiority and courage. Just when she thought her life would get better and better...

She appeared. The woman who gave birth to her and then abandoned her. She wasn't as repulsive as Shi Shi had imagined. Her body was emaciated, and the wrinkles on her face resembled those of a dried-up swamp. She was like a setting sun, carrying a sense of lifeless desolation. She looked very much like that woman, but was she destined to be dragged down by her just as she was rising with the morning light?

No, no, no! She doesn't want to!

But the world doesn't show her any favor, not even a little.

She left the big city, losing her high-paying, respectable job and the friends she had just made. She settled down in a small third-tier city.

She naively thought once again that this time things would finally calm down.

Ah, she woke up one morning. What she had once dreamed of had become readily available.

She gave a wry smile, gazing at the empty room and Xinran's worried expression. But in her heart, she was thinking...

I'm unhappy probably because I never have the power to choose.

How pretentious!

Xiang Xinran picked up a tissue and gently wiped away Shi Shi's tears. The tissue was instantly soaked. Only then did Shi Shi realize that she was already in tears.

She threw herself into Xinran's arms and sobbed uncontrollably, like a wounded little animal returning to its mother's embrace.

Shi Shi's emotions stabilized as the crying gradually subsided.

"If you desperately seek a result, only to find it's all just a mirage, what would you do?"

Xiang Xinran felt that Shi Shi was still stuck in her relationship with Fu Zhixu and hadn't moved on. After all, her behavior after the divorce was too normal—so normal that it frightened those around her.

"As long as you acknowledge that everything that happened is real, shouldn't you define the outcome?" So what if they divorced? Who wouldn't envy their years of dating? Even she, a fan of pink and cutesy looks, found them too cloying. So what if the divorce wasn't pleasant? Divorce is never a pleasant thing!

She turned Shi Shi's body to face her.

"Look at me. What constitutes a result? Only when you're tired of living and want to die will this life have a result. Touch your own hands."

"Isn't it slippery? Sister! This is youth! Why are you thinking so much? As long as you don't label everything you do, even if you eat shit your whole life, you'll still be happy! You live in such a big house now, you have the confidence to do whatever you want. Don't confine yourself!"

Shi Shi snuggled into Xiang Xinran's arms again: "Thank goodness for you. I declare that from now on, we're best friends!"

Xiang Xinran paused in her gentle patting of her back, then posed a probing question: "Do you dare say that again in front of Shen He?"

Shi Shi: "You're such a mood killer!"

Xiang Xinran: "Don't change the subject!"

"Oh dear! I'm so sleepy, I'm going to bed." With that, she slipped on her little slippers and ran off.

Xiang Xinran breathed a sigh of relief. It's good that she could cry; keeping it bottled up inside is what causes problems!

Back on the soft, large bed, a thin blanket was pulled over Shi Shi. Xiang Xinran's words still had a significant impact on her.

She's been stuck in a rut, and the fact that she can't go back is already a given. She keeps imitating the original character's tranquil and serene temperament. Her insistence on not debuting stems not only from her own dislike of the original character, but also from a desire to maintain the original's persona.

So, could she, perhaps, be herself a little bit?

Before transmigrating, her greatest form of entertainment was listening to music to fall asleep. The original owner of this body was a person who valued tranquility and had high standards for sleep quality. Sometimes, after a busy day, Fu Zhixu would even sleep in the guest room, just to avoid disturbing her with his snoring.

She connected the newly bought bunny speaker, intending to listen to music to fall asleep.

...

I can't sleep, I'm unhappy...

The songs I wanted to listen to weren't available at all!

She sighed deeply. The Earth before she transmigrated had taken such good care of her!

The music in this world isn't so bad. But once you've seen a child who scores 100, do you still think 90 is excellent?

Obviously not.

It seems she needs to "write down" all the songs she wants to hear. Otherwise, it won't be convenient for her to listen to music in the future. After thinking about this for a while, Shi Shi fell into a sweet sleep.

The next day

When Shishi arrived at the restaurant, Aunt Zhang was already cleaning up the kitchen.

"Where's Xinran? Still not up?"

Aunt Zhang stopped what she was doing, ladled the porridge out of the pot, and placed it on the table.

"Miss Xiang has already left. She said she had to go to work and left in a hurry. So I gave her two freshly steamed buns and a carton of milk."

She was a quick and efficient person; in just a few words, she placed the mixed side dishes and a large meat bun in front of Shishi.

Shi Shi nodded and took a bite of the large steamed bun. Her mouth was filled with the chewy, meaty filling.

She swallowed it in one gulp and immediately gave Aunt Zhang a thumbs up: "This is so delicious! Don't be busy, come and eat with us."

Aunt Zhang looked very happy. She said with a smile, "I ate earlier than you. Only when I'm full do I have the energy to work. You should eat while it's hot!"

After the sweet and savory fish porridge entered Shi Shi's stomach, she felt all the drowsiness from waking up early disappear. Now she was full of energy again!

After dinner, Shi Shi called Aunt Zhang to the study: "I have something to talk about."

Aunt Zhang wiped her hands, went back to her room to get a small notebook, and followed Shi Shi to the study.

"We moved, and your workload has obviously increased. Your old salary is definitely not enough. Do you have any ideas?"

Aunt Zhang nodded and took out her notebook and pen. She said to Shishi, "Don't worry about the salary for now. I also have something to tell you."

After saying that, she turned to one of the pages and pointed it out to Shishi: "Yesterday, I walked around the whole house. The smart home devices and appliances inside are alright. I should be able to figure them out with some time. But this place is too big. It's not just the interior that needs tidying up, but also the lawn, the swimming pool, and that huge flowerbed outside. I definitely can't manage it all by myself. What do you plan to do?"

This is indeed a problem! If we don't tidy up those lawns and flowerbeds outside, it won't be long before it looks quite desolate.

Shishi glanced at Aunt Zhang's notes and had to admit that although the handwriting wasn't pretty, it was very meticulous.

The document not only listed the general layout of all the rooms in the house, but also noted the locations of the electrical switches and water valves. It even included detailed markings of the areas she would frequently visit.

Shishi closed Aunt Zhang's notebook and pushed it back to her: "I must say, you've done a very good job. You've come here today not just to raise questions. Why don't you share your suggestions?"

Zhang Jie clasped her hands tightly together under the table.

How much of a raise she gets this time depends on her performance going forward!