Chapter 209: Welcoming Snow
Xu Youyou felt a sting in her nose. What kind of young girl would envy lonely elderly people just because they received a few meager supplies? It only showed how terribly she had been treated in her aunt’s home over the years.
“You’ve never gone out to work because you can’t bear to leave this old house?” Xu Youyou asked.
Qing Yatou didn’t seem like a lazy person, yet she had no work experience. Even if she had taken a simple waitress job in the city, she would have saved up some money by now instead of being completely broke.
“I don’t want to be too far from home. I tried working in the city, but my aunt ruined it within a couple of days. Since she couldn’t take my wages, she’d rather force me to stay home and work in the oil mill.” Qing Yatou said.
Cheng Chunhua’s oil mill was always short of workers, but as a stingy and mean boss, she paid so little that people from surrounding villages avoided working there.
For her, Qing Yatou was the perfect laborer—young, strong, fast, and, most importantly, family, meaning she didn’t have to be paid. A golden opportunity in Cheng Chunhua’s eyes.
“If you were willing to give her part of your wages, she might stop pestering you,” Xu Youyou said softly.
Qing Yatou, however, remained indifferent. “Even if I gave her all my wages, she still wouldn’t be satisfied. Besides, my grandfather left this house as my support. I owe her nothing.”
Xu Youyou had met many people, including rich daughters who had been abducted as children and still felt torn due to the ‘kindness’ of the traffickers who raised them. Qing Yatou, however, was the first person she had met who saw through family ties and emotional manipulation so clearly.
Thinking back to how Qing Yatou had stood her ground against Cheng Chunhua without the slightest hesitation, Xu Youyou found herself respecting her even more.
Even without Xu Youyou’s help, Qing Yatou would eventually carve out her own path.
“Youyou-jie, I may be poor, but I also prepared some New Year’s gifts. You must accept them.”
Qing Yatou went inside and came back dragging a large woven sack. She opened it to reveal a bag full of wild chestnuts.
“I collected these from the mountains. I stored them properly—none of them are bad!” Qing Yatou said proudly.
Xu Youyou happened to love chestnuts. She accepted them without hesitation and even suggested, “Next time you find good wild produce, save some for me. I’ll buy them at market price.”
Qing Yatou shook her head. “I like Youyou-jie. Friends don’t charge each other for gifts. After all, you gave me New Year’s supplies, and I didn’t refuse them either.”
Hearing this, Xu Youyou laughed. Despite her hardships, Qing Yatou had an amusing and endearing personality.
“Youyou-jie, how long will you stay in Huangshan?” Qing Yatou asked.
“I’ll probably go back to Shanghai after the New Year.”
Qing Yatou let out a sigh of relief. “Good! Then you’ll be here when the snow melts. I’ll take you to dig winter bamboo shoots. I’m the best at it—no one in the village can beat me!”
Given all the amazing things Qing Yatou could do, Xu Youyou believed her. “What about mushroom picking?” she asked.
Qing Yatou immediately straightened up with confidence. “I’m great at that too! I spent years either picking wild fruits or foraging mushrooms. Without them, I wouldn’t have grown this tall. If you like, we can go after the next rain.”
At 1.65 meters tall, Qing Yatou had managed to grow well despite being mistreated at home. She truly owed a lot to nature’s generosity.
“You know, if you ever don’t know what to stream, you could try filming your foraging trips. I love watching those kinds of videos—they’re so relaxing. I bet a lot of people feel the same.”
Qing Yatou tilted her head in curiosity. “Are city people that stressed?”
Xu Youyou nodded. House loans, car payments, 996 work schedules, intense parenting pressure—this generation was drowning in stress. The internet had become a vital escape.
“Don’t worry, I’m not running a charity. Hiring you is definitely a profitable investment,” Xu Youyou reassured her.
Unlike other artists who would have felt indebted, Qing Yatou simply replied, “I know. You’re my lucky star. This will be a win-win for both of us.”
Xu Youyou almost forgot Qing Yatou had a supernatural ability to sense things. It seemed her reassuring words weren’t even needed.
After a while, the orphanage called to remind Xu Youyou to return for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
As they were leaving, Qing Yatou escorted them to the road and called out, “Youyou-jie, Happy New Year!”
Xu Youyou turned to look at the young girl. Just then, fireworks lit up the sky behind her, bursting into colorful patterns. But none of them shone as brightly as Qing Yatou’s sparkling eyes.
Xu Youyou and her group made their way along the snowy path toward the orphanage. Midway, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
A black umbrella suddenly appeared above Xu Youyou’s head—it was Xu Fang holding it up for her.
Not far away, Lu Jingyao also held an umbrella, but upon seeing this, he sighed inwardly. Xu Youyou was surrounded by people who cared for her, leaving him little opportunity to step in.
“You came to pick me up?” Xu Youyou asked when she saw him.
Lu Jingyao nodded and opened his umbrella wider. He glanced at Xu Fang, but she showed no intention of stepping back. She continued holding her umbrella for Xu Youyou, as if she were an unshakable bodyguard.
Xu Youyou noticed the subtle tension and, though pleased with Xu Fang’s loyalty, said, “Your shoulders are covered in snow. Don’t worry about me.”
Xu Fang hesitated for a moment before slowly stepping back.
Lu Jingyao took the opportunity to move his umbrella over Xu Youyou. Whether she was doing this out of concern for Xu Fang or to give him a chance, he couldn’t help but feel happy.
The two walked side by side, while the rest of the group knowingly slowed their pace.
Liu, Lu Jingyao’s assistant, sauntered over to Xu Fang and whispered, “Sister Xu, as assistants, we need to be tactful. Don’t you think it’s better for everyone if this works out?”
Xu Fang was experienced enough to see through Lu Jingyao’s feelings. But Xu Youyou was the one who would be most vulnerable in a relationship, so she simply shot Liu a look and said, “I work for Miss Xu. If she doesn’t say anything, I follow the rules. Don’t try to get me fired.”
Liu stiffened. He had thought Xu Youyou was cold-hearted, but it seemed her staff were just as strict. Swallowing his words, he finally said, “Fair enough. But if Miss Xu ever needs help, I hope you’ll give our boss a chance to prove himself.”
