Chapter 269: Sister Caiwei wants to resign?
They said they were coming to Shanghai for fun during the winter vacation, but Fang Wei and his three friends ended up not staying in Shanghai most of the time. Instead, they went on a driving tour in surrounding cities.
After soaking in the hot springs at the Sun Island Resort, Uncle Liu drove the four of them to southern Jiangsu early the next morning.
This was Xu Cailing's first time to visit an inland city other than Shanghai.
"Where's Zhiyi? Has Zhiyi ever been to Sunan before?"
"Well, I went there when I was very young, but I can't remember clearly..."
"Sister Susu, have you been there?"
"Hey, of course I've been there, but it's been many years."
"Wow, you've all been there, except Fang Wei and I!"
Fang Wei: “…”
Well, actually Fang Wei has been there, but that was in his previous life. For the sake of keeping Cai Ling company, it makes sense that he hasn’t been there!
Fortunately, the weather was quite good in the past few days before the New Year, which added a lot to the mood for going out for fun.
When I first arrived in southern Jiangsu, it was like stepping into a slowly unfolding Jiangnan ink painting, and into the world-famous Humble Administrator's Garden. Pavilions and towers were scattered throughout my field of vision. Winding paths led to secluded places, and the pink walls and black tiles were shaded by grass and trees, showing their tranquility and elegance. Strolling through the corridors, there was a gurgling stream under the small bridge, and all kinds of koi were swimming freely. It was a pity that the lotus in the garden was out of season, so I was unable to enjoy the magnificent sight of lotus flowers in full bloom for ten miles.
As a literary girl, Liu Zhiyi particularly likes southern Jiangsu. She, her name, and her temperament are just like a Jiangnan girl who should have grown up here.
"Hmm... I feel like I've traveled through time! I feel a resonance!"
"You're resonating again? You can eat spicy food so much, so you should be resonating with Sichuan, right?"
“I’ve never been to Sichuan…”
"Then I'll take you there during summer vacation!"
"Okay~!!"
It's great to have a sister who is rich, has free time, and can take her brothers and sisters everywhere to play! No wonder everyone likes sisters!
We visited the Humble Administrator's Garden, Zhouzhuang, Suzhou Museum, Tongli Ancient Town, Lion Grove, and Qili Shantang. I don't know how many photos the four of us took here.
After passing southern Jiangsu, we continued to head south and arrived in western Jiaxing, where we visited Wuzhen, Xitang, the Misty Corridor, and the Qiantang River that we had seen in our textbooks!
After leaving Jiaxi, I went to Suzhou and Hangzhou, where I saw the West Lake, which has left countless famous poems throughout the ages, and the legendary Leifeng Pagoda. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the White Snake, the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, the Nine Creeks in Misty Trees, and the man-made Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou in the history textbooks!
"Wow... Is this Zhejiang University? The university is really huge!"
"How about it? Are you interested in applying here? Zhejiang University is also very good!"
"Hey, we all want to get into Fudan University! But Yushan wants to get into Zhejiang University in the future!"
"Really? How did Yushan do in the final exam?"
"Second in the liberal arts class!"
"Yushan is amazing! Her grades have been getting better and better since she entered high school!"
"Come on, let's go in and take a look~!"
In 2004, when most people mentioned Zhejiang University, they still thought of the Yuquan Campus, while the Zijingang Campus had just been completed and welcomed its first batch of new students in the fall of 2002.
The four of them were visiting the Yuquan campus at the moment.
The history of the Yuquan Campus is quite long. The historical and cultural relics buildings span the long river of time, from spring flowers to autumn fruits, from lush branches to luxuriant leaves.
The East Building, the West Building, the Shennong Pavilion, the Peace Pavilion... and the magnificent library with an ancient style.
Wen Susu was not unfamiliar with Zhejiang University. After all, it was a well-known first-class university. However, today was her first time to walk into Zhejiang University.
People like her who love campus life still have a lot of feelings for places like schools. Strolling around the campus of Zhejiang University with Fang Wei and the other two, they wonder whose youth is hidden in this campus?
Finally, the four of them sat down together on the steps of the Yongqian Theater.
This building is relatively new, having been completed in the millennium. It is a student activity center and has a large curved outdoor plaza outside.
“Hahaha, let’s take a photo and pretend that we are also students of Zhejiang University!”
"How do you shoot it?"
"Just sit on the steps, let's sit in a row!"
"Eh? Look! There are words engraved here!"
Cai Ling, who was sitting on the rightmost wall of the third step, was very sharp-eyed and noticed the words carved on the cement wall.
Fang Wei was curious about Susu and Cailing, so she came over to take a look.
[Yu Shao]
There are just two small words, which you can tell at a glance are the surname, and there is an old-fashioned love heart in the middle. Next to these two words, there is a round cat face pattern without ears.
"Wow! You actually discovered the couple's engraving!"
"It doesn't look like it was carved very long ago. The marks still look quite new."
"Haha, of course it's not that long. The Yongqian Theater has only been built for four years."
"What is this cake? Is it a token of love between Yu and Shao?"
"Why does it look like a cat?"
"Why don't cats have ears?"
"Isn't that Doraemon?"
"Haha, why did you carve Doraemon into it? It can't be because of Doraemon that they are together, right?"
"The words are still together, but do you think they are still together now?"
This is unknown.
For many young couples nowadays, they always like to carve each other's names and love on stones. Stones can span thousands of years in the long river of time, and it seems that love can also become eternal and long-lasting. It is really a very romantic thing.
The four of them did not change seats and sat down next to the autograph steps. They handed the camera to Uncle Liu and took a photo of the four of them.
“Should we also carve some words! I’ve been here?!” Cai Ling suggested.
"Be careful of fines for vandalism!"
"Let's go, let's go to the next place~!"
……
The five-day self-driving tour passed in a flash, and in the blink of an eye it was January 20th.
As the New Year approaches, perhaps using the lunar calendar to represent the date will make it clearer. Today is the 29th day of the lunar year, and tomorrow is New Year's Eve.
It's magical. I can't remember the lunar calendar dates clearly on weekdays, but during the Chinese New Year, I start counting dates according to the lunar calendar, such as the first day of the Chinese New Year, the second day of the Chinese New Year... the seventh day of the Chinese New Year, but the days and weeks of the new calendar have become blurred. It was not until the end of the New Year holiday and I went back to work and school that I unconsciously started counting dates according to the month, day and day of the week.
Fang Wei and his three companions returned to Shanghai yesterday evening. Chinese New Year is coming soon, so naturally they have to buy new clothes. After dinner last night, Wen Susu took Fang Wei and his three companions to the mall to buy two new sets of clothes.
Fang Wei, Cailing and Zhiyi's clothes were all bought by Wen Susu, and the new clothes for their parents and grandfather at home were bought with their own money. In addition, Fang Wei also bought a beautiful scarf for Wen Susu, Cailing bought her a pair of warm gloves, and Zhiyi bought Wen Susu a cute knitted hat.
"Sis! This is a gift from you! Happy New Year~!"
"like!!"
The winter vacation was short, so they couldn't spend as much time together as the summer vacation. Early in the morning on the 29th of the lunar year, Wen Susu got up to see Fang Wei, Cailing and Zhiyi off.
"Sister, it's cold outside, you don't have to take us to the dock, we will go back with Sister Caiwei."
"Yes, well, Uncle Liu, please give them a ride."
"Okay lady."
"Remember to tell me when you get home, okay?"
"I know! Shall we go then?"
"Bye~"
"Bye~"
After getting in the car and telling Uncle Liu the address of the coffee shop, the Mercedes-Benz S500 slowly drove them out of the community.
The luggage bags of Fang Wei and the other two were bulging. It was obviously a bad idea to bring winter vacation homework with them, because they didn't even open the pen caps in the past few days...
The Spring Festival atmosphere in Shanghai is not as strong as that on the island. Even though it is the 29th day of the lunar year, there are still many people at work. Bright red spring decorations have been hung on both sides of the streets in advance, adding a lot of festive atmosphere to this bustling metropolis.
"Uncle Liu, where is your hometown?"
"My hometown is in southern Fujian!"
"So Uncle Liu isn't going back home for the New Year this year? It's hard to buy a ticket home, right?"
"Haha, I'm going back. Miss gave me a half-month vacation and bought the ticket for me. I thought Miss and her friends would leave tomorrow, so I would have enough time to go back after sending them to the airport. Miss is a good person. She gave me a lot of year-end bonus and bought new clothes for my daughter. I've been going around with you guys these days, and it's really eye-opening for me at my age. My daughter likes to hear me talk about the outside world the most."
"Uncle Liu, how do you celebrate the New Year there?"
"Hey, the New Year is so lively over there..."
When talking about these things, Uncle Liu's eyes were shining. Perhaps his heart flew back home. He hadn't seen his wife and children for a long time. After a busy year, he wondered if his four-year-old daughter would cry as she did last year when he hugged her!
It’s not that Wen Susu didn’t give him vacation, but as the pillar of the family, he knew that he had more responsibilities on his shoulders than missing her. He didn’t ask his daughter to live a life like a young lady, but he always hoped to make more money so that she could live a better life.
"You guys are the same. You bought so many new clothes for your parents during your trip. If my daughter also bought me so many new clothes in the future, I would be so happy that I couldn't stop smiling!"
"Hahaha, Uncle Liu must have it!"
There are many outsiders like Uncle Liu in Shanghai, and it is because of their arrival that this prosperous metropolis is supported.
Soon, the car stopped steadily on the roadside outside the Morning Café.
Through the car window, Fang Wei Cailing could already see Xu Caiwei, who was waiting on a lounge chair outside the cafe with a schoolbag on her back and a suitcase in her hands.
When the car stopped, Xu Caiwei just took a quick look. She couldn't see the situation inside the car clearly, and she didn't expect Cailing and the others to be inside. She just kept looking up at the passengers getting on and off the bus at the bus stop not far away.
"Sister! Here!"
"Eh?"
"sister!"
There was another shout, and then Xu Caiwei saw Fang Wei and Cai Ling opening the car door and getting out.
"Sister Caiwei! Come here quickly!"
"Huh? I thought you guys were coming here by bus!"
Xu Caiwei then hurriedly picked up her luggage and walked quickly to this side of the road.
Uncle Liu also got out of the car, helped take the luggage with a smile, opened the trunk and put the luggage of four people in and sorted it out.
"Hey, Sister Susu asked Uncle Liu to take us, hurry up and get in the car!"
"A Mercedes! My first time riding one!"
"The sofa is very soft and comfortable! Let's sit in the back."
"Sister Caiwei, have you brought all your things?" Fang Wei asked with a smile.
"Bring everything with you! I'm not as careless as Cai Ling!"
"Why do you mention me in passing!"
"Isn't that right?"
"Then Uncle Liu, let's go." After the three girls sat in the back seat, Fang Wei also sat back in the passenger seat, closed the door and fastened his seat belt.
The car started, heading to Chaogang Wharf. "I've been in Shanghai for a few days, and you haven't come to see me yet!"
"Sister, you said you were very busy before the New Year!"
"So if I say that, you won't come to me?"
"correct."
The two sisters were playing and quarreling, and were in a happy mood.
"We went out to play these days! Sister Susu took us to southern Jiangsu, Jiaxi, Suzhou and Hangzhou, and took us around!"
“I haven’t even been there yet!”
"Then I'll take you there next time~"
"You know the way."
"It would be nice if we just knew each other."
Fang Wei: “…”
Sister Caiwei is only 20 years old this year, but she already has four years of work experience. On weekdays, she is seen in the cafe wearing work clothes, looking like a capable woman. Now that she is on vacation and wearing casual clothes, she is actually just an older sister who is not much older than them.
Fang Wei turned around and asked with a smile: "How many days off will Sister Caiwei have this year?"
"Hey, I'll wait until the seventh day of the Lunar New Year and come back to work on the eighth day. What about you guys?"
Before Fang Weizhiyi could reply, Xu Cailing said, "I, I will also wait until the seventh day of the Lunar New Year! I will go back to train on the eighth day!"
"Ah? Is your winter vacation so short?"
"It's Cailing whose winter vacation is too short! We have to wait until after the Lantern Festival!"
"Woo..."
After hearing the three people's explanation of the whole story, Xu Caiwei also laughed with glee.
After all, she is the supervisor of the store now. In the past, Xu Caiwei had to take turns on the annual leave, but now she doesn't have to. As the core backbone of the store, the boss's wife has seen Xu Caiwei's performance and naturally does not dare to ask too much of her on the annual leave, for fear that she will be unhappy and quit, and then she won't know who to replace her.
"But... hehe~!"
"But what? Sis, don't keep me in suspense!"
"After the Chinese New Year, probably in March or April, I plan to resign!"
"……what?"
Not to mention Cai Ling and Fang Wei, even Zhiyi was shocked. Having known Sister Caiwei for so long, he knew that there was no one more of a workaholic than her. When she was just a waitress in a coffee shop, she treated her work as a career.
And Sister Caiwei, who loves working in a coffee shop, actually said that she would quit in March or April after the new year? !
"Why did you resign?"
Xu Cailing put away her joking thoughts and said seriously, "Did someone in the store bully you?"
For many people these days, resigning or being fired is a big deal. After all, it is not easy to find a stable job in the city. Being laid off means losing the source of income, and it is impossible to gain a foothold in a city with huge expenses.
"Sister Caiwei, have you made up your mind?" Fang Wei asked.
He had known the two sisters for a long time, so he naturally knew that they were both equally stubborn. Once they made up their minds, basically no one could change them even with ten oxen.
"Yes, it's decided!"
"Why, why? Sister, aren't you going to make coffee anymore?" Cai Ling asked puzzled.
"do it!"
Fang Wei blinked.
Cai Ling was still a little confused.
"So you said you wanted to resign?"
"Hey, hey! I'm planning to open my own shop! A coffee shop of my own!"
"..."
There was a brief silence in the car.
Uncle Liu, who was driving, smiled and said, "You are amazing, little girl! It is definitely better to open your own shop than to work for others!"
Xu Cailing finally reacted and said in shock: "Sister, you want to open a coffee shop?!"
"Yes, I feel like I have learned almost all the skills, whether it is making different types of coffee or running a shop, I think it's time!"
"Really, really?"
"Oh, you're so annoying, you don't believe me, do you?"
“Are you really going to open a coffee shop?”
"..."
It’s not Cai Ling’s fault for being so surprised. After all, no one knows better than her how much of a dream it is for her sister to open a coffee shop of her own.
I originally thought that my sister would have to work for a few more years to achieve her long-cherished wish, but I didn't expect that she would decide to take this step at the beginning of the new year.
"Then, does your boss lady Sister Yun know about this?"
"...Idiot, how can you tell this to your boss? You definitely can't tell him."
"Then, do dad and the others know?"
"You are the first to know. As for Dad and the others...go back and tell them."
"Sister Caiwei, where do you plan to open the coffee shop?" Fang Wei asked.
"Hey, I want to open one in Shanghai..."
Xu Caiwei smiled, then changed the subject and said regretfully: "But the cost of opening a store in Shanghai is too high, and I don't have that much money, so I plan to open it in Xuanzhu City!"
“You’re going to open a store in the city!”
Xu Cailing was surprised again. The biggest problem in opening a store in Shanghai was indeed funding. She thought her sister would open a store in a small town as she had hoped before, but she didn't expect that she would open a store in the city.
"Sis, aren't you opening a coffee shop in our town? There's no coffee shop in our town!"
"I would like to, but customer flow is a problem. For now, opening a store in town is not a good option."
"It seems that Sister Caiwei has learned a lot besides coffee skills over the years, and she is very thoughtful." Fang Wei praised.
"Then where are you going to open a store in the city? The cost of opening a store in the city is not low, right?" Cai Ling was curious.
"Um... didn't our dad buy two shops and two houses two months ago..."
"You've set your eyes on dad's shop!" Smart Cai Ling reacted immediately.
"Hey, hey, no matter what you're targeting me, I'll still pay the rent, okay!"
Fang Wei found what he heard funny. No wonder Sister Caiwei decided to move here and open a coffee shop after the New Year.
During the previous parent-teacher meeting, Xu Zhiyuan came to the city to visit Fang Wei's shop and house. Following the advice of Fang Wei and his son, Xu Zhiyuan purchased two shops and houses in good locations as investments at the end of November.
Lian Fangwei did not expect that by chance he would promote Sister Caiwei's plan to open a shop. After all, according to the trajectory of her previous life, the opening of Sister Caiwei's coffee shop would be delayed for several more years.
Of course, the family conditions of the two families are now completely different from those in the previous life. Even if the money on hand is not enough, I think Sister Caiwei can go home and act coquettishly with her father, which may at least attract some investment. At worst, she can just owe rent for a few years!
Even though the family business was growing bigger and bigger, Xu Caiwei never gave up her dream of opening a coffee shop. Perhaps for the four years of her youth she had invested in the coffee shop, owning a coffee shop of her own was the best answer she could give to her youth.
She wanted to open a coffee shop in her previous life, and she wants to open a coffee shop in this life too. Fang Wei finally knows what Sister Caiwei’s true love is.
"Sister Caiwei, do you plan to open a coffee shop in Shanghai or our town in the future?"
"Of course! Wait until I become big and strong! I opened the first coffee shop in our town! I also opened the best coffee shop in Shanghai!"
The delicate girl expressed her ambitious words, which made Cai Ling's blood boil. It turned out that in terms of being strong-willed, her sister was exactly like her, as they were born of the same mother.
"If you open so many stores by then, won't we be able to drink free coffee everywhere?"
"Well, you guys, I'll give you 20% off!"
"It's still not a kiss!!"
"Hahaha……"
……
After arriving safely at Chaogang Wharf, the three of them boarded the boat back to the city. Cailing and Zhiyi were thinking about doing a thorough cleaning at home and putting up couplets before the New Year.
Xu Caiwei was traveling with them, so naturally she followed them back to the city.
It was already noon when they got home. They first called Wen Susu to let her know they were safe, then called the elders at home to tell them they would be back later. Then the boys and girls rolled up their sleeves and got to work without delay.
It was the first time that Xu Caiwei came to their little nest. After taking a look around, her eyes became more and more ambiguous when she looked at Fang Wei and the other two.
"Do you want my help?"
"No, just go and take a rest!"
Taking advantage of this time, Xu Caiwei left the community and went to see the shops and houses her father had bought nearby. If the location was not suitable, she would have to find a new shop herself.
Cailing and Zhiyi were doing housework during the general cleaning, while Fang Wei took red paper and a brush and wrote a few Spring Festival couplets himself.
I learned the skill of writing Spring Festival couplets from Uncle Liu.
There is a rare vitality in the young man's sophisticated and steady handwriting. Compared with commercial couplets bought from other stores, the couplets he wrote himself are particularly interesting when posted on the door.
"The Spiritual Sheep bids farewell to the old year and thousands of families rejoice; the Golden Monkey welcomes the new year and thousands of families are blessed—"
"How is it? Master, is my handwriting okay?"
"So-so~"
"You can do it!"
"Zhi Yi is coming!"
"I'm cleaning the windows."
The two girls had bought a lot of New Year gifts before, and the tasks of writing and pasting couplets were left to Fang Wei.
After a thorough cleaning, the little nest is decorated with New Year's red paper, which makes it look full of the festive atmosphere and feels more like a complete home.
However, they would not go back to their parents' home on the second day of the New Year. After tidying up their home, Fang Wei and his three friends had to rush back to the island before the last boat.
The trunk of the motorcycle was removed and the large and small bags of luggage were tied tightly to the front of the motorcycle with leather ropes.
Zhiyi happily squeezed on Fang Wei's back, her hands in his pockets, her pretty face pressed against his back;
Cailing sat behind Zhiyi, put her hands in her pockets, and hugged her waist tightly;
Sister Caiwei sat at the back. There was no trunk backrest, so she had to hold on to the frame with her hands. Fortunately, she had the gloves her sister gave her, so she didn't feel cold in the cold wind.
Fang Wei also put on leather gloves and a helmet, zipped up his windbreaker to his neck, stepped on the pedal to start the engine, turned the accelerator, and drove them and their full luggage out of the community.
I don't know which family lit the firecrackers first, and I don't know which wind blew up the red on the ground.
The naughty kids were running around the streets, and the smell of burnt sulfur in the air lingered around their noses...
It's another lively spring.
(End of this chapter)
