"It's rare for someone to receive your praise. How many have you fired before?" the boss teased his wife.

The boss's wife glared at him, "Am I that difficult to get along with? As long as Su Wan's diligence isn't just a flash in the pan, I have no reason to fire anyone indiscriminately."

Seeing how affectionate the boss and his wife were, I bowed to them and said, "I will work very, very hard. It definitely won't be a fleeting effort."

That night, Yu Longting didn't show up.

I worked all day, so exhausted I could barely stand, and didn't have the energy to think about anything else.

Once my hair had dried after my bath, I went straight to bed.

In the following days, I kept busy at the restaurant during daylight.

At night, I would study the notebook my father had left behind, and after about half a month, I knew it like the back of my hand.

I also gained a solid understanding of Chen's Restaurant.

Most of the local residents in Spring Wind Town have the Chen surname; the boss and his wife are locals, and both share it.

The boss is named Chen Decheng, and his wife is Chen Shufen.

Although Chen's Restaurant is short-staffed, business isn't very booming.

That's why the wages they offer are low. Prior to me, many servers either couldn't handle the job or deliberately slacked off.

Xiao Li said if she weren't a relative of the Chen couple and her family didn't have a share in the restaurant, she couldn't have stayed on either.

It seems I'm the only one willing to toil without complaint, not bothered by the meager pay, and even excessively grateful.

"My mom and I don't spend much, and it's fine as long as we have a place to stay; I'm just grateful the boss and his wife didn't look down on us." My relationship with Xiao Li grew closer, and I confided with genuine feelings.

Xiao Li nodded and sighed, "You and your mom really haven't had it easy; your dad passed away when you were young, so you must have suffered a lot over the years."

While I was chatting with Xiao Li, Chen Shufen called me over.

"Madam, you called for me? Is there something you need me to do?" I dashed over in a hurry.

Seeing my eagerness, Chen Shufen couldn't help but beam with joy, "You girl are too hardworking, always thinking that I have tasks for you. Aren't you disappointed when there's nothing to do? It's time to pay your salary. Remember to put it in the bank, it's not good if pickpockets get to it if you carry it on you."

"Are you paying now? It's only been half a month, is that alright?" I felt undeservingly spoiled, and my sweaty palms wiped against my jeans.

Chen Shufen took out six hundred from the cash register, smiling yet chiding as she handed it to me, "If it hadn't been for your mom telling me, I wouldn't have known that you two were completely out of money. You aren't skimping on even buying fruits daily, are you?"

"So much... thank you, Madam. I'll work even harder." I accepted the money somewhat shyly; indeed, it had been a long time since my mom and I had bought any fruit.

Having more money tightened my heart even further.

Madam had a tongue sharp as a knife but a heart soft as tofu, she still paid according to the standard of twelve hundred a month.

She gave me half a day off to rest.

For many people, six hundred isn't much.

But holding that money in my hand felt heavy.

Knowing its value and the effort behind it made me cautious about spending it, guarding this sole asset with extra care.

After much thought, Granny Wu came to mind.

Perhaps I could try to earn money using my dressmaking skills.

Although I had no understanding of this industry and didn't even know if six hundred was enough to invest in fabrics.

Anyway, the last time I used Granny Wu's fabric, Yu Longting was there. He took it away like a bully, as if he didn't even pay for it.

Two hours later, I arrived at Granny Wu's house.

I just happened to see Granny Wu coming out of her house. It had only been two months since I last saw her, and she seemed to have aged ten years.

Her complexion was extremely sallow, and her once meticulously neat white hair was now a disheveled mess.

She looked strikingly similar to the beggar woman by the wall of the town's vegetable market...

I dizzyingly thought, how did Granny Wu become so destitute?

I was surprised to see her approaching me so excitedly; I thought she was going to hit me.

I was startled.

Instead, Granny Wu, trembling, took hold of my hands and confessed in remorse, "Miss Su, I was wrong last time, I, an old woman, made a mistake. I shouldn't have spoken ill of you in front of Snake Lord. Please have a large heart and forgive me this once."