CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29: SELLING THE POSITION

"Our Cotton Textile Factory’s salary and benefits are distributed according to registration. A first-level female worker earns thirty-two yuan and fifty cents a month, with working hours from nine to twelve in the morning and from two-thirty to four-thirty in the afternoon, with one day off a week. There’s extra compensation for non-working hours."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiang felt an embarrassing thrill.

Having slogged like a beast of burden in her past life, she never imagined her mother’s generation had such an easy time at work!

Who said millennials got all the blessings?

The era’s dividends were clearly enjoyed by the parent generation!

Overcome by emotion for a moment, Lin Xiang quickly forced herself to calm down.

"Thank you, Director Chen. I’ll definitely report within two days!"

As for who it was, Lin Xiang didn’t know.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Xiang couldn’t hide her smile no matter what.

The team leader noticed her grinning almost ear to ear and curiously asked, "Girl, what good news did the boss tell you?"

"The boss specially called to thank me for facilitating the cooperation with foreign firms and said they’ll look for my help again if needed."

Lin Xiang touched her pocket and pulled out a dime, "Uncle, this is the fee for the phone call I just took, please remember to note it in the account!"

The team leader snorted and glared, "The boss called you for serious business, how can we charge you for that? Besides, you helped connect the phone line in the first place, so take the money back!"

"Fair is fair. Taking calls also costs phone fees, and it’s not cheap. This money comes out of our team department account. Occasionally taking a call and saying a few words is fine, but if it’s frequent, not only might folks here have opinions, but I can’t feel right about it either."

She’s about to earn a good sum, and with ten yuan already in her pocket, a dime meant nothing to Lin Xiang now.

Compared to that dime, she didn’t want to give anyone any reason to criticize her later and needed to stay cautious.

The team leader saw Lin Xiang’s firm stance and reluctantly accepted the money.

"You were on the phone not even three minutes, so not much electricity would have been used. I’ll note this dime for you now and deduct from it next time you make a call. When it’s used up, I’ll let you know."

"Thanks, Uncle. I’ll head home then!"

Just as she walked out of the team department, Lin Xiang returned again, "Uncle, I want to use the department’s bicycle; I need to go to town for some matters."

"I’ll have Sun drive the ox cart to take you."

"No, no, riding a bike is faster."

"Alright, go ahead and use it!" The team leader waved her away and urged Lin Xiang to go and return quickly.

Lin Xiang pedaled the bicycle straight to the state-run restaurant in town.

Past the meal time now, the state-run restaurant was nearly empty, and Chef Shen was chatting with someone. Seeing Lin Xiang come in, he waved enthusiastically to greet her.

"Lin, what brings you here?"

"I was craving Brother Shen’s braised pork, so came specially to buy some. Is there any left at this time?"

Chef Shen rolled up his sleeves, "You want it, I’ll make it for you right now!"

Lin Xiang took money and a coupon to settle the bill at the counter.

The coupons were ones Lin Xiang got from Mrs. Lin, and rather than let them expire, she simply ordered a portion of braised pork and half a pound of dumplings.

Were it someone else, Chef Shen wouldn’t have bothered, but as Lin Xiang caught his eye, it was just a small favor.

Lin Xiang chatted with Yang Rong briefly and then went into the kitchen.

The dumpling skins and filling were ready-made, and Chef Shen didn’t call for helpers, folding dumplings himself, nearly one per second, with thin skins and large fillings, delicious even at a glance.

Lin Xiang looked around, seeing nobody noticing, and whispered to Chef Shen.

"Brother Shen, actually, I came today because I have something to tell you. This isn’t something that can be announced publicly, so I had to come personally."

Chef Shen, hearing this, mirrored Lin Xiang’s posture, hunched over and furtively asked, "What is it?"

"Your relatives, like daughters, nieces, and grandnieces, any interested in working at the cotton spinning factory? I have a position for a female worker at Cotton Textile Factory, and if you need it, I can sell it to you at a discount; you can use it as a favor."

These days, job posts are like radishes, one post, one slot; unless a family is influential, ordinary folks exceedingly struggle to get a job opportunity, unless inheriting parents’ jobs or if exceptionally lucky.

Chef Shen, being a chef at a state-run restaurant, had connections but struggled immensely to arrange jobs for his children, unable to help with nieces and grandnieces.

If Lin Xiang gave him this position, he could use it as a favor.

Chef Shen felt quite tempted.

"Lin, how much are you planning to sell this post for?"

Lin Xiang put up one hand, "I asked Director Chen; a first-level female worker earns thirty-two yuan and fifty cents a month. There’s overtime pay too if they work extra hours. Without counting that and other factory perks, an annual salary amounts to three hundred and ninety yuan; earned back in fifteen-six months. I ask for this much, isn’t excessive, right?"

"It’s not just fair; you’re asking way too cheaply!"

Typically, selling jobs priced around two years’ salary, slightly more, with scarcely any less than six hundred yuan.

Chef Shen suspected Lin Xiang was unaware of the game here and thus randomly picked a number.

"You treat me like your real brother, and with such good news, you’re considering me. I can’t let down a sister like that. Let’s set it: eight hundred yuan for this job post, how does that sound?"

Lin Xiang indeed threw out a number casually, finding five hundred rolls off the tongue easier.

Who knew Chef Shen would be so generous, adding three hundred yuan voluntarily.

Lin Xiang rubbed her hands nervously, "Brother Shen, isn’t this a bit much? Will your relatives be okay with it—eight hundred yuan!"

"Forget eight hundred; even a thousand they’d pay! But this post is meant for my grandniece, hence I left some personal room, asking for less. If you think eight hundred is too low, I’ll add more!"

"It’s enough, it’s enough." Lin Xiang understood the principle of knowing where to stop.

Selling the post to Chef Shen for eight hundred yuan, she profits, Chef Shen helps his relatives, and she gains favor with him.

Asking for more would likely not yield as good a result as now.

"However, I have a small request."

"Tell me!" Chef Shen, beating his chest, assured Lin Xiang, "As long as your Brother Shen can do it, I won’t refuse!"

"Well, Brother Shen knows I’m just an ordinary village kid with no one in the family employed, so naturally I have no source for coupons."