The Game of Life

By September 12, Jiang Feng had finally repaid all the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon debts.

It was also on the same day that Ji Xia, who had run away from home nearly three months ago, was finally caught, no, should rather be said to be found, through the joint efforts of Ji Xue, Ji Xue’s uncle, and the police.

Since Ji Xue had always been in one-sided contact with Ji Yue, and Ji Yue happened to be sent out by Mrs. Wang Xiulian to submit documents that day, Jiang Feng didn’t even get to hear the second-hand news. He got the third-hand news that was passed from Ji Xue to Ji Yue, and from Ji Yue to Zhang Guanghang, before it finally got to him, not knowing how much of it was still true.

Lunch break was the perfect time for everyone to gather and gossip.

The big news of Ji Xia running away from home was a hot topic in the back kitchen of Taifeng Building lately, mainly because Ji Xue wouldn’t return to her post until Ji Xia was found.

Missing one colleague, the kitchen team, which had just about reached a good level of coordination, felt as if it was missing a part, making everything seem a bit off. The folks also felt this way when Sun Jikai first returned to Jubao Building, with the dishwasher and kitchen hands often looking around for him, feeling as if he was still at Taifeng.

“So, Ji Xia took the 200 yuan Ji Xue gave her to buy clothes during New Year, bought a ticket to FZ, and then started working in a garment factory,” Jiang Feng mused as he enjoyed a slice of watermelon, truly embodying the role of a spectator.

The only surprising thing about this piece of gossip to Jiang Feng was that Ji Xia chose to work in a garment factory after running away from home, rather than another location that might evoke more excitement. The humdrum garment factory didn’t seem to fit the image of Ji Xia, a wayward girl with an almost mystical, rebellious nature.

“There should be garment factories everywhere, right? Why make a special trip to FZ?” Sang Ming expressed his confusion while eating a piece of mango.

“Could it be because the garment factories there pay higher wages?” Tangtang was led astray by Sang Ming’s thought, pondering with half a piece of cantaloupe in hand.

“Actually, for a young girl looking to work, I think the wages at a café would be higher. If it’s a bit more upscale, she might even get tips from customers,” commented an employee who seemed to know the industry.

“Places like that tend to be about looks though; the better-looking you are, the higher the wage.”

“That’s true, I have a high school classmate who studied hotel management. She’s tall and pretty, and while still in university, she worked at a star-rated hotel in Magic City over summer break and made over 30,000 yuan in a month, including tips,” Zhang Weiyu nodded in agreement, picking up a slice of apple.

“Our servers here also make good money, and some guests give tips too. I reckon the lobby staff can make over 10,000 yuan a month, way higher than our wages,” lamented one of the pantry staff, sounding a bit sour.

“If you were a furnace chef and got commissions, you’d definitely have a higher salary,” Sang Ming retorted on Jiang Feng’s behalf.

As the conversation drifted further off track and even started to spark a bit of tension, Jiang Feng quickly steered the talk back: “So, I guess Ji Xia is going to get a beating after getting caught this time, huh?”

Wu Minqi echoed Jiang Feng’s change in topic: “Definitely deserves a beating, just not sure if Xue has the heart to do it.”

“Why wouldn’t she? Running away for over three months, my parents would’ve strung me up and whipped me.”

“Yeah, she should be punished for making her family worry so much without leaving any message.”

“With this, Ji Xue should be able to come back in a couple of days, right?”

“That’s great, I haven’t had stir-fried beef hor fun for so long, I really want it now.”

“It’s not right to make her take care of staff meals so soon after she’s back, even if it’s her turn. Let her have a break first; going out looking for her sister has been nerve-wracking and draining enough. Ji Xue should rest for a couple of days. If you’re craving it, just bear with it, it won’t kill you to wait another two days.”

Everybody started discussing various things related to Ji Xue. Seeing that the purpose of this tea party had been reached, and that everyone knew about Ji Xue’s progress in finding her sister and could expect her return soon, Jiang Feng comfortably stopped talking and let everyone else chat, quietly enjoying his watermelon.

By the time Jiang Feng finished his plate of watermelon and Wu Minqi had eaten her apple, internet addict Zhang Guanghang finally tore his gaze from his phone and glanced at Jiang Feng, sending him a message.

Zhang Guanghang: Orchid is back.

Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi exchanged looks, knowing they both had received the message from Zhang Guanghang, and they found an opportunity to stealthily slip away.

Some less important pieces of gossip were okay to share with everyone, but other, more significant pieces of news had to be kept secret to be savored alone. Novice gossip eater Jiang Feng and professional gossip consumer of 30 years Wu Minqi understood this deeply.

Ji Yue had returned drenched in sweat under the harsh sun, having just finished submitting documents and getting them stamped at some out-of-the-way place. It was early September, the time of year when the ‘autumn tiger’ shows its last ferocious burst of summer heat, with a blazing sun and high temperatures. Even Ji Yue, wearing her lightest dress, was sweating profusely.

As soon as she entered, she ran into the trio of Jiang Feng and the others, who were waiting by the door, eager to gossip.

“I’ll change clothes and touch up my makeup first; it’s so hot I’ve sweated all my makeup off. You guys go upstairs and find a private room to sit in, I have something to talk to you about,” said Ji Yue, implying that she had some news to share with the group.

Perhaps due to the extreme heat and because she had been running errands outside, even someone like Jiang Feng, who never dealt with makeup, could tell that Ji Yue’s makeup had worn off.

“We’ll wait for you upstairs, do you want to drink anything?” asked Zhang Guanghang.

“Plum juice,” Ji Yue hurried toward the changing room, afraid if she were any slower, her sweat would smudge her eyeliner beyond repair.

Due to financial difficulties over the past year, the new eyeliner she had purchased during last year’s Singles’ Day sales from a certain treasure platform was cheap and would easily turn her into a panda-eyed mess if she wasn’t careful—a sight Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi had witnessed many times.

Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi ascended the stairs, as Zhang Guanghang went to get plum juice for Ji Yue, while Wu Minqi walked alongside Jiang Feng, pondering Ji Yue’s expression just now.

“I felt Ji Yue was quite serious when she said that earlier; could she actually have something important to tell us?” Wu Minqi pondered aloud with a thoughtful expression.

“She probably doesn’t have any real issues. We’ve found the person we’ve been looking for, and that was the biggest problem, so everything should be fine,” Jiang Feng reasoned calmly.

Wu Minqi found his logic compelling and didn’t press further.

The three of them picked a private room near the staircase, leaving the door open to make it easier for Ji Yue to find them quickly after touching up her makeup. They silently played with their phones for about 10 minutes in the room until Ji Yue slipped in and closed the door behind her.

“How’s Ji Xue doing now?” Jiang Feng, as the boss, naturally felt it was his priority to ask about his employee.

“She should be okay. I didn’t detect anything unusual when I talked to her on the phone,” Ji Yue walked over to the table, took a sip of her plum juice, and sat down, “The main issue is something she wants to discuss with you.”

“Discuss?”

“It’s about her sister, Ji Xia. You both know she’s not good in her studies, and her scores in the middle school exam weren’t great either. Even if she hadn’t missed the registration deadline, she wouldn’t have been able to get into high school. So now what Ji Xia should do has actually become the biggest issue for their family,” Ji Yue explained. “Xue’s idea is to bring Ji Xia over to our side to live with me. I don’t have a problem with it, but since we’re currently living in the employee dormitory, we obviously need Mr. Jiang’s approval.”

“Even if Xue brings her sister over, we all have to work, and there won’t be anyone to take care of her. What will her sister do?” Wu Minqi asked.

“Xue didn’t say, but I feel like she hasn’t really figured it out herself,” Ji Yue said with a bitter smile. “But how should I put it—I think this is probably the best solution Xue could come up with. If Ji Xia is left at home, Xue’s mom has to take care of her dad, and probably won’t be able to spare much attention for Ji Xia. If she finds an opportunity to run away from home again, no one can stop her. Who can truly understand the thoughts of a teenager? Not to mention Xue rarely interacts with Ji Xia, I’ve been fighting with my brother since childhood, and now I still can’t fully grasp what’s on his mind.”

“Bringing her here is not a problem. I can talk to my parents and grandfather about it; they will certainly agree. But we can’t just keep Ji Xia locked up at home. Whether it’s continuing her studies or learning a trade, we need to find something for her to do,” Jiang Feng stated.

“I can introduce Ji Xue to the tutor I had when I was studying,” Zhang Guanghang started to offer an unpopular suggestion.

Ji Yue: ….

“Seeing Ji Xia’s middle school exam scores, she probably doesn’t want to continue studying. It might be better to let her learn a trade so she can support herself,” Ji Yue felt that if Ji Xue actually found a tutor to force Ji Xia into further studies, Ji Xia would probably run away from home again.

Besides, the cost of hiring a tutor is so high these days, Ji Xue probably can’t afford it.

“We should let Xue decide on such matters; it’s a family issue and not our place to intervene,” Wu Minqi smiled. “I think it’s good for Xue to bring her sister over. It’s better for a young girl to get out into the world than to stay at home.”

“When is Ji Xue coming back?” Jiang Feng asked.

“The day after tomorrow, I suppose. She said she needs to go home first,” Ji Yue mentioned.

The gossipping time ended, and the four of them took out their phones to engage in the most common contemporary youth entertainment—meeting without speaking, just bowing their heads to their phones.

Even couples, glued to their phones, must do so.

“Oh, by the way,” Ji Yue suddenly looked up, removed her earphones, and broke away from the TV drama’s plot.

“It’s not a big deal, but I think I should mention it to you,” Ji Yue turned to Jiang Feng. “I called Sun Jikai previously to ask for a favor, and these past days, Xue also met with Sun Jikai. She told me that Sun Jikai’s grandfather appears to be sick and hospitalized. I remember you know Sir Sun pretty well, right? Maybe you should send him a WeChat to see how he’s doing?”

Jiang Feng: ….

He didn’t have Sun Guanyun’s WeChat.

He didn’t even know if Sun Guanyun had WeChat.

“Sir Sun is hospitalized?” Wu Minqi looked up. “Is it serious?”

“I’m not sure about that; Xue just mentioned it in passing,” Ji Yue shook her head. “But it’s normal for the elderly to visit the hospital with a headache or fever, right? Is there a flu going around?”

“Fengfeng, why don’t you send a WeChat to ask Sun Jikai?” Wu Minqi suggested to Jiang Feng.

“Yeah, I’ll send him a WeChat later,” Jiang Feng nodded. He felt it was necessary to show concern, even if it was just out of respect for an elder as a younger generation member.

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