He stared at the message, stunned. ’Canceled?’
[Liu Shasha: It’s fine. I gave the woman 2,000 yuan as compensation and got the contract back!]
Just then, Wenren Du’Er happened to open the door, sparing him the awkwardness of staring blankly at Wenren Meng.
He transferred 2,000 yuan to Liu Shasha on WeChat. ’I can’t let her cover the cost!’
[Liu Shasha: I’m not taking it. Keep it for a hotel room. *suggestive emoji*]
’She’s really gotten a taste for it, always thinking about getting a room!’
[Yang Hui: Just take it. Buy a few more costumes!]
[Liu Shasha: What kind of costumes do you like? Flight attendant? OL? Teacher? Nanny?]
Wenren Du’Er put her things down and called out, "Dad, Little Aunt!"
This was the first time Wenren Meng had heard her call him "Dad." Although during their phone calls over the past few days Wenren Du’Er had mentioned the Mr. Yang who adopted her, and she knew Du’Er called him Dad.
Hearing it now, however, still felt a little strange.
Before Yang Hui could ask, Wenren Du’Er said, "Dad, my little aunt came to Qingzhou, so I sent the nanny you hired home this afternoon. My little aunt can do all the housework, and it saves money!"
’This kid really doesn’t know how to talk,’ he thought. ’What does she mean, "saves money"? Is Wenren Meng worth less than an elderly woman?’
At that moment, Wenren Meng said, "Mr. Yang, I’m sorry to cause you trouble. I came to Qingzhou mainly to take care of Du’Er. I can help with the cooking and laundry here for free, and I’ll look for some part-time hourly work to do on the side."
"How about this," he said. "You don’t have to look for hourly work. From now on, you’ll be in charge of the housework and taking care of Du’Er. I’ll pay you a salary of 8,000 a month."
"No, no, that’s too much! I can’t take your money!"
Wenren Meng waved her hands in a panic. Back in her hometown, she’d worked herself to the bone in a factory for only 4,000 yuan a month.
Taking care of Du’Er was what she had come to do in the first place. Mr. Yang’s house was so clean there was hardly any housework to do, which meant there was barely any workload. How could she possibly accept such a high salary?
"Mr. Yang, you adopted Du’Er, which makes you a benefactor to the Wenren Family. It’s only right that I do some work to repay you. How could I possibly take money for it?"
Wenren Du’Er fell silent as well, her little head hanging low. She couldn’t yet understand the affairs of adults.
He glanced at Wenren Meng, who had taken off her apron. She was wearing a faded blue cotton shirt and a pair of jeans.
Her cuffs were rolled up slightly, revealing slender wrists. Her skin was so fair it was nearly translucent, like a pebble polished by a mountain stream.
She had a small face with a pointed chin, but her eyes were surprisingly large—as dark as a deep mountain spring and clear enough to reflect a person’s image.
Her thick, jet-black hair was casually tied in a single, coarse braid down her back, the ends curling up slightly, giving her a look that was both playful and stubborn.
’She’s the spitting image of a girl from the mountains back home. A village belle?’
Her clothes were plain, but the simple attire couldn’t hide her voluptuous figure.
It was a pure kind of beauty, like the morning mist in the mountains—understated, yet impossible to look away from.
Yang Hui was terrible at persuading people. Hearing her refusal, his expression turned cold. "Either you accept, or you don’t have to worry about anything in this house. I’ll just hire another nanny. It’s your choice."
With that, he returned to his study, leaving her to think it over.
"Little Aunt, Dad isn’t a bad person. He means well!"
Wenren Du’Er tugged on Wenren Meng’s arm, swaying it back and forth.
Wenren Meng sighed and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "I know. Mr. Yang is a good person."
Perhaps this struck a chord with the little girl. Wenren Du’Er stood up, looked at Wenren Meng, and declared with utmost seriousness, "That’s right! My dad is the best person in the whole world!"
Looking into her big, glistening eyes, Wenren Meng pulled her into a tight hug and murmured, "Such a cute little girl. How could my sister have had the heart...?"
Du’Er didn’t speak, merely resting her head on Wenren Meng’s shoulder as tears rolled down her cheeks, one after another, soon dampening the fabric.
KNOCK KNOCK—
Yang Hui was leaning back in his office chair in the study. Hearing the sound, he said, "Come in!"
"Mr. Yang, I accept your offer. Thank you!"
Her voice wasn’t loud, but her words were clear, carrying a slight lilt unique to people from the mountains, like the soft murmur of a creek flowing over stones.
"Okay, let’s go eat."
Wenren Meng was an excellent cook. That evening, she made braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass, and two vegetable dishes. It had been a long time since Yang Hui had eaten such a delicious meal.
He added Wenren Meng as a contact on WeChat and then transferred 10,000 yuan to her.
"This is for household expenses. Pay for everything the house needs out of this fund. Let me know when it runs out."
"And, keep a ledger. I might decide to check the accounts at any time."
He was deliberately trying to intimidate her, but Wenren Meng replied with a serious expression, "Please rest assured. I will record every expense. I won’t spend a single penny on anything unnecessary."
"No, I’m not asking you to pinch pennies. You should spend what needs to be spent. For example, for the daily meal budget, you can make any decisions as long as it’s under 500 yuan. Du’Er is a growing girl; she needs to eat well."
He glanced at her full chest. ’Well, she certainly doesn’t need any more nourishment in that department,’ he thought.
"Also, go buy yourself a few new outfits. You can take an advance from this money for now and just pay it back after you get your salary next month."
Wenren Meng felt a little embarrassed. In a big house like Mr. Yang’s, she knew her country-girl clothes did look a bit out of place.
"I’m sorry—"
"Stop. Let’s have less formality in the house. I’m going back to the study. As for toiletries and things, have Du’Er show you."
"On second thought, I’ll wash up first. You two can use the bathroom after I’m back in my room."
He was used to the freedom of living alone. Then, a beautiful daughter came into his life, and he started learning to be more considerate.
’And now? A gorgeous young nanny on top of that. Life is getting so surreal!’
After a long soak in the whirlpool tub, he returned to his room feeling completely relaxed. He opened his laptop and finally saw the email from Wang Xiao announcing the disciplinary action against Cai Miao and Zhang Li.
’Those two must hate my guts by now,’ he mused. ’Shouldn’t they be hurrying to ostracize me and bad-mouth me to Li Yang?’
’Bring it on. Let the storm rage.’
BUZZ—!
Several WeChat messages came in at once.
[Zhu Jing: Boss, you’re amazing!]
’That sounds like something you’d say in a completely different context. How awkward,’ he thought.
He knew she was referring to the email he had sent in response. She must have felt quite vindicated seeing the disciplinary action HR took against Cai Miao and Zhang Li.
This bit of drama would likely be enough for the entire staff of Futong Commerce to gossip about for days.
[Yang Hui: You’re pretty good yourself. Very capable.]
[Zhu Jing: Keep it up, Boss! Keep working hard!]
’What a dry, awkward exchange of encouragement,’ he thought.
Yang Na had also sent a message. She’d found a potential office space and was asking if he had time to look at it tomorrow.
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