Chapter 252: Graduating Means Unemployed, How About You Support Me?
How good is Lin Yibai’s cooking?
After tasting it, Xia Changyu could only say she had reached the highest level a non-professional chef could achieve.
Her family elders used to be chefs in a state-run cafeteria, so Lin Yibai learned cooking from them. Naturally, her cooking was something to be proud of. She was the kind of girl who could shine both inside and outside the home.
Lin Yibai didn’t eat much. More exactly, since she became a girl, her appetite was much smaller than before. Before, she could easily finish one and a half full bowls of rice, but now even one bowl was hard to finish.
She touched her small belly and really couldn’t eat more. But since there was still a lot of food in the pot, she said to Xia Changyu, “You’re a boy, so eat more! Don’t be like those weak people who get cold just by eating a peach.”
“Burp~” Xia Changyu burped to show he was full.
His appetite was also about one and a half bowls. Because Lin Yibai cooked it herself and the food really tasted good, two big bowls filled him up.
But, okay! Seeing the girl’s eager look, Xia Changyu went back and ate another small half bowl.
Now he finally understood why men gain weight after marriage. Lately, when he talked to his mom on the phone, she also said he had gotten a lot sturdier. Didn't that implicitly mean he had gained a bit of weight?
Is happy love really the cause of gaining weight?
Xia Changyu was really handsome, with a good body and strong presence. But now he felt a little worried. Sitting on the sofa, he asked, “Hey, if I get fat and my face changes in the future, will you still like me, Baiyi?”
Lin Yibai asked back, “Why would you get fat? Why would your body change?”
Xia Changyu said, “It’s all your cooking and the sweet love. It’s the main reason people gain weight.”
“Then why don’t you work out? If you exercise, you won’t get fat or lose your shape!”
“Uh... you’re right, I should exercise. Okay! I’ll pick a sport to do later, like running or lifting dumbbells.”
Lin Yibai: “No.”
Xia Changyu: “?”
Lin Yibai washed the bowls and then turned seriously to say, “If you’re going to exercise, you should start with your waist! If your waist is strong, everything else can wait. The waist is the most important, nothing else is urgent.”
Xia Changyu was confused, “??”
Dear future wife, what kind of experience did you have that made you think exercising waist is so important?
Xia Changyu looked at his girlfriend. He felt that a strong "calf" like himself would probably make his wife unable to bear it after just a couple of "plows."
Boys are always confident like that.
Don’t ask why Lin Yibai told him to train his waist, when a girl tells you to do something, don’t argue. Just do it.
After eating, Xia Changyu rested a bit to help digestion, then lay down on the bed to nap a little. After all, he really had work to do and had to go back to work in the afternoon.
Lin Yibai was still the same as always. She read books and checked job listings.
Seeing others going to internships and finding jobs, she wasn’t really calm inside. She was definitely worried.
Maybe because of her past part-time jobs, Lin Yibai had higher standards for finding work. In short, she still hadn’t found a job she really liked.
“Will graduating really mean being unemployed?” She had worried about this question more than once.
So, maybe it’s okay to lower the standards a bit?
But this job doesn’t seem that good either, so maybe keep looking?
Maybe the next one, the very best job for her, is just around the corner?
She felt like someone searching for wheat in a field, always thinking there might be a better job waiting for her next.
Around 1 PM in the afternoon, Xia Changyu got up and got ready to go to work. While he was at it, he looked at Lin Yibai’s computer and saw many job websites open again. He didn’t say much, but after he got to his office, besides doing his own work, he also opened several big job sites.
Of course, he wasn’t trying to decide what kind of job Lin Yibai should take. If it was up to Xia Changyu, “I would love for her to be a full-time housewife! No need to suffer outside, no boss to scold her, better for her to stay home and take care of the kids, and if she’s happy, we can go travel together.”
Yes, the truth is, Xia Changyu could really support her! If Lin Yibai was willing, nothing would be impossible.
But he also respected her own wishes.
What Xia Changyu was doing now was “filtering.” He would first pick out jobs Lin Yibai could do and might be interested in, then check if the company was bad or had crazy rules, like 996 or 007. He would never let her work at such places.
Xia Changyu already had a list of job openings, but he had his own secret wish. Quietly, he said, “These jobs are good, but I want her to try for a government job first before accepting anything else.”
From a selfish point of view, who wouldn’t want their woman to have a stable and respected job?
Compared to wandering through private companies, it’s better for a girl to have a government job with a steady salary for life. Even if it’s not high pay, it’s steady and safe, you know?
In the thick fog of late autumn, the school square was already busy early in the morning. Many companies came to the school for the yearly autumn job fair.
They set up tents and waited for students who were interested to come ask questions. Although top students were mostly already hired by big companies, there were still many quieter students waiting to be discovered.
Job hunting was like looking for treasure. In front of the HR people were fresh college graduates, almost like new shoots just sprouting.
Lin Yibai was there too, holding a carefully made resume, but she didn’t send it to any job yet. Even though she had lowered her own expectations, she still didn’t feel excited about any job.
Actually, many job offers were even more… well, strange than she thought.
“Sales, marketing, operations, accounting, office work… nothing really special or interesting!”
The only difference was which company or business she would work for doing these jobs.
You might say, are there any new or fresh jobs? Yes, there are, but nobody knows if they are good or not.
One company had a very unique and attractive booth, which drew many students to check it out.
The HR person spoke very enthusiastically, “Our company is full of young people, and we aim to build a business chain for big companies and even small stores. In the last two years, our business grew very fast, and there are many opportunities. We only care about ability, not personal relationships. If you work hard, you will be the next to get a raise and promotion.”
Sounds good, right? So the girl asked, “What exactly will I be doing?”
Her question was a little strange among the excited students who were dreaming big. They didn’t want to be brought back down to reality so suddenly.
But Lin Yibai cared about the details and money. She thought it was better to clearly say what the job really involved, rather than just talk it up with fancy words.
Just as expected, the HR person gave an awkward smile. He took a deep breath and then spoke in a calmer voice, not as excited as before, “Our company's positions are very 'challenging' for people.”
When Lin Yibai heard the word “challenging,” she already had a pretty good idea in her mind. A really good company wouldn’t talk about “challenging” in such a fancy way, because the other meaning of “challenging” usually means the job is tiring, right?
Lin Yibai kept listening. But Xia Changyu, who came with her, couldn’t help but whisper in her ear.
“Actually, this is just a promoter’s job. This company hires a lot of people, then sends them everywhere to find customers. They call it ‘challenging’ to make it sound nicer.”
Lin Yibai: “What the heck!”
Still don’t get it? Here’s a simple example. The job is about a company that made an app. They say the app can help customers find buyers better. Your job is to go around the streets, from big companies to small convenience stores, and ask people to download the app, sign up, and buy memberships.
But the app is mostly useless. The company keeps 100 yuan from the membership fee but only gives you 5 yuan as your share.
Lin Yibai quickly turned to leave.
The HR called after her, “Hey, why are you leaving? You should really learn more about our company’s job. I think you are a good fit.”
Good fit my foot.
After walking a bit, Xia Changyu smiled and asked, “I thought you would call him out right there and save a lot of students from trouble!”
Lin Yibai shook her head and said, “What exists has a reason. They weren't trying to embarrass me like that old incident, so I can’t ruin their business just because their job is tricky. What about people who do hard, low-paid work? Should I blame them too?”
Xia Changyu laughed even more happily. Because he saw a more mature and steady-thinking girl.
Last time at the campus job fair, the company tried to pick a fight and tried to embarrass her in front of many people, so she had to deal with them. But now, it’s not about whether the job is tricky or not, it’s about whether it’s illegal. If it’s not illegal, don’t complain too much, okay?
Sure, the job is a bit tricky, but at least it gives some work opportunities, right?
Xia Changyu moved closer to her and asked, “So, you still haven’t found a job you like? You can focus on preparing for the civil service exam first for now.”
She said, “I want to take the exam, but I still need to look for jobs.”
Xia Changyu put his hands together and said, “My company really needs someone like you. Come be my right-hand person! Please!”
Lin Yibai refused: “No thanks.”
Xia Changyu said again, “Take it to the wedding planning business, then.”
Lin Yibai said, “That’s an old, dying industry. I don’t want to do that.”
Xia Changyu asked, “Then what do you want to do? Anyway, I’m telling you now, whether you find a job or not, I will support you. So don’t be worried.”
Lin Yibai smiled and answered, “I know you mean well, but there’s no way I can let you support me forever. I still have some money to last a while, so for now I’ll listen to you, look at jobs when I have time, study for the civil exam… and if I can’t find a job I like, I can try some part-time work first.”
Can a living person really die from worrying too much?
But Xia Changyu’s concern was something she had heard many times before. He really cared about her mental health and kept telling her not to stress.
That’s really nice.
People who are unemployed or looking for jobs definitely feel worried, just like Lin Yibai. Most of their pressure comes from family and friends, who say they care but actually just add stress.
“Thank you.” Lin Yibai smiled.
Having a boyfriend like this, is that like finding a treasure?