The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 452: Chapter 452: Employment and Repaying a Kindness

Sister Liu gave a hearty laugh. ”The pay for my job here isn’t bad, but I have to work the night shift. Still, I’m more than happy to do it for sixty to seventy yuan a month.”

Han Xiaorui heard this and chose her words carefully. ”Sister Liu, I can see you’re very experienced in caring for new mothers and babies. Our family would like to hire you to take care of my aunt and Little Treasure.”

Sister Liu was taken aback for a moment. ”But I have a good job here. As long as the hospital exists, I’ll have work.”

’Working as a caregiver in a hospital... that’s a proper job.’

’But working for a private family... wouldn’t that just make me a servant?’

Sister Liu couldn’t quite wrap her head around it and was hesitant to accept.

’Even if the hospital is private, it’s still more reliable than working for an individual.’

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Sister Lian, the one who just went home to cook for my aunt, has been with the Xu family for over forty years.”

”Not only do we provide room and board, but she also has a salary. Sister Lian earns four hundred yuan a month, and the Xu family is even providing for her retirement! And look at how we treat Sister Lian. Aren’t we just like family?”

”Sister Liu, if you’re worried this won’t be a long-term position with the Xu family, we can talk to the hospital. You can try working for us for a while first.”

”We can’t offer you as much as she gets right at the start, but you saved us. We can guarantee two hundred yuan a month. Over time, your pay can increase. If you find you enjoy working for the Xu family, you can stay on. If you’re unhappy or it’s not a good fit, you can always return to your job as a caregiver here at the hospital.”

Sister Liu was stunned to hear the offer of two hundred yuan a month. ”Would I really just be taking care of the mother and baby? Nothing else? I’m not a good cook, and I’m not very sophisticated.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”To be precise, you’ll only need to take care of the baby! My aunt needs your care right now since she just gave birth. But once she’s through her postpartum confinement and has recovered, she won’t need you to look after her anymore.”

Sister Liu smiled. ”Alright. To be honest, the pay is very good, and I have a lot of kids at home. Earning more will make our lives a little easier.”

”Here at the hospital, caring for one new mother takes about four to six days, day and night. I get at least one day off a week.”

”After all, I have my own family and two children. I also have four younger siblings that I’ve been raising ever since our parents passed away. It’s my responsibility as the eldest sister, and I can’t run from it.”

”My ex-husband and mother-in-law were furious that I was raising my siblings. They argued with me constantly and tried to stir up trouble. Eventually, my ex-husband fell for another woman. He divorced me, married her, and is now raising another woman’s child.”

Han Xiaorui was shocked. ”Sister Liu, who helps you raise the six children in your home?”

Sister Liu smiled with surprising optimism. ”My grandparents help raise them. My eldest sister is a great student; she’s a high school senior this year and will be taking her college entrance exams next year. University is free now, and they even provide a living stipend, so my expenses will go down. Things will get a little easier for me then.”

”I also have a brother in the ninth grade. His grades aren’t the best, but he’s been practicing martial arts with our father since he was a boy. I’ve made sure he’s kept up with it all these years, so he hasn’t slacked off. If he can get into high school, I’ll let him continue his studies. If not, with his skills and build, joining the army is also an option.”

”Then there’s another sister in seventh grade and one in fifth. My own kids are in second and first grade. My grandmother manages the household while my grandfather mends shoes. It’s tough, but he still manages to earn a few dozen yuan a month.”

”When we got divorced, my ex-husband didn’t want the kids. He gives me ten yuan a month in child support for each of them. It’s not a lot, but as long as we’re careful with how we live, we can manage.”

Although Sister Liu spoke matter-of-factly, Han Xiaorui could feel the weight of her struggles and the strength of her optimism.

’After her parents passed away, she, as the eldest sister, had taken on the role of a parent herself.’

Han Xiaorui replied, ”I can make this decision right now. You’ll only need to work five days a week. Saturdays and Sundays will be your days off to spend with your family.”

”Raising children is about more than just keeping them fed and clothed. They need affection and guidance with their emotional issues to grow up healthy. And you need to be there to respect and care for your elders.”

Sister Liu nodded emphatically. ”That’s right. Because my parents are gone, my grandparents can’t bring themselves to discipline my siblings. They won’t even scold my own two children.”

”If I don’t keep them in line and just let them run wild, I’ll end up raising a bunch of little hooligans! But I promise, when I’m on the clock, I’ll be completely focused on my work.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Great! Then it’s settled! We’ll talk to the hospital about your position here, to make sure you have a path back if you need it.”

Sister Liu smiled. ”Okay. I can tell you’re good people. I’ll cherish this opportunity and work hard.”

Later, Han Xiaorui had someone look into Sister Liu’s family situation, and it turned out to be exactly as she had described.

Moreover, her family had an excellent reputation in the neighborhood and was well-regarded by all.

Even though Sister Liu and her grandparents were raising six children, the kids’ clothes, though old, were always spotless.

The children understood how hard their elders worked; the older ones helped look after the younger ones. This was especially true for the eldest sister, the high school senior. With her excellent grades, she was in charge of helping her younger siblings, as well as her own nephew and niece, with their schoolwork.

All in all, they were a very ordinary, yet wholesome, extended family.

When Ye Feng arrived that evening, he finally learned what had happened at the hospital.

Ye Feng reached out and gently poked Han Xiaorui’s forehead. ”Something this huge happens, and you don’t tell me?”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”It already happened, and we dealt with it. There was no reason to make you and Grandma and Grandpa come all the way down here. Besides, you didn’t sleep at all last night, and by now, it’s all over.”

Ye Feng’s eyes grew cold. ”That Wen Tao... Instead of staying in hiding, he actually dared to show his face and stir up trouble. This time, he’s absolutely getting the death penalty!”

Han Xiaorui paused. ”I remember there’s a warrant for Wen Tao’s arrest in Japan. Will he be sent there for trial?”

Ye Feng answered, ”Probably. But even if he isn’t sent to Japan, he’ll face a severe sentence here at home!”

”He’ll get what’s coming to him. The sooner a person like that is dead, the better. Otherwise, he’ll always be a future threat.” Han Xiaorui frowned. ”I really hope they give Wen Tao the death penalty, to eliminate the problem once and for all.”

Ye Feng nodded. ”You haven’t been home all day. You should go back now. Sister Lian and Sister Liu are here watching over Auntie and the baby. I’m going to head to the police station and see what I can find out.”

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment. ”You go get the details first. I’ll wait here for you. My aunt went through a terrible shock today. No matter what, as her family, we need to be by her side.”