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墨書 Inktalez
The biggest benefit of the Sales Department is that you can take weekends off without needing to ask for leave from your supervisor. Although there are many odd jobs to do during the week, on weekends, you can rest openly without any issues.
Song Pearl packed her things and prepared to go home, while Hong Xinran, dressed casually and comfortably, entered her dormitory.
"Song Pearl, it's really a hassle to find you. Hurry up and buy a phone!" Hong Xinran shouted as she sat on Song Pearl's bed.
She no longer wore sunglasses, and her beautiful almond-shaped eyes paired with deep double eyelids and fair skin made her look particularly vibrant.
"I haven't seen you at work; your name isn't in the medical office either. Which department have you been assigned to?" Song Pearl was happy to see Hong Xinran.
"I'm not working; I'm at home with my mom!" Hong Xinran casually leaned against Song Pearl's neatly folded quilt, sizing up her outfit and asked, "Are you going home?"
"Yeah, it's pretty boring being here alone on the weekend. It's better to go home and help out with some chores," Song Pearl said as she put down her bag and sat next to Hong Xinran. "But since you're here to see me, I can go home early tomorrow morning."
"That's a bit forced!" Hong Xinran pretended to be angry, frowning. "Song Pearl, it seems like you still don't know how to smile. Are you getting along in this new work environment?"
"It's okay; now every time I go to work, it's like being a waiter—constantly busy with no time to smile!" Song Pearl sighed. "Fortunately, Gao Xiaoxia from the Inspection Station is also working there, so I can ask her if I don't understand something. Otherwise, someone as awkward as me would have been suffocated by now!"
Hong Xinran was amused by Song Pearl's words. "You're only awkward on the surface; I think you're smarter than anyone else!"
"Really? Then I need to go look in the mirror..." Song Pearl said playfully but still maintained a serious expression. "Since you've come to my humble abode, I'll treat you to dinner."
"Sure," Hong Xinran readily agreed. "I came here just to mooch off a meal; I've been cooped up at home for too long!"
"Why don't you look for a job?"
"I don't want to."
"Why not?"
"There are many reasons..."
The two chatted as they walked out onto the street, looking for a restaurant that caught their eye.
"My dad has already found me a job, and not only that, he's even found me a husband," Hong Xinran said with a conflicted expression, twisting a willow branch in her hand while the green leaves became tangled and messy.
"This isn't great?" Song Pearl said, "Your family has arranged everything for you, you don't have to think for yourself, you don't have to worry about anything. What a happy and enviable life!"
"What's there to envy?" Hong Xinran, who appeared carefree and generous, was filled with worries. "Living without having to think for yourself, with everything arranged by others—what's the meaning in that?"
She threw the willow branch in her hand into the flower bed by the roadside, a somewhat rebellious smile on her face. "Since I was young, my dad always liked to arrange my life, but I never listened to him. When he wanted me to learn piano, I tricked him into letting me learn taekwondo; when he wanted me to study business management, I ultimately followed my own heart and studied medicine... I was actually quite grateful to him at first, thinking his expectations were relatively lenient. I didn't expect that right after graduation he would want me to get married and not allow me to work... My wonderful life hasn't even started yet; it's really infuriating!"
"So what do you plan to do? Are you going to look for a job?" Song Pearl was a good listener but couldn't offer much advice.
"Not yet decided; I'll take it one step at a time!" Hong Xinran lowered her eyes, kicking the stones under her feet. "After all, I'm the only daughter in the family. Now that I'm grown up, I don't want to upset my parents anymore. For example, this double eyelid of mine..." Hong Xinran winked at Song Pearl. "It really made my dad mad!"
"How about we go eat noodles?" Song Pearl felt that if they continued down this path, she might lose her way back and pointed to a noodle shop across the street. It was an elegant handmade noodle restaurant with a rustic wooden door.
"Sounds good." The two found a quiet spot to sit down and each ordered a bowl of vegetable noodles.
"How about we get two bottles of beer?" Hong Xinran walked over to the shelf in the middle of the hall and grabbed two bottles of beer, returning to their seats and popping open a bottle cap.
"Um, how much can you drink?" Song Pearl looked at Hong Xinran's bold demeanor with some concern.
"This is really good! You can tell you've never had it!" Hong Xinran opened another beer bottle and handed it to Song Pearl. "Just try it; it's very fragrant. I guarantee you'll want a second sip after the first one—much better than tap water... Don't use a glass; just drink it like this!"
Hong Xinran blocked Song Pearl from taking the cup.
Song Pearl imitated Hong Xinran's actions, lifting the beer bottle to her mouth for a sip. Hmm, she didn't taste much; it just felt cool going down. She took another sip; it was slightly bitter. After another sip, there seemed to be a hint of sweetness and richness—not too cold.
"It really is good."
Song Pearl took small sips; she had never touched alcohol before. Whether at occasional class gatherings or family banquets, people around her had subjectively labeled her as the obedient girl who didn't drink, so no one had ever asked her to drink.
In the serene and simply decorated noodle shop, several people cast curious glances at the two girls drinking beer with their noodles.
With more people around, Hong Xinran stopped complaining. After finishing two bottles of beer between them and barely touching their bowls of noodles—Song Pearl was full while Hong Xinran had no appetite.
Hong Xinran didn't have a good tolerance for alcohol; after one bottle of beer, her face turned red as they stepped out of the restaurant and she began rambling again.
"Pearl, what are your life goals?" Hong Xinran asked.
"My, huh?" Song Pearl looked up at the distant sky, "Of course, it's to get married!"
"What? Your family is busy finding you a match?" Hong Xinran asked with a gossiping expression. "People from our place are just too backward in their thinking. In big cities, they don't pressure you into marriage this early!"
"That's right," Song Pearl agreed with Hong Xinran's words. "Not only early; I knew my life's purpose was to get married for a long time. For that purpose, I've been waiting and waiting, and finally, I've grown up..."
"You had a crush?" Hong Xinran pointed at Song Pearl and laughed, her eyes sparkling as she asked, "Did you want to get married to a childhood friend?"
"No!" Song Pearl defended herself innocently. "I just knew that I would eventually get married."
Hong Xinran shook her head. "Who doesn't end up getting married in the end? Except for some outliers. I just feel that life is too short to settle. I don't want to compromise on what I like or do things that make me unhappy. But after growing up, because of responsibilities, there are always many things that go against your wishes."
Responsibilities? But my responsibility is also to get married.
Song Pearl bit her lip, contemplating the things buried deep in her heart.
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