Chapter 401: Chapter 401

That night, she stayed up late writing programs and Jiang Kechu considerately didn’t disturb her.

The next morning, before leaving for work, Jiang Kechu said, "Our new maid will arrive at nine in the morning. She comes recommended by a comrade-in-arms of mine. Be warm to her."

Wan Chu’er: "...I’m not a tiger, am I?"

Jiang Kechu rubbed her hair and was about to turn around, but then he remembered something else and instructed, "We have new neighbors next door, and I find them a bit off. If they greet you, just ignore them."

The sudden appearance of that man yesterday was really eerie, and Jiang Kechu didn’t think he was a good person.

Wan Chu’er chuckled and said, "Do I look like someone who loves chatting with strangers?"

So Jiang Kechu went to the army base reassured.

At 8:59 a.m., right on time, the doorbell rang. Wan Chu’er raised an eyebrow and went to open the door, only to see a plainly dressed, slightly nervous young girl standing outside.

The girl had a pretty face and her short hair made her look neat and tidy. Wan Chu’er took a liking to her at first glance.

"Hello, Sister-in-law, you must be Captain Jiang’s wife, right? My name is Mao Xiaoyu, and I’m here to work as your maid," Mao Xiaoyu said nervously to the radiant but somewhat indifferent-looking woman in front of her, quickly explaining her situation.

Wan Chu’er, remembering Jiang Kechu’s words, revealed a slight smile and tried to soften her tone, "Hello, Xiao Yu, don’t be nervous. Captain Jiang has already told me about you, and you are very punctual."

Mao Xiaoyu chuckled, feeling relieved. She was so excited that she got up early and walked around the neighborhood for forty minutes, which was now paid off.

She had arrived at the residential complex early, afraid that Wan Chu’er might be busy, so she dared not come in ahead of time. She entered the moment she had timed, for fear of being late and displeasing Captain Jiang’s wife.

The clothes on Mao Xiaoyu were faded from washing, clearly indicating her family was not well-off economically, but she appeared to be a clean and tidy person.

Wan Chu’er led her into the living room, "Come, have a seat."

Mao Xiaoyu eyed the soft sofa and cautiously perched on just a small part of it.

"Sister-in-law, just let me know what chores you have," Mao Xiaoyu said, eager to start working and show Wan Chu’er her performance, to feel settled.

Wan Chu’er smiled, "There’s no rush. Let’s chat first. How old are you?"

"I’m nineteen," Mao Xiaoyu said nervously, very worried that Wan Chu’er might think she was too young and inexperienced. She hurriedly added, "Sister-in-law, you can count on me. I may be young, but I’ve been doing household work since I was a child. I can cook, do laundry, and when I go shopping, I’m good at haggling to save money. Since I was ten, I’ve been helping my mom look after my younger brothers and sisters. I can take care of children too."

Wan Chu’er quickly held her hand, "Mm, I know you’re good, don’t worry."

Mao Xiaoyu’s cautiousness and eagerness reminded her of the days when she sold pickles. Back then, she and Bai Zhixi were also very careful, in case others did not like their pickles.

"Did you graduate from high school?" Wan Chu’er asked.

Mao Xiaoyu nodded: "I graduated."

"How come you didn’t go to college?"

Mao Xiaoyu was taken aback, a hint of sadness flitted across her eyes, then she happily exclaimed, "My eldest little brother has gone to college, studying right in Beijing. My little sister and younger brother are still in junior high, and they are also doing very well. They will go to college in the future too."

She proudly talked about her siblings, but not about herself. Most likely because her family was too poor to afford it, she took the initiative to work as a nanny to earn money and support her siblings.

Wan Chu’er understood the situation and didn’t ask further, simply smiling and saying, "There’s quite a bit to do here: cleaning, cooking, and you’ll also need to help me take care of the child. Every week I’ll hire a part-time worker to do a thorough cleaning, you’ll just need to tidy up ordinarily.

I will pay you 2,000 yuan a month. You can have holidays off during festivals."

She thought for a moment and said, "That’s it for now, if there’s anything else, we’ll communicate about it."

Mao Xiaoyu got suddenly excited; she hadn’t expected to earn 2,000 yuan a month, and she began to stammer.

"Sister-in-law, 2,000 yuan...is too much... Is it too much? Captain Jiang...to me...to our family, he has been kind..."

Wan Chu’er raised her hand to stop her, gently saying, "We’ll start with 2,000 yuan. If you aren’t worth that, it will be reduced later. Of course, if you do well, I could also give you a raise."

Mao Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, wanting to express her gratitude to Wan Chu’er, but felt her thanks were too superficial, so she earnestly said, "Sister-in-law, rest assured, I will do my best."

Wan Chu’er smiled and called Xiao Liu over, "Xiao Liu, this is Xiaoyu. Tell her about everything, and once she’s familiarized with it, you can go back to the compound. Thank you for these past few days."

Xiao Liu quickly smiled and said, "Not a bother, not a bother." She then took Xiaoyu into the kitchen and pointed out the things to pay attention to while working.

An hour later, Mao Xiaoyu saw Xiao Liu out and hurriedly tidied up her own room.

She had never lived in such a bright and comfortable room before, and the employer was much better than she had imagined, giving her a salary of 2,000 yuan. With this, her siblings could all go to college, everything seemed so wonderful, and she felt that not going to college herself was quite alright too.

She didn’t dare delay and quickly left the room to help Wan Chu’er with the child.

Wan Chu’er said to Mao Xiaoyu, "Get yourself ready, we’ll leave in ten minutes."

"Oh," Mao Xiaoyu replied and, recalling what Sister Xiao Liu had told her, went to the nursery to prepare the two little ones’ things.

In five minutes, Mao Xiaoyu was ready with the things to take out, and Wan Chu’er was very satisfied.

Wan Chu’er placed the two little ones in the stroller and headed out with Mao Xiaoyu pushing the stroller.

Once outside, she and Mao Xiaoyu put the children into the car’s rear safety seats and had Mao Xiaoyu sit in the front passenger seat.

Wan Chu’er patiently taught Mao Xiaoyu how to buckle the seatbelt, then started the car, and it slowly glided forward. Mao Xiaoyu, riding in such a small car for the first time, was very nervous, sitting upright and not daring to move.

As the car passed the neighboring villa, Wan Chu’er suddenly saw Chen Jiahua’s face, her eyes going wide in shock, and the car came to a sudden "screech" and stopped.

Mao Xiaoyu jerked forward, being pulled back by the seatbelt. As she was bewildered, she saw Wan Chu’er swing open the door and get out, striding briskly toward the villa outside.

"Why are you here!" Wan Chu’er demanded.

Chen Jiahua initially smiled instinctively, then remembering Wan Chu’er did not like him, he turned and ran back into the house.