After Dr. Jin and Auntie Lan received the money from Li Yu, they returned the donations from the neighbors to them. Then they found Ah Mei and Dr. Jin handed her the money, saying, "Here's 80,000 yuan. It's from Ah Yu for your mom's medical expenses. Be careful with it."
Ah Mei immediately pushed the money back, saying, "No, Dr. Jin, Auntie Lan, I can't take Yu Ge's money."
Auntie Lan took the money from Dr. Jin and stuffed it into Ah Mei's hands, saying, "Silly girl, you're alone here with no relatives. If we and Ah Yu don't help you, who will? Take this money and go to the post office to send it right away."
Dr. Jin agreed, "Yes, go quickly."
Ah Mei was moved to tears holding the money, saying, "Thank you for raising money for me, and thank you to Yu Ge for his help. Thank you!" After she finished speaking, Ah Mei left the courtyard with the money.
Dr. Jin and Auntie Lan stood there, watching Ah Mei go to send the money. Auntie Lan worriedly instructed, "Be careful."
Ah Mei, hurrying along, replied with a "Okay."
When Ah Mei walked past a teahouse, clutching the money, she heard a middle-aged woman say to a young woman, "Why do you always have this attitude no matter what I say? Ugh! Forget it, forget it. I only recommended you to the boss because we are fellow villagers. Now you say you won't do it, how am I supposed to explain to the boss?"
The young woman said, "It's 5,000 yuan for a deposit! And those customers aren't good people. I'm sorry, Ying Jie, I won't do it."
The middle-aged woman crossed her arms and said, "You just don't want to pay the 5,000 yuan, that's all. Suit yourself. You think a job with 40 kilograms of rice a month is easy to find?"
Hearing 40 kilograms of rice a month, Ah Mei thought, "Forty kilograms of rice a month is so much! I'll be able to earn enough money to treat my mom soon. I won't need to trouble Yu Ge anymore. He probably didn't easily take out 80,000 yuan." As Ah Mei thought this, she heard the middle-aged woman again: "Fine, don't do it. Go on, there are plenty of people who want to do it."
After the middle-aged woman left, Ah Mei quickly followed her, calling out to the middle-aged woman, "Wait for me, sister."
The middle-aged woman stopped when she heard someone calling from behind. Turning around, she saw Ah Mei and asked, "What is it?"
Ah Mei asked, "I want to ask if you have a job available, the one that pays 40 kilograms of rice a month."
The middle-aged woman saw that the girl was moved by what she said. She smiled and replied, "Yes! But it requires a 5,000 yuan deposit. Do you have it?"
Ah Mei thought for a moment and raised the money she was clutching, saying, "Yes!" Ah Mei thought she would first borrow 5,000 yuan from Li Yu, then return the remaining 75,000 yuan to him. She would then slowly work and have both the money she owed Li Yu and the money for her mother's medical expenses.
Hearing that Ah Mei had the money, the middle-aged woman said, "Alright, come with me to the teahouse."
Ah Mei happily followed the middle-aged woman.
Li Yu held Ah Xiang and slept for a while before getting up to wash up.
After paying the deposit, Ah Mei happily walked back to the courtyard, holding the uniform of the teahouse waitress. Seeing Li Yu washing up, Ah Mei went over and said, "Yu Ge, thank you for your kindness. Here's 75,000 yuan to return to you. I'll borrow the 5,000 yuan for now."
Li Yu took the money Ah Mei handed him, confused. "Didn't your mom need money for treatment? Why are you returning the money?"
Ah Mei happily said, "When I went to the post office today to send the money, I met a good person who introduced me to a job as a waitress at a teahouse. It pays 40 kilograms of rice a month, I'll be able to earn enough money to treat my mom soon, and I won't need to trouble everyone anymore."
Li Yu thought it was just a normal teahouse waitress job, so he congratulated her, "It's so good to be a waitress now? Ah Mei, you have to work hard."
Ah Mei nodded and said, "Yu Ge, I will. I'm going back now." After seeing Li Yu nod, Ah Mei went upstairs.
On the second floor kitchen, Dr. Jin was busy boiling water. Auntie Lan, who had just delivered clothes to Eighth Aunt, saw Dr. Jin doing this and quickly walked over. "Dr. Jin, I said I would help you. Look at you, your eyesight is bad, and you're leaning in so close. What if you burn both your eyebrows off? People will laugh at you." She then helped Dr. Jin boil water.
Hearing Auntie Lan's words, Dr. Jin quickly touched his eyebrows to check if they were burned, saying, "No way, did I burn my eyebrows?"
Auntie Lan laughed at Dr. Jin's actions. "You didn't burn your eyebrows, I was just kidding."
Ah Mei arrived on the second floor and saw Dr. Jin and Auntie Lan boiling water. She happily walked over and greeted them, "Auntie Lan, Dr. Jin."
Dr. Jin happily asked, "Ah Mei, you look so happy. Did your mom's illness get better?"
Ah Mei's smile faded, "Not yet, but she should be okay soon. I found a good job, it pays 40 kilograms of rice a month, so I'll have money to treat my mom soon. I won't need to bother Yu Ge anymore."
Auntie Lan happily said for Ah Mei, "Wow! Such good luck!"
Dr. Jin also smiled and said, "Such a good deal."
Ah Mei smiled and said, "It's because I met a noble person today." Ah Mei went to her bed, put the waitress uniform on the table, then picked up the teapot and poured herself some water to drink.
Hearing Ah Mei's words, Auntie Lan and Dr. Jin went over to Ah Mei. Auntie Lan curiously asked, "A noble person? Who is it?"
Ah Mei, having finished her tea, said, "It's a kind person I met today at the post office. She introduced me to a job at a teahouse, 40 kilograms of rice a month for a month-long shift."
Auntie Lan and Dr. Jin exchanged glances. Auntie Lan anxiously asked, "You're going to be a waitress?"
Ah Mei nodded, "Yes! I guess I'm lucky. There was a girl who didn't want to do it, so it was just right for me. But, Dr. Jin, Auntie Lan, after I got this job, I took out 5,000 yuan from the 80,000 yuan Yu Ge gave me to pay for the uniform deposit. I returned the rest to Yu Ge. I'll return the remaining 5,000 yuan to Yu Ge after I work for a month, when they return my deposit."
Hearing this, Dr. Jin and Auntie Lan became anxious. They discussed in hushed tones whether to tell Ah Mei that the waitress was actually a prostitute.