Lan Yi and Dr. Jin were still discussing.
Aomei, standing aside, started daydreaming and muttered to herself, “Forty catties of rice a month. If I save here and there, I can give twenty catties to my mother every month. Then, I won’t have to worry about her medical expenses.” She smiled.
Seeing Aomei like that, Lan Yi walked over and patted her shoulder, breaking her fantasy. “Do you know what a waitress does?”
Aomei, with a knowing look, said, “Lan Yi, of course I know. A waitress serves tea, brings water, and sells snacks, that’s it.”
Lan Yi said angrily, “Do you think it’s just serving tea and bringing water, so simple? I’m really exasperated with you!”
Dr. Jin said helplessly, “Aomei, you’ve just arrived in the city, you don’t know anything. Twenty years ago, Guangzhou started hiring waitresses. It wasn’t a big deal at first, but those teahouse owners were up to no good. Guess what they made those waitresses do? They made them… do things that can’t be seen in the light. They… I can’t even say it.” Dr. Jin turned around and sat down.
Aomei asked curiously, “What is it?”
Lan Yi, standing next to Aomei, couldn’t bear it anymore and said, “Well, there’s nothing to be shy about. Aomei, to put it bluntly, nowadays a waitress is like half a prostitute. They don’t just accompany guests for meals and drinks, chat and laugh, they also let the guests… touch them on the fifteenth of the eighth month.”
Aomei was scared and said, “No way?”
Seeing Aomei getting scared, Lan Yi said, “If it’s not a horse, it’s a dog. You’ve been tricked.”
Dr. Jin, who was sitting, agreed. “Aomei, what your Lan Yi said is true. That’s why the National Government banned all teahouses from hiring waitresses for a period of time, but they couldn’t stop it completely.”
Lan Yi interrupted Dr. Jin, “Dr. Jin, stop telling stories. Aomei, you’re a proper girl from a decent family. If your parents knew about this, how could they face anyone? We’re decent people, don’t take such lowly jobs. Other jobs don’t pay well, just take on extra shifts.”
Dr. Jin stood up, walked over to Aomei and said, “Yeah, tell the boss you won’t be working anymore and get your deposit back.”
Aomei said with worry, “I can’t. The boss said I need to work for a full month before I can get my deposit back.”
Lan Yi said quickly, “Look, you haven’t even worn your uniform yet, just talk to the boss nicely and you can get it back.” Dr. Jin chimed in, “Yeah, go quit.”
Aomei thought for a while and said, “Okay, I’ll go talk to the boss.” She went downstairs and left the courtyard.
Li Yu finished washing up and returned home. He woke up Axiang and told her to go wash up.
Axiang went to the tap and saw Aomei rushing downstairs. She said, “Aomei, why are you in such a hurry?”
Aomei, as if she hadn’t heard, went out of the courtyard gate.
Seeing Aomei ignore her, Axiang pouted, turned around and continued washing up.
Lan Yi came down from upstairs and saw Axiang looking a bit angry, so she said with a smile, “Axiang, did A Yu upset you? It’s normal for couples to bicker. You see, Rui Shu and I fight all the time.”
Axiang heard that and laughed. “I didn’t fight with Yu Ge. I was just greeting Aomei, but she ignored me and left, so I’m a little angry.”
The smile on Lan Yi’s face disappeared. She sighed and said, “Aomei was tricked. She’s in a hurry to get her deposit back.”
Axiang asked in confusion, “Why was she tricked?”
Li Yu waited for a while and Axiang didn’t come back. He went out to look for her. As soon as Li Yu reached the tree, he saw Axiang chatting enthusiastically with Lan Yi. He shook his head and walked over.
As soon as he got closer, Li Yu heard Lan Yi say, “This morning, Aomei took money to the post office to send to her mother for medical expenses. She heard a woman say there was a waitress job that paid forty catties of rice, but it required a five-thousand yuan uniform deposit. Aomei just paid it.”
Li Yu interjected from behind Lan Yi, “Waitress, such a high salary, isn’t it good?”
Lan Yi was startled. “Oh, it’s A Yu! You scared me. You probably don’t know the nature of the waitress job. A waitress is like half a prostitute.”
Li Yu was surprised. “So that’s it, no wonder the salary is so high.”
Axiang suddenly understood. “So that’s why Aomei was in such a hurry to get her deposit back.”
Lan Yi gave a wry smile. “Hopefully Aomei can get her deposit back. Anyway, I need to deliver clothes to customers.” She returned to the tailor shop.
Li Yu hugged Axiang and said, “Don’t think about it anymore. Come on, let’s go to Da San Yuan.” He and Axiang returned home, put their things down, and left the courtyard.
Aomei went into the teahouse, found the boss, and said, “Boss, there are so many lecherous men here, I don’t want to work anymore. Give me my deposit back.”
The teahouse boss said, “Whether you work or not is your choice. We’re not the underworld here, we won’t force you. But if you want your deposit back, you have to do it according to the contract. You need to work for a full month, then we will naturally return it to you.”
Aomei, holding the uniform, walked out of the teahouse helplessly. She walked along the street.
Li Yu and Axiang were on their way to Da San Yuan when they ran into Aomei. Seeing her like this, Axiang said, “Aomei, can you not get your deposit back?”
Aomei said helplessly, “The boss said there’s no deposit back, I need to work for a full month before I can get it back.”
Li Yu said, “Come on, Aomei, we’ll go back with you to find that boss and get your money back. I have a way.”
Aomei’s spirits lifted. “Really, Yu Ge? You really have a way?”
Li Yu said with a smile, “Come on, you lead the way.”
Aomei led Li Yu and Axiang to the teahouse.
The teahouse boss was still enjoying his tea in the room. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the door was kicked open. Two women and a man walked in. One of the women was the one who had come to get her deposit back. She said angrily, “I told you I wouldn’t give the money back, you think you can get it back by bringing people here to cause trouble? You don’t go out and find out who I am? Dare to make trouble here, you must not have died before, right?”
Seeing the teahouse boss being so arrogant, Li Yu said, “Let me introduce myself first, I am Li Yu, Deputy Chief of the Taiping Branch. This is my friend. She said you scammed her out of five thousand yuan deposit. You figure it out.”
The teahouse boss heard Li Yu was the Deputy Chief of the Taiping Branch and immediately changed his demeanor. “Oh, it’s Deputy Chief Li, I’ve really made a mistake. This deposit will be returned immediately.”