B5SB -Chapter 343 The “Selling” Duck

Service Station

Just before finishing her shift, Gu Yihan checked the accounts, filled out the daily sales report and the daily receipt collection report.

Liu Yufang walked over, smiling: “Sister-in-law, are you done tidying up?”

“Almost.”

Gu Yihan quickly put the cash, receipts, and reports into her satchel, locked the counter, and walked out.

The two of them walked side by side into the accounting office to hand over the money and receipts.

On the way home, Liu Yufang linked arms with Gu Yihan enthusiastically and asked with a smile, “Sister-in-law, how was your first day at work?”

Gu Yihan smiled: “Pretty good. It’s much more interesting than staying at home.”

Hearing this, Liu Yufang chuckled: “Sister-in-law, you always speak so honestly.”

“Days spent at home with open palms—how can that compare to the satisfaction of earning your own money?”

Gu Yihan smiled, but didn’t explain that she wasn’t working to earn money—she was just passing the time.

“Xiaohan”

Hearing Li Yajing calling from behind, Gu Yihan stopped and turned around.

Smiling, she said: “Sister Yajing, are you done with your work?”

Li Yajing walked over and said with a smile: “Almost done.”

Liu Yufang’s gaze lingered on Li Yajing for a moment, confirming she wasn’t one of the military wives from the compound. She smiled at Gu Yihan: “Sister-in-law, I’ll go first.”

Gu Yihan nodded.

Li Yajing glanced at Liu Yufang’s retreating figure, then patted Gu Yihan’s satchel and said with a grin: “Xiaohan, I specially brought you a roast duck.”

“Ah? Didn’t you carry it all day then?”

Gu Yihan said this while urging Li Yajing to come in and rest for a while.

In the living room, Li Yajing sat on the sofa, and Gu Yihan poured her a glass of water, placing it on her right.

“Xiaohan, you’ve started working?”

Gu Yihan sat down across from her and nodded: “Yes, at the service station, as a sales clerk. Honestly, the first day was a bit tiring.”

Li Yajing sipped her water and listened. She laughed: “Being a sales clerk seems easy, but the workload is actually quite heavy.”

Gu Yihan nodded, acknowledging this. Though there weren’t many customers, she was busy throughout the day. When she finally got a short break, she still had to dust and clean, and deal with sudden inspections from her supervisor.

“By the way, I came to tell you: if Zhengfan ever asks you to help on my behalf, don’t agree under any circumstances!”

Li Yajing warned repeatedly.

Gu Yihan’s eyes flickered with curiosity: “Did you have a fight with Secretary Chang?”

Li Yajing pursed her lips and snorted: “No fight. I just feel that whole family is too calculating—like a spiky dog, sniffing around, looking to latch onto anything.”

Gu Yihan couldn’t help but giggle.

Li Yajing shot her a glare: “Don’t laugh, I’m serious. I only argued a couple of times with my mother-in-law that day. The next day, she started micromanaging my work and life. She constantly nagged me to be more diligent at the Civil Affairs Bureau, clean the office for the leaders daily, and even serve them water. Also saying things like, ‘I don’t punish the diligent or lazy, I only punish the careless.’”

Gu Yihan: “……”

“I went to work at the Civil Affairs Bureau, not to be a maid! Why should I humble myself for them? They even measured my salt against my rice! Do you think I’d let them oppress me? Pah! Using elder status to pressure me? No way! I’m not an orphan without parents or siblings.”

Li Yajing grew angrier as she spoke, feeling nauseated as if she had eaten a dead rat. Every time she quarreled with her mother-in-law, Secretary Chang would smooth things over, making her irritated just seeing him. If she didn’t need him for having a child, she would have kicked him out of the bedroom long ago.

Gu Yihan listened, stunned. She thought all mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships must be like this—always arguing.

Li Yajing had only been in the city a few days, and already the tension arose.

Gu Yihan sighed. Both women had their own thoughts—neither her mother-in-law’s nor Li Yajing’s opinions could be labeled completely right or wrong.

She organized her words and said: “Sister Yajing, everyone thinks differently. If you want to be an ordinary clerk your whole life, you can live as freely as you like.”

Li Yajing paused, feeling as though Gu Yihan was speaking ironically.

Before she could ask if Gu Yihan meant something else, Haohao ran in with his school bag.

“Mom, I’m home!”

“Oh, Haohao’s back! Remember me?”

Li Yajing pulled him close and pinched his chubby cheeks.

Haohao tilted his head and cautiously addressed her: “Aunt Li.”

Li Yajing was delighted: “Xiaohan, when I have a daughter, we’ll betroth our children!”

Before Gu Yihan could refuse, Haohao wriggled out of Li Yajing’s arms and shouted: “No! Mom, I don’t want a betrothal!”

Gu Yihan froze for a moment, then scooped him onto her lap, teasing: “You know what a betrothal is!”

Haohao nodded vigorously: “Mom, I don’t want anyone eating my food, drinking my water, or sleeping in my bed!”

His eyes reddened as he made a show of crying if Gu Yihan didn’t agree.

Li Yajing couldn’t help laughing at his cute expression: “Alright, Auntie was just teasing.”

She glanced at her watch—it was six o’clock—and quickly got up.

“Xiaohan, I have to go or I’ll miss the bus.”

Gu Yihan nodded and held Haohao’s hand to see her out.

At home, Lu Huailin returned to find that Gu Yihan had already cooked the rice.

Seeing the roast duck on the table, he asked in surprise: “Wife, did you go into the city today?”

Gu Yihan carried the rice from the kitchen and explained with a smile: “No, this roast duck was a gift from Sister Yajing.”

Haohao pouted when he heard Li Yajing’s name.

Lu Huailin chuckled: “Your friend is generous. This roast duck costs six yuan—four jin of meat tickets.”

“That expensive?” Gu Yihan exclaimed.

Lu Huailin rolled some duck meat in a lotus leaf pancake and held it near her mouth: “That proves my wife is worth it.”

Gu Yihan gave him a side-eye and playfully scolded: “Chatterbox.”

Haohao, having heard that roast duck was expensive, glimmered with the thought that this was his own “selling” duck.

Lu Huailin glanced at Haohao, puzzled: “Son, why aren’t you eating?”

Gu Yihan glanced at him, trying to suppress a smile: “Eat quickly. She doesn’t have a daughter. Even if she did, Mom wouldn’t allow a betrothal.”

Haohao’s eyes lit up instantly: “Really?”

Gu Yihan nodded.

Lu Huailin watched as Haohao’s happiness radiated visibly and whispered to his wife: “What’s going on?”

Gu Yihan chuckled softly and explained Li Yajing’s proposal of a betrothal.

Lu Huailin couldn’t hold back and snorted, and soon the room was filled with endless laughter.