âMiss, I canât lose this job,â Mei Mei began to cry, âThis is already the third job weâve found. If we get fired again, for sure no one will want to hire us.â
Tan Rou asked curiously, âThen why were you dismissed the previous two times?â
Mei Mei explained, âThe first time we werenât really dismissed, we left voluntarily because the people there had terrible tempers and treated us like slaves, with no respect at all. The second time wasnât our fault either; the male head of that household was constantly harassing us, and when his wife found out, she fired us.â
Tan Rou was no saint; she didnât want her sympathy to overflow, and for maids who had made serious mistakes, she wouldnât be lenient. However, since the maids werenât hired by her, she would have to make a trip to Mother Tao to have them dismissed.
âThis isnât my issue,â Tan Rou said, âBeing fired twice already shows that you arenât suited for this job. Youâd better hurry up and find another job.â
Mei Mei and Na Na were orphans who hadnât continued their education after junior high school. With no qualifications or relatives, it was really difficult for them to survive in the bustling Capital.
Ask them why they chose to be maids, and they would answer, âBecause live-in maids have a place to live and food to eat, so we donât have to spend money renting a place.â
Real estate in the Capital was worth its weight in gold. Buying a house here was very expensive, and renting a place wasnât cheap either. To save money, Mei Mei and Na Na chose to work as maids in other peopleâs homes, but they were constantly unlucky, never managing to keep a maidâs job for more than three months.
Just as they were about to surpass three months in their current job, this incident occurred. They didnât want to leave, nor could they afford to leave, so they had to find a way to stay with the Tao family.
âMiss, please, we really canât leave,â Mei Mei pleaded through tears, âThis summer is particularly hot, and if I leave the Tao family now, where would I find a place to live?â
âThatâs your problem,â Tan Rou turned away, âHurry up and take your money, donât keep us from making breakfast here.â
Xiao Chang looked at Tan Rou, then at Mei Mei and Na Na, but ultimately he remained silent. Todayâs incident involved him as well, but Tan Rou hadnât pursued the matter. Since she hadnât pursued his involvement, he decided not to interrupt lest he be considered an accomplice and be driven out alongside them.
He quietly moved to the back, hoping that no one would notice him.
But Na Na dragged him into the fray, âItâs all because you brought me that pastry. If you hadnât given me those cookies, would this have happened?â
Xiao Chang was truly innocent; he had recently been learning to make new cookies from the master chef, but he was not skilled enough and accidentally overcooked them. Though his cookies were still better than many sold in stores, they were far from the master chefâs quality, so he considered them all failures.
Yet those cookies were quite tasty. It would have been a pity to throw them away, so he asked the steward for permission to distribute any unsuccessful cookies from his practice sessions to others. The steward had agreed to his request.
âI kindly gave you cookies to eat, and now when there is trouble you blame me?â Xiao Chang said, genuinely confused, âYou gave in to your craving and ate the snacks intended for the Miss; you should be punished for that.â
Na Na retorted angrily, âDidnât you say you liked me? Why wonât you help me out now?â
Xiao Chang did have a bit of a crush on Na Na, but he was sensible enough not to ruin his job over a fleeting affection; therefore, he chose to protect himself first.
âIf you donât want to leave, then go talk to the lady of the house. Donât push your mistakes onto me,â Xiao Chang said, tired of arguing, âI still have to get breakfast ready, so I wonât stay here any longer.â He looked at Tan Rou with a smile, âMiss, Iâll be on my way.â
Tan Rou nodded, âYes, go tend to your own matters.â
Xiao Chang carried the beans out the door.
âIâve already made myself very clear regarding your twoâs disposal, hurry up and pack your things and leave, donât waste my time,â Tan Rou said.