During the seven-day National Day Golden Week holiday, the fruit store's business was booming. Yi Anguo arranged for Su Meili and Wang Bing to go help out.
Su Meili was unwilling to go, saying it wasn't part of her job description. Wang Bing, on the other hand, went over to help without a second thought.
Yi Anguo said to Su Meili, "What is your job description? To show prospective tenants the apartments. But all my properties are already rented out. Did you expect to come here every day, do nothing, and still collect a paycheck at the end of the month? I don't keep idle people here. If you don't want to do the work, you can leave. What's wrong with helping out at the fruit store? It's not like it's back-breaking labor."
"Fine, you can fire me, but you'll have to pay me an extra month's salary. It's you who's firing me, not me refusing to work," Su Meili retorted.
"Why should I pay you an extra month? Have we signed a contract?" Yi Anguo asked. "Even if we had a contract, there would still be a probation period! You work for me, yet I can't even assign you a simple task. Do you think you're being reasonable? If you don't like it, you can sue me. If the labor bureau rules that I have to pay you an extra month's salary, I will give you every last cent."
Yi Anguo had been a worker himself, so he knew life wasn't easy. But that didn't mean you could just throw unreasonable tantrums. There was nothing to do, so he asked her to help next door, and she refused. It wasn't like he was asking her to go every day, just during the busy National Day holiday. Did she really expect to sit around doing nothing all day? The fruit store often brought over fruit, and it wasn't like she ever ate any less of it.
Now that the apartments were rented out, Yi Anguo hadn't intended to let either Su Meili or Wang Bing go. It was just one salary, after all, and he could afford it. But since Su Meili was acting this way, refusing to even help out next door, he wouldn't force her to stay if she wanted to leave.
He not only settled her wages but also gave her the extra month's salary she had demanded as compensation.
In the end, Yi Anguo's heart was too soft. He didn't want to make things difficult for her or be too harsh. They were both drifters in a strange city; why did one have to make things so hard for the other? Just let her go.
During the National Day Golden Week, business at the fruit store was indeed spectacular. The daily turnover exceeded 13,000 yuan, and at its peak, it nearly reached 20,000 yuan—more than double the usual. The total turnover for the entire week surpassed 100,000 yuan, leaving his third sister and brother-in-law beaming with joy.
Li Sisi also came over, but Yi Anguo didn't ask her to help at the fruit store. Wang Bing was already there, so they had enough people. The two of them just stayed in the office, collected some rent, and chatted when they had free time.
"Si Si! Were you the campus belle at your university?" Yi Anguo asked with a smile.
"Brother Yi! Our school doesn't have a campus belle contest," Li Sisi said. "Even if there was one, it wouldn't be me. There are plenty of girls at my school who are prettier, more talented, and have better figures than I do."
"How is that possible?" Yi Anguo said with exaggeration. "You're so beautiful! If you couldn't be the campus belle, what kind of world would that be?"
"Do you really think I'm that pretty?" Li Sisi asked, smiling.
"Is that even a question? In my eyes, no one is more beautiful than you. I've certainly never seen a prettier girl," Yi Anguo said with a serious expression. "I think you're prettier than all those movie stars on TV, and all those Miss Hong Kong, Miss Asia, Miss Universe, and Miss World winners. If you entered one of those pageants, you'd be a favorite to win the crown."
"Hahaha! Brother Yi, you're too much," Li Sisi couldn't help but laugh heartily. "You said all that with such a straight face that I almost believed you."
There wasn't a girl alive who didn't enjoy being complimented by a man, especially one she had feelings for.
"Brother Yi, if I wanted to be your girlfriend, would you accept me?" Li Sisi asked suddenly.
"Are you serious?" Yi Anguo's face lit up with a joyous smile. "If you were willing to be my girlfriend, I'd be so happy I'd probably wake up laughing in my sleep. That's something I wouldn't even dare to dream of!"
"I'm serious, Brother Yi. Do you like me?" Li Sisi said, proactively taking his hand.
Yi Anguo's smile faded. He fell silent for a moment, then looked at Li Sisi's pure, beautiful face. "I'm already 27 years old. Although I've never been officially married, I've been with a woman, and I have a three-year-old daughter. Can you accept all of that?"
"I know," Li Sisi said, nodding firmly. "Xin Yi is adorable, and I like her very much. I will treat her well, as if she were my own."
"You're a university student, but I only finished middle school," Yi Anguo continued. "There's a huge educational gap between us. We might not have much in common to talk about. Can you accept that, too?"
"I don't mind," Li Sisi said with unwavering conviction. "A diploma doesn't mean everything. Many great entrepreneurs and successful people didn't have a prestigious education."
"You might not mind now because you're caught up in the moment, but you might care later on," Yi Anguo said, shaking his head. "And what about your parents? Would they agree? They struggled to put their daughter through university, only for her to marry a man from the countryside who only finished middle school and is raising a three-year-old child."
"This isn't the old days anymore. I decide who I marry. I'll marry the man I love, and my parents won't oppose my decision. They can't change it," Li Sisi declared. "The most important thing is that we like each other, that we love each other. Nothing else matters. Brother Yi! I really, really like you. The more time I spend with you, the more I like you. Let me raise Xin Yi with you, and let's help her grow into a wonderful, successful person!"
Yi Anguo nodded slowly. "I'm just afraid you'll regret it one day."
"I won't. As long as you truly like me and treat me sincerely, I will have no regrets."
Li Sisi seized the opportunity, throwing herself into Yi Anguo's arms. She then tilted her head up and initiated a kiss.
After the kiss, their bond deepened in an instant. Their relationship was different now; their romantic relationship was truly established.
In his heart, Yi Anguo was extremely pleased with Li Sisi. Not only was she young, beautiful, and well-educated, but she was also kind-hearted, treated his daughter well, was grateful for kindness, and knew how to be content. She was also a diligent worker and an excellent cook. She was as graceful in the parlor as she was skilled in the kitchen.
Before his grandniece Fu Huanhuan had arrived, Li Sisi had managed all the household chores beautifully, from laundry to cooking, and she always kept the house spotless. Since Li Sisi had gone back to school, Fu Huanhuan had taken over. And while Fu Huanhuan was diligent enough, he felt she still couldn't compare to Li Sisi. For one, her cooking wasn't nearly as delicious. On top of that, the house was never as clean and tidy.
That evening, the fruit store was even busier, and Wang Bing had already gone home for the day. Yi Anguo took Li Sisi to the store to help out.
Li Sisi came over whenever she had free time, and Yi Anguo had a room in his home set aside just for her, so his third sister and brother-in-law had never treated her like a stranger. But today, they noticed that their brother's relationship with Li Sisi was clearly different. Even a fool could see the sweet affection flowing between them.
"Anguo, not bad!" his brother-in-law whispered with a sly grin. "Looks like you've completely won Si Si over, huh?"
"Brother-in-law, don't jump to conclusions," Yi Anguo said, embarrassed. "We're just going to try dating and see if we're a good fit."
"A good fit? I think you two are a perfect fit," his brother-in-law said. "Anyway, I can see Si Si really likes you. The only way it wouldn't work is if you don't like her."
"You know my situation," Yi Anguo said. "I'm just afraid I'm not good enough for her."
"There's no such thing as being good enough or not," his brother-in-law replied. "The only thing that matters is whether Li Sisi likes you. If she truly likes you, then you're good enough for her. If she doesn't, then you're not. It's as simple as that."