Chapter Six — The Unknown

That car had been parked at the entrance of the village for a long time, as if someone had abandoned it there. Passersby constantly grumbled about it. The car was covered in fallen camphor leaves; even in spring, the camphor trees shed their leaves. Leaves fluttered everywhere.

Su Yishu’s big order had gone unanswered for days, and she had gradually stopped caring about it. Ever since Yishu had spoken to Liu Hanzhang about it, he’d urged her every day to contact the client, to place the order quickly—pricing could be negotiated. The client, as expected, was shrewd and calculating, always replying that they needed to think it over unless there was a significant price cut. Liu Hanzhang gave Yishu the minimum price for this order—a ten percent discount.

Yishu bargained down from a two percent discount to a full ten percent, and in the end, the other party relented, erasing the small change after the discount, which amounted to an even greater reduction. Kaisheng’s curtains already operated on thin margins, so a ten percent discount was the lowest they could go. Once the shipping costs were factored in, it was essentially selling at cost. For Yishu, the commission from this order would be less than that from a single ten-thousand-yuan sale. But sometimes, volume was everything!

Yishu thought, as long as her commission wasn’t in the red, it was still worthwhile to boost the sales numbers. She sent several follow-up messages, but when none were answered, she stopped trying. It wasn’t so much that forcibly pushing a deal was undesirable—after all, as a salesperson, even an online one, there was always an element of persuasion. But now, she worried that if the client sensed her urgency, they’d be even less willing to compromise.

Throughout the day, Yishu and Yan Lu, who were handling customer service, only received scattered small orders. The customers’ demands were endless—one moment they wanted the stitching to be flawless, the next they insisted on precise cutting.

The sky darkened later than usual. Yan Lu, unconcerned, ordered a lavish meal through the food app; after a day of enduring grievances, only good food could offer relief. Yishu took her meal box from her lunch bag and walked to the pantry. In the corner of the bar was a microwave that few used—now it was practically Yishu’s personal appliance.

Tonight’s dinner was fried rice. She’d cooked enough for two meals at noon, so lunch and dinner were identical. Cooking for oneself was always a half-hearted affair—the more dishes prepared, the deeper the sense of loneliness.

While her food was heating up, Yishu idly gazed at the city lights outside the window. A gentle breeze slipped in through the cracks. She checked her WeChat moments; at the top was Yan Lu’s latest post about food. Scrolling down, she saw Liu Hanzhang’s daughter’s short video. It was hard to believe that the formidable Liu could have such a delicate, adorable child. Further down was Xu Shixi’s post, always a blend of work and life reflections.

When work and life merge, there’s no post-holiday slump at the office. Xu Shixi hadn’t visited Yishu’s village in days—at least, she hadn’t seen him when coming home from work or heading out, perhaps just missing him each time.

Yishu mused that he must be pouring his efforts into this project lately. It was strange—he was creating destruction, or perhaps destroying to create, yet she felt a faint anticipation. Was it longing, missing, or simply wishful thinking?

Yishu was confused, or perhaps tempted. Renovation was not necessarily a bad thing. Not thinking just of herself, her younger brother, Su Yihui, was already an adult; after graduating college, he’d need to start his own family. The two modest two-story houses they owned were far too shabby in this materialistic society. As a sister and a half-mother, she couldn’t think only of herself.

Since she had accepted reality, she needed to start looking for a place to rent. A few days earlier, Yan Lu had enthusiastically discussed this with her—her own house had three bedrooms and two living rooms, with one spare bedroom available. Considering that free rent might make Yishu uncomfortable, she offered it at a price far below market rate.

Yishu declined, saying she wanted to live with her brother. Living in someone else's home would inevitably feel restrictive, especially with their parents. Courtesy and respect at first would, with time and the accumulation of daily trivialities, become more strained. Besides, Yan Lu’s mother was tirelessly trying to find a match for Yan Lu, which would only make things more awkward.

“Are you really not going to move in with me? If you’re worried about your brother, you can share a room with me, he can have his own. Then we can go to work together, come home together, just like in high school. Isn’t that wonderful? Just thinking about it makes me happy,” Yan Lu propped her chin in her hand, gazing at Yishu with a pleading look.

“No, I plan to find a place near the office, it’ll be more convenient for commuting. As for Yihui, he’ll be going to college later this year. He can stay in the dorm, and during holidays... I’ll buy a folding bed, it'll be fine,” Yishu’s gaze was gentle but firm.

“Sigh!” Yan Lu sighed, pausing before she said, “I was hoping you’d help me scheme, but now it seems I’ll have to fight alone.”

“Wishing you a triumphant start,” Yishu teased.

Yan Lu pouted, “I wish you’d find your ideal match soon.” Suddenly, she seemed to realize something and probed, “Whenever I mention matchmaking, you avoid the topic. You’re not secretly caught in the quagmire of love, are you?” Her index finger and gaze both pointed at Yishu.

For a fleeting moment, Yishu’s thoughts were hazy; a silhouette, possibly Xu Shixi’s, flashed through her mind. She quickly detached herself, “Your imagination is way too wild. My life goes from home to work and back—where would I find someone?”

“Even if you did, you wouldn’t admit it now!” Yan Lu seemed to see right through her.

A trace of panic flickered in Yishu’s heart. From childhood, there were almost no secrets she could keep from Yan Lu. Yet, she and he were nothing at all—why panic?

Working the late shift was a blessing for most employees. The managers, including Liu Hanzhang, were gone by five fifteen. Only a handful of customer service reps remained, busy with their own affairs. The strictly non-smoking office was now filled with smoke. But as long as the windows were left ajar, there’d be no trace of it by morning.

Several days passed in this way.

A rumor began to circulate among colleagues: Kaisheng planned to open a storefront in the Textile City at the center of Yun City, specifically catering to business professionals from nearby office buildings with custom orders. Due to limited budget—and since curtains weren’t as fashion-driven as clothing—there was no design department; most curtain styles in the window displays and online shop were designed by external designers to match Kaisheng’s overall aesthetic. Now, they planned to send one customer service rep to trial-run the store. If it went well, they’d consider hiring designers for the physical shop.

It was said that the storefront position would offer not only better pay than customer service, but also shorter working hours by an hour. More importantly, it would be far from headquarters, with complete freedom in all matters.

As for eligibility, it all came down to sales performance.

The two most promising candidates were Su Yishu and Guo Yamei.

After last month’s negative reviews, Yishu’s first-quarter performance was now slightly behind Guo Yamei’s. Since April began, Guo had been on a winning streak, landing several ten-thousand-yuan orders. Sometimes it was hard to fathom why the system gave all the best resources to her, while others got problematic clients, with low conversion rates dragging their stats down.

Yishu’s only hope of surpassing Guo Yamei lay in the hotel order.

“Yishu, do you really want to go to the storefront?” Yan Lu asked, eating fried noodles.

“To be honest, I do. We’ve been online customer service reps for nearly five years, and there’s no room for advancement in this job. Now that there’s an opportunity, I want to try. It’s better than spending my whole life in this remote corner,” Yishu lingered in her thoughts. “I don’t have big ambitions. A well-paying job, Yihui in college, settling down, our friendship lasting forever…” She paused, wondering if she could add one more person to her future—the one who could walk with her for a lifetime.

That would be enough.

“If you leave, what will I do?” Yan Lu’s mood sank.

“Your place isn’t far from the city center; the bus takes less than half an hour. Don’t be sad yet—there’s no guarantee I’ll actually get the job,” Yishu comforted her.

“That’s right, there’s no guarantee you’ll get it!” A sharp, piercing voice cut through the air.

“You’re everywhere. Typical—can’t keep quiet for a second,” Yan Lu turned away, retorting bluntly.

Guo Yamei was momentarily stung by Yan Lu’s words, then said, “Why are you so worked up? You won’t have a chance anyway!”

Yan Lu, furious, was about to stand up, but Yishu held her back, giving her a look to let things go.

“Then congratulations in advance. Our world will finally be peaceful,” Yishu replied.

“Hmph!”

Guo Yamei’s triumphant echo lingered long after she left the canteen.

“Why didn’t you let me tear apart her smug face?” Yan Lu’s anger hadn’t faded, half her noodles untouched.

“Let it go; there’s no need to fight evil with evil.”

Maybe Guo Yamei had her own unspoken hardships? Yishu thought. Even if she didn’t, facing the endless stream of strange and demanding clients every day, enduring their difficulties with a smile, the balance inside must have swung wildly. She could only vent her frustrations on those she disliked. It was selfish, but as long as the arrogance stayed verbal, there was no need to fuss. In any quarrel, win or lose, both sides would be affected.

Everyone had their own way of living.

Leaving the canteen, the wind carried the scent of summer. How odd—half a month ago, winter’s chill lingered, but now, after just two weeks, summer breezes had arrived. Spring was squeezed into a tiny space, lost with time.

That afternoon, Liu Hanzhang divided the customer service reps into two groups—one stayed for reception, the other went to the meeting room next door. The matter that had been discussed for days finally had an answer, matching the rumors closely.

After the meeting, Liu Hanzhang called Yishu alone to her office. Though usually strict, even with Yishu, she clearly valued her.

Guo Yamei saw all of this, and resented it deeply.

A person can easily drift into solitude. Facing the unknown, not everyone has the courage to try. Almost everyone has an urge to escape reality.

Yishu still longed to embrace a new life. For so many years, she’d been trapped in a place seemingly forgotten by the world, and almost forgotten her own cherished dreams. As society and her environment gradually shaped and assimilated her, she would suddenly awaken—was this really how she wanted to spend her life?

Yishu glanced at Yan Lu out of the corner of her eye. Was she really going to leave alone? Over the past two years, Yan Lu had stood up for her against many people, especially Guo Yamei. Now, dumping all the problems on her seemed selfish.

All the troubles that couldn’t be dispelled could only be erased by time.

The night wind lowered the temperature, blowing gently, slowly...

But sleep was elusive.