Rejected by the Campus Belle, I Find My True Love-Chapter 75 Striving to Earn Money to Buy Gifts for Xue Yang
"Yes, he definitely won’t find out."
Having made up her mind, Lin Xi picked out two thick coats, placed them in a large cardboard box, and carried it out the door.
"Young lady, what are you doing, lugging that big box around? Do you need an old woman’s help?"
It was the voice of the elderly lady from next door.
Lin Xi peeked her head out from behind the box and saw the old lady looking at her kindly. This was their first formal encounter, despite having lived next to each other for so long.
Every time she saw the woman, Lin Xi was reminded of what she’d once said: if feelings could be suppressed, they weren’t true feelings. To test that saying, I even tried it out with Xue Yang, and the result...
Mmm...
Lin Xi blushed slightly. Although we still haven’t taken that final step, our relationship has definitely progressed.
"Hello, Grandma. I’m thinking of setting up a stall at the market."
Hearing Lin Xi was planning to set up a stall, the old lady seemed relieved. "A stall? I thought you were moving away! As long as young people earn money with their own two hands, that’s wonderful. What are you planning to sell?"
The old lady glanced at the box, but it was sealed, so she couldn’t see what was inside.
"Just... a couple of pieces of clothing I’ve never worn. The tags are still on. I was going to see if anyone at the market wanted to buy them."
"The clothes you wear are always so pretty. It’s such a pity to sell them," the old lady said wistfully.
The young lady had great taste in clothes. She always looked so spirited, with a different outfit every day. It was a sight that even an old woman like her enjoyed.
"I... I’ve been a bit short on cash recently."
So that was it—she was short on money.
The old lady suggested, "Christmas is in a couple of days, right? Yonghui Supermarket is hiring temporary workers. You might want to check it out."
"Really?"
A temp job! Right, why didn’t I think of that? Writing my novel brings in money too slowly. There’s no income until a book goes up for paid subscription, and I can’t wait that long.
"Last night while we were out, my old man and I saw they were still hiring. I don’t know if they’ve filled the positions yet, though."
"But... I need quite a bit of money. And I need it today."
A temp job probably wouldn’t pay much for a single day, would it? But then again, there’s no guarantee the clothes will sell, either.
Lin Xi suddenly felt quite useless, unable to even scrape together enough money to buy Xue Yang a nice gift. All this time, she had only lived off Xue Yang, unable to contribute anything else. Yet Xue Yang was also just a student, and he always managed to find a way to make money.
Lin Xi silently told herself, If he can do it, then I can definitely do it too.
The old lady continued to watch Lin Xi. Although she couldn’t see the girl’s face clearly, she seemed like such a precious young thing. Pure, simple girls like her were a rare sight nowadays.
"Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll see if I can sell the clothes first, and then I’ll check if there are any temp jobs left."
With that, Lin Xi continued on her way, holding the box.
"Hey, young lady, your clothes are always so nice. How about this? Whatever you’re selling them for, this old woman will buy them. They’d be perfect for my granddaughter. She’s about your age, a high schooler."
Lin Xi stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the old lady, her eyes wide with excitement. "Really?"
"This old woman never lies. Just sell them to me."
Lin Xi took the two coats out of the box. "These are trendy brand-name coats. They cost several thousand yuan each in stores. How about this... I’ll sell you both for 1,000 yuan. Is that okay?"
I’ll just have to work as a temp for one day to earn the rest, and that will be enough.
The old lady replied cheerfully, "Alright, alright, deal."
"Thank you so much."
"You’re welcome. It’s me who’s getting the bargain here. Come with me, I’ll go get the money for you."
"Okay."
Lin Xi obediently followed the old lady and waited at her door. After the woman went inside, an old man’s voice could be heard.
"Weren’t you going to the market? How are you back so soon?"
"The girl next door is selling some clothes that would be perfect for our granddaughter, so I bought them. I’m just back to get the money."
"The money’s in the drawer."
A moment later, the old lady came back out with the cash.
"Young lady, would you like to come in and sit for a bit?"
"No, that’s okay. Thank you, Grandma!"
After completing the transaction with the old lady, Lin Xi didn’t waste any time. She hurried to Yonghui Supermarket and found the hiring notice for temporary work. Following the instructions, she made her way to the supermarket’s office area.
Standing at the office door, Lin Xi asked quietly, "Hello, are you still hiring temporary workers here?"
Her voice immediately drew the attention of the people inside. They poked their heads up from their desks and saw a young, masked girl standing in the doorway. Although her face was concealed, they could imagine she was very beautiful.
Soon, the person in charge of hiring came out. She was a capable-looking, middle-aged woman. Seeing it was a young girl, she showed no impatience and smiled. "The other positions are all filled. We only have the Santa Claus role left. It’s pretty hard work. Can you handle it?"
Lin Xi quickly responded, "I can handle it. Please, let me do the Santa Claus job."
"Actually, with your qualities, you could probably get a commission-based temp job at one of the sales counters. You could easily make close to a thousand yuan a day."
Working at a counter would mean I’d have to show my face. That’s no different from announcing to everyone that I’m the heiress of the Lin Corporation.
Lin Xi shook her head. "I can’t do that kind of job."
The manager looked at the girl. She kept her head lowered and spoke quietly, seeming like someone who wasn’t used to dealing with people, so the manager didn’t press the issue.
"Then come with me."
Lin Xi followed the manager to the warehouse, where she was handed a Santa Claus outfit. When Lin Xi took it, she realized how heavy the costume was.
"You look so delicate. If it’s too tough, it’s alright. We can always hire someone else."
"No, please. I can do it."
Lin Xi put on the Santa suit, and a lively, convincing Santa Claus appeared before the manager.
"Off you go then. There’s a designated spot for Santa Claus right at the entrance. People will want to take photos, so just cooperate with them. You’ll need to work until 8 PM. When you’re done, just bring the costume back here. We pay on the same day—it’s 200 yuan for the day."
Two hundred yuan... That’s enough.
"Okay, thank you!"
Lin Xi walked to the entrance of the supermarket and stood at the designated spot. At first, she was a bit reserved and stiff. However, the sight of Santa Claus soon caught the attention of the children passing by.
"Are you Santa Claus?"
"You’re the real Santa Claus!"
"Wow, I met Santa Claus! Mommy, Mommy, I want to take a picture with Santa Claus!"
A group of adorable children gathered around Lin Xi. Gradually, she began to relax. This isn’t so bad. After all, no one can see my face, right?
...
