Chapter 2855

The sky was overcast, the stifling heat of midsummer making it hard to breathe.

Cheng Jin looked up at the sky. Not a single breeze stirred, yet she had no time to rest. If she didn’t find a job soon, her landlord would evict her.

She scanned the recruitment notices plastered on the wall nearby, crossing them off one by one. She had already visited two-thirds of these places. They either rejected her for being too young and lacking stability, or they were known for delaying wages.

After checking them all, she spotted a flyer in a corner. She picked it up. It read: No. 4 Shendong Road, Yuan You Coffee Shop, Hiring Waitress.

There was no phone number, but she decided to try anyway.

Holding the flyer, she walked to Shendong Road and found number four.

The coffee shop looked somewhat old from the outside, but she pushed the door open anyway.

“Is anyone here?” she called out as she entered.

Perhaps because it was so hot, no one came out. The shop was empty of customers.

“Little girl, what can I do for you?” A middle-aged man in black emerged. He looked like a butler.

“Hello, are you hiring a waitress?” Cheng Jin handed him the flyer.

“You saw our flyer,” the man said with a smile. “My surname is Ma. Everyone calls me Old Ma. You can call me that too.” He added, “Come in with me.”

Cheng Jin nodded slightly and followed Old Ma.

“Our coffee shop doesn’t just sell coffee. We also serve tea and pastries,” Old Ma explained, pointing to the back left. “That’s the pastry kitchen. You can call the person inside Old Bai. I usually handle the counter and payments. Little girl, do you know how to brew coffee and make tea?”

“I know a little. When my father was alive, he taught me. He taught etiquette, so he taught me the basics of brewing coffee, making tea, flower arranging, and so on,” Cheng Jin said earnestly.

“That’s good. The boss will test you in a moment. As long as you don’t make mistakes, you’ll be fine.” Old Ma led her into an practice chamber.

A young man stood by the window in the practice chamber.

His features were neither distinctly masculine nor feminine. While one might describe a man as handsome, he could be described as beautiful as a flower. Most notably, he had long hair reaching his waist, tied up casually.

She wore a vintage Tang suit, giving her an antique, elegant feel.

“Boss, this is the girl who came to apply for the waitress position after seeing our flyer,” Old Ma said.

The man hummed, not turning around. “Let her brew a cup of coffee and make a pot of tea. Blue Mountain coffee, and Longjing tea.”

“Yes.” Old Ma fetched the coffee beans and tea leaves, then set out the necessary utensils.

Cheng Jin focused her mind, grinding the coffee beans. While the coffee brewed, she began making the tea.

Soon, the coffee was ready, and the tea was poured.

“Boss, it’s ready,” Cheng Jin said respectfully.

The man hummed again, walked over, sat down, and sniffed the coffee. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes as he took a sip.

Old Ma then served him plain water to rinse his mouth. He took a sip of the tea.

Then he spoke. “We provide room and board. The monthly salary for a waitress is two thousand five hundred. Business is slow during the day; it’s mostly at night. Sometimes we stay open all night. Of course, when there’s no business during the day, you can just sleep. No one will disturb you.”

“Thank you, Boss. I can do it,” Cheng Jin nodded quickly.

“My name is Qian Huan Sheng. I am the owner of this coffee shop. If you have any other requests, talk to Old Ma. Can you start work tonight?”

“Yes, I can.” Cheng Jin wanted to start working soon to earn money.

“Then it’s settled.” Qian Huan Sheng seemed gentle. she turned to Old Ma. “Old Ma, arrange her accommodation. Explain the other details to her.”

“Yes.” Old Ma nodded, then said to Cheng Jin, “Little girl, come with me.” she led her out of the boss’s practice chamber.

Outside the practice chamber, Old Ma said, “Little girl, let me take you to handle the paperwork. What is your name?”

“My name is Cheng Jin,” Cheng Jin said seriously. “Cheng as in ‘he cheng’ (grain), Jin as in ‘jin xiu’ (brocade).”

Old Ma led her to the counter and took a registration form from a drawer. “Xiao Cheng, is it okay if I call you that?”

“No problem,” Cheng Jin said quickly.

“Fill out this form first, then sign an employment contract.” Old Ma handed her the form and the contract.

Cheng Jin took them, along with the pen Old Ma offered, and began filling out the form.

It felt strange to Cheng Jin, though not because of the content. The paper was black and transparent. Yet, when she wrote on it with a pen, the writing remained clearly visible.

After finishing, she looked at the employment contract.

“Uncle Ma, didn’t you say the salary was two thousand five hundred? Why does it say four thousand here?” Cheng Jin asked.

Old Ma smiled. “Two thousand five hundred is the probationary salary. Our boss always mentions the lowest amount. After one month of probation, you’ll be confirmed, and the salary will be four thousand. Look, it’s stated in clause three.”

Old Ma was satisfied with Cheng Jin’s attention to detail. “However, the workload at night is heavy. Since you are the only waitress, you’ll need to make tea, brew coffee, and sometimes mix drinks. Do you know how to mix drinks? If not, I’ll teach you.”

“I only know basic beverage mixing. I don’t know how to mix alcoholic drinks,” Cheng Jin replied, then signed her name on the contract.

She handed the contract to Old Ma.

Old Ma pointed to a camera nearby. “Come here. Let’s take a photo for your ID badge.”

Cheng Jin noticed that although the coffee shop wasn’t busy, their hiring process was strict. This reassured her.

Cheng Jin stood in front of the camera. Old Ma took a photo, and a transparent card appeared. Old Ma placed it in a card holder and handed it to Cheng Jin.

As she took it, the card holder accidentally pricked her finger. A drop of blood fell onto the card.

“What happened?” Cheng Jin had worried about staining the card, but she saw the blood disappear upon touching it.

“It’s fine. This counts as your authentication,” Old Ma said, seemingly unfazed. “Congratulations. You are now a waitress at Yuan You Coffee Shop.”

Old Ma paused for a moment and continued: