"Thank you," Xiao Yao's face was alarmingly pale, and her voice trembled slightly—it was clear she was severely weakened.

I opened my mouth a few times, intending to say something more substantial, but in the end, all that escaped was, "You're welcome."

Ning Shixuan commented, "Xiao Yao, you were so beautiful before; why did you let yourself go like this, looking like a complete mess? I was so shocked when I cleaned your face earlier; I felt so inferior next to you."

Xiao Yao's lips were tinged blue. She gathered herself for a moment and replied, "What good is beauty? The saying 'a beautiful face brings disaster' is timeless. I’d rather just be an ugly freak."

Seeing Xiao Yao’s emotional instability, I intervened, "Xiao Ning, let Xiao Yao rest for a bit. We can talk about everything once she’s recovered."

"Mm," Ning Shixuan agreed readily, "I’ll make her some brown sugar water."

I said, "I’ll go get the vegetable basket back; I hope it’s still there."

"You... you are good people," Xiao Yao murmured before weakly closing her eyes. Her body simply couldn't handle the extreme physical exertion, compounded by the severe blood loss and the relentless sun that had caused her to collapse.

Ning Shixuan laughed, "Zhao Qian, I guess that puts me in the 'good people' category now, too, hehe."

The last time I helped Xiao Yao water her field, she had called me a good person, and Ning Shixuan had mocked me for it. Now that Ning Shixuan was in the same category, she wouldn't have any grounds to laugh at me this time.

Returning to the front of the post office, I was fortunate enough to find Xiao Yao's vegetable basket exactly where she left it. Nothing was missing. Perhaps it wasn't due to the high moral standards of the onlookers, but rather because the vegetables inside were utterly undesirable—they had likely wilted into an unrecognizable mess long ago.

Washing the produce at the water tap, I carried all the vegetables into the kitchen. The Stout Cook chuckled, "What, buying groceries for the kitchen out of your own pocket again?"

I tossed the washed vegetables onto the cutting board. While their quality was certainly low-grade, they probably weren't much worse than what the Stout Cook usually procured himself. "Yeah, just hoping for an extra piece of meat."

The Stout Cook offered me a stool, and we sat in the dining hall to talk. "If you want meat, just claim two pounds; I’ll make you a special stir-fry. By the way, how’s that helper you were going to find for me coming along? I’m not from around here, so I don't know many people. Union Chairman Sun is swamped and has no time to deal with this sort of thing."

The kitchen affairs were managed by the Union. The Stout Cook was amusing; I wasn't a local either—couldn't he tell by my accent? It suddenly struck me how hard Xiao Yao had worked selling those vegetables. If she could work as a helper in the kitchen, it might be a decent job. Two hundred yuan a month was indeed low, but I could figure out a way to supplement it.

With that thought, I told the Stout Cook, "Wait here a moment, I’ll go ask right away. But there’s one thing I need to clarify first: raise her salary to four hundred."

"What!" the Stout Cook exclaimed, "Then you might as well have her take over my spot!" The Stout Cook was only a temporary worker making four or five hundred a month, but he was in charge of buying vegetables and claiming meat, which I suspected involved some lucrative side benefits.

"Hear me out. I’ll cover the extra two hundred myself, but you must not tell her the exact arrangement, okay?"

The Stout Cook stared at my face and nodded. "Understood. It’s just like how you often give me vegetables for free—I might not grasp the logic, but I’d be a fool not to take advantage of a good deal."

The Stout Cook was certainly blunt. I smiled and hurried back to the dormitory. Ning Shixuan had already given Xiao Yao a complete makeover. Judging by the clothes, they were clearly Ning Shixuan’s finest, kept-in-the-bottom-of-the-chest items. It seemed Ning Shixuan felt genuinely good about Xiao Yao, treating her almost like a sister.

"Xiao Yao, I found you a job. Are you interested? Four hundred yuan a month." I asked as soon as I stepped in.

Ning Shixuan corrected me, "Xiao Yao is her nickname. Remember to use her proper name from now on; don't be so familiar."

"Huh?" I asked skeptically.

"My full name is Yun Yao..."

"Yun Yao... Yun Yao..." I muttered. Why did that name sound so familiar? Ah! I remembered—the last of the 'Four Golden Flowers' I hadn't yet encountered at Longteng University! Could this really be happening? I was thousands of kilometers from home and meeting a university classmate? If it were just a common name, it would be a shame for someone so stunning not to be on the Golden Flower list.

Seeing me looking stunned, Ning Shixuan asked, "What, shocked by someone’s name?"

Yun Yao’s complexion had improved considerably since earlier. Sitting on the bed, she asked me, "Brother Zhao, is there something wrong with my name?"

I snapped back to reality. "No, no, nothing at all. It’s just that the name is the same as a classmate I had in university. It caught me off guard for a second. Sorry."

Yun Yao pressed quickly, "Brother Zhao, which university did you attend?"

Ning Shixuan cut in to answer for me, "He hasn't even graduated yet. He attends Longteng University, the most famous one in our Great Dragon Kingdom."

"Ah!" Yun Yao gasped. "I'm a student at Longteng University too!"

Oh no! This was bad. It seemed this Yun Yao truly was the last of the Nine Golden Flowers. I couldn't worry about how this came to be right now; the important thing was that she absolutely couldn't reveal my past misdeeds in front of Ning Shixuan. Otherwise, Ning Shixuan would laugh herself silly, kick me down the stairs, and probably shout, "**Thief! Pervert!"

With things having reached this point, I had no choice but to proceed. "What a coincidence. I'm Zhao Qian, a sophomore in the Finance Department. I'm sure you've heard of my name."

Yun Yao replied, "I’m Yun Yao, a sophomore in the Art Department. I... I never participated in any activities at school, so this is the first time I’ve heard Brother Zhao’s name."

Ning Shixuan teased me, "You really thought you were famous, only to find out your own classmate doesn't know you. Embarrassing, isn't it?"

Embarrassing? I was delighted! As long as Yun Yao wasn't aware of the character assassinations launched against me at Longteng University, I wouldn't have to worry about Ning Shixuan constantly clinging to her backside, afraid I might try to touch her.

"Let’s put that aside for now. I don't know why you’re in this situation, but since it’s summer vacation, would you be interested in taking a short-term job to ease your financial difficulties?"

Yun Yao looked thrilled at my suggestion. "Yes! Actually, I’ve already planned to drop out. I won't be returning to the capital after the break. If I could find steady work, that would be best; I... I really need money right now."

Ning Shixuan and I could certainly see that. Yun Yao must be facing some tremendous hardship, but it wasn't the time to bring up sad topics. I said, "The government cafeteria kitchen is hiring. Four hundred yuan a month. The work isn't strenuous—you just help the Stout Cook prepare three meals a day. At most, there are only twenty-some people eating there. The workload shouldn't be too much for you to handle."

Ning Shixuan questioned, "Zhao Qian, did you hear wrong? The Stout Cook told me the monthly salary was..."

I quickly covered Ning Shixuan’s mouth. "Xiao Ning, you can’t just say things! You must not mention Yun Yao’s salary to anyone. The Stout Cook heard about her moving story and specifically requested approval from Union Chairman Sun to raise her pay to match his own. If you mention it to others, this position might be taken by someone else sooner or later."

Ning Shixuan nodded, looking somewhat confused but accepting. With four hundred yuan a month, plus room and board, Yun Yao was naturally overjoyed. The faint blush returned to her previously ashen cheeks. Ning Shixuan had to go to work in the afternoon, so after tossing Yun Yao’s soiled clothes into a basin, she headed downstairs.

"Xiao Yun, stay here in my room and rest a bit. Later, let Zhao Qian take you to see the kitchen. Unless there are major issues, I think you should stay with me. We can keep each other company at night; I get terribly bored alone."

Yun Yao replied, "Thank you, Sister Xiao Ning. I feel much better now. If I can work here, I need to go home first and settle my mother. I'll buy your clothes back once I get paid."

"What are you talking about? I can't even wear these clothes anymore. Okay, I have to get to work. If you need anything, find Zhao Qian. Although his eyes might wander a bit, and he speaks carelessly, his heart is fundamentally decent, and he has plenty of free time." Was that a compliment or an insult? I was annoyed. Was this how Ning Shixuan viewed me?

Though the Stout Cook was no longer young, his eyes lit up when he saw Yun Yao, nearly snapping his neck with how much he stared. "Yes, yes, have her start immediately! With our brotherhood, I guarantee I’ll take good care of her."

The matter settled, Yun Yao went upstairs to change out of the clothes Ning Shixuan had lent her. "Brother Zhao, I'll go home first, but I'll be back early tomorrow morning to start work. You saved my life twice; I don't know how I can ever thank you enough."

I replied, "Since we’re fellow alumni, helping each other is only right. Do you need me to walk back with you?"

Yun Yao said, "It's fine. I walk this road every day. Besides, who would look at me twice in this state?"

Heh. Seeing Yun Yao revert to her little beggar guise, I smiled helplessly. She had dressed down like this for self-protection; she truly was a clever girl. But the cost she paid seemed too high. Perhaps there was an untold secret behind it, one she might share with me before long.

The arrangement was finalized. The very next morning, Yun Yao appeared at our dorm door with a large basket overflowing with vegetables. Seeing the dew covering her entire body made my heart ache. I had planned to sleep in a bit longer, but I had no choice but to drag myself up to wash the vegetables.

These vegetables would naturally be sold to the Stout Cook at a lower price; he’d taken my vegetables for free several times now, so it was time for him to pay a little back. Only three or five people came to the cafeteria for breakfast that morning, so Xiao Yao’s arrival didn't cause a stir. Another reason was that she had changed out of Ning Shixuan’s borrowed clothes into a set of work overalls and deliberately kept her head low, so no one paid her much attention. The most significant factor, however, was that everyone was too busy. Rumor had it that a specialist from the Provincial Government was arriving sometime after ten o'clock, and everyone needed to prepare after breakfast.

After distributing the newspapers, I slipped into the kitchen to help. Lunch preparations would be heavy today, as everyone from Secretary Ma and County Magistrate Zhao down to clerks like myself would be eating in the cafeteria—mainly to put on a show for the visiting specialist. If it weren't for the busy days ahead, the Stout Cook wouldn't have been so desperate to rush me into finding a helper. He promised me a separate plate of stir-fried meat at lunch today since I was pitching in.