4 THE WALKING DISASTER
Four weeks later, Xuan Tianyi found himself walking the streets of Pingjing in search of a job. The holidays were over, students from the University had resumed, and most of the shops were open for business again. Xuan Tianyi would find a shop with a job opening before long.
Normally, when Xuan Tianyi walked these streets, he scanned the faces of other male counterparts. Looking to watch those whose eyes lingered on him. Some of those lingering looks nearly always ended in a quickie. Today, he wasn't in that mood. Hell, he hadn't been in that mood since that night! The stranger from that night--his lack of appetite for intimacy must have something to do with him.
As Xuan Tianyi walked, he surveyed the shops he passed. Soon, his eyes caught sight of a sign hanging in front of a tea shop. Instinctively, he went into the shop and walked towards the counter.
"What would you like to order, sir?" the salesperson at the counter asked reflexively.
Xuan Tianyi scratched his left ear and with a little stutter, he spoke, "I... I...I'm here because of the sign outside."
The salesperson stopped and gave him the once-over. "Did you read the sign? We're looking for someone who can brew teas and not an actor."
Flattered, Xuan Tianyi smiled. "I... That's the job I want to apply for."
The saleswoman gave him the once-over again. "Follow me," she said, then let him through the counter.
He followed her into a large kitchen where everything was tidy and neatly arranged but for a giant kettle that sat on a counter. Passing the kitchen, they entered a corridor and stopped in front of a door. The saleswoman knocked on the door, opened it, and led Xuan Tianyi into a small room. Inside, a woman sat cross-legged in front of a round, oak table, busy with paperwork.
The saleswoman greeted the woman politely. Xuan Tianyi followed her lead, but the woman replied only with a small nod.
Pointing at Xuan Tianyi, the saleswoman said, "He came because of the sign outside."
The woman gave Xuan Tianyi the once-over, then nodded at the saleswoman. "You can go."
The saleswoman bowed her head respectfully and exited the room.
Pointing to an open space opposite her, the woman invited Xuan Tianyi to sit. Xuan Tianyi obliged her. "What's your name?" she asked.
Xuan Tianyi cleared his throat. "Xuan Tianyi, ma," he said.
"Do you have experience working in a tea shop?"
Xuan Tianyi shook his head. "No, ma."
The woman gave him an observatory glance. "Do you know how to make tea?"
With a smile on his face, he shook his head. "I'm a fast learner," came his reply.
The woman scoffed. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're thinking 'It's tea, how hard can it be?'"
Xuan Tianyi peered at the woman curiously. She could read minds.
"What can you do?" the woman asked.
"That is related to brewing tea?" Xuan Tianyi questioned, confused.
"No, not exactly," the woman replied. "What are your skills?"
Xuan Tianyi glanced at the woman thoughtfully. He had an amazing gaydar and was proficient in bed. That had to count as some special skill. Wait! The stranger from that night was proficient in bed--he was merely good in that regard.
The woman stared at his glazed eyes. Impatient, she nudged, "What are your skills?"
Xuan Tianyi cleared his throat. He shouldn't mention his 'special skills' to anyone unless he was trying to get them to go to bed with him. "I... I don't have any special skills."
The woman raised a brow. That explained why it took him years to answer the simple question. "Can you cook?"
"I'm very good at preparing noodles. Any type of noodles."
The woman raised a brow again. At least he could do one thing. "Can you cook anything else?"
He shook his head, "No, ma."
"Do you have experience working?"
Xuan Tianyi nodded. "Several jobs."
"What was your last job and why did you stop?"
"That..." Xuan Tianyi scratched his left ear again. "I worked in a mechanic shop and I was sacked because I accidentally broke a windshield."
Amused, the woman scrunched her brows together. In a sarcastic tone, she asked. "Windshields are very hard. Did you drop another car on it?"
Xuan Tianyi shook his head. "No. Only a wrench."
"Were you made to replace it?"
"They took the only valuable thing I had. My phone."
The woman chuckled. "How long did you work there?"
"That... two days."
The woman chuckled again. He worked for two days and cost his employer a windshield. "What job did you do before then?"
"I worked as a salesperson for a mini-mart."
"Why did you stop working there?"
"That one wasn't my fault," Xuan Tianyi said. "There was apparently an increase in the rate of shoplifting while I worked there. They should have fired the security guard and not me."
The woman nodded. "And how long did you work there?"
Xuan Tianyi scratched his left ear again. "Three days."
The woman nodded again. "Have you worked any job for longer than a week?"
Reluctantly, Xuan Tianyi shook his head. "I just haven't found the right fit for me yet."
"And you think this establishment might be the right fit for you?"
Xuan Tianyi nodded. "Very much so, ma."
The woman shook her head. "Do you know why I'm looking for a new salesperson?"
Xuan Tianyi shook his head.
"I fired one of my workers. Because she chipped a mug."
Xuan Tianyi opened his mouth in surprise. When no words came out, he closed it.
"Other things I can't tolerate--When someone makes a mess. When someone doesn't clean up immediately after making tea. When someone spills water on my kitchen floor. When someone doesn't clean a cup properly," she paused, "with your history, if I hire you here, you probably wouldn't last a day."
"That..." Xuan Tianyi mumbled. He had never met a more unreasonable employer.
"I'll hire you if you want, but you'll probably have a hard time finding a new job the day after tomorrow when you tell them you worked your last job for only an hour."
Xuan Tianyi nodded at her and bowed his head a little. "In that case, I'll take my leave."
The woman smiled as he left. This one was a walking disaster.
***
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