Chapter 6: How the Youth with No Connections, No Background, No Capital Make Money

Ye Nai didn't believe her mother didn't have money.

Each of the four children received eight hundred a month, adding up to three thousand two hundred; she only took care of what could be bought at the market. After years of keeping accounts, with current prices, the amount she spent monthly ranged from one thousand to one thousand three or four hundred. Expenses increased whenever they had to buy rice, flour, oil, condiments, or during festivals.

The remaining money was handled by her parents for utilities, everyday goods, the mortgage, and other fixed costs. Even if there were extra expenses, it was just a matter of the parents paying a bit more, which wouldn't strain their salaries at all.

If the family had no savings, she was really curious where all the money went.

Her mother, Yu Qing, let out a deep sigh, stopped speaking, and with some irritation, stood up and fetched one thousand yuan.

"Take it, take it. Giving birth to you was like birthing a debt collector."

"Can't help it, you guys didn't pick an auspicious day before hopping into bed."

"Are you not embarrassed?!"

Unable to hold back anymore, Yu Qing, infuriated, raised her hand to slap Ye Nai on the head.

Ye Nai deftly dodged her mother's slap and stood up, walking toward the balcony, carrying her wire bed.

"Mom, aren't you tired? If you're not sleeping, I'm going to sleep—I have to get up early tomorrow."

Her mother, Yu Qing, hands on her hips, muttered to herself about not being angry, turned, and went back to her room.

Ye Nai had a good night's sleep.

After getting up early, she put away the bedding, made breakfast, got her younger siblings out of bed for breakfast, and hurried them off to school.

Afterward, her mother rose, ate, and first went to the hospital to deal with the discharge procedures. Ye Nai raced over to meet up with her.

After washing the dishes, Ye Nai left the house at around 8:30 a.m. She bought a new student flip phone for five hundred yuan with a screen and physical keys that could access the internet. Then, she bought a SIM card from the telecom company and finally went to the bank to open an account. She linked her phone to the payment app for authentication and then went to the school to find the head teacher to fill out the form—she was leaving school and would wait for the notification to pick up her graduation certificate.

The office was crowded with students all there to fill out forms; in her class, only the three top scholars and three Awakeners had decided to pursue further studies.

Her contact information on the form included her name and new phone number.

She also filled out an application for the hazardous zone garbage clearance team.

After handing in the forms, her high school life was officially over. Ye Nai shook hands with the head teacher politely, thanking her for three years of instruction.

She declined an invitation from a female classmate to go shopping together and, without delay, headed straight to the hospital.

In the hospital room, her father's discharge processes were already completed, and his stuff was packed. He sat in a wheelchair; the bed was cleared, ready for a new patient any moment.

Ye Nai called out, "Dad, Mom," stepped forward to grab the packed luggage, and her mother pushed the wheelchair. They left the hospital and headed home. Although taking the bus wasn't too difficult with the wheelchair, it depended on how crowded the bus was since the wheelchair took up quite a bit of space.

Thus, to avoid trouble, the mother and daughter decided to take turns pushing the wheelchair, walking back home.

Along the way, her parents started sharing some new gossip with Ye Nai.

Just yesterday afternoon, a short while after Ye Nai had left and while it was still light out, a family member staying in the hospital suddenly contracted an unknown infection and was rushed to the infection control area.

Her parents had witnessed the entire incident, and they could describe the infected person's clothes and appearance in detail—it was the very person who had been eyeing Ye Nai the day before.

"Oh my, it was terrifying. Someone's face erupted in red patches and was spotted by others in the ward. They called a nurse, and as soon as she arrived, she screamed. While she was forcibly pulling the person out, she shouted loudly for doctors, and everyone in the corridor heard it. Relatives followed to listen from around the corner and came back saying the person was covered head to toe—not only with red patches but also peeling skin, and still insisting they were fine. Not long after, they were moved to the infectious disease ward."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, the whole ward, from patients to relatives, were required to have a blood test. Fortunately, no one else was infected. It was just that one person—either an isolated or a sporadic case."

"No wonder Mom came back late last night. Was it because she had to wait for the blood test results before they let her go?"

"Yes, and she had a bunch of things to take care of once she got home." Her mom glared at Ye Nai reproachfully.

"Although it's unlucky to be sick, being discovered promptly in the hospital is rather fortunate." Ye Nai pretended not to see and commented in a nonchalant tone.

It turns out that her spore could indeed make people sick. Impressive.

"That's true, having it happen in the hospital and being discovered right away is always a good thing."

Back at home, her dad, Ye Yu, was still able to smoothly maneuver his wheelchair around the house, except when it came to using the toilet. The bathroom was small and the wheelchair couldn't fit.

With no options, her dad's legs were fractured. Even if one leg had been fine, he could have managed with crutches. Now, he had to continue using adult diapers until the cast came off and he could switch to crutches.

While Ye Nai was preparing lunch, her parents whispered in the master bedroom about whether or not to keep their eldest daughter at home to care for her father.

"No, no, I need to use the restroom several times a day. It would be awkward for our daughter to take care of me, and I'd feel embarrassed." Ye Yu opposed repeatedly.

"What will you do when you need to urinate or defecate?"

"I'll handle it myself." Ye Yu spread his hands. "I've only fractured my legs. It's not like my hands are useless. Look, today I put on my own pants and moved from the bed to the wheelchair. Let the girl look for a job. I'll be fine by myself at home."

"Well, okay then, just be careful when you're home alone."

"Don't worry, I'm just over forty. I'm not so helpless."

"Also, when I was leaving this morning, I ran into a neighbor on the same floor. They mentioned that our daughter Ye Nai is all grown up and asked if we wanted to arrange a match for her. They said they have a good young man to introduce."

"Why are outsiders so concerned? Just because they say he's good doesn't mean he really is. Aren't they just trying to curry favor using our daughter? Unsolicited favors are suspicious or deceitful. She's our eldest daughter. Do you want to send her off without a clue?"

"That I cannot accept. I don't even want her to start dating yet. The younger three are still small. If she were to marry off early, wouldn't that kill me?"

"That settles it, then. Don't listen to idle talk."

After settling their discussion and being called out for dinner by Ye Nai, the three of them started talking about her situation over the meal.

"The household is short on money, and it's good you want to find work. What kind of job are you planning to look for?" Her dad looked genuinely concerned.

"I've already submitted an application to the school to clear trash in the hazard zone."

"That place is too dangerous, even with school involvement." Her mom objected instantly. "You're a young woman. It's better to find a job in the city."

" Garbage collection, regardless of gender, age, or experience, pays daily."

That was all Ye Nai said, and she knew exactly how to talk with her parents. With one parent being an electrician and the other an accountant, she had become the family's little treasurer. Talking about grand ideals was less effective than guiding the discussion with money and pride; it was time-efficient and effortless.

The school organized the team, which provided organization and protection. They would still get paid, and it wasn't just a simple field trip experience.

She might not be studying or advancing academically, but as long as she didn't have a diploma, she still maintained her student status, which decreased the chances of being bullied by societal figures.