It must be said that children from poor families grow up early. Ding Xiang had been accustomed to various farm chores and housework since childhood, and after arriving in the big city, she constantly took on part-time jobs to save up tuition. She had honed herself into someone with exceptional adaptability.
More importantly, she was naturally clever and dexterous. Under Yang Yi’s guidance, she quickly got the hang of things, starting from grinding beans to finally brewing a finished cup of coffee.
Then she brought it over to Guo Ziyi.
“No way, you’re using me as a guinea pig?” Guo Ziyi’s face turned a bit green.
“How about I drink it instead?” Ding Xiang felt a little embarrassed.
“You don’t drink much coffee, so you can’t distinguish the flavor. Let him try it—it’s best,” Yang Yi shook his head.
Guo Ziyi grumbled helplessly, “Then why don’t you drink it yourself, Brother Yang?”
Yang Yi said calmly, “I don’t drink ordinary coffee. My palate has gotten spoiled.”
Guo Ziyi had no choice but to test it himself. To his surprise, the taste wasn’t bad. He smacked his lips and said, “It’s okay, but it seems to be missing something!”
“Missing what?” Ding Xiang quickly pulled out a small notebook, ready to take notes.
Yang Yi didn’t speak, standing quietly nearby, silently watching Guo Ziyi show off.
“It lacks a unique coffee essence. You need to put in a hundred percent of yourself during the process—wholeheartedly,” the guy said, waving his arms dramatically and speaking with deep emotion. “When grinding the coffee beans, you have to think of flowers, bees, the ocean, the mountains. Pour your good wishes into it, and then you can brew coffee with that unique essence. That’s the world’s top-tier coffee!”
“Huh? That’s so abstract! But I don’t get it! How am I supposed to do that?” Ding Xiang frowned earnestly.
“You need to… Ouch!” Guo Ziyi’s head got tapped.
Yang Yi finally couldn’t hold back. He tapped Guo Ziyi’s head and said to Ding Xiang with a smile, “Don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s messing with you!”
After letting Ding Xiang try a few more times, Yang Yi, despite his earlier pickiness, also picked up a cup and took a sip.
“Hmm, for a beginner, the coffee you brewed is drinkable, and the taste isn’t bad—that’s already pretty good! What’s left is just more practice to make up for shortcomings with experience, and more learning to deepen your understanding of these coffee beans. Then you’ll be ready to brew coffee for me,” Yang Yi nodded and said.
“So, does that mean my senior sister got the job?” Guo Ziyi asked directly.
Ding Xiang looked at Yang Yi nervously.
Yang Yi smiled faintly and nodded. “Yes, starting today, if you don’t have classes during the day, come in to work. For now, you’ll assist me. During this period, I’ll pay you three thousand yuan a month. Once you can manage the shop on your own, the salary will go up to five thousand.”
“Three thousand is too little,” Guo Ziyi protested. “My monthly allowance is more than three thousand.”
He was a kid from a wealthy family.
But Ding Xiang waved her hands repeatedly, both surprised and flustered. “No, no, that’s plenty. I think three thousand is already a lot. Most of the time, I have classes and can only work part-time for a while. I’m already embarrassed, and three thousand is too much.”
Ding Xiang lived frugally, spending only a few hundred yuan a month. With three thousand, she could save over two thousand, enough to cover next year’s tuition and maybe even have some left for her grandmother’s medical treatment.
But Ding Xiang still felt uneasy, because her previous part-time jobs only paid one or two thousand. Three thousand seemed almost unbelievable to her, making her feel guilty instead.
Yang Yi, however, ignored her words. He rubbed his chin and nodded at Guo Ziyi. “It does feel a bit low. How about four thousand? Is four thousand enough?”
His last question was directed at Ding Xiang.
Ding Xiang quickly waved her hands, flustered. “Enough, enough! That’s too much!”
“Then it’s settled at four thousand. When you can handle things on your own, it’ll go up to six thousand!” Yang Yi waved his hand and made the decision outright.
Yang Yi’s intention wasn’t really to help Ding Xiang. He had more money than he could spend, and he happened to find a capable girl to help him run the coffee shop, giving him hope of eventually becoming an absentee owner. That kind of freedom was priceless!
Guo Ziyi chimed in from the side, “Senior sister, don’t refuse. Brother Yang is rich; he doesn’t mind. Besides, with more money, you won’t have to work part-time at places like bars. You can focus on studying at school!”
“Yeah, my coffee shop doesn’t have many rules. If there are no customers, you can sit down and read a book—it’s fine,” Yang Yi nodded.
“Thank you!” Ding Xiang was so grateful she almost cried. “Boss, I really can’t thank you enough!”
“It’s no big deal! Oh, and don’t call me boss—it sounds too formal. Just call me Brother Yang, like Guo Ziyi does. We’re friends!” Yang Yi said with a slight smile.
“Yes, Brother Yang!” Ding Xiang, with tears in her eyes, showed her white teeth and beamed brightly.
Turning around, she immediately got to work diligently, enthusiastically wiping tables, cleaning cups, and even mopping the floor. Whenever Yang Yi tried to do something, she’d rush to do it first, working harder than Thumbelina!
“Don’t you two have classes today?” Yang Yi, now truly idle, switched to another record and listened to music before asking casually.
“Classes haven’t started yet. Senior sister is the same—next week is the first week of classes!”
Ding Xiang, who was mopping the floor, looked up and said, “Yes, so this week I’ll definitely seize the chance to learn how to make coffee from you, Brother Yang!”
Her earnestness rivaled Xixi’s!
At that moment, Guo Ziyi sidled up with a flattering smile and asked, “Brother Yang, did that person come today?”
“Who?” Yang Yi looked puzzled.
“You know, the one from yesterday—Senior Sister Du!” Guo Ziyi glanced at Ding Xiang and lowered his voice.
“Oh, you mean the girl you liked yesterday? Du Yuanlei, right? A new grad student?” Yang Yi suddenly realized.
Guo Ziyi frantically gestured for Yang Yi to keep his voice down, but Ding Xiang still heard. She looked up at Guo Ziyi with a hint of a smirk but continued mopping in silence.
“She didn’t come today,” Yang Yi said with a knowing smile, also lowering his voice.
“Oh. When does she usually come?” Guo Ziyi looked disappointed.
“Usually? I don’t know. Yesterday might have been her first time?” After having Mofei and Xixi, other girls all looked the same to Yang Yi. He hadn’t kept track, and his memory was fuzzy—maybe it was her first visit?
Guo Ziyi scratched his head.
“Hey, if you like her so much, why not sign up for the freshman welcome party and show off a bit? She’s a new student too, so she’ll probably go, right?” Ding Xiang wrung out the mop, her slender arms surprisingly strong. She looked up and smiled, offering Guo Ziyi advice.
Guo Ziyi’s eyes lit up.