Eight years have passed, he's still going strong, but his girlfriend is having a mental breakdo

"I think that kind of peaceful and stable life is quite nice."

Qiao Na and Sun Jiayi had somewhat different ideas.

She really enjoys life in Jiangcheng.

Unfortunately, Jiangcheng could not tolerate her.

She is here, without a car, a house, or a registered residence.

The money I earn each month isn't enough to cover my expenses.

To maintain a semblance of a respectable life, they rely on credit card overdrafts every month to make ends meet.

Jona is under immense pressure.

Sometimes, when Qiao Na goes home for the Chinese New Year, she often envies her classmates who stayed in the county town after graduation.

Most of them are already married, have stable jobs, have bought houses in full or with loans, and own a car worth around 100,000 yuan.

Although life is predictable, there is no pressure.

Sun Jiayi has complained about the junior civil servant she went on a blind date with more than once.

But in Jona's opinion, if she could go home, marry a low-level civil servant, and live a simple and ordinary life, that would be pretty good.

"Sister, don't be silly. You're thinking like this because you've been under too much pressure lately, and because Jiangcheng can't accommodate your body."

"If Jiangcheng could accommodate your body, you wouldn't even have this thought."

Having witnessed the wonders of the ocean, who would want to return to that small pond?

"I'd rather cry in my Ziroom apartment in Jiangcheng than laugh in my 170-square-meter house in my small county town."

"Don't think I'm exaggerating. If you really went back to the county town, you probably wouldn't be able to stand it after a few days."

"What's so great about the county town? Life here is so dull and boring. There's nowhere to go shopping, and it's pitch black everywhere at night."

"Jiangcheng has Jiangcheng Building, Hubin Yintai, Gushan Island, Yanggong Causeway, Songcheng, Lingyin Temple..."

"In this small town, I can't even find a place to get a genuine hand-drip coffee. Can you understand that frustration?"

Sun Jiayi was clearly moved, her eyes were a little red.

Jona began to empathize.

Could it be that her current longing for a peaceful life in a small town is really because the pressure of work and life is too great, her debt is increasing month by month, and she is struggling to cope, which is why she has such negative thoughts?

"and,"

Sun Jiayi held Qiao Na's hand.

"Just like you said, people in our hometown have a prejudice against our profession."

"The junior civil servant I went on a blind date with had never dated anyone like us before."

"I'm going back from Jiangcheng, from my job as a sales assistant at LV."

"I dress fashionably, have exquisite makeup, and am dressed in luxury brands. My figure and temperament far surpass those of the girls in the county town."

"That's why I captivated him. He'd be willing to marry me. But what about after marriage?"

"I've met his parents, and the first thing they asked me was what kind of job I planned to look for after I went back home, and whether it was too late for me to take the civil service exam."

"Take the civil service exam... Pshaw. If it were a test on tea ceremony or how to please men, I guarantee I wouldn't be afraid. But a test on aptitude tests and essay writing? How am I supposed to take that?"

"Sisters, if we don't save up some money, even if we're incredibly lucky and marry a lowly civil servant who's the best matchmaker in the county, we'll still have a tough time when we go back to our hometown."

"Even if we take good care of our husbands and they are willing to support us, will our in-laws be happy? In their eyes, and in the eyes of all our relatives, we are second-class citizens."

"From now on, we can never hold our heads high at our mother-in-law's house, or even at our own home."

These words surprised Jona.

She looked up, slightly surprised, at Sun Jiayi.

She always thought that Sun Jiayi lacked a clear understanding of herself.

Especially in dealing with the issue of Sun Jiayi's blind date with a junior civil servant, who was actually some kind of director...

In Jona's eyes, he was just a small-town Brahmin.

If she married into that family, her life would be absolutely wonderful.

Sun Jiayi actually refused.

Qiao Na told Sun Jiayi more than once that it was such a pity.

Now Qiao Na realizes that it wasn't Sun Jiayi who was unclear-headed, but rather Qiao Na herself who wasn't clear-headed enough.

"Nana, do you still think that my rejection of that civil servant from the county town on our blind date was a lack of self-awareness?"

Sun Jiayi asked a question in return.

Jona blushed.

"I don't……"

It's so embarrassing to have your thoughts read so directly.

Sun Jiayi sighed and squeezed Qiao Na's hand: "Nana, we don't have much time left."

"For example, for me, that county-level civil servant was actually the best choice I could have made. If I had rejected him, I would never have been able to marry someone better than him in the future."

"But what will my life be like after I marry him? Let me tell you about a life that I can see the end of in a day."

"For the first two years, I was responsible for being beautiful, and he was responsible for earning money to support the family. I was pretty, had a good figure, and a good temperament. I had just returned from Jiangcheng and brought back the fashionable vibe of a big city. At home, I made him feel good; when we went out, standing next to him made him feel proud."

"Our lives are certainly harmonious. However, the finances of our hometown county cannot compare with those of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The salaries of civil servants in our county are not high."

"His salary is only a little over 5,000 yuan a month. Add to that his housing provident fund of a little over 1,000 yuan, and various subsidies such as fuel allowance and meal allowance... it adds up to about 8,000 yuan."

"Do you know how I felt? I went on a blind date with him, and during dinner, he talked about all sorts of subsidies he received, and his tone was full of superiority."

Qiao Na detected a faint sadness in Sun Jiayi's tone.

"Actually, I know that deep down I don't mean I can't accept that kind of life, but I know that with my qualifications, I'm not suited for that kind of life or that kind of environment."

"Even when Director Li was pursuing me, he still felt a sense of superiority deep down."

"He knows that I won't be able to find a good job after I go back to the county town, and he's accepting of that now. He says he's willing to take responsibility for earning money to support the family, and all I need to do is stay beautiful."

"Okay, I accept that. He makes eight thousand a month, and even with all the benefits... my quality of life will actually drop significantly after I go back."

"I feel like I'm suffering alongside him... but can I say that?"

Sun Jiayi gradually became excited.

Jona swallowed.

She couldn't answer.

Because she knew that if Sun Jiayi said something like that, she would be attacked and criticized.

Whether it's Director Li's relatives and friends or Sun Jiayi's relatives and friends, they all laugh at Sun Jiayi, thinking she's being pretentious.

But it's the truth.

Because Sun Jiayi's current income, including commissions, is nearly 20,000 yuan per month.

However, like Qiao Na, Sun Jiayi has high hidden expenses and a high level of consumption.

For example, they have to maintain their image every day.

Although this is to maintain a good image in front of clients, for the sake of work.

But their good image also made them happy.

Cosmetics and clothes each season are a considerable expense.

They work in the city center, but they can't live in a shabby place.

Rent, car loan, parking fees—these add up to tens of thousands of yuan in fixed monthly expenses.

In addition, there are some seemingly insignificant expenses that, when accumulated, amount to a considerable sum.

For example, colleagues might occasionally treat each other to afternoon tea or a nice meal.

They work at LV, so they can't be too stingy when treating others to meals; a meal costing one or two thousand is quite common.

In summary, Sun Jiayi belongs to the category of high-income, high-spending individuals.

In Jiangcheng, she frequented various high-end venues and ate fancy meals every day... even though she didn't actually belong here.

But if she leaves here, she really won't be able to earn this much money, and her quality of life will plummet.

Moreover, she has already gotten used to the wonderful life here.

"I can't even talk about my sacrifice; I can only silently bear it all myself."

"What worries me even more is that my youth only lasts a few years."

"If I marry Director Li, he can keep earning money to support the family. In fact, everyone says he has a bright future and things will only get better and better."

"But can I stay beautiful forever? I can't. In a few years, I'll be past my prime. Or after having children, my figure and demeanor won't be as good. If I'm no longer able to make him feel proud standing next to me, will he still want to take me out?"

"He might not divorce me for the sake of his future, but there will definitely be other women around him..."

"I'm not being overly pessimistic. I've seen too many people like this, and even too many men like this, who come to me to flirt."

Jona nodded.

Sun Jiayi's worries were not unfounded.

Among their colleagues, it's commonplace for them to be mistresses.

Their appearance and their work environment mean they are bound to have seen more of these kinds of things than the average person.