Making a living in Dongguan, her fiery red lips offer me tenderness.

"Wow, I don't even know how to answer that question. I'm only 24. What am I going to do with a child? I can't even support myself, how am I supposed to support a child?"

"Speaking of having children, I've actually run into a problem. I need to buy a used air conditioner after dinner; I almost forgot about it."

"What's wrong?"

"My buddy works at the VTech factory in Houjie. He found a girlfriend there, and she called me today to say she's pregnant. They want to have the baby and are planning to quit their jobs. She might come to my place in a few days."

"My shop is a run-down shack, a tin-roofed building without even an air conditioner. If this pregnant woman comes, she'll be sweltering in the heat, so I need to buy an air conditioner."

"Oh, how old is your friend?"

"A childhood friend from the same village, the same age as me, and also my classmate in elementary and junior high school."

"oh!"

"Sister Tan, what does your husband do?"

"he……"

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Is he having an affair?"

"no!"

"Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then forget I asked."

He's passed away!

"what……"

Is it true or an insult?

"real!"

"Alright, stop pretending. If you don't want to talk about it, then forget it."

"Seven years ago, he suddenly suffered a brain hemorrhage. He was rescued in the hospital and woke up, but he was paralyzed all over, could not speak properly, could not eat on his own, and had to be fed liquid food to survive."

"During the first few days of the Lunar New Year this year, the weather turned cold and he suddenly caught a cold. He developed a severe lung infection and a persistent high fever. No antibiotics worked, and he was kept on a ventilator. He stayed in the ICU for 20 days and became as thin as a skeleton."

"He had so much to say to me, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. But I knew what he wanted to say."

"I asked him if he wanted the tube removed, and if he agreed, he should blink. He blinked frantically with tears in his eyes to indicate that he agreed, and I removed the tube myself."

"For the past seven years, he has been bedridden, and his eating, drinking and relieving himself have all been taken care of by others. He has been living a life worse than death. Several times he refused to eat and even thought about committing suicide."

"Sister Tan, I'm sorry, I touched on something that's bothering you."

"It's alright, he's free now, and so am I."

Tan Yan's tears welled up in her eyes.

"Sister Tan, be strong, don't act like a daughter."

"How about I tell you a joke?"

"What joke?"

"A couple was getting married. One guy raised his glass to the groom and said, 'Brother, your wife is really beautiful. I'll drink first, you can drink as you like.'"

"What's so funny?"

"Think about it again."

Tan Yan suddenly understood.

"rogue!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"Okay, stop talking about being unhappy, let's eat."

Ding Yang opened the two cans of Sprite.

"Come on, let's have a toast, wishing you eternal youth and beauty."

"Dry!"

Ding Yang put a piece of spare rib on Tan Yan's plate.

"Give it a try, this food stall's food is pretty good."

"You've been here before?"

"I've come here several times."

"Xiaoyang, you sell cement and sand, and you even have to carry it upstairs yourself. That's too hard. Have you ever thought about starting another business?"

"Sister Tan, it's not that I haven't thought about it, it's just that I don't have the capital. To be honest, the small six-wheeled vehicle you saw the other day belongs to my landlord. I bought it for 2 yuan, but I haven't paid for it yet. This beat-up motorcycle you just saw also belongs to my landlord's wife."

"Your landlord is really nice to you, isn't he?"

"Yes, I guess I'm lucky. Once I've saved up 2 yuan, I'll pay him back for the car."

"oh!"

"How much money can you earn in a month?"

"It's not bad, just a bit tough. I've earned over 10,000 yuan in a month. By the end of the year, I should be able to earn 60,000 or 70,000 yuan without much trouble."

"That's better than working in a factory."

"I guess so!"

"Sister Tan, how much do you get paid per month as a housekeeper?"

"What...?"

"Salary?"

"Oh, three or four thousand yuan, I guess."

"That's not too high."

"Right! I'm used to it."

"Xiaoyang, how many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"I'm an only child, so I guess you could say I'm practically an orphan."

"Explanation?"

"My father passed away when I was five years old, and my mother ran away later. I was raised by my grandparents."

"I'm sorry, you've had it tough too."

"Fortunately, although I don't have my parents' love, my grandparents treat me like a treasure. From childhood to adulthood, my food, clothing, and daily necessities are no worse than those of other children my age. Of course, it can't compare to those in the city."

"And what about your grandparents now?"

"Grandpa is over 70 years old. Although he is old, he is still in good health."

"oh!"

"Xiaoyang, if I introduced you to some business, could you handle it?"

"What kind of business?"

"For example, what if I provide you with a factory building?"

"what……"

"I hadn't thought of that. I don't have the capital; I can't advance the funds. The client can't possibly give me the money first, and then I have to build it, can they?"

Tan Yan remained silent.

Ding Yang, being as shrewd as a shrew, maintained a calm expression, but inside he was in turmoil. This woman was probably more than just a nanny; she could be incredibly wealthy.

"Sister Tan, you live in Shenzhen. How far is your home from Huaqiangbei?"

"Not too close, why?"

"I want to buy a used laptop to learn some things online. I learned CAD when I was in vocational school, so having a computer will help me pass the time when I have free time."

Why buy a second-hand one?

"It's cheap. A new one would cost five or six thousand yuan, but a used one is only one or two thousand yuan. I don't play any demanding games, so a lower configuration doesn't matter."

"If you have time to go to Shenzhen, I'll take you there."

"Thank you! I'll call you when I have time in a few days."

"OK!"

Ding Yang was overjoyed.

"Xiaoyang, do you have someone you like?"

"Not yet, but soon."

Who is it?

"Far away, yet right before my eyes."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Do you even know how old I am?"

"You don't need to know. I've said it before: love has nothing to do with age, as long as you're attracted to each other."

"Go away, don't try to fool me."

Tan Yan blushed a little as she spoke, perhaps because it had been too long since anyone had flirted with her.

"Sister Tan, I'm not kidding. The first time I saw you, I was a little shocked. I'm different from others; I like older women, more mature ones."

"Sure, you can't just date an old lady, can you?"

"Don't make yourself sound so old. You look only in your 30s. Don't say you're old."

Tan Yan remained silent, though she wasn't saying anything, she was quite happy inside.

Ding Yang wolfed down his food.

Tan Yan found the food delicious just watching him eat.

"Slow down, no one's going to take it from you."

"Sorry, I'm used to it."

"Sister Tan, since you're a housekeeper, your boss must be very rich. Does he hire bodyguards?"

"You want to be a bodyguard?"

"Well, Sister Tan, don't let my manual labor fool you. I've trained in professional boxing. I'm not bragging, but I can easily take on two or three men."

"More than two months ago, I was looking for a job in Fenggang when I encountered a robbery in an alley. I took down two people in the blink of an eye and brought them both to the police station."

"Really? That's quite something. But we live in a society governed by law, so my boss doesn't hire bodyguards."

"Never mind, forget I said anything."