I'm back in 1990

Chapter 1162: An Apartment for One Person

After the morning rush hour, Cao Yuedi came down from the cashier's counter and rested in the lounge.

She sat there, holding a teacup, lost in thought.

She suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

She has been married into the Wu family for so many years, and the eight of them are crammed into three small rooms. She and her husband share a 1.5-meter bed, and her son, who is already eleven, still shares a room with his grandparents. Now that her sister-in-law has come back, she is also sharing a bed with the couple. To put it bluntly, it is difficult for them to even turn over.

She also wanted to buy her own house, but the housing prices in Shanghai were so high that even if she and Wu Jiafu saved for twenty years without spending a penny, they would still only be able to afford a down payment. And in twenty years, the housing prices would only be higher.

Wages can't keep up with the rate of increase in housing prices!

She also wanted to change to a better job, but she only graduated from high school and didn't have any special skills. She could only hope to find a high-paying job if a windfall came from heaven.

Who else can she rely on? Her parents' family? Their one-bedroom apartment near the South Railway Station has nothing to do with her. Her husband's family? Their situation is like this: they've been talking about demolition for years but it hasn't been implemented. Even if it were, she wouldn't want to go to the suburbs. Commuting there would take one or two hours just by changing buses. It's not as convenient as it is now.

So when she heard that her sister-in-law might be going to work at headquarters, she immediately had an idea in mind.

That's why she lowered her stance and took the initiative to please her sister-in-law. After all, they're family, and they'll see each other all the time. If her sister-in-law can stay at headquarters in the future, then she'll be considered someone with connections at the top, and her chances of getting a promotion will be much higher.

You should know that the supervisor's salary is completely different from hers as a senior staff member; she earns more than three thousand yuan more each month!

If I can climb the ladder further in the future, I might become a department manager, where the salary would be at least 20,000 to 30,000 yuan a month.

As she thought about it, she remembered the cashmere coat that cost 62,000 yuan and the shoes she had bought from Ferragamo.

Why is there such a big difference between people?

Cao Yuedi shook her head, took a sip of water, and forced herself not to think about it anymore, because the more she thought about it, the more upset she became.

After completing the onboarding procedures, Wu Jiabao met up with Huo Xinyuan in the rest area.

"Garbo, are the formalities completed?"

Still somewhat bewildered, Wu Jiabao nodded subconsciously: "It's all taken care of! I'll officially start work next Monday."

Huo Xinyuan put her arm around Wu Jiabao's shoulder: "Come on, it's my treat today, let's celebrate at noon."

Wu Jiabao quickly stopped her, saying, "No, I should be the one treating you."

"Why are you being so polite with me? You can treat me after you get paid." He said this as he led Wu Jiabao into the elevator.

The two found a small local restaurant nearby, which Huo Xinyuan did to take care of Wu Jiabao and avoid putting pressure on her when she had to reciprocate in the future.

After dinner, the two found a coffee shop and sat for a while, talking about many things, especially their time in the army. They sat there until after 2 p.m. before Huo Xinyuan took Wu Jiabao back home.

The car was parked at the alley entrance as usual. Wu Jiabao got out of the car and was about to leave when Huo Xinyuan called out to her, "Jiabao, there's something I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I remember you mentioning before that your sister-in-law works at Times Square, right?"

Wu Jiabao was taken aback, then nodded: "Yes, she works as a cashier at the Zhaojiabang Road store, and she's been doing it for many years."

"Should I put in a good word for you? Maybe help your sister-in-law get a different job?"

Wu Jiabao quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need." Wu Jiabao felt that she couldn't push her luck any further. She already felt bad about the job and the many clothes and shoes she had to give, so how could she trouble Huo Xinyuan and her aunt any more?

Seeing her insistence, Huo Xinyuan said no more. After the two said goodbye, the car drove away.

After going upstairs, Wu Jiabao immediately saw her sister-in-law standing at the door of her room. She looked like she had just returned and was probably off her early shift.

"Jiabao's back! How did the interview go?" Cao Yuedi's tone was exceptionally gentle.

Chapter update reminder: Chapter 1162: An apartment for one person, read here.

Wu Jiabao replied calmly, "I'll officially start work next Monday."

Cao Yuedi's eyes lit up instantly: "Really? That's great! I knew you could do it!"

Then she asked, "So, what exactly will you be doing after you get there?"

Wu Jiabao didn't hide anything and handed the employment notice and access card to Cao Yuedi.

After Cao Yuedi took it, she read it carefully. When she saw the words "Specialist in the Group's Administrative Department," a complex emotion flashed in her eyes. There was envy, jealousy... and then there was the salary and benefits. She was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred!

"The administration department! That's great." Cao Yuedi handed the things back to her sister-in-law, adding, "Jiabao, when you work at headquarters, you'd better think of me. I'm your sister-in-law."

Cao Yuedi waved her hand, "No, no! We're family, we should help each other out!" Then she added solicitously, "I'll go buy some good food tonight to celebrate with you."

Looking at Cao Yuedi's smiling face, Wu Jiabao thought to herself that there was something she hadn't said yet. If she did, the whole family would probably be overjoyed.

That was the dormitory. Huo Xinyuan was very thoughtful. Knowing that Wu Jiabao's family had a housing shortage, she asked Gao Yue to apply for a single dormitory for Wu Jiabao. It was called a dormitory, but it was actually an apartment. It wasn't big, but it was fully equipped. It had a small kitchen and a private bathroom. Moreover, it was very close to the company, only a ten-minute walk away.

Before sending her back, Huo Xinyuan had already accompanied her to see the place. It was very clean and tidy, and she could move in right away. So tonight, she planned to move in.

Before dinner that evening, Wu Jiabao brought up the matter.

"Dad, Mom, I'm moving out tonight, so Hanghang won't have to share a bed with my brother and sister-in-law anymore."

"Huh?" This statement shocked everyone present, leaving the entire family astonished.

Mrs. Wu quickly asked, "Where are you moving to?"

"The company arranged a single dormitory room for me, and it's very close to the company, so it's convenient for commuting. I went to see it before I came back, and it has everything. I just need to bring a blanket and clothes."

Finally, Wu Jiabao emphasized: "It's an apartment, the kind where each person has their own room, with a kitchen and a bathroom."

"Wow, that's great!" The whole family couldn't believe their ears.

Wu Jiabao nodded, indicating that it was true.

Cao Yuedi was even more shocked. She never expected that the company would actually provide her sister-in-law with a dormitory. It was outrageous!

At this moment, she was actually reluctant to let her sister-in-law move out. If that happened, her sister-in-law would rarely come back, and how could she possibly mend their relationship?

Tonight, the Wu family was filled with laughter and joy, because their youngest daughter not only got a job, but also her own place to live, although it didn't belong to her, she had the right to use it.

That evening, the whole family went out and even splurgeed on two taxis to take Wu Jiabao to the apartment that had been allocated to her.

As soon as she got out of the car, Cao Yuedi's eyes were filled with admiration. The apartment building was incredibly impressive, with a spacious and bright lobby and security guards in smart uniforms standing at the entrance. It looked very high-class.

After taking the elevator upstairs and opening the door, Cao Yuedi immediately fell in love with the room's furnishings.

At this moment, she felt extremely jealous of her sister-in-law. It was truly outrageous that such a nice apartment was occupied by her sister-in-law alone. The apartment was at least forty or fifty square meters, with a private bathroom, a flush toilet, and a shower.

She instantly banished the old house she now lived in to the cold palace; she really didn't want to go back, she had truly had enough of it.

"Jiabao, do you really live here all by yourself?" Mrs. Wu looked at the house with disbelief.

As Wu Jiabao hung the clothes she had brought into the closet one by one, she replied, "Yes! I live alone."

"This is wonderful!" Mrs. Wu also really liked the apartment.