Fifth update,

...

Sometimes, Qin Fang felt that his luck was really quite good, like it was today.

As soon as Qin Fang agreed with Uncle Fang, Uncle Fang found someone to make a simple sign and hung it outside of Fang Feixue, while Qin Fang went in to make sauces.

But not even half an hour had passed before Uncle Fang came to look for Qin Fang.

"No way, Uncle Fang, so soon?"

When Uncle Fang told Qin Fang that someone had come to apply for the job, Qin Fang himself could hardly believe it.

"I didn't expect anyone to actually come either, I think she looks alright, but mainly it's up to what you think..." Uncle Fang also smiled, clearly, he too was surprised.

"Then let me meet them..."

Since they were to become his apprentice, there was no reason for Qin Fang not to meet them in person. Plus, Qin Fang had the Mind Reading Technique, which, though it was as unpredictable as the Six Meridian Divine Swords, could be helpful if it worked, allowing him to make a discerning judgement on whether the apprentice was suitable.

As Qin Fang stepped out of the kitchen and into the front hall, he saw the job applicant sitting there.

"A girl?"

Qin Fang was slightly startled and appeared somewhat surprised as he gazed at her somewhat frail body and pale face, partially obscured by long hair, looking as if she hadn't eaten properly for a long time, on the verge of malnutrition, and his heart wavered.

"I asked her a bit about her situation. Her family's in poor condition, she dropped out of school at seventeen to work, saying she needs to save for her younger brother's school fees. She seems quite pitiful and doesn't look like a fraud, so I told you to come and see..."

Older people, for the most part, tend to have softer hearts, and their sympathy can overflow easily, because by that age, they all have children and cannot bear to see such pitiful kids.

Of course, some people are exceptions, with all sorts of callous and ungrateful acts being common.

"Let me see..."

Although Qin Fang's sympathy did not overflow, if he could lend a hand, he certainly would, especially since he had been through that kind of life himself. Even though he had some money now, he wouldn't become like Zhu Pangzi, the overnight rich man with an obnoxious personality.

"You're here to apply as an apprentice?"

Qin Fang walked over and sat down, looking at the girl in front of him, who was skinny and pale.

Seeing Qin Fang sit down, the girl seemed a little uncomfortable, even a bit afraid, clutching the thin flowered shirt she wore uncontrollably tighter. Her simple attire did have some resemblance to Xiao Muxue when Qin Fang first met her, very plain.

However, Qin Fang noticed several scratch marks on her wrists that had turned purple, looking somewhat savage, as if she had been abused before.

"Yes... yes!"

The girl appeared a bit frightened, her body trembling slightly, and her eyes involuntarily glanced around, even looking pitifully at Uncle Fang.

"You don't have to be afraid, I am the owner here... Tell me about yourself first!"

Even without using the Mind Reading Technique, Qin Fang could imagine her unease just by looking at her expression and bodily movements, although it wasn't clear why she was like this. He spoke in a very gentle tone.

"My name is Wen Yi, and I'm seventeen... No, eighteen years old."

Perhaps Qin Fang's tone had an effect, or maybe it was because Uncle Fang was there gesturing for her to be at ease, but the girl finally began to speak. However, when it came to her age, she deliberately added another year.

Qin Fang had the Mind Reading Technique and the girl was very scared, almost getting accurate results each time he used it. Even though it seemed somewhat unethical, in order to protect himself and Fang Feixue, Qin Fang had no choice but to do so.

However, what surprised Qin Fang was that he inadvertently learned something he wasn't supposed to know, such as how Wen Yi got the injuries on her hands.

"Ah, a pitiful girl..."

The advantage of the Mind Reading Technique lies here, that although he couldn't understand completely what the other person was thinking, the occasional glimpses into her fragmented thoughts were enough for Qin Fang to understand a lot. He couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards Wen Yi in his heart.

It was a typical melodramatic story: the girl's family was poor, and her parents were mere farmers with no particular skills. To make matters worse, the family favored sons over daughters, and after having a son and being fined, they became completely impoverished. The girl's academic performance used to be good, but due to lack of money, only her younger brother could go to school, and so she had to drop out to work.

Her parents heard that working outside could be lucrative. Some village girls went out and returned after a few years decked out in gold and silver, making her parents enviously eager. They let the women of the village take her to Ninghai City to work.

But who would have thought that these women all came to be brothel sisters, to work in foot bath establishments and nightclubs as hostesses? Although this girl was a bit skinny, she looked decent enough, so they tricked her into joining their ranks.

By the time she realized what was going on, it was too late. Her several attempts to escape all ended with her being captured and taken back, followed by a brutal beating. If it weren't for the pimp seeing her as a virgin, an additional source of profit, she might have already been ravaged.

Just a couple of days ago, the police were cracking down in the city district due to a shooting incident, causing chaos in many entertainment venues. It is only because of this confusion that she managed to escape. But her money and identification card had all been taken by the pimp. She had no way to get home and feared being caught again, so she ran aimlessly until, to her surprise, she managed to run from the city district all the way to the university town in the southern part of the city.

Then, exhausted and hungry, unable to walk another step, she saw the sign outside Fang Feixue and mustered the courage to come in and apply for a job. Uncle Fang, seeing how pitiful she looked, gave her a bowl of noodles to eat, which gave her a bit of strength, but she still remained wary of everyone around her.

When he learned that the Ninghai City District police were investigating a shooting, Qin Fang's expression turned slightly odd, vaguely feeling it must have been caused by those two shots he fired that night.

Although he didn't quite understand why the police were making such a big fuss over the crackdown without any leads, it had nothing to do with him. However, he was pleased that his shots had indirectly saved a girl.

"Here's what we'll do, you can start off working as a waitress in my shop, helping out with miscellaneous tasks, washing dishes and the like. If I happen to come by, you can follow me and learn how to make sauces... Consider yourself my apprentice, then!"

Even though Qin Fang felt it wasn't quite appropriate, since he had decided to help and the girl's character seemed reliable, whether the apprentice was male or female didn't really matter that much to him.

"As for the salary, let's temporarily go with one thousand per month. As for accommodation... never mind, you can stay in the rest area upstairs for now. Later, once you get your salary, if you want to live elsewhere, that's fine too!"

Truth be told, Qin Fang was quite considerate towards his newly recruited female apprentice, having thought of almost everything necessary. Whether she could meet Qin Fang's expectations, however, remained to be seen.

If she could do it, then she would officially become Qin Fang's apprentice and learn to make sauces from him, and her compensation could gradually be increased.

If not, she could just remain a waitress. After all, the business was good, and having one more waitress really didn't matter much. It was just Qin Fang doing a good deed.

"Thank... Thank you! Boss..."

Although Qin Fang was kind to her, Wen Yi, having been deceitfully betrayed once, still harbored a strong sense of caution. Even her thanks came out hesitantly.

"Uncle Fang, go take her to rest for now! Oh, and find someone to take her to buy a few sets of clothes; deduct the cost from her salary..."

Qin Fang was not the least bit upset; he understood that, after such suffering, it was natural for her to be wary of others. He believed that, in time, Wen Yi would come to know what kind of person he was.

After giving these instructions, Qin Fang stood up, ready to go back to making sauces. Despite having an apprentice now, there was still a long way to go before meeting his standards. He had to do it himself for the time being.

...

"Explain yourself, what's going on?"

A pair of delicate hands, smooth as silk, lightly pinched Qin Fang's ears. Then the other ear was grabbed as well, and from the looks of it, there might be an imminent twist, a full 360-degree spin in the making.

"What do you mean, 'what's going on'? What did I do?"

Qin Fang asked with a wry smile. He had barely been back from the shop for long when Tang Feifei and Xiao Muxue caught him, and now he was undergoing this inhuman treatment.

"Still playing dumb! Muxue, do it..."

Tang Feifei immediately said through gritted teeth and signaled her close friend and ally, Xiao Muxue, suggesting their readiness to deform Qin Fang's ears.

"Wait a minute... don't overdo it! Even if I have to die, let me at least die knowing why!"

The two women may have appeared fierce, but their hands hardly exerted any force, and Qin Fang naturally continued along with their mood.

"Pfft~~ Smooth talker! How did I never realize you had such a way with words before!"

Tang Feifei was quickly amused by Qin Fang's banter, just giving his ear a gentle twist without really putting in much effort, and chuckled teasingly.

As for Xiao Muxue, she teased Qin Fang with a seemingly accidental touch, well-hidden, as not even Tang Feifei, who was right next to them, noticed.

"No joking around, let's talk seriously! What exactly did I do to make you two go to all this trouble to catch me, as if you won't be satisfied until I'm torn to pieces?"

Qin Fang couldn't let himself be wronged for no reason. He pondered for a while but couldn't figure out what might have offended the two beauties. As far as he was concerned, he hadn't done any harm today, just busy making sauces in the shop.

"I heard you hired a new girl in your shop today, and she's pretty cute. Moreover, you've taken her as your apprentice, arranged for her lodging, and bought her clothes? What's this? Now that you're a boss, you're thinking of keeping a mistress?"

Tang Feifei said rapidly, leaving Qin Fang bewildered, his head spinning as he muttered to himself, "Is she talking about me?" (To be continued, if you wish to find out what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com, where more chapters are available and your support for the author and legitimate reading is appreciated!)

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