Chapter 485: Chapter 485: Sent Flying with a Slap (5)

The more the brother and sister talked, the more their ambitions soared. They grew increasingly certain that this was an excellent goal.

For young people, once they had a goal, all that remained was an abundance of motivation and drive.

During lunch, Vera said in front of the whole family, "Dad, Mom, I don’t think we can get by forever just by farming those few acres of land. A friend of mine happens to own a pharmaceutical factory, and they’re hiring some workers. Why don’t you two go work there?"

In those days, there weren’t many factories. On top of that, most were state-owned enterprises where jobs were often passed down from one generation to the next. These positions had what were called "slots." If you didn’t have a family member already working in a factory, and you weren’t particularly skilled or well-educated yourself, it was incredibly difficult to get a job there.

Therefore, being a factory worker in that era signified a respectable and prosperous life.

Mrs. Xavier and Mr. Xavier were stunned by the news and both felt a little lost. Mrs. Xavier said worriedly, "Your father and I have never worked in a factory before. I’m afraid we won’t do a good job and end up making things awkward for you and your friend."

Vera chuckled. "How could I not have faith in you two? It doesn’t matter that you’ve never worked in a factory. There will be on-the-job training before you start. As long as you study hard, you’ll definitely learn the ropes. Besides, my friend loves people who are solid, hard workers, so you’ll have no problem getting hired."

Mrs. Xavier and Mr. Xavier were finally at ease, and the mood at the dinner table instantly became wonderful.

Drew couldn’t help but blurt out, "Sis, I want to go to work too!"

Chloe immediately rapped him with her chopsticks. "We agreed you were going to be the top scorer on the college entrance exams! What’s this nonsense about getting a job!"

Mrs. Xavier rapped him on the head too. "You just stay home and focus on your studies! Stop getting all restless and stirred up!"

Drew clutched his head and whined, "I was just saying! Why are you both hitting me? This is too much! Besides, I’m a grown-up now, a real man! You can’t look down on me anymore!"

Vera couldn’t help but laugh. She watched Mrs. Xavier scold Drew while Chloe chimed in to support her. Mr. Xavier, meanwhile, just smiled and teased them from the side. The family was the very picture of harmony.

After dinner, Vera saw Chloe stacking firewood by herself behind the house. She went over to help, and Chloe didn’t object. After all, it was a chore they had often done together. With Vera’s help, the work was finished in no time.

Vera took out a thousand yuan and pressed it into Chloe’s hand. Chloe jumped, startled. Vera quickly put a finger to her lips. Chloe stared at her in shock as Vera whispered, "You hold onto this for now. That way, if anything happens at home, we won’t be caught completely off guard. We’re girls; we have to learn to protect ourselves."

Chloe’s eyes welled up. "Sis, I..." she whispered.

"I’m giving this to you in secret, so don’t let Mom find out, or she’ll start nagging me again," Vera whispered. "This is from my bonus money. I hope you can pay me back next year with a bonus of your own."

The recent incident had given Chloe quite a scare. After all, she was still just a young girl. Even if she usually seemed like the spunkiest one in the family, she was, in the end, still very young.

Because of this, the incident had a profound impact on Chloe. She bit her lip and said, "Sis, don’t worry. I won’t let you down."

With that said, she put the money away. "Wait a second," she added, "I have something for you."

She then scurried back into her room, climbed the wooden ladder into the loft, and returned with a beautifully crafted sachet, which she handed to Vera. "Here!"

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