mesbooks Chapter 50: The Role of the Brother-in-Law?
Chapter 50: The Role of the Brother-in-Law?
During his trip to Jinan, Zhou Lang drove a Tank 700.
Su Ying'er sat in the passenger seat.
Michelle, Shen Wanrou, and Tian Wei sat in the back row. They were all slender and well-proportioned, so it wasn't crowded.
Tian Wei was sullen the whole time. When Zhou Lang asked her why, the female flight attendant major just glared at him resentfully and then turned her face away sullenly.
Michelle said, "Don't worry about it. The fact that she didn't burst into tears on the spot is already a good thing."
Upon arriving in Jinan, at the university where Shen Shunan studies.
The campus was filled with groups of graduates taking photos, and graduation gowns were everywhere.
Shen Shunan waited for them outside the school gate. When she saw Zhou Lang and the others park their car, she waved the bouquet in her hand.
Shen Wanrou looked at her younger sister with affection. Today, Shu Nan was also wearing a black graduation gown, with a pink collar indicating that she was a bachelor's degree holder in the humanities and arts.
Beneath her academic gown, she wore a preppy shirt and skirt, light gray knee-high socks, and black patent leather round-toe shoes.
"Shu Nan, did a boy give you flowers?" Shen Wanrou asked with a smile.
"No way, sister, you know I never dated in college."
Shen Shunan affectionately hugged her older sister's arm: "These flowers were from my roommate."
When she turned to Michelle, Zhou Lang and the others, although she maintained a smile, anyone could see that Shen Shunan was slightly intimidated and nervous.
Michelle nudged Zhou Lang's arm and whispered, "I can see it now. My sister-in-law and her sister are a siscon, one is a sister-obsessed brother and the other is a sister-obsessed sister."
The younger sister is only natural and relaxed when she is with her older sister; once she encounters strangers, she reveals her introverted protective nature.
Zhou Lang took a pink gift box out of the car; inside was an instant camera.
He originally intended to hand it directly to Shen Shunan, but his girlfriend Su Ying'er was staring intently at him, her cheeks slightly puffed out.
Zhou Lang then handed it to Shen Wanrou.
Shen Wanrou smiled and handed the Polaroid camera back to her sister: "Shu Nan, this is a little graduation gift from your brother Zhou Lang."
"Yes, thank you, brother."
Shen Shunan curiously picked up the Polaroid camera: "Sister Michelle brought a mirrorless camera, shall we take another picture with this?"
The image quality of the Polaroid camera is negligible, but Zhou Lang gave it to him for another purpose.
"Shu Nan, no matter how good the camera is, you still need to make an extra trip to print it out. Instant cameras can print photos instantly and even come with a film-like filter."
"Take a group photo with your classmates, use your phone or camera to take the first one, then use an instant camera to take another one, and give the photo to them on the spot."
Michelle nodded and added, "Yes, it has a sense of ritual, like capturing this moment and sending it off, and it gives a lot of emotional value."
"Well, I see." Shen Shunan's thanks were a little hesitant. "Thank you for the gift, brother."
Shen Wanrou smiled and kept looking at Zhou Lang.
Zhou Lang felt a tangible heat rising on his face from her gaze, and raised an eyebrow, asking, "What's wrong, sister-in-law? Is there something on me?"
Shen Wanrou gently shook her head: "I was just thinking that you've considered everything so thoroughly. In front of a young girl like Shu Nan, you're a reliable older brother."
Su Ying'er, standing to the side, secretly snorted softly. She thought to herself, "Of course! Otherwise, how did I fall for her?"
The equipment we brought today, besides Michelle's mirrorless camera and Pocket 3, also includes Zhou Lang and Su Ying'er's Pocket 4.
The group helped Shen Shunan and her classmates take various photos. The weather was hot, and soon they all had sweat on their foreheads.
There was a bamboo grove and a small pond on campus, and Shen Shunan invited them to rest in the shade.
She and Shen Wanrou bought electrolyte water and iced cola, which they then distributed to the others.
Zhou Lang took a bottle of cola and counted the number of bottles: "Shu Nan, what about yours?"
"Brother, I brought water."
Shen Shunan took a water bottle out of her backpack.
It's all pink, with the cartoon characters for "salary" printed on it.
Zhou Lang couldn't help but chuckle: "This cup is quite cute."
Shen Shunan spun the cup, looked at the word "salary," and her smile suddenly became a little forced.
Seeing the girl's expression, Zhou Lang guessed that she was having trouble with her internship.
He shifted his position, making half of the large rock he was sitting on available for Shen Shunan.
Is your current salary not ideal?
Shen Shunan glanced at the seat that had been deliberately left empty next to Zhou Lang, hesitated for a moment, and did not sit down.
But she answered honestly, "Um... a little."
"I heard from your sister that you're making a little over 4,000 during your internship, and you can earn over 6,000 after you become a full-time employee?"
Shen Shunan bit her lip: "Four days off a month, 10 hours of work a day... and..."
"Moreover, during the recruitment process, it was stated that this was a special position for recent undergraduate graduates, and that they would be given priority in training."
"However, since I started this job, I've been working as a receptionist."
Shen Shunan completed her undergraduate studies in four years, but her internship involved serving food and asking people to taste it, suggesting she would be working as a waitress for a long time.
Zhou Lang asked, "If you don't get a permanent position, what kind of job would you like to do?"
Shen Shunan tugged at the hem of her graduation gown, looking troubled: "I want to take the postgraduate entrance exam... but the competition is too fierce, and I won't be able to pass."
Taking the postgraduate entrance exam at my own university doesn't seem to help with employment much anymore; in fact, I'm more afraid that the job market will become even more difficult three years from now...
Zhou Lang patted the empty seat next to him and smiled encouragingly: "After the expansion of enrollment, the greater value of taking the postgraduate entrance exam at our own university is that it gives you a buffer period and you're not in such a hurry to find a job."
Shen Shunan's expression grew increasingly conflicted: "My family... can't really support me pursuing graduate studies anymore..."
She and Shen Wanrou's mother were in poor health, and the shortfall in medical expenses once put immense pressure on her sister.
In this situation, if she doesn't start working as soon as possible, but instead focuses on "buffering" for herself and pursues a graduate degree that isn't very valuable, she'll be in trouble.
Shen Shunan felt unworthy and that she was being too immature.
Zhou Lang, however, spoke in a comforting tone, saying gently, "Shu Nan, you don't need to put too much pressure on yourself."
"I remember the company Michelle and I worked for a few years ago. We were easily hired because we were from non-prestigious universities. But starting last year, the same positions now require a master's degree."
He looked at Shen Shunan sincerely, hoping that his experience could alleviate the anxiety of this recent graduate: "Does that mean that Mi Xue and I are necessarily better than the new recruits from last year in terms of ability and education? No, it's just that the environment is different and our luck is different."
"I..." Shen Shunan continued to tug at the hem, and with a little force, she even gripped the edge of the short skirt tightly, making it wrinkled.
Shen Wanrou slowly approached and naturally sat down in the empty seat next to Zhou Lang.
"Zhou Lang, please talk to this child more."
Shen Wan spoke softly and gently. Her younger sister, Shu Nan, was like a rabbit trying to hide when facing boys her age; she would run away after only a few words.
Shen Wanrou was somewhat surprised that her younger sister was willing to talk to Zhou Lang about these things.