Outside the first group of people, Lin Duo'er heard that they were recruiting sales assistants for a department store, requiring Mandarin speakers and a high school education or above.
Lin Duo'er paused; this job wasn't for her.
Outside the second group, Lin Duo'er heard they were recruiting electricians and plumbers.
Not for her.
The third place was hiring garment sewers, requiring experienced workers. Proficiency with electric motors was irrelevant, but experience with domestic sewing machines was necessary.
Still not for her.
The fourth recruitment was for a hotel, hiring chefs, kitchen staff, and waitstaff. Chefs needed a certificate, and kitchen staff had to demonstrate their knife skills on the spot.
The requirements for waitstaff were simpler: women under 25, over 1.6 meters tall, with pleasant features, a junior high school education, and the ability to speak Mandarin.
Lin Duo'er scratched her head. Serving dishes required a junior high school education?
The recruiter glanced at Lin Duo'er, finding her age and height suitable, and asked if she wanted to apply.
Lin Duo'er thought for a moment and said, "I only graduated from primary school."
Upon hearing Lin Duo'er's regional accent, the recruiter frowned, "Don't you speak Mandarin?"
Lin Duo'er shook her head, "This is my first time out."
After several days of recruiting without filling the positions, the recruiter lowered the requirements, "You can learn Mandarin quickly. As long as you can read and understand menus, it's fine."
Lin Duo'er's face lit up, and she asked, "How much is the monthly salary?"
"Food and accommodation are provided. The starting salary is 800 yuan per month, with an increase of 200 yuan after a six-month internship. After one year, it increases by 100 yuan annually."
"800 yuan?" Lin Duo'er's mouth dropped open in surprise.
"Yes," the recruiter smiled. "We are a three-star hotel. An 800 yuan internship salary is the highest in the service industry. What do you say? Do you want to apply?"
800 yuan was the highest? She would only earn 1000 yuan a month after six months, with an annual increase of 100 yuan afterward. It would take eleven years to reach 2000 yuan a month.
Meanwhile, she was currently earning 2500 yuan a month, with only the beginning and end of the month being busy, and the middle of the month only requiring her to water plants at the nursery on a rotating basis.
She had four months off each winter, and received a year-end bonus of 5000 yuan.
She would be foolish to apply.
As Lin Duo'er turned to leave, the recruiter called out, "You won't find a salary this high anywhere else. With only a primary school education, how dare you come out to work? No factory will hire you."
Lin Duo'er paused, then continued walking, refusing to believe she couldn't find a job with a higher salary in Kyoto.
After looking at a few more groups, Lin Duo'er felt discouraged. The jobs with good positions and high salaries required a university degree or specialized technical skills.
As she reached the end and was about to turn away, a woman grabbed her, "Young lady, are you looking for a job?"
Lin Duo'er nodded.
The woman smiled, "I have a very simple job here. No diploma is needed, and Mandarin proficiency isn't important, as long as you're presentable."
Lin Duo'er recoiled, shaking off the woman's hand. "What kind of job has such simple requirements? How much is the salary?"
Hearing Lin Duo'er's voice, the woman's smile became very amiable. "Company receptionist."
Lin Duo'er had never heard of a receptionist. "What is a receptionist?"
The woman's smile deepened. "It means receiving guests. When guests enter the company, you just need to nod politely."
"If a guest asks you for a room number, just show them the way. Of course, it would be even better if you could speak Mandarin."
"Food and accommodation are provided. The base salary is 1000 yuan per month. If your service is good, guests will give you tips."
"The company will take 20% of your tips, and the rest is yours."
"For ordinary waitstaff, tips can amount to thousands or tens of thousands a month. The most capable waitstaff in the company receive tips as high as tens of thousands, all depending on individual effort."
What were tips? Lin Duo'er didn't know, but she didn't want to ask any more ignorant questions, lest the woman look down on her. "What is the company called? Where is it?"
Seeing Lin Duo'er was interested, the woman beamed. "The company is called Golden Rose. The address is the second basement floor of X Building, X Street, X District."
Lin Duo'er could understand addresses in a big city, but she didn't understand what a "building" was.
"I'll come to the company tomorrow to take a look before making a decision."
The woman smiled and nodded. "We open at eleven in the morning, operate from three in the afternoon, and close at three in the morning."
"Although the working hours are arranged like this, waitstaff do not need to clock in at the company on time, as they sometimes take external assignments."
Lin Duo'er nodded, "I understand."
Tian Jing had been following Lin Duo'er at a distance. Seeing Lin Duo'er disheartened by the various recruitment conditions, she hadn't expected a woman to suddenly approach and engage Lin Duo'er in conversation.
Initially, she hadn't paid much attention to the woman, as she looked like someone else looking for a job. However, upon seeing the woman's wolfish grin, she understood.
Before long, Lin Duo'er walked straight towards her. Tian Jing turned and walked out of the recruitment fair first.
After walking a considerable distance, Tian Jing stopped to wait for Lin Duo'er.
Lin Duo'er caught up with Tian Jing, "Captain Tian, why did you leave when you saw me?"
Tian Jing smiled faintly. "The recruitment fair is a mixed bag of people. I don't want trouble, so it's better to avoid it. Did you find a job you like?"
Tian Jing's question made Lin Duo'er not ponder the meaning of "mixed bag of people." She nodded and said, "I found a decent job. I want to go see that company tomorrow."
Tian Jing didn't ask about the job conditions or salary. Since Lin Duo'er was interested, she intended to go see it. Seeing is believing. "Alright, I'll accompany you tomorrow."
Lin Duo'er shook her head. "No need. I'll go see it myself. If it's not suitable, I'll come back."
Tian Jing didn't insist. She wasn't her daughter, after all.
Upon returning to the hotel where they were staying, Lin Duo'er went to her room to calculate the potential tips.
If she could earn fifty thousand yuan in tips a month, that would be six hundred thousand yuan a year, even higher than the dividends from the hot spring valley scenic area in Kushan.
In ten years, that would be six million yuan. In ten years, she would be thirty, which seemed a bit late to get married. So, she would work at the company for five years and earn three million yuan.
When Ouyang Meihua and Sister-in-law Niu returned from their exploration of the streets and alleys, Tian Jing called Lin Duo'er out for dinner.
Seeing the unusual sparkle in Lin Duo'er's eyes, Tian Jing sighed inwardly, wondering if bringing Lin Duo'er out had been the right decision.
During dinner, Lin Duo'er discreetly observed the waitstaff and quietly asked about their salary.
The waitstaff was taken aback but still told her, "1200 yuan."
Lin Duo'er thanked her and thought, the hotel recruiter was indeed talking nonsense. The base salary mentioned by that woman was also a bit low. However, if the tips were as high as tens of thousands, the difference between 1000 and 1200 yuan was negligible.
Ouyang Meihua looked at Tian Jing, asking with her eyes what was going on with Lin Duo'er.
Tian Jing gently shook her head.
After dinner, Tian Jing went to Ouyang Meihua's room and told her about Lin Duo'er's trip to the recruitment fair.
Ouyang Meihua was furious and first scolded Lin Duo'er for being ungrateful. Then she frowned, "That woman at the end must have had ill intentions."
"But Lin Duo'er is interested," Tian Jing said with a wry smile. "She didn't tell me the company's address, nor did she let me go with her. Tomorrow, you quietly follow her and then call me."
Ouyang Meihua also worried about Lin Duo'er being deceived. "Leave it to me."