Chapter 425 – One Hundred Dollars
Because they had set off early, there weren’t many people on the bus at the moment. However, they noticed that among their group, there were not only foreigners but also people chattering away in English, which they found impressive.
Especially for Lu Xia, the Chinese face who could communicate with foreigners, everyone showed admiring glances.
But at this moment, Lu Xia didn’t have the mind to care about what others were thinking.
They quickly arrived at the first destination, which was Tiananmen Square, where she had been a few days ago.
The Miller family was awestruck when they saw it, and Lu Xia finally smiled, started introducing them to the place, and then saw Mr. Miller taking out a camera to take pictures. Lu Xia even offered to take a group photo for them.
Afterwards, everyone visited the Forbidden City, and unsurprisingly, they were once again overwhelmed by the grandeur of this architectural marvel.
Because the two of them loved these buildings so much, they spent the whole morning exploring.
For lunch, they found a state-owned restaurant nearby that served Peking duck, allowing them to experience a taste of Chinese culture. The Miller family left with satisfied stomachs, singing praises for this delectable cuisine.
In the afternoon, they visited the old Beijing hutongs as they had planned, experiencing the most distinctive aspects of life in the capital.
Of course, the hutongs in this area had not yet been developed into tourist attractions, so it was the best way to experience the authentic charm of Beijing.
Jin Cheng was well-prepared and vividly introduced the surroundings, while Lu Xia did her best to provide translations.
The Miller couple were very satisfied with their day’s itinerary. When they parted in the evening, they left a generous tip, expressing that if they wanted to explore more next week, they should contact them again.
Lu Xia nodded with a smile and agreed, then they parted ways.
On the way back, she felt exhausted and really didn’t want to talk at all.
In contrast, Jin Cheng was very excited.
“One hundred dollars! They gave a hundred dollars as a tip! Even if we split it, it’s almost as much as my annual salary. This reception was truly worth it!”
Lu Xia became interested after hearing this, as the money was indeed substantial, and she hadn’t expected them to give so much.
“How much did those foreign clients used to tip?”
“They never specified, but definitely not this much. I would guess at most ten dollars.”
Lu Xia understood after hearing this; they had encountered generous clients this time.
“Do we need to report this money to the boss?”
Jin Cheng nodded, “Yes, we do, but the company won’t take it. It’s for us, and we’ll split it later. It’s a good opportunity to exchange it for Chinese currency at the travel agency!”
Lu Xia nodded in satisfaction, “That’s good then.”
Then Jin Cheng expressed his envy, “It’s still essential to know English. You earned my annual salary on your first try. If I could speak English, I’d probably have a better salary.”
Lu Xia smiled and encouraged, “Then you should seriously learn English.”
Jin Cheng nodded, “Absolutely, I didn’t pay much attention before, but now that I’ve seen the money, I’ll definitely study hard in the future.”
Lu Xia smiled at this and didn’t think he was materialistic. She thought it was nice that he could openly express his desires and thoughts.
Then Jin Cheng said, “Today, I benefitted from you. Another day, I’ll treat you to dinner, and in the future, I’ll have to learn a lot from you in English.”
Lu Xia smiled and declined, “Let’s skip the dinner invitation; my husband is a bit possessive and wouldn’t like me going out to dinner with other men. But if you have any questions about English, feel free to ask me.”
Jin Cheng, upon hearing this, also smiled, “Then let’s plan for a day when we can bring your husband along. It’s a good opportunity to introduce my wife too.”
Lu Xia smiled and didn’t refuse this time, mainly because she thought Jin Cheng was a good person—honest, reliable, and efficient. It was nice to make a friend like him.
*
Chapter 426 – Sugar Momma
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After returning to the travel agency, it was already late. After reporting to the director and learning about the substantial tip they received, they were surprised but didn’t say much. The director instructed Jin Cheng to exchange the money into Chinese currency at the finance department and also had Lu Xia collect her day’s wage.
However, after everything was settled, Lu Xia still asked the director about what the Miller couple had mentioned today.
“I heard that they came to China to inspect investment. Shouldn’t the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle such cases? Why did they choose our travel agency for their trip?”
The director didn’t expect her to ask this question, as even though their company was a travel agency, it was still a state-owned enterprise, so they had some insights into the matter.
With a smile, he explained, “Today is Sunday.”
Lu Xia was puzzled. What did Sunday have to do with it?
“Foreigners like them pay great attention to their weekends. Even if they’re here for business purposes, they consider weekends their private time. That’s why they arranged the trip with our travel agency for today. Starting from Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will take over.”
Finally understanding, Lu Xia said, “I see!”
The director smiled and said, “Well, it’s getting late. You’ve had a long day. You’ll have to come back next weekend.”
Lu Xia nodded, “Alright, I understand, Director.”
After leaving the travel agency, Lu Xia unexpectedly saw Jiang Junmo waiting at the entrance. She hurried over, “Why are you here? Did you come to pick me up?”
Jiang Junmo smiled and replied, “I made plans to meet a classmate at the library, and when we finished, I realized it was getting late, so I decided to pick you up as well.”
“Oh? Which classmate are you meeting? I don’t remember hearing about them.”
“It’s a classmate from my new class. Our teacher assigned us a task, and this afternoon, he suddenly called me at home, so we discussed it and realized we were missing some research materials, which led us to the library.”
“Oh, I see.”
Then Jiang Junmo continued, “Well, you might actually know this classmate…”
“I know them? Who is it?”
“Do you remember the couple we met on the train when we were returning to the city?”
Lu Xia thought for a moment, “I vaguely remember. The wife was named Jin He, right? I forgot the husband’s name.”
Jiang Junmo smiled, “His name is Zhou Yan.”
“Oh, right, that’s him. I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence. He’s also at Peking University!”
“Yes, I didn’t notice at first either. It was only after I transferred to the current class that he approached me, and I remembered.”
Lu Xia understood after hearing this, “That’s nice. Now you have a familiar face in your class. By the way, didn’t his wife seem pregnant back then? Has she given birth now?”
Jiang Junmo shook his head, “I’m not sure about that. If I get a chance, I can ask for you.”
Lu Xia thought for a moment, “No, forget it. We’re not that close. I’ll ask her myself the next time I see her.”
Jiang Junmo nodded and didn’t say much, shifting the conversation to inquire about Lu Xia’s day.
Excitedly, Lu Xia shared her day’s experiences and also explained the purpose of the Miller couple’s visit to China.
“I was really nervous at the time, fearing that if things went wrong, it would leave a bad impression of our country on them.”
Jiang Junmo patted her head upon hearing this, “You did a great job!”
Lu Xia chuckled, “By the way, we received a $100 tip today. After splitting it, each of us got $50. It’s a significant windfall.”
Seeing her enthusiasm for money, Jiang Junmo also smiled, “Impressive, you’re a sugar momma now. I might have to rely on you in the future.”
Lu Xia lifted her chin playfully, “Don’t worry, with your good looks, I’m more than willing to support you!”
Jiang Junmo didn’t get upset at her comment and just laughed, then he rode his bike and took her back home.
**TN
Hutongs – In Beijing, hutongs are alleys formed by lines of traditional courtyard residences; like these:
Oh man… does the author know what Americans actually think about Tiananmen Square and that’s why they mentioned it in a positive light or do they not know because of all the censorship and they were just talking about what would impress them? 😅😅😅 I don’t mean to comment on only stuff like this, it’s just really funny and intriguing reading a positive spin on certain parts of Chinese history that the rest of the world views as bad (because of the enormous death toll associated with them).
Tiananmen tragic event occurred in the late 1989. According to the current time in the novel, we’re not anywhere near 1989