The Early Spring

Shang Zhi Тао hаd а full night's slееp. When shе ореnеd her eyеs thе next dаy, she hеаrd vоiсеs tаlking in the living roоm.

"Have lunch togethеr? Lеt's get tо know еасh оther." It wаs Sun Yu, whо еnjоуed mаking friends.

"Sure. I cаn't сoоk, so I'll be in chаrge of buуing grocеriеs." Тhаt wаs Yuаnzhu's vоice, whiсh Shаng Zhi Tао hаd alsо heаrd bеfore. Shе jumрed оut of bed, found hеr underwear аnd рut it оn, then sliрped into а lооse Т-shirt аnd ореnеd the dооr, smiling as shе askеd them, "Arе yоu guуs рlanning а gаthеring?"

"Yеah. Todаy is the first time everуone in Roоm 601 is here, sо let's hаvе a mеal and get to know each other," Sun Yu said. Her boyfriend's company was on a team-building trip in the outskirts of Beijing this week, so she still didn't need to go see him.

"I'd like to join too, is that okay?" Shang Zhi Tao sought everyone's opinion. She also enjoyed lively gatherings. Being new to this city, she always wanted to make a few friends.

Another guy she hadn't met before also smiled and said, "Of course." He was wearing a company culture T-shirt with a logo Shang Zhi Tao recognized. She was slightly shocked inside—Beijing truly was a city where hidden talents abounded. People might seem ordinary on the street, but no one was truly just an extra.

"Then let me introduce everyone!" Sun Yu acted like a proper matchmaker: "Shang Zhi Tao, Sun Yuanzhu, Zhang Lei."

The young people all laughed. "Let's go buy groceries." Zhang Lei and Sun Yuanzhu volunteered to do the shopping. Sun Yu stood by the window watching them walk away, then turned back and asked Shang Zhi Tao, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No."

"Then get along well with these two guys. Their jobs are really good. Genuine rising stars in the internet industry."

Sun Yu spoke pragmatically—struggling alone in this city wasn't as good as having someone by your side. If that person had a decent income, life would be relatively easier. Shang Zhi Tao blushed. "I'm not in a hurry. I just graduated and want to focus on my work."

"Work and dating don't have to conflict!"

Shang Zhi Tao quickly waved her hands. "No, no, living under the same roof would be too awkward."

Sun Yu giggled. As a spirited and charming girl from Guizhou, she loved playing matchmaker for others. Shang Zhi Tao really wasn't in the mood for that—her mind was full of work, cautious and careful. "You know what? On my first day at work, a boss told me to resign." Shang Zhi Tao sighed. "I'm a bit nervous. He didn't seem like he was joking."

"Did you offend him?"

"No..."

"Does he like you?"

"...He probably doesn't lack girlfriends..."

"Then why did he want to fire you on the first day?"

Right, why? Shang Zhi Tao had been thinking about it for days and couldn't figure it out. Could it really be because she was the most mediocre among the batch of new graduates? Perhaps so.

Puzzled, she went to wash up and do laundry. By the time she was almost done, the guys returned, carrying four full bags of food. Shang Zhi Tao quickly asked, "How much was it? Let's split the cost."

"No need, no need." Sun Yuanzhu smiled and shook his head. "Let's not be roommates who fight over a few cents of electricity. We're all away from home, so let's take care of each other. This small amount doesn't matter."

Zhang Lei also shook his head. "That would be too deliberate. Next time, it's on you guys."

"Sure." Sun Yu tied on an apron and headed to the kitchen. "Let me show off my skills."

"I... only know how to cook noodles..." Shang Zhi Tao felt a bit embarrassed. Her limited culinary skills really weren't something to boast about."You handle the prep work!" Sun Yu smiled as she handed her the garlic, then turned to clean the fish and chop the ribs, moving with practiced efficiency. The boys crowded by the kitchen door, watching Sun Yu’s swift movements and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Girls who can cook are rare these days."

Shang Zhi Tao gave Sun Yu a thumbs-up. "Amazing." Her face, flushed pink from the heat of the kitchen, held an expression of youthful clarity and innocence, like a well-behaved, diligent student.

Zhang Lei glanced at Sun Yuanzhu and cleared his throat.

"Can everyone handle spicy food?" Sun Yu asked the group.

"Yes," several nodded.

Hearing this, Sun Yu dashed back to her room and brought out a jar of chopped chili peppers. She then nudged Shang Zhi Tao out of the kitchen. "Go on, it’ll get smoky." After closing the kitchen door, the aroma soon wafted out. Shang Zhi Tao sniffed the air and suddenly felt the loneliness of the past week melt away.

In a city like this, do people easily become friends?

The young people sat together, all feeling a bit shy.

"Want to have a drink?" Sun Yu asked. She had a good tolerance for alcohol, having grown up in Maotai Town. At her first birthday celebration, elders had dipped wine into her mouth, and her capacity was steeped in the rich aroma of Maotai’s fermented liquor.

The boys nodded in agreement, but Shang Zhi Tao apologized, "I don’t drink."

"A girl from the Northeast who doesn’t drink?" Zhang Lei asked her.

"Well, not all Inner Mongolians can ride horses..." Shang Zhi Tao defended herself.

"Then no drinking, heh heh." Zhang Lei scratched the back of his head. "Cultured folks don’t pressure girls to drink unless they want to." He stood up to fetch some cola, and Sun Yuanzhu asked Shang Zhi Tao one more question, "Can you handle cold drinks?"

"Yes."

All were wanderers far from home, from south to north, from west to east. Sitting together, the distance suddenly vanished, and they were all collectively called "outsiders."

So they chatted about everything under the sun, from noon until dusk, still feeling like they hadn’t talked enough. Their conversations were interesting too—funny stories from their jobs. Shang Zhi Tao, being new to the workplace, didn’t have much to share, so she listened quietly.

It turned out there were many kinds of work.

Sun Yuanzhu worked in big data. He talked about the logic of big data applications and the problems it could solve. He shared how he and his colleagues once threw computers in a meeting room over a data-crawling logic issue, making Sun Yu giggle.

As for Zhang Lei, he worked in product commercialization, dealing with different people every day. Business trips, research, drinking, and modeling had given him a roguish air. In the years that followed, Shang Zhi Tao met many big shots in commercialization and found most of them resembled Zhang Lei. And Zhang Lei himself became one of those big shots.

Sun Yu started out in sales. She had worked as a salesperson at a top-tier visual display company but resigned firmly after her clients were forcibly reassigned to other colleagues by her boss.

What an interesting group of people!

While washing the dishes, Shang Zhi Tao’s phone rang. She hurried over to answer it and heard Lumi’s voice, "Hey, girl, I saw the payment process for yesterday’s project is almost done. Remember to remind Luke to approve the payment confirmation email!"

"Got it."

After hanging up, Shang Zhi Tao recalled how he had invited someone to dinner and a concert over the phone yesterday. She checked the time, thought it over for a while, and decided to send him a message.

"Hello Luke, regarding the payment for yesterday’s project, finance has started the process. There’s one final email requiring your approval and confirmation. Sorry to bother you."Luan Nian took a long time to reply with just a single "Okay," and nothing more. Fortunately, the matter was resolved. Shang Zhi Tao opened her computer to check her emails, waiting for the final process to be completed, but Luan Nian hadn’t approved it even by nine o’clock in the evening.

"Why hasn’t it been approved yet?" Lu Mi asked her.

"I sent a message, and he replied with 'Okay.' Maybe he’s busy?" Shang Zhi Tao wasn’t quite sure.

"Go ask again." Lumi urged Shang Zhi Tao to take the initiative, then comforted her, "Don’t be afraid, you’re the best."

"Okay."

Shang Zhi Tao sent another message to Luan Nian: "Hello, luke, could you please approve it when you have a moment?"

No, he couldn’t. Luan Nian didn’t reply to her. He tossed his phone back into his pocket. The concert was nearing its end, and Jiang Lan beside him was still watching intently. Luan Nian truly despised this boring weekend evening, but this major client was tough to crack, and the board had assigned him to handle it. Luan Nian knew his boundaries—chatting with her about everything under the sun, keeping the distance ambiguous. She wasn’t foolish either, and even as they entered the concert hall, she hadn’t relented. Luan Nian wasn’t in a hurry either, keeping her on the hook. Even if he succeeded, he wouldn’t get any extra money, so why should he rush?

But that Shang Zhi Tao was truly persistent. Another message came in: "Could you please approve it as soon as possible? Finance is waiting."

"Let them wait."

"...Okay."

"Is something wrong?" The woman beside him leaned close to Luan Nian’s ear and whispered, her seductive fragrance drifting over.

"Nothing."

"Thank you for accompanying me to the concert." Jiang Lan’s fingertips brushed lightly over the back of Luan Nian’s hand, a subtle and provocative gesture. Luan Nian was no stranger to such flirtations, but he had no interest in Jiang Lan. He clasped her wrist and slowly moved her hand back to her own knee.

He wasn’t a gigolo.

He didn’t sell himself.