009 The Colleague Who Couldn’t Be Refused
Wang Heng believed that Bitcoin would continue to rise, but his father clearly couldn’t agree.
“Son, you haven’t studied much about economics and finance,” Wang Jian lectured in the tone of an experienced elder. “Don’t take what others boast about as the truth. Price and value are two different things. Things like Bitcoin, there are many historical examples—they’re just bubbles. Do you know, in the Netherlands a few hundred years ago…”
Wang Heng interrupted, “I know about the tulip bubble. You don’t need to educate me. How about this, then? Since you’re going to help me buy a computer, I’ll use the money I save up to buy Bitcoin. If I make a profit later, I’ll give you a cut. No risk, only benefits for you. How does that sound?”
Wang Jian laughed heartily. “Benefits? Fine. It’s a life experience for a young person to suffer a little loss.”
“I’ll be waiting for the day you eat your words.”
“What does ‘eat your words’ mean?”
Wang Heng shook his head. “Nothing. Let’s leave it at that. Dad, when can you buy me the computer?”
Wang Jian turned his head to look out the window. “The weather is nice today. It’s a pity you came back so late. Our window has a great view of the sunset. It’s beautiful.”
Wang Heng was speechless.
“Just kidding,” Wang Jian patted his shoulder again. “I’ll definitely buy you the computer. Let’s wait until the end of the month. After our living expenses, the rest of this month’s salary went to the mortgage. I don’t have it on hand right now.”
“…I’d better keep working my part-time job then.”
**
After working at the milk tea shop for a few days, one morning, as soon as he walked in, he was met with a big ‘surprise’.
“Let me introduce you. This is your new colleague,” the manager said to the newly arrived Wang Heng, pointing at the shyly smiling girl. “But since Han Yixuan is your classmate, I probably don’t need to introduce her, right?”
Wang Heng’s expression had already stiffened. “Uh… no need.”
Han Yixuan was staring at him, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle. Seeing his utterly astonished look, the girl felt the thrill of a successful prank, but was too embarrassed to laugh too obviously.
“Alright, let’s confirm the work schedule then. I made this last night. You two take a look first. Let me know if you have any problems.”
The manager handed two sheets of A4 paper to them. Both papers had the same table, planning each employee’s work hours from Monday to Sunday. The manager was in the shop every day, while Wang Heng and Han Yixuan were scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There was another employee, but they came in less often, only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“You two are acquaintances, so I’ve scheduled you to work together. Is that okay?”
Hearing this, Wang Heng looked at the manager with a very complicated expression.
Han Yixuan nodded obediently. “That’s fine. I have no problem with it.”
“That’s good. Wang Heng, it’s still early and we haven’t opened yet. Why don’t you teach Little Xuan how to make milk tea first? You’re so skilled, being a teacher for a bit shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“Uh… okay.”
What else could Wang Heng say? He felt like he had been set up. And the mastermind behind this setup was standing right in front of him, looking shy but actually gloating triumphantly.
“Teacher Wang, aren’t you going to teach me?” Han Yixuan reminded him with a smile.
“…Let’s start with brewing the tea.”
“Okay, Teacher~~”
Wang Heng led her to the back kitchen, pointed at a large, metal barrel-like object, and said, “This is the pot for brewing tea. Add water, put it on the induction cooker, heat it to ninety degrees, then add the tea leaves and let it steep. Look here, there are also measuring cups, a thermometer, an electronic scale, and a timer. Making milk tea in a shop is different from just making it for fun at home. It’s a standardized process. The amounts of tea and water are clearly specified…”
As he explained, Wang Heng demonstrated the tea brewing process with a blank expression. This part was simple, and Han Yixuan quickly got the hang of it, so the focus of her gaze quietly shifted.
“…Simple, right? Actually, the most important thing is the time. Once the lid is on, you have to start the timer. The default setting on this timer is 25 minutes. It will beep to remind you when the time is up. Then, just pour the brewed tea into the insulated container. Don’t forget the strainer. The strained tea leaves can be thrown away directly… Why are you staring at me?” Wang Heng finally noticed something was off.
Han Yixuan stuck out her tongue playfully and said with embarrassment, “That saying is really true.”
“What saying?”
“A boy who’s serious about his work is very handsome.”
Wang Heng was speechless.
The girl quickly waved her hands. “Alright, alright, I understand how to brew tea now. What’s next?”
Wang Heng coughed and said, “I just brewed black tea. Next is oolong tea. I’ll leave this to you. Can you do it?”
“Mhm, leave it to me.”
Recalling Wang Heng’s previous actions, Han Yixuan also brewed a large pot. Although her movements were a bit slower, there were no major mistakes. After all, this part didn’t require much technical skill.
“Okay, the timer will remind us when the time is up. Now, let’s use this time to cook the pearls and sago. These things need to be prepared in advance before we open in the morning. But the shelf life of pearls and sago is very short, so you can’t cook too much at once. If they’re not used up after four or five hours, you have to throw them out and cook a new batch.”
Han Yixuan was a little curious. “Are they really that conscientious?”
“We have to be. If things like sago and pearls aren’t replaced in time, the texture will be terrible. That would be ruining our own business.”
“I thought there would be some additives…”
“There’s no need for additives. The cost of tapioca starch is very low. Randomly adding other things, not to mention whether it’s safe, would just add to the cost. Instead of adding costs, it’s better to make the employees work a little more, don’t you think?”
Just as Wang Heng finished speaking, he heard the manager shout, “Are you talking bad about me again, you brat!”
“Not at all! It’s all heartfelt praise!” Wang Heng shouted back. “I was saying how honest and trustworthy you are!”
The manager grunted a couple of times and fell silent.
Han Yixuan couldn’t help but laugh.
Wang Heng continued, “Don’t mind him. Let’s continue. Anyway, that’s how it is. The brewed tea is the same; it has to be replaced every four or five hours. And if the customer flow is high enough, a container of tea won’t even last five hours. Actually, this shop’s requirements aren’t that strict. Some well-known chain brands have a shelf life of only four hours for their tea and pearls. They’re extremely strict about it, not even a minute over. They all have standardized recipes with flavors developed by experts in a lab. They absolutely don’t let the staff mess around.”
Han Yixuan couldn’t help but exclaim, “You know so much!”
Wang Heng touched the tip of his nose. “Alright, after these are all cooked, I’ll teach you how to shake the milk tea.”
The girl’s gaze, mixed with admiration, made him feel a little heavy. So, he could only make small talk, trying to change the subject as much as possible.
But it was foreseeable that the time he would have to spend with Han Yixuan in the future would be long, very long…
***
Translator’s Notes
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“Eat your words” (真香, zhēn xiāng): This is a direct translation of a popular Chinese internet slang term. It literally means “smells so good” and is used to describe someone who initially dislikes or rejects something but then ends up enjoying it immensely. The English equivalent is “eating one’s words” or “singing a different tune.” I’ve used “eat your words” for a more direct cultural parallel, but that’s why Wang Jian didn’t understood its meaning.
