From Dropout to Housemaid-The Upper Crust's Favorite - Chapter 5 - Skills Never Go to Waste

While Jiang Xianyu was meticulously going through her projects one by one, Manager Liu was having a far less pleasant time.

The moment he stepped into Manager Hua’s office, he was greeted with a cold snort.

“Manager Liu, your authority seems to be growing by the day. Should I be worried that you’ll be taking my seat soon?”

Manager Liu wiped the sweat from his forehead and stammered, “No, no, I wouldn’t dare.”

Manager Hua’s voice rose, sharp and cutting. “Wouldn’t dare? You’ve already overstepped by firing Jiang Xianyu. What else are you afraid of doing?”

In the sales world, this would be like a team leader firing the top salesperson-an absolute blunder.

Liu Tianquan, realizing the gravity of the situation, abandoned all pretense and explained in a low voice, “I didn’t think she’d actually go through with resigning.”

Manager Hua pointed at him with irritation, his tone heavy with authority. “You need to rein yourself in. Jiang Xianyu isn’t the same junior analyst she was when she first joined the company. You can’t keep treating her like she’s still fresh out of college.”

Hearing this, Liu Tianquan felt a wave of relief. It seemed the matter was about to be resolved.

Still, he knew he had to show some remorse. “Manager Hua, this was my fault. My rash words caused this mess, and I’m willing to accept any punishment. Whatever you decide, I’ll comply-even if you want me to kneel before Jiang Xianyu. As long as it’s for the company’s benefit, I’ll do it.”

Manager Hua snorted dismissively. “Forget kneeling. Officially, Jiang Xianyu resigned voluntarily, but for your sake, I’ll treat it as if she was dismissed. Her severance pay will come out of your salary. Maybe that’ll help you remember this lesson.”

Liu Tianquan winced internally.

Though the severance pay wasn’t an astronomical sum for him, it was still a painful loss.

Seeing his expression, Manager Hua scoffed. “Don’t look so miserable. When Jiang Xianyu eventually comes back, she’ll have to start from scratch. If you want to berate her then, I won’t stop you.”

Liu Tianquan felt slightly better hearing this, but then something clicked. He hesitated before asking, “Are you saying Jiang Xianyu will come back?”

Manager Hua’s expression turned enigmatic. “Young people are too naive. They need to face the harsh realities of life before they learn to appreciate what they had.”

Liu Tianquan nodded silently, though he wasn’t entirely convinced.

Judging by Jiang Xianyu’s attitude, it didn’t seem likely she’d return.

But none of that mattered now. The issue had been settled, and he wasn’t about to stir up more trouble.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xianyu finished handing over all her projects and headed to the HR department to finalize her resignation paperwork.

The finance team had already processed her payments.

Her severance pay amounted to 106,700 yuan, plus this month’s salary of 23,000 yuan, bringing the total to 130,000 yuan.

Her performance bonuses from the past three years added up to 50,000 yuan for the first year, 150,000 yuan for the second year, and 200,000 yuan for the third year.

In total, Jiang Xianyu now had 538,000 yuan in her account-more than enough to sustain her while she searched for a new job.

Walking toward the subway station, Jiang Xianyu finally allowed herself to take in the scenery around her.

Her salary had always gone toward supporting her family, leaving her unable to afford even a modest car. Every day, she rushed through crowded streets and subway stations, barely sparing a glance at her surroundings.

The roadside views had always been a blur, fleeting and forgettable.

But now, as she looked around, she found herself seeing everything in a new light.

The apartment she rented was quite far from her workplace-a modest one-bedroom unit with a single bathroom. To make cooking more convenient, she had asked the landlord to partition off a small area to serve as a temporary kitchen.

Although her daily commute took nearly two hours, the rent was significantly cheaper than the apartments near her company.

Her ex-boyfriend, Wang Wei, had once suggested they rent a place together to save money, but she had firmly declined. She wasn’t ready to dive into cohabitation, nor was she prepared to give herself over to such a commitment.

Fortunately, Wang Wei didn’t dare push her too hard on the matter, and the topic was dropped.

Back at her rented apartment, Jiang Xianyu set down her belongings and surveyed the slightly messy room. She decided it was time for a thorough cleaning.

Her busy work schedule left her little time to tidy up, so the place often leaned toward disarray.

Cleaning was something she excelled at-a skill honed during her years of part-time jobs.

During college, although her Uncle had generously covered her tuition, she couldn’t bear to rely solely on his financial support. She took on every part-time job she could find.

She had tried tutoring, but even as a student from a prestigious university, landing good tutoring gigs wasn’t easy. Parents preferred hiring experienced teachers.

Some parents, upon seeing her attractive appearance, worried that prolonged interaction with their high school sons might lead to distractions. After meeting her, they would politely decline her services.

Over time, her tutoring opportunities dwindled.

Eventually, she discovered a quicker way to make money-working as a part-time cleaner.

To increase her earning potential, she even obtained a professional certification from Hai City’s Aisheng Housekeeping Company.

Cleaning became her favorite task. Though physically exhausting, it was oddly therapeutic. In a city like Hai City, where wealthy households were abundant, finding cleaning jobs wasn’t difficult.

Thanks to this work, she managed to cover her living expenses during college without burdening her Uncle further.

Jiang Xianyu’s apartment wasn’t large, nor did it contain much clutter. Cleaning it wasn’t a daunting task. Within an hour or so, the place was neat and orderly.

However, the water pipes in the kitchen were showing signs of aging and needed replacing. The showerhead connection occasionally dripped water, which also required fixing.

These repair skills were things she had gradually learned through trial and error.

Otherwise, calling a repairman for a single visit would cost her hundreds of yuan.

She would examine the issue, search for solutions online, and after a few attempts, she’d figure it out.

Life had shaped her into someone adept at handling these small, mundane challenges.

From fixing and patching up things around the house to cooking meals, she had mastered it all.

Her cooking skills were particularly impressive. She had started working in various restaurants during high school and would often observe the head chefs, picking up techniques whenever she had downtime. She even entertained the idea of setting up a food stall on the street if she couldn’t find a decent part-time job.

In her view, having multiple skills was never a disadvantage.

Besides, she had been cooking since she was a child.

When she was younger and too short to reach the stove, she would stand on a stool to cook. As she grew taller, the stool was no longer necessary, but she remained the one responsible for preparing meals.

Sometimes, she wondered if she was more like a housemaid than a family member. At least housemaids received wages, whereas she didn’t even dare to ask for payment. Yet, she still endured scolding and occasional beatings.

She even questioned whether she was truly her parents’ biological child. But the truth was, she was.

Her father, Jiang Hongtao, was a carpenter, and the house was filled with tools.

During high school, she had reached the age where she began to care about appearances and dream about life.

She had visited a classmate’s home once and seen their room-a tidy space with a wardrobe, a vanity table, and an array of plush toys.

She looked on, too ashamed to even show her envy, fearing her fragile pride would be crushed.

When she returned home, she begged her father to use leftover wood from his projects to make her a desk.

She didn’t ask for a wardrobe or a vanity table like her classmate’s-just a small desk, nothing extravagant.

Even so, Jiang Hongtao refused.

In the end, she scavenged discarded furniture from a nearby junkyard, dismantled it, and crafted a small desk herself.

She sanded the desk until it was smooth and placed her one and only bottle of Dabao lotion on top.

Thinking about it now, Jiang Xianyu rubbed her tired eyes and pulled herself together.

Though her past was filled with hardship, it had also cultivated her resourcefulness, enabling her to thrive wherever life took her.