Dou Ya insisted, "It's only eight yuan, I can afford it. Miss Jiang, please don't be like this."
"It's only eight yuan, I can afford it too. How about I pay for you?"
Dou Ya felt that as a man, he shouldn't take advantage of her.
Just as he was about to say more, Tian Tian scanned her own item.
"Alright, we're all young. I understand what you mean. I appreciate the kind gesture. Hurry up and pay, let's go."
Dou Ya was quite good-natured and honest, and chatting with him was very interesting.
The two chatted and laughed all the way, and soon arrived downstairs.
Before getting out of the car, Tian Tian thought that her work might be quite busy from now on, and she wouldn't have time to visit the site every day to check their progress. So, she said to Dou Ya.
"Let's add each other on WeChat. In the future, you can update me on your work progress on WeChat and send me some pictures. I might not be coming for the next few days."
Dou Ya said okay. After exchanging WeChat details, they opened the doors and got out of the car. Turning their heads, they saw Chen Dongyang pushing his electric bike and walking back.
Dou Ya, like an energetic leopard, zipped to him.
"Ran out of battery? Pushing it back? Why didn't you let me push? Come, come, let me push. Brother Chen, have you eaten?"
"I ate noodles with Miss Jiang. Did you buy the medicine?"
Chen Dongyang felt light-headed and hadn't eaten. He hadn't slept for nearly three days and was exhausted. All he wanted now was to sleep.
He tossed the electric bike to Dou Ya and walked forward weakly.
"I ate. Bought it. Don't worry about me. I'm going back to sleep. Charge it."
He walked past the car without looking aside. Tian Tian saw his heavy footsteps, so tired that he looked like a walking dead man. Despite his tall stature, he seemed to have no strength and looked like he could collapse at any moment.
Dou Ya pushed the electric bike and jogged a few steps ahead. Seeing that Tian Tian hadn't left, he peeked out and spoke to her again.
"Miss Jiang, I'm sorry, could I trouble you one more time?"
"Turn right at the street ahead, there's a pharmacy. I saw Brother Chen didn't buy medicine. Could you give me a ride again to help him buy some medicine?"
Since Tian Tian had to pass by anyway, it wasn't a problem.
"Okay. You park the car first, I'll wait for you."
Dou Ya nodded enthusiastically, thanked her, pushed the electric bike into the residential complex, and then, in about two minutes, ran out in a hurry.
Getting into the car and buckling up, he complained to Tian Tian.
"Ai, Brother Chen is always like this. I see him wearing himself out. I tell him, but he doesn't listen. I'm really worried about him."
Tian Tian listened to him while driving, "What do you mean 'always like this'?"
"He's always staying up late. I've lived with him for over two months, and he hasn't slept before 2 AM a single night. These past few days have been even worse. The day before yesterday, he stayed up all night at the hospital waiting for Dou Bao, and yesterday, to catch up on progress, he didn't sleep all night..."
He hasn't slept for so long?
No wonder he looked so haggard.
Tian Tian asked confusedly, "Why does he never sleep before 2 AM? Is your work that busy?"
Dou Ya said, "My work isn't that busy, but his is."
"His main job is design. He originally only did design, but later it seemed like he didn't have enough money, so he negotiated outsourcing with the boss."
"It's just the two of us responsible for the entire project now. He has to handle everything from start to finish..."
Tian Tian became even more curious.
Can it be like this? The boss takes on business and then outsources it to employees?
She was in the same industry and knew that design was the most valuable part of the entire renovation.
Because products have prices, but creativity is priceless.
Since he was making the most money, why would he take on work that he knew wasn't profitable?
Seeing her look confused, Dou Ya explained.
"Are you thinking that we're making too much money? If it can be subcontracted layer by layer, how much are we earning from the owner?"
"No, Miss Jiang. Honestly, we didn't make any money on your project."
"Brother Chen negotiated with the boss like this. If the full package is 100,000 yuan with the owner, the boss gives him 80,000 yuan."
"This 80,000 yuan includes his own design drafts, his own hard work for these two months, and my salary."
"After deducting everything, we actually don't earn much. It's almost the same as doing one job with him. I don't know what Brother Chen is thinking, maybe he thinks every little bit counts. He agreed even though he knew it wasn't profitable."
"It's a coincidence, but your project was the first one we took on as an outsource..."
He didn't say the rest, but Tian Tian finished it for him.
"I didn't expect that on the first project, we'd meet a customer as difficult as me, who wouldn't let you make any profit?"
Dou Ya quickly said, "No, no, no, that's not what I meant. The client's money is also money, and it's not blown in by the wind. We can understand wanting to save a bit."
"I just wanted to say, can you not rush us so much? Actually, we are more anxious than you. Think about it, every extra day spent is also our own time and money. It's just that sometimes there are indeed personal matters, and Brother Chen can't help it."
Tian Tian thought to herself: Isn't this his own doing? Should clients also consider these things for him?
Dou Ya went down to buy medicine, and Tian Tian waited to drive him back.
In less than two minutes, he came out sheepishly.
"Miss Jiang, I'm sorry, could you lend me 200 yuan?"
"All my money has been sent home. When Brother Chen is better tomorrow, he will definitely give me the money, and I'll pay you back..."
200 yuan was nothing to Tian Tian, and she didn't need to explain so much.
She immediately transferred it to him and asked, "Is that enough?"
"Yes, yes, it's enough."
After buying the medicine and getting in the car, Tian Tian turned around and noticed a noodle shop on the side of the road.
"Hasn't he eaten yet? He should eat before taking medicine, right? Do you want to bring him some food?"
"Right, right, I almost forgot before you mentioned it. Then I'll trouble you, wait for me a moment."
Dou Ya hurriedly went to buy him a plate of noodles, carried it in a disposable container, and the two returned to the outside of the residential complex.
With profuse thanks, he finally got out of the car.
On the way back, looking at the cars coming and going on the street, the office workers riding electric bikes back and forth after work, Tian Tian felt for the first time the benefits of her parents' hard work and her privileged upbringing.
There were too many young migrant workers in this city.
Like her, they studied for over 20 years, carrying the hopes of their entire families, only to earn meager salaries each month and walk alone every day.
She had never lacked food or clothing since childhood, enjoying her parents' best love, yet she still found them naggy and bothersome, craving freedom.
It was truly like asking why they didn't eat meat when they had no bread.
Thinking of this, she missed her dad and mom a little.
Just as she was about to call them, her phone screen lit up, showing "Dou Ya."
They had only been separated for a few minutes? Why was he calling already?
But Tian Tian still answered, "Hello?"
"Miss Jiang! I'm sorry to bother you again! I, I didn't mean to, but the boss's phone is unreachable..."
Tian Tian knew something had happened and told him to get to the point.
"Brother Chen fainted. I, could you lend me some more money?"