Blazing Sunlight I (骄阳似我 上) – Chapter 4

February 24, 2015 by yingniang 24 Comments

Chapter Four

I froze and turned my head ever so slowly – Zhuang Xu’s expression was as icy cold as his tone. The boisterous mood at the table quieted and the earlier light-hearted mood evaporated completely.

“It’s not …” I managed to choke out after a period. I wanted to explain that I wasn’t being picky and was simply voicing the complaints of the full-timers there. Yet on second thought, that would seem like I was being defensive.

I clammed up.

“Why don’t you find a job by your own effort? Isn’t it embarra.s.sing to be so reliant on your parents’ connections?”

“….” I mulled over the question for a bit before replying “Not really.”

He didn’t say more but disappointment was evident in his jet-black pupils.

I pulled apart the wooden chopsticks morosely. It seemed like my wanting us to be friends was a one-sided wish; Zhuang Xu probably couldn’t stand me.

“Zhuang Xu,” Si Jing interrupted him. “Do be reasonable. Many people are like that, Xi Guang isn’t the only one.”

“Really? But she’s the only one I know.” He paused before resuming with his typical solemn air. “Besides, these are my honest thoughts.”

“Twice cooked pork is here!” The waiter announced enthusiastically as he set my dish on the table. The other dishes were also served subsequently. Si Jing diverted the conversation by starting on a new topic.

When I had finished eating, I quickly formed an excuse before fleeing. This meal was unappetizing.

 translation has been posted without the permission of the translator.

In the following days, my daily route encompa.s.sed three points – library, canteen and the hostel. As I settled down in all earnestness to write my thesis, I realized belatedly that the thesis was even harder to write than I had earlier imagined. It was vastly different from the usual paper I had to write at the end of every academic year. The timeframe of one month was simply insufficient, especially for the likes of me who never revised and whose notes were always in a mess.

However, it was too late to regret now and I had no choice but to head for the library diligently without fail.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month.

One night, only Xiao Feng and I were in the hostel. I lay on bed looking through my references while Xiao Feng hummed as she typed out her resume on my laptop.

After a while, I grew bored and pushed away the stack of notes that was giving me a headache and making my eyes hurt. I asked Xiao Feng “Didn’t you qualify for post-graduate studies? Why are you still going to career fairs?”

“Just to check if there are better opportunities.” Xiao Feng answered as her hands continued to type swiftly. “Besides it’s good to experience what it’s like since I still have to look for a job in three years time.”

It was hard to believe that the girl who looked simple-minded and forgetful was actually so far-sighted. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise really; in this renowned senior high, the majority of students were ambitious, rarely were there people as indifferent as me.

I continued to laze around before saying “I’m going too.”

“Going where? The career fair?” Xiao Feng turned to me flabbergasted. “Xi Guang, are you alright?”

I ignored her as I flipped on my back and stared at the ceiling. The image of Zhuang Xu’s disapproving stare the other day was extremely vivid in my mind. Yeah, I was not alright.

 translation has been posted without the permission of the translator.

However, I was regretting before long. = =

Because I soon realized that writing one’s resume was no easier than writing a thesis, especially when one lacked outstanding achievements.

The day before the career fair, I spent the better half of the day chewing the top of my pen before managing to squeeze out five pages from content that could be summarized in a hundred words. I also had to dash to the printing shop at eight at night and even added a cover latter. The printing shop situated next to campus was pricey but whenever a career fair rolled around, it never failed to be packed like sardines. By the time I was done, it was already past eleven at night. Thankfully, I had already notified the aunty of my hostel.

When I was getting up the next day, my regret intensified. Because the career fair was to start at eight-thirty in the morning and my campus was far from the venue, I had to wake up at six.

Six o’ clock. It was truly my first time waking up at six after graduating from middle school.

When I reached the bus-stop and saw Zhuang Xu with his hostel mates, my regret went through the roof.

Why did no one notify me that Zhuang Xu was going too?! Besides, hadn’t he already found a job?

Furthermore … Wouldn’t he think that his words the other day provoked me into going? Although this was indeed the case but but ….

I boarded the bus depressed.

Fortunately my anguish was soon replaced by sleepiness. I badly wanted to sleep and I couldn’t help yawning as I grabbed the overhead handles.

Exhausted!

I vaguely noticed that Zhuang Xu looked at me a few times.

I knew I was behaving in an unladylike manner but I couldn’t care less; even if I were to depict a demure girl, he wouldn’t like me anyway.

 translation has been posted without the permission of the translator.

After an hour’s worth of travelling, we reached our destination.

It was my first time at a career fair. The moment I entered the exhibition hall, I was truly frightened out of my wits. People here, people there, people everywhere! This was my first time seeing a place so densely packed, it could rival the infamous traffic of Nanjing.

At the same time though, I found there was truth in Zhuang Xu’s comments; relying on my parents’ connections was really shameless of me especially since finding a job was so tough.

People pushing people, it was madness! Because everyone had different interests and the time we spent in front of each stall differed, the few of us were separated very quickly. After a few steps, I knew I couldn’t last – breathing was labored and each step required much effort. What initially wasn’t a s.p.a.cious exhibition hall was filled with tens of thousands of graduates. There was squeezing, there was pushing and each stall was encircled by several layers of interested students. It wasn’t even possible seeing the signboard that named the company hiring, let alone submitting one’s resume.

I was utterly spent after making my getaway from the crowded fair so I found a place to sit to regulate my breathing.

Having never attended a career fair of this proportion, I never knew that it was so terrifying. I managed to shove in one resume before escaping. Inhaling the fresh air, it felt like rebirth after surviving a disaster.

It took another half hour before I saw Si Jing and the rest. While waiting, I had leaned against a tree to catch up on sleep. = =

“Watermelon, how come you’re so fast?”

I waved the stack of resumes I was clutching in my hands “I only submitted one.”

Xiao Feng rolled her eyes at me “Then why on earth did you come?”

I was just about to reply when someone s.n.a.t.c.hed away the remaining resumes I was holding. I was startled and looked up, it was Zhuang Xu.

He flipped through it quickly “What do you intend to do with these resumes? Discard them?”

“Um …” I hadn’t thought of that. I suppose I would toss them into some corner and throw them away when I graduated. Truth be told, I was reluctant to do so. Although a few tens of dollars was nothing, but its worth in delicious beef noodles made the expenditure seem such a waste.

With this line of thinking, I really regretted it; no matter what, I should have submitted all resumes earlier.

“But even if I were to re-enter to submit my resumes now, I would be too late. Most of the companies are oversubscribed and have already hit their quota.”

He frowned as he turned in the direction of the hall. Indeed, the event was coming to a close. “I have a senior who’s in charge of recruiting for Sheng Yuan this year. I’ll help you pa.s.s this to her.”

Before I could reject him, he had already re-entered the hall. I turned to look at Rong Rong on reflex. She was chatting with Si Jing, as though she hadn’t taken any notice of what had occurred.

After approximately an hour, Zhuang Xu finally emerged with empty hands. There was no trace of the resumes he had brought in.

“Some other companies hadn’t left yet so I thought I might as well submit a copy to them.”

“Which companies? Were they willing to take it?”

“A few Shanghai companies.” Zhuang Xu didn’t seem willing to discuss the matter further so I didn’t press him. I could picture him tossing my resumes on the tables of a few companies, but why did he take such a long time to do so?

At this moment Rong Rong smiled “Why didn’t you mention earlier that you were acquainted with the recruiting agents?”

Zhuang Xu looked right at her without changing his expression “Why? Do you need to pull strings?”

Rong Rong swallowed hard before she snorted. She didn’t pursue the matter further.

I pulled at my hair; I didn’t know what to say. Xiao Feng tugged at me so I walked up front with her. She whispered to me “Watermelon, do you think Zhuang Xu is purposely making Rong Rong angry?”

I kept silent.

Xiao Feng continued tugging “What say you?”

“How should I know!” I retorted huffily before shaking her off.

I didn’t hold much hope where the career fair was concerned. There were media reports daily on how there were tens of thousands of graduates and that there was an overdemand on limited jobs. I wasn’t exceptional so my resumes were probably shuffled to the bottom of the stack, never to see the light of day.

Surprisingly, I soon received a call for an interview with Sheng Yuan.

Because I answered in my hostel, all my hostel mates could roughly infer the purpose of the call from my conversation. The moment I hung up, Xiao Feng yelled excitedly “Watermelon you’ve made it! Sheng Yuan is a renowned and wealthy establishment!”

She appeared to be more excited than I was. After celebrating, she brainlessly asked Rong Rong “Rong Rong, have you received a call yet?”

Rong Rong turned a ghastly white. She then grabbed her books and left the room without a word.

Xiao Feng was at a loss and everyone sighed wordlessly. This person was sometimes foolish yet at other times, she showed flashes of brilliance. At the end of the day, no one knew if she was a genius or an idiot.

After my initial excitement had died down, I found the whole thing suspicious. Based on my resume, my English results, my computing skills and having never won a scholarship, even my background as a student from A Universitywould not lend me any advantage. This was a far cry from Rong Rong’s ma.s.sive stack of achievements and awards.

How come I managed to land an interview but Rong Rong didn’t? Could it be that Zhuang Xu’s senior was doing this as a favour to him?

No wonder Rong Rong was so furious.

Previously, I held a devil-may-care att.i.tude in life but for this interview, I prepared as best as I could. I memorized a self-introduction in English and even held several mock interviews with Xiao Feng. Maybe because … Zhuang Xu helped me secure this opportunity.

Sometimes my imagination ran wild. Zhuang Xu despised me for relying on my parents’ connections to get a job but this opportunity … wasn’t it based on Zhuang Xu’s connections?

Whenever I thought of this, my heart would be bittersweet.