Another new day dawned with splendid sunshine.
After finishing the morning's work, Mu Yuting took the initiative to approach Sister Qin and asked with a smile, "Sister Qin, I noticed a new Cross-Bridge Rice Noodle shop opened nearby this morning. Shall we go try it together?"
Sister Qin nodded. "That sounds good. Let's skip the cafeteria today and change things up a bit."
They locked the office door and set off in search of a delicious meal.
The shop wasn't far—less than a five-minute walk. Being newly opened, it wasn't crowded yet.
They chose a clean table, ordered rice noodles in different flavors, and chatted while waiting.
"Ah Ting, you're still young, and this job might not have much of a future. After the New Year, there will be civil service exams for various city departments. Have you considered taking the exam?" Sister Qin asked with concern.
It was true—this job wasn't a long-term solution, and the pay for temporary staff was low. Becoming a civil servant was a great career path. But this city was an educational hub with too many talented people. Passing the municipal-level civil service exam was as difficult as climbing to the sky; only the county-level exams might be slightly more attainable.
"There are too few positions in the municipal civil service exams, and too many candidates competing for them. I probably wouldn't make it." In her past life, she had taken the exam several times. Each year, the number of test-takers grew, and the difficulty of securing a position increased. Later, having and raising a child took up much of her energy, making it even harder to pass.
"What about taking the county-level exam? For example, T County, which is adjacent to the city. Do you have a driver's license? Driving back after work would take at most an hour. The only downside is that T County is relatively poor, so the salary would be lower. But a stable government job offers security and benefits in old age," Sister Qin suggested earnestly.
"I have a driver's license, but I'm not a good driver and don’t plan to buy a car for now. I quite like living in the bustling city center, and I’m not really interested in taking the county-level civil service exam," Mu Yuting said honestly.
One must learn to recognize their own limitations. She knew she couldn’t pass the municipal exam and didn’t want to lower her standards for the county-level one, so she decided not to waste time on that path.
"Then what are you good at? Or is there an industry you’d like to develop in?"
After thinking for a long while, Mu Yuting finally said, "I’m skilled at playing the guzheng."
In her past life, her daughter had started learning the guzheng in first grade, and she had been her practice partner the whole time. She had also learned how to install bridges, tune the strings, replace them, and maintain the instrument, always keeping their guzheng in perfect condition.
After her daughter passed the tenth grade exam upon finishing elementary school, she never touched the guzheng again. Not wanting to waste the five or six thousand yuan spent on the instrument, Mu Yuting often practiced on her own. Though she never took the grading exams, having learned alongside her daughter for six years, she could skillfully play even tenth-level pieces.
"That’s great! There’s a guzheng training center on the next street that’s hiring teachers. Even part-time positions pay two to three thousand a month, teaching children guzheng classes in the evenings and on weekends. Would you like to give it a try? I’ll go with you later."
"Sure, I’d be happy to try," Mu Yuting agreed readily. If she could land this part-time job and also obtain a professional tenth-level guzheng certificate, she could even start her own training classes in the future.
The biggest advantage of such training classes was that the teaching hours were usually in the evenings and on weekends, leaving most of the daytime free. It offered flexibility and wouldn’t interfere with a day job or writing.
"Here come the Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles—be careful, they’re hot!" the owner warned as he brought over the sizzling clay pots.
Soon, two fragrant pots of rice noodles were served. On a cold winter day, enjoying steaming hot rice noodles with an assortment of dishes filled them both with a sense of contentment.
"Yuting, you're adding so much chili, be careful of breaking out," Sister Qin kindly reminded.
"Spicy is what makes it tasty. Don't worry, Sister Qin, I have dry skin and don't get breakouts."
Mu Yuting finished eating first and quietly got up to pay both their bills. She remembered everyone who had ever lent her a helping hand and understood gratitude and repayment.
After the meal, Sister Qin received a phone call and apologetically said that a relative needed her for something, so she couldn't accompany Mu Yuting to the guzheng training class on the next street. She repeated the name and location of the training center twice, advising Mu Yuting not to be too modest and to "show off her skills" when the time called for it.
Mu Yuting agreed with a smile.
The training center was easy to find, marked by a sign that read "Yueyin Music Store." Passersby could see various patterned guzhengs displayed inside, and a job posting was stuck on the glass door recruiting two part-time guzheng teachers for beginner classes.
The owner of the store was a woman in her thirties surnamed Wang, with long flowing hair, light makeup, and dressed in winter-style Hanfu, her hands tucked into a hand warmer. She said calmly, "Just call me Teacher Wang."
Hearing that Mu Yuting was there to apply for the guzheng teacher position, Teacher Wang slowly withdrew her hands from the warmer. Her fair, slender fingers pointed to a guzheng nearby. "Play 'Qingjiang Fangpai,'" she said.
Instead of asking for her guzheng certification, she was giving an on-the-spot test! And directly assigning a tenth-level piece!
"Alright," Mu Yuting agreed, extending her fingers. "Teacher Wang, may I borrow your picks?"
Teacher Wang glanced over and handed her a medium-sized set, which happened to be the right size for her fingers.
Mu Yuting took them, wrapped the adhesive tape around her fingers, plucked the strings to test the guzheng's tone, and found it slightly out of tune. She had to calibrate the instrument first, tuning it on the spot.
"You don't need a tuner?" Teacher Wang asked coolly.
"The ear is the best tuner."
Teacher Wang nodded silently. That was true, but it required either keen pitch perception or extensive experience to pull off.
Mu Yuting tuned the guzheng attentively and soon had all the strings properly adjusted. She flexed her fingers briefly and played the children's song "Going to School." The simple nursery rhyme was well-suited for teaching kids.
Teacher Wang showed no expression and didn't rush her. This teacher seemed naturally reserved and sparing with words.
After a brief pause, "Qingjiang Fangpai" flowed from Mu Yuting's fingertips. The piece, themed around the rushing waters of the Qing River and the bold spirit of the raftsmen (as cited from Baidu), shifts through variations of melodious lyricism, deep melancholy, and joyful intensity, making it quite challenging and thus designated as a tenth-level composition.
Since her rebirth, with no guzheng at home, Mu Yuting hadn't practiced even once. Fortunately, her skilled finger techniques were etched into her muscle memory. She played the piece fluently, the events of her past life feeling like a distant dream.
The strings were still vibrating, and Teacher Wang remained silent.
Mu Yuting rested her hands on the strings to still the sound and called out softly, "Teacher Wang..."
As if waking from a dream, Teacher Wang's attitude softened considerably. "You're hired. When can you start?"
Considering she might have something this weekend, the earliest would be next week. Mu Yuting replied, "Next week."
"Alright. Our class schedule is as follows: Monday to Friday from 6 to 7 PM for one-hour practice sessions; Saturday mornings from 9 to 10 AM for formal lessons where new material will be taught."
"National holidays are observed as usual. As a part-time instructor, you don’t need to come in at other times. The monthly salary is 3,000 yuan. How does that sound? If you agree, we can sign the employment contract right away."
"Teacher Wang, I... have something I must confess."
"What? Are you not satisfied with the salary? We can discuss it."
"No. I... I don’t have any certification for the guzheng, not even a level one certificate. But I can take the exams as soon as possible, is that okay?"
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