Zhang walked over and asked with a smile,""Is it time? It's time to eat, right? He had to hurry. He still had to go to the advanced studies class in the afternoon.”
Ding Nan looked at his phone. It was five past twelve. The three of them packed up and went to the dining hall of the Art Academy to eat.
Walking out of the office and going downstairs, the painting academy was full of winding paths and secluded scenery. The long corridor was carved with beams and painted buildings, and the rockery with stone water was like a natural place. The white tower and the theater reflected the green trees under the blue sky, like a historical philosopher who had settled his thoughts. The most attractive thing was the pool. It was clear and clear, with green algae and duckweed floating in it. It was green, and the bamboo shadows were dancing beside the Taihu Lake. Two mandarin ducks leisurely plucked their feathers and did not go into the water. Only a few goldfish were left to sweep away the water from time to time. It was lunchtime, and it was still early. There were no idlers who took advantage of the lunch break to visit Yuanyang. The few of them stopped for a moment, greeted their colleagues from other offices, and walked quickly to the dining room.
When she was walking down the stairs of the restaurant, Wen Feng's phone suddenly rang. She walked to the open space to pick it up. A friend passed by the art academy and came to see her. He invited her out for dinner. She informed the two of them and turned around to go back.
Ding Nan followed Zhang to the dining room. The two of them signed their names and took their plates to sit at a table. After yesterday's incident, the two of them were a little uncomfortable. They did not know what to say and were speechless for a moment. The more speechless he was, the more awkward the atmosphere became. As Ding Nan ate, he thought of something to talk about with him. After meeting Rong Xiaozhen, whether she should resign or not had become a top priority. She urgently needed to find someone to discuss it with. And Zhang, based on her understanding of him, based on his depth and depth of thinking, and based on their friendship, was currently the person she trusted the most. She looked at him and said with a smile,""I want to leave this place. What do you think?”
Zhang suddenly raised his head and stopped chewing. He looked at her in a daze, then swallowed it down and asked,"What did you just say? Want to leave this place? What do you mean?"
Ding Nan nodded at him. He placed his chopsticks on the plate in front of him and said,"I like it here very much. The working atmosphere here is undoubtedly my ideal. I can learn something and feel relaxed. But I need money, so…" She paused.
Zhang still seemed puzzled. He smiled and asked,"Why do you need so much money? They had enough food and water, and had free time to do what they liked. Wasn't that good?”
Ding Nan smiled bitterly and said,"If I were alone, this salary would be enough." She had to rent a house with a child. She couldn't even afford to live with this little money. My savings are almost all used up.”
Zhang nodded and said," That's a problem. I'm officially employed here, but my salary is only a thousand yuan higher than yours. Look at Teacher Zhao. He's a famous theorist, a researcher, and an editor. When he retires, his salary is still as high as mine. He could not count on his salary. If you want to leave, do you have a better way out?”
Ding Nan thought for a moment and did not answer his question. Instead, he asked,"Those who study theory are not as good as those who study painting. It's also more difficult to earn money, right?”
Zhang looked at her and slowly said," Yes, it's hard to earn even if you want to. In short, it's not an easy thing." Look at me. I studied techniques for my master's degree and theories for my PhD. I'm both a theoretical artist and a painter. I basically don't earn much from theories. My income is basically earned from painting.”
Ding Nan widened his eyes and asked doubtfully,"It can't be, right? Wasn't this too exaggerated? I've attended a few conferences with Teacher Zhao. There are always red packets at the conferences. Isn't this counted? You must have encountered it before."
Zhang Xiao smiled, and his expression slowly became serious. He said,"How many can there be? It was just a little carriage fee. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Theoreticians are the poorest. There was one thing that left a deep impression on me. Once, when I came out of a seminar, I saw an old theorist running after a bus while panting. In the end, he couldn't catch up with the bus. He looked especially embarrassed. He was usually very polite. At that time, I felt very sad when I saw him. After that, I felt bad for a long time. They can't afford a car, unlike me. I don't want to learn how to drive.”
Ding Nan's heart trembled, and his expression darkened. He said with emotion,"Yeah, how can a theorist's hard work compare to a painter's stroke? Then do you think there's any point for me to stay?”
Zhang Lue thought for a moment and said," Everyone says that the Art Academy is a good platform. Indeed, those who study art can rely on this platform to sell their artworks. However, it's actually not very useful for those who study theory. If you want to learn something and seek leisure and comfort, then it's good to stay. If you need money and want to earn money, there's no point in staying.”
"Yeah, I think so too." Ding Nan nodded. I want to do business with a friend. Jingdong Mall has been very popular in recent years. We are preparing to enter Jingdong as an agent. The agency rights of the products have been obtained from the manufacturer, and Jingdong has also passed the review. Everything was ready. All that was left was manpower. I've spent money to train in e-commerce before, so it's pretty much the same. I want to earn money for two years before doing what I like to do.”
"How much do I need to invest?"
"The initial operation requires 200,000 yuan. My friend and I will each invest 100,000 yuan.”
Zhang looked at her worriedly and said after a while,"Money isn't that easy to earn. Moreover, 100,000 yuan isn't a small amount. If you really want to do it, don't put all your eggs in one basket. I'm very worried about you. I'm afraid that you'll be under too much pressure and won't be able to hold on.”
Ding Nan was shocked. Her words seemed to have hit the nail on the head. She knew that she was a person who liked to gamble and dared to gamble. Although as she grew older, her spirit weakened, but her willingness to gamble in her bones did not change. His words seemed to wake her up and made her more rational. However, there was a sense of emptiness and confusion behind her rationality. If she didn't do this, what should she do? She looked at Zhang and nodded with a smile.
"It's not busy here anyway. You can work part-time on both sides. At least you have a way out.”Zhang You suggested.
"No, it will take up a lot of energy. Besides, it's too tiring to take care of both sides.”she explained.
"Then let's leave after the academy's celebration.”
"Yes, alright."
"When the time comes, tell Director Hu. He invited you in. This is etiquette.”
"Yes, I know."
A few months later, the faculty celebration ended. After the handover, Ding Nan treated the other three people in the office to lunch. Before leaving, Wen Feng had something to do and was called away by a friend. Ding Nan closed the office door and walked to the nearby Yolanthe with Zhang Xu while chatting and laughing.
Arriving at the road outside the art academy, Zhang took out his phone and looked at Ding Nan."I was going to treat Liu Si to lunch today, but you wanted to treat me, so I asked Liu Si to come over for lunch.”
"Of course I don't mind," said Ding Nan with a smile. Liu Si? Usually, he had only heard of his name and had never seen him before. It was just nice to meet him today. Eh? Why are you husband and wife so polite? You still want to invite me?"
Zhang Wei Wei turned to her and said,"We're falling behind, aren't we?" Many couples in modern families had a duty-pay system. Each person saved the money they earned and spent their own money. Of course, the common expenses of the family were mostly paid by the man, or the man paid more than half and the woman paid less than half.”
"Huh?" Ding Nan asked. She could not close her mouth for a long time. It had been a long time since she had a family life, so she was very ignorant of these trendy family financial management concepts. After a while, she said,"This is really the first time I've heard of it. In the past, I've only heard that there are many couples in the West who have a duty-pay system. In China, I've only heard of duty-pay systems before marriage. I didn't expect that there would be duty-pay systems after marriage. This seemed very unreasonable and emotionless. " Oh my god, I can't accept it," she said as she turned to Teacher Xu and asked," Is your family like this too? Split the bill?"
Teacher Xu put her hands in her pockets and said with a smile,"Hehe, our family isn't that modern. Our family still uses traditional financial management methods. I give all the money I earn to my wife and then ask her for pocket money. I don't even have a bank card.”
Ding Nan let out a long sigh and smiled." I thought I was the only one who was outdated. Look, traditional financial management is still the most popular. It's two to one. Hehe."”
At this time, she was only surprised that there was a financial management system between married couples in China. She did not expect that a few years later, she would find out that all the married colleagues in the office had a financial management system. At that time, she could only sigh with emotion,"The world is changing fast!" There was no other word.
At this moment, Zhang called." Liu Si, why don't you take a taxi over for dinner? Ding Nan wants to treat us. It's at Ulandry, which is next to our unit." If you can't find it, call me when you're nearby. I'll go down and pick you up.”
The three of them went to the second floor of Yolanthe and chose a table by the window. Zhang Xu sat on one side of the long table while Ding Nan sat on the other side. After they sat down, the waiter who followed them handed them the menu.
"Why don't we order when Liu Si arrives?”She looked at the two people opposite her with a questioning gaze.
"No need. Order first. I know what she likes to eat.”As Zhang spoke, he took the menu and looked at it. He casually ordered two dishes and handed the menu to Teacher Xu.
Xu ordered one and handed the menu to Ding Nan. Ding Nan repeated the three dishes from before to the waiter and added two more dishes and four bottles of drinks.
While the three of them were waiting for the dishes to be served, Zhang's phone rang. He walked out while answering the phone. After a while, he came over with a smile on his face. Behind him was a woman who was about three months pregnant. Her thin clothes, which were close to autumn, easily showed off her figure.
Ding Nan looked at the woman behind him carefully. She was a little picky and scrutinizing. She usually saw his happy expression. Based on his slightly shorter height and over-the-top strength, she guessed that his Liu Si must be a delicate and gentle woman. So, she was shocked at first glance. She was taller, stronger, and unisex. She was dressed in black from top to bottom, and she was also wearing a pair of black military shoes. Her skin was slightly dark, and there were brown freckles on both sides of her nose. It was probably because she was pregnant. Of course, it could also be because she had been pregnant before. Many women were like this. Although she was 13 years younger than Zhang, she looked about the same. One look and one could tell that she was a mature woman with ideas. It could be seen that Zhang was a person who liked to show off his inner beauty. This also showed how valuable Zhang's inner beauty was.
She stood up and smiled. She held Liu Si's hand and sat down beside her. The two women were about the same age. They chatted about their children and Zhang and soon hit it off.
After leaving the art academy, Zhang had called her twice, but it was just some ordinary concern and small talk. They did not make an appointment to meet again.
He had met the right person at the wrong time. That faint feeling of regret seemed to be invisible, but it was actually there. She did not know what would happen to him. At least, she would always treasure it in her heart.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]