Jim happily set aside watching Zhou Yi temporarily to investigate the Zhang siblings’ background.

There wasn’t much to monitor with Zhou Yi anyway – the previous robbery had left a deep impression, and she never ventured out alone now.

Since Ye Xiao Qiong hadn’t appeared recently, no one was deliberately giving Zhou Yi trouble.

Xia Xiao Lan went to the Broadway theater construction site over the weekend. Matthew was also in New York, though he was there for Tina’s renovation project.

Xia Xiao Lan decided to have lunch in Chinatown.

Following Jim’s directions, she found the Chinese restaurant where Zhou Yi worked.

She wasn’t worried about encountering Zhou Yi – it was the lunch rush hour, business was good, and Zhou Yi’s undocumented work was in the kitchen, so she rarely came to the dining area.

Xia Xiao Lan just wanted to check the environment. She got the restaurant owner’s business card, saying she might order food in the future.

Though there weren’t food delivery apps in 1986, delivery services existed, operating through phone orders. Chinese restaurants weren’t cheap, and delivery made it even more expensive.

It was unfortunate Zhou Yi couldn’t help in the front of house – servers earned more than kitchen staff and received tips.

There was a faint sound of plates crashing from the kitchen, followed by a woman cursing in Min Nan dialect.

Zhou Yi’s powerful patron was dining in the restaurant while Zhou Yi’s hands, unused to hardship, were wrinkled and peeling from constant water exposure.

Her back ached terribly.

On her first day, she wanted to quit, but another Chinese student convinced her:

“If not this job, what else is there? You could wash cars, but you’d face verbal harassment. I don’t recommend it.”

Zhou Yi’s back was nearly breaking.

She hadn’t suffered during her postpartum period, nor in her previous twenty-some years.

Who could have imagined that the Young Miss Zhou would end up washing dishes for a living?

Though it was summer and the dishwater wasn’t ice-cold, having hands submerged for hours daily inevitably led to peeling and wrinkling, becoming a pitiful sight within days.

The Chinese student who introduced Zhou Yi worked in the kitchen too, but having arrived earlier and being more capable, she helped with food preparation, earning $2 per hour compared to Zhou Yi’s $1.50.

Zhou Yi had never entered a kitchen before. Even though she envied others’ easier work, she couldn’t handle it – give her a heavy cleaver, and she might chop off her fingers instead of vegetables.

Though Xia Xiao Lan hadn’t seen Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi had heard her voice.

Desperately wanting to avoid Xia Xiao Lan witnessing her predicament, she became distracted and dropped a plate, earning a savage scolding from the owner’s wife:

“We really can’t afford to hire such a privileged miss! How many days have you been working, and you’re still breaking plates? You can’t even wash dishes properly – what can you do? You’re driving me crazy!”

Zhou Yi stood with dripping hands, eyes wide, while Xiao Qi, the vegetable-cutting student, quickly put down her knife to mediate:

“Mrs. Owner, Zhou Yi’s still new. She’ll be more careful next time. Don’t scold her – it’s not worth affecting your health over this.”

Compared to the rigid Zhou Yi, Xiao Qi was much more diplomatic.

If not for their shared homeland connection, Xiao Qi wouldn’t have bothered helping Zhou Yi.

“Fine, fine, I won’t bother with her! Tell her to clean up those broken pieces quickly!”

The owner’s wife waddled away.

Zhou Yi crouched to pick up the fragments but cut her finger, blood immediately welling up. Xiao Qi rushed over: “How can you be so careless! Quick, rinse it under the tap – I’ll find some gauze.”

With her hand bandaged, Zhou Yi still had a pile of dishes to wash.

Now with only one usable hand, she worked even slower, earning more scolding from the owner’s wife.

Zhou Yi washed dishes through her tears.

When she and Xiao Qi finished the lunch rush, Zhou Yi’s eyes were swollen from crying. Holding up her bandaged hand, she said:

“Why did we come to America? We had good lives back home, and proper jobs. Now I’m washing dishes in America!”

Xiao Qi shoveled food into her mouth: “The bitterest hardships lead to the highest achievements. How many immigrants haven’t washed dishes? Did you know the owners used to shine shoes outside department stores when they first arrived?”

Xiao Qi found the restaurant owners’ story inspiring – from earning tips shining shoes to running their restaurant in Chinatown, they’d truly established themselves in America.

Zhou Yi muttered, “Back then they were exploited by capitalism; now they’ve become capitalists exploiting us.”

The capitalist owner’s wife, seemingly having supernatural hearing, rushed over to inform Zhou Yi:

“Including today’s broken plate, you’ve broken 17 dishes and plates total – all of this will be deducted from your wages!”

Today was payday for regular staff, and Zhou Yi and Xiao Qi were to receive their wages too.

Zhou Yi had only worked 12 days, totaling 69 hours. She should have received $103.50, but after deductions, she only got $80.

Xiao Qi fared better, having learned the restaurant’s ways and rarely incurring deductions. She worked 175 hours for the month, earning $350.

Zhou Yi envied Xiao Qi immensely.

After the envy came tears – how had she fallen so low that a dishwasher envied a vegetable cutter?

“Can’t we find better work?”

Xiao Qi gave her a look: “You think I want to cut vegetables? Back home, these hands-held pens! But our student visas don’t allow off-campus work – if Immigration catches us, we’re finished! Is this different from your imagined America? Once you pass the language school assessment and get into a good university, you’ll have chances for better work after graduation.”

Then there’d be opportunities to stay in America.

Current dish-washing and vegetable-cutting while studying hard at language school – wasn’t it all for a better future?

Xiao Qi was particularly diligent, memorizing English vocabulary even while cutting vegetables.

When Xiao Qi mentioned the language school assessment, Zhou Yi was startled: the first assessment was in a few days. Monthly tests determined advancement to the next level; failing meant staying in the current class.

If she remained in Level 101, Xia Xiao Lan would surely make her life miserable.

Zhou Yi nearly cried:

“Can I pass the assessment?”

Xiao Qi looked bewildered. As someone in Level 108, she couldn’t understand how anyone could fear the Level 101 assessment.

With minimal study, one should exceed Level 101.

Level 101 was for students who arrived in America with no English knowledge.

Those without foundations started at Level 101, but most quickly advanced.

Things got harder from Level 105 up. After Level 107, each advancement became particularly challenging. If Xiao Qi could successfully reach Level 109, she could even apply to community college based on her scores!

“You’ll pass, don’t be embarrassed. Practice English with others, use whatever words you know. If you’re too scared to speak, that’s when you’re finished!”