The meaning of encountering beauty is that you gain more strength to experience life, and it should be treasured well. ----- Manager

Last night at 9:50 PM, as I was about to clock out, I grabbed the keychain to lock the two glass doors (there were three doors in total). Because the shop wasn’t ventilated, the main door was kept open to vent air. After locking the two doors, I was about to return to the cash register, but somehow I pressed the rolling shutter button... Then I heard a click, and I knew I might have caused trouble.

The first person to react was the elder sister at the shop; she said, 'Oh no, did you press the rolling shutter? I think I heard a sound.' I hadn’t reacted yet, but I turned around and saw the problem: the rolling shutter was jammed on the glass door. I tried to operate it with the key to raise it back up, but the motor inside kept turning; it was already broken.

Then the two of us were stunned. We immediately called the manager and sent a WeChat message. After all, this is a jewelry store; without the rolling shutter covering the interior, the jewelry inside at night shone, and the security of the goods could not be guaranteed.

When the manager saw my WeChat message, she spoke with a touch of humor, expressing how heartbroken she was—after all, repairs cost money. I understood; in previous years repairs ranged from 300 to 500 yuan, and the problem involved about half the staff.

Because I caused the damage to the store’s items, I expressed my willingness to cover the repair costs; but what worried me most wasn’t the money, but that my mistake at 10 PM would trouble a group of people to work overtime.

Moreover, my relationship with the manager is quite good; even after the part-time job ends, while I’m in school, we often text on WeChat about things that bother us.

So my greatest worry wasn’t the compensation, but the trouble I’d cause others. I knew the manager wouldn’t let me pay for it; she would cover it herself, which would make me feel very guilty.

As I suspected, the manager said they had some authority and there was no need to compensate. But from what I know of her, she would probably pay for it herself secretly to spare me guilt and pressure.

Later the manager told me not to put too much pressure on myself. Sometimes this world works in the opposite way; some things are precious, and everyone should not disappoint each other. I was really moved...

I learned a lot as well: in emergencies you must stay calm. Personal safety comes first; when there’s capacity, you should ensure the safety of the goods; do not rush blindly. Money is actually the least important consideration.

Side Note

During the days I worked at the jewelry store, the manager has always taken good care of us part-timers; we get along like friends. She’s like an older sister, taking care of many things. She isn’t very old, about 36, and she has two kids.

During the summer, the manager’s eldest son came here to stay for two months. This was the first time I met her son; his name is Huanxi, very polite, and he’s now in the 3rd grade.

So I used the summer break to tutor Huanxi, help with English, and do some simple science experiments; our relationship grew closer. Later, on a day off, I took Huanxi swimming; summer is a good season for swimming. The manager came along with her younger son, and we had a lot of fun.

I worked in a one-on-one schedule; during my break I invited Huanxi to come to my home as a guest, and he was very clingy to me. I also called the manager to say that Huanxi could stay the night at my place and go to work with me the next day. The manager was very happy; it would be best if I brought Huanxi along—haha—so I wouldn’t have to worry as much, especially since she has another little son in kindergarten who is quite lively~

We spent a wonderful summer. When I was about to start school and end my part-time job, the manager and her son gave me a very precious gift: a jade Pixiu.

This jade Pixiu was carved from a single large piece of jade. The large jade block yielded six pieces of jewelry. The Pixiu on Huanxi’s neck is a large Pixiu with its belly, the younger son’s necklace carries a Pixiu from the rear belly, the mother wears one at the tail, and the one given to me is the head Pixiu—very delicate. I was really happy and surprised by how lucky it was.

September 1st is my birthday. My mom was planning to buy me a jade Guanyin pendant, but on August 16th the manager unexpectedly gave me one. And on the morning of August 16th my mom told me she planned to visit a jewelry store near my home after dinner to look at jade Pixiu and give me a gift in advance.

At noon on August 16th, the manager actually gave me a jade Pixiu; it was such a coincidence—perhaps fate. Receiving the gift was really surprising and exciting. I told the manager that my mom planned to buy me one this afternoon! You gave me one now—this is truly fate.

The manager was also very happy: 'A jade finds its destined owner; it seems this time it found the right person.' I’d always feared this thing to be too valuable; the manager comforted me: 'Small things aren’t worth much; the most important thing is our fate. If I gave it to someone else, they might not cherish it. But I gave it to you, and it feels fated; your mom is planning to buy one this afternoon, and we’re only a few hours apart—that shows it’s destined for you. You will cherish it, so its value doesn’t matter; don’t worry about the price!'

Later, before leaving, the manager told me: 'We’ve had many excellent college students as part-timers before; they’re all outstanding. The present moment of fate is the most beautiful; keep the beauty in the present. When I leave, I may find work and gradually join society; perhaps relationships will drift apart. Now is the most beautiful time; as long as the present is beautiful, that’s enough. Life is about gathering and dispersing; keep the beauty in the present.'

I was really moved. Later, when the manager took her son back to his hometown, I took a day off to see them off; I carried my luggage, took the subway to the train station, bought some toys for Huanxi and the younger boy, and wrote a letter to send with them on the train.

Since then, we’ve kept in touch often; we’ve always had some complaints and venting about things. I think this is perhaps the most beautiful friendship there is!

Thanks

Finally, thank you very much for reading this. I’ve written for a long time and it was a real late-night outpouring. I didn’t write a year-end summary, but I wish: