I don't know if I was attacked on the way.

In the end, nothing came of it.

As for the second uncle, life wasn't so easy. He had offended someone terribly back then, and after Li Huaide threw him into cleaning toilets, he was beaten almost every three days, and every five days, he was crippled.

That's not the point. The point is that during those ten years, my second uncle lived a life worse than death.

He was like a lump of mud, always staying in the toilet. Even after Director Yang returned to his position, he didn't intend to let him go back. After all, what he had done before was truly disgusting.

When he reached retirement age, he applied for retirement. However, his retirement pension was not calculated based on the standards for a level 7 worker, but rather on the standards for a toilet cleaner.

This made things even worse for the already struggling family.

Liu Guangqi has been away from home for over ten years, and we haven't received a single letter from him.

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu were still in Beijing, but they had broken off all ties. Only his second aunt remained at home, constantly being beaten. After years of this, she finally learned to fight back.

This couple is always fighting in the yard, literally fighting.

The main problem is that my second uncle has been cleaning toilets for several years, so his diet has declined and he's not as strong as before. Otherwise, my second aunt really couldn't beat him.

The elderly couple now live off their second uncle's meager pension, and he has to go out and scavenge for garbage to survive. In short, they live a miserable life.

Logically speaking, since they're from the same compound, it shouldn't have caused him to act this way.

But since he offended so many people back then, no one was willing to help him.

————

Zuo Yan got up very early, not voluntarily, but his mother dragged him out of bed before dawn.

He looked out the window vaguely; it was still pitch black.

He muttered, "Mom, why so early?"

"It's still early! Let's go early and try to do well. Hurry up, I've already prepared the food!"

Zuo Yan squinted, estimating it was only a little past four. Although he felt resentful, he dared not voice it, otherwise he would be subjected to endless nagging. He couldn't stand that kind of nagging.

I obediently followed my mother's instructions, did everything well, and left the house just as dawn was breaking.

With a sigh and a touch of helplessness, he slung his canvas bag over his shoulder and headed toward the factory.

It took him over an hour to walk there. When he arrived at the factory gate, just as he had predicted, it wasn't open yet. There was an old gatekeeper lying in front of the gate, resting with his eyes closed.

He walked over, not intending to wake the old gatekeeper, after all, it wasn't time to open the gate yet.

To everyone's surprise, the old gatekeeper woke up as soon as I walked over.

He looked Zuo Yan up and down and asked, "Young man, what brings you here?"

"Grandpa, isn't the factory hiring? A friend of mine asked me to come over yesterday."

Grandpa Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly, as if recalling something, then suddenly realized: "Oh, I remember now, but it's not time yet. What are you doing here so early?"

"Sir, I was thinking of coming early, just in case we've already filled all the positions." Zuo Yan scratched his head sheepishly.

"They haven't started work yet." Grandpa Qiu turned his head and glanced at the gatehouse. "We'll have to wait another hour. Well, come over here and chat with the old man. You're just killing time anyway."

"Or, sir, would you like to continue sleeping?" Zuo Yan was a little embarrassed; the old man needed to rest more.

"Just come when I tell you to, stop with all the nonsense."

Hey, still a grumpy old man.

Zuo Yan walked over, reminding everyone that respecting the elderly and caring for the young is still important.

"I'm asking you, did you buy this job?"

“Buy? No way.” Zuo Yan scratched his head. “Isn’t this a temporary job? My friend said it’s at least a year, no permanent position. I used to work as a temporary worker outside too, and I didn’t have much money. Who would buy a temporary job?”

"A year's work? Or just temporary?"

“Yes, that’s right. Regardless of anything else, at least a year of stability is a good thing, and there’s even a chance to get a permanent position,” Zuo Yan said enthusiastically.

Temporary workers come in many different forms.

Some of them are manual laborers unloading goods, and Zuo Yan usually works in these places. These places don't discriminate; anyone willing to work can do it. They pay you based on how much cargo you unload. They don't want lazy people. These temporary workers are available anytime, but of course, if there's no cargo to unload, then there's no work. This type of temporary worker is the least desirable.

Why? Because there's no future in it. As you get older and your health deteriorates, you won't be able to continue. Besides, you won't be able to get a permanent position.

The second type of temporary worker is those assigned by the local government. These are usually factories that assign tasks to the local government to help families in need, such as textile factories assigning textile tasks. This is also piecework; the more you do, the more you get paid, but there are usually limits. There's a maximum number you can take on in a month, and there's not much of a future in it.

The third type of temporary worker is the factory's temporary worker, also known as an apprentice. These are temporary workers recruited by the factory for future expansion, serving as a reserve force for permanent employees. This type of work is the most sought-after in the market because it allows workers to learn a skill. Even if the factory doesn't expand, temporary workers are generally not dismissed. At the very least, they can still acquire a skill.

This third type of temporary worker can be traded on the market. The price generally depends on the quality of the factory, ranging from 200 to 800 yuan. In some factories, temporary workers are even more expensive than regular workers in less desirable places. Most of these temporary workers are either used by factory managers to curry favor, sold by themselves, or given to subordinates so that the subordinates can earn some extra money.

Every major recruitment drive is a celebration, just like the time when the steel mill expanded its workforce.

"You little rascal, what kind of background do you have?" Old Master Qiu looked Zuo Yan up and down.

"What kind of background do I have? My older brother only gave it to me because my family wasn't well-off. He said he gave it to a lot of brothers who weren't well-off this time. By the way, sir, why is this factory suddenly hiring so many people? Is it reliable?" Zuo Yan asked.

"I don't know if the old man is reliable or not, but I heard it's very tiring." Grandpa Qiu withdrew his probing gaze and nodded to himself. It seems this factory manager isn't so bad after all. At least he knows to put those with financial difficulties at home on the job first.

"Tired? How tired can it be to work in a factory?" Zuo Yan curled his lip, unconcerned. Could it be more tiring than carrying goods?

"It's hard to say. We had a fight a while ago because we were too tired."

"Huh?" Zuo Yan felt a little uneasy after hearing what the gatekeeper said.

What if they really treat people like animals?

He gritted his teeth: "I have to stay."