Before dawn, the factory area was still shrouded in a bluish-gray morning mist. Liu Li stood under the old locust tree at the factory gate, carrying her worn-out canvas duffel bag. Inside, besides a few changes of clothes, the heaviest items were the scraping and grinding tools given to her by Master Wang, and the new notebook and pen given to her by Fu Jingchen.
She thought she had arrived early enough, but to her surprise, someone had arrived even earlier.
Master Wang Jianguo, wearing his faded cotton-padded coat and with his hands tucked in, was already standing under the tree, with his large enamel mug at his feet.
"Master, what brings you here?" Liu Li's nose tingled with emotion.
"Here, this is for you." Master Wang said succinctly, taking a small cloth bag from his pocket and stuffing it into her hand. "Eat it on the way."
When Liu Li opened it, she found several still-warm tea eggs.
Before she could say anything, Zhang Shulan came rushing over, panting, and hugged her tightly: "You brat, you just leave like that! Remember to write when you get there! If anyone bullies you, tell me, and even if I can't win an argument, I'll scratch them a couple of times!"
Several of my close colleagues from the workshop arrived one after another, one giving me a bag of fruit candy, another giving me a few notebooks.
"Have a safe trip, Mr. Liu!"
"Riko, don't forget us when you make it big!"
"Team leader, our QC team is waiting for you to come back and lead us to do even bigger things!"
Everyone surrounded her, chattering and laughing, but the reluctance in their eyes was unmistakable.
Fu Jingchen stood a little distance away, dressed neatly in his Zhongshan suit. After the others dispersed, he came over and handed her a small net bag containing apples and several packets of biscuits.
"Drive carefully," he said, looking into her eyes. His voice was low but heavy. "Send a telegram back when you arrive to let her know you're safe."
“Yes,” Liu Li nodded, her throat feeling a little tight, “You…you take care of yourself too.”
"Don't worry." Fu Jingchen smiled, reaching out to pat her shoulder, but then lowered his hand halfway. These days, people express their feelings subtly.
The factory shuttle to the train station arrived. Liu Li tossed her luggage onto the bus and turned to look at the people who had come to see her off. Master Wang, still with his usual stern expression, simply waved to her. Zhang Shulan's eyes reddened, and she pursed her lips tightly. Her coworkers were all waving.
She took one last look at the gate of the Red Star Machinery Factory, at the familiar factory sign, the towering chimney, and the familiar faces before her.
"Let's go!" she called out, turned around, and got into the car.
The car started and slowly drove away. She clung to the window and looked back, watching the figures grow smaller and smaller until they disappeared from sight after the turn.
The carriage was noisy and filled with various smells and sounds. Liu Li sat down by the window, watching the familiar street scenes rushing past outside, feeling empty inside. She touched the cold spatula set in her bag, then touched the brand-new notebook.
The train rattled and sped up, leaving the factory area, the staff quarters, and the land she had worked so hard for over a year far behind.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, her eyes were different. The sorrow of parting was suppressed deep in her heart, and a surge of energy rushed forward.
The train conductor's voice came over the loudspeaker announcing the next stop: the provincial capital, and then, the completely unfamiliar Huzhou in the Jiangnan region.
The train roared, carrying her into the pervasive morning mist, and into an unknown but destined-to-be-magnificent new world.
A new journey has begun.
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