Chapter 28
Dusk is not merely the dimming of the sky, but also a footnote to the slow fading of an era. The heavy industry that once supported the city's backbone, like these now-dormant machine tools, has gradually lost its power in the torrent of history, leaving only devastation and endless sighs. Xu Chen and Li Muxue walked slowly towards the residential area, their shadows trailing behind them. Behind them, the silent factory stood in the setting sun, like a massive, cold tombstone.
Qiao Kexin's layoffs sent a chill through her family. She was strong-willed and efficient; whether as a quality inspector or later an assembler, she was always conscientious and hardworking, consistently earning recognition as an outstanding employee for several years. However, when the layoff notice arrived, she hid in the bathroom and cried. When she emerged, her face held an almost stubborn calm.
"It's alright, being laid off isn't the end of the world," she said to Li Muxue, as if she were also telling herself, "I can still move, I can still work, I won't starve!"
That night, Qiao Kexin neatly folded her dark blue work clothes, which she had worn for many years, and put them into the bottom of her wardrobe.
Then, she embarked on the arduous path of re-entering the workforce. She knew that Li Junsheng's meager monthly salary at the auto repair shop was far from enough to support the family, especially since his health was deteriorating; various chronic illnesses were taking their toll—cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder, knee synovial cysts… Therefore, Li Junsheng's workload was decreasing every day…
Forty-five years old is the golden age of rich experience in the planned economy era, but in the eyes of the market economy, it is an "uncompetitive" older labor force.
At five in the morning, Qiao Kexin arrived at the labor market. It was already crowded with people in similar situations to hers. Each person wore a card around their neck, listing the jobs they could do and their expected wages. Qiao Kexin also made one, which simply read: "Skilled machinist, assembly worker, able to do statistics, able to work three shifts."
Most men chose to work as laborers on construction sites or learn to ride tricycles. Women had even fewer options: nannies, cleaners, and vegetable washers in restaurants. These were once considered "temporary jobs," but now they have become their hope for supporting their families.
After waiting at the labor market for almost a week without any offers, Qiao Kexin applied for a supermarket cashier position. Upon seeing her age, the company immediately said, "Sorry, ma'am! We need young people, quick and efficient, who can use computers." She also inquired with a housekeeping company about hourly work, but they looked her over and said, "You used to work in a state-owned factory, right? I'm afraid you can't handle this kind of hardship. Besides, we don't have many orders right now. You'll have to wait for our notification," and then nothing more.
She also tried setting up a street stall to sell snacks, such as tea eggs and roasted corn that she cooked herself. However, she had little experience and when the urban management officers came, she ran around in a panic. In the end, she didn't sell many items and almost had her pots and pans confiscated.
Pushing her donkey backwards, she walked home. The setting sun was still there, but its rays made her appear especially lonely. Looking at the endless stream of people on the street and the tall buildings, she felt like a small person lost in the torrent of the times, so insignificant and powerless.
Reaching middle age, one is forced to shed the work clothes that symbolize status and honor, donning dusty old clothes, and tentatively move forward step by step on the unfamiliar and arduous road of job hunting. Qiao Kexin doesn't know how far or how difficult this road is; she only knows that for her family and her children, she cannot stop.
Finally, Qiao Kexin applied for a sales clerk position at a hardware and building materials standard parts store. The manager asked her if she understood various mechanical principles, the models, specifications, origins, and grades of different bearings, the coarseness of grinding wheels, the uses of V-belts, and so on. Qiao Kexin smiled and began answering fluently and accurately, impressing the manager and landing the job on the spot…
In stark contrast to Qiao Kexin, Xu Zhenguo now spends his days playing chess outside the Workers' Cultural Palace, as if he can still find the sense of authority he had as a workshop director and deputy factory manager back in the day on the chessboard. The heavy burden of the family rests entirely on Luo Mei's shoulders.
Fortunately, Luo Mei was a Party member, and she soon went to work as a secretary in a district-level government agency.
Therefore, it became commonplace for people to hear Romeo's hysterical cursing downstairs from Xu Zhenguo's house.
"I must have been blind to marry such a good-for-nothing like you! Now I have to support you! What sins have I committed?! And that beast Xu Chen is in jail! How am I supposed to live like this?!"
On the small street downstairs, neighbors occasionally passed by, and Luo Mei's voice could be heard clearly. Her face held a mocking smile: "Hmph, karma!"
(To be continued)
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