Chapter 2 Resignation
Although the food in the cafeteria was just average, it was still edible, and given that Song Xinran urgently needed to replenish her energy, she tried her best to eat it all.
Song Xinran was satisfied that the strongly flavored dishes could be rinsed in the soup and still have a hint of spiciness in her mouth; it was much more flavorful than the hospital's nutritional meals.
but……
She took another bite of the fish. The seasoning was too much and too strong, and it had been cooked for too long, making the fish too tough and the flavor too heavy, losing its original taste.
The fish was of good quality. Having tasted countless foods, she knew this fish was definitely not from a factory-farmed, high-density farm; it must have been raised by farmers in ponds or fields.
Because she had just read the novel last night, and because she really liked the male supporting character, Song Xinran remembered very clearly that the male supporting character, Song Yu, grew up in a small town in Southwest China.
This was at the beginning of the 21st century. People didn't have much money, and food safety issues weren't as serious. Most of the vendors in town were local farmers.
Song Xinran ate another piece of fish and lamented that the fish had died in vain.
After eating, Song Xinran felt more energetic and stronger. The original owner's body was still better than hers. After the car accident, her body was like a cracked jar. No matter how much water was poured into it, it would always end up empty.
The original owner should have been younger than her...
With that in mind, Song Xinran returned to her dormitory, hoping to find some of the original owner's belongings and learn more information.
Only Chen Jingfang was in the dormitory. Song Xinran greeted her, "Where's Xiaosha?"
Chen Jingfang said, "Xiaosha went to take a bath, and I'm also going to the public bathhouse. Do you want to come with me?"
Song Xinran shook her head: "I'll rest for a bit."
Chen Jingfang, carrying a bucket and her clothes, turned back to look at Song Xinran as she reached the door, and smiled, "Xinran, that's how you should be, greet everyone confidently. Xiaosha doesn't dislike you, she's just a sharp-tongued person."
After saying that, as if afraid that Song Xinran would be embarrassed, he closed the door and left.
Song Xinran was stunned. Was the original owner usually a quiet and taciturn person?
Without giving it much thought, she took advantage of the fact that no one was in the dormitory and began rummaging through drawers and cabinets looking for the original owner's belongings.
The ID card originally belonged to someone born in 1980, who is 22 years old this year.
Song Yu's birthday is August 20, 1998, so the original owner of this body gave birth to Song Yu when she was about eighteen or nineteen years old.
Song Xinran fell silent. She knew that in remote rural areas during the 1980s and 90s, some poor girls got married very early. They would hold a wedding banquet first and then get a marriage certificate when they reached the legal age. If they had a child before marriage, they could only register the child's household registration after the marriage.
If a family had any money and wouldn't have to worry about making a living, they wouldn't marry off their daughter so early.
The book only briefly mentions Song Yu's biological parents; it is only when Song Xinran actually arrives in this world that she realizes how pitiful and cruel reality can be.
Then I flipped to the July payslip, which showed a regular salary of 600, full attendance bonus of 50, and an extra 100 yuan for covering five night shifts, for a total of 750 yuan.
The original owner had a habit of keeping accounts. Opening the rough-textured notebook, it clearly stated: 400 yuan brought home, 2 yuan for shampoo, 1 yuan for soap, 1 yuan for paper, 2 yuan for round-trip transportation home...
Buy candy for Xiaoyu: 10 yuan
Xiao Yu's sandals: 8 yuan
...
Balance: 102 pieces.
Song Xinran fell silent as she looked at the original owner's somewhat blurry handwriting. The original owner truly loved Song Yu. She always bought the cheapest daily necessities for herself, but was willing to pool her money with her roommates to buy candy to take home for Song Yu to try.
However, the child whom the original owner cherished and protected was treated harshly by relatives. He received neither material benefits nor affection, and in the end, he died young while trying to save the female lead.
In the novel, Song Yu died at the age of 27. Although he always stumbled along the way, he worked hard to improve himself, graduated from a top university, had a decent job, and regularly donated to help others.
Song Xinran felt a little sad. She then flipped through the original owner's savings book. After working at the glass factory for two years, the original owner had saved a thousand yuan.
She sighed deeply and put everything back in its place.
With a loud thud, the door was pushed open, and a woman in her thirties or forties stood in the doorway holding a notebook: "Song Xinran, what are you still doing here? It's your turn to work the night shift tonight!"
The sudden voice eased the sadness in Song Xinran's heart. She looked at the person who had entered; the name tag on the other person's chest read "Wang Ling, Team Leader of Shift One".
Song Xinran said, "Squad leader, I'm on the day shift today."
She had just seen the original owner's work schedule; it was all day shifts this week.
Wang Ling said, "This night shift is for Xiao Liu; she has something to do today."
Song Xinran shook her head: "I'm not going. Class monitor, you can find someone else."
The original owner's health was not good to begin with, so how could she withstand the torment of working both day and night shifts? Her top priority now is to take care of her own health and the original owner's child; everything else can wait.
The original owner was willing to risk her life for a mere 20 yuan substitute fee, but Song Xinran didn't want to do that.
Wang Ling was startled: "You're not going? You don't want the money?"
Song Xinran: "My body can't take it anymore."
Wang Ling advised, "Your family is in such a bad situation. If you don't work harder now, what will you do when you get old? I specifically reserved this job for you. I wouldn't give it to anyone else who wants to earn this money."
Song Xinran thought to herself, "Even if I work harder now, I won't be able to wait until it's all gone. That's how the original owner of this body died."
She still refused.
Wang Ling's expression darkened. In the glass factory, the day shift and night shift were paid the same, and no one wanted to work the night shift. Those who had a good relationship with the leaders would make excuses and ask others to cover for them.
Wang Ling used to find this matter quite troublesome, as it was difficult to assign someone. However, since Song Xinran came to the factory, she has become a good candidate to fill in for the night shift, as she is not talkative, hardworking, and particularly obedient to the leaders' arrangements. Moreover, her family is poor.
But today Song Xinran actually refused.
Song Xinran: "Then I'll resign."
Wang Ling looked at her with a surprised expression: "What?"
Song Xinran: "I want to resign. Today happens to be the last day of this month, so I won't be coming tomorrow."
There's no rule in their glass factory that you have to give 30 days' notice before resigning. You just need to tell the manager. After all, there's plenty of labor, and they can find people quickly.
Wang Ling immediately felt a little uneasy and softened her voice to persuade, "Xiao Song, I know about your family situation. Our factory pays the highest wages in town. What can you do after you quit? What will happen to your children? If you're tired today, I'll arrange for someone else to cover your night shift."
There wasn't another worker in the factory as hardworking and obedient as Song Xinran.
Song Xinran: "The factory hasn't paid wages for two months."
The mention of money told Wang Ling that Song Xinran was determined. Her expression darkened: "You're going to quit over a little bit of salary? Have you forgotten how the factory supported you? If you want to quit, then quit. Just don't regret it later!"
Just then, Chen Jingfang and Xu Sha returned and greeted Wang Ling, "What does the class monitor want with us?"
Wang Ling glared at Song Xinran, but didn't answer either of them. She only said, "Since you're going to resign, hurry up and pack your things and move out. We need to arrange for a new person to move in tomorrow."
After saying that, he took the notebook and left.
"Xinran, you're going to resign?" Chen Jingfang said incredulously. "Are you sure you didn't say something wrong? Go apologize to the foreman right now. There are plenty of people who want to work at the glass factory. It's easy for you to leave but hard to get back in. The factory provides food and accommodation, and you have such a heavy family burden."
Song Xinran knew Chen Jingfang meant well, and patiently explained, "The factory hasn't paid wages for two months."
Xu Sha snorted: "So what? Our factory has been operating for over ten years, and we've never been late in paying wages before. It's just that business hasn't been good these past two months. The factory manager said that we can pay wages once this batch of goods is shipped out."
Song Xinran explained, "A long operating time does not guarantee that wages will be paid. If the factory goes bankrupt, the workers will have no recourse. The fact that the factory is delaying wages is a sign of this."
Xu Sha was annoyed by the rebuttal and said sarcastically, "I don't know where you heard this nonsense. If you want to resign, then resign. Don't regret it later. Jingfang, don't try to persuade her. She's usually quiet, but she's got a lot of ideas now."
Chen Jingfang was still worried and kept trying to persuade Song Xinran, asking her if she had a backup plan, since the children at home needed the money the most.
Chen Jingfang is two years older than them and had her child last year. She knows how difficult it is to raise a child, so she takes good care of Song Xinran.
Song Xinran nodded: "I have plans, thank you, Sister Fang."
Chen Jingfang sighed, seeing Song Xinran's determined expression, she knew she couldn't persuade her otherwise: "What do you need to pack? I'll help you."
Song Xinran doesn't have much stuff in her dorm room. She's a very frugal person. She mends up her clothes when they're worn out and continues to wear them. She doesn't dress up, and a large backpack can hold all her things.
"I'll put my things in the dorm first, then I'll go out to buy some things and go home to see Xiaoyu." Song Xinran had already planned her escape route. She would go home first, then take the child out to make a living. She had cooking skills and some savings, so she definitely wouldn't starve.
Chen Jingfang said, "Go ahead, I'll watch over your things."
Song Xinran thought for a moment, then took out a dollar from her pocket and placed it on Xu Sha's table: "To make up for your candy."
Xu Sha glanced at it and didn't take it: "Come on, you don't even have money yourself, why are you pretending to be rich? Buy more things for your child."
Chen Jingfang casually stuffed the money into Song Xinran's pocket: "Why give me money? We're all roommates, don't be so formal."
Then he pushed Song Xinran out again, telling her to hurry up and buy things.
After thinking for a moment, Song Xinran decided that going shopping now would take a little time, but she could still catch the bus home. She thanked Chen Jingfang and left.
*
When picking up a child from school, there are only a few things to bring: food, clothes, toys, and other necessities. But Song Yu is a little over three years old now, hasn't started school yet, and doesn't need any stationery.
As for clothes, Song Xinran didn't know the child's height and was afraid of buying something unsuitable and wasting money.
As for entertainment, their family doesn't have the means for that yet...
Finally, all that was left was food. Song Xinran was quite knowledgeable about food, but it was almost 2 p.m., and the stalls selling snacks in the market had all closed up. The snacks in the supermarket were nothing more than spicy strips, biscuits, and candies—cheap snacks with very average taste.
Song Xinran decided to buy groceries and cook at home herself!
Counting her past life, she hasn't cooked for a full six months. Just thinking about the aroma and warmth of the kitchen makes her hands itch with excitement.
Let's start with scrambled eggs with tomatoes. The scrambled eggs with tomatoes I had in the cafeteria today was really just so-so. This dish is simple to make and kids love it.
Another plate of steamed fish. In the book, Song Yu was thin and weak when he was young, and steamed fish is mild and delicious, suitable for nourishing the body.
The first choice for steamed fish is naturally sea bass, a classic and inexpensive option. However, Song Xinran asked around the market but couldn't find any sea bass for sale. The market mainly sold grass carp and crucian carp. As a second choice, Song Yu bought a grass carp, which could be used to make fish porridge, which was equally delicious.
She also bought a cheap piece of tofu to make Mapo Tofu the next day. Just thinking about its smooth texture and spicy, savory flavor made Song Xinran's mouth water.
Finally, Song Xinran decided to buy some meat. She glanced around the market and saw that it was already late afternoon. Many of the meat stalls had closed, and the remaining stalls had only a few pieces of meat hanging in front of them.
Soon, her gaze fell on a shop in the corner of the market, and she walked over.
The stall owner is packing up his things.
Song Xinran walked up to the stall and said with a smile, "Boss, how much is the meat per pound?"
The stall owner looked up at her and said, "Pork belly is five yuan, and pork leg is fifty cents more expensive."
When Song Xinran came over, she asked about the prices at other stores, and they were about the same. She said, "Give me a pound of pork belly."
The stall owner responded with a "okay." Song Xinran's gaze swept over the meat stall, noticing the pig's blood and some offal in the bucket. She spoke again, "Boss, this pig was just slaughtered, right? I could see from afar that your things were arranged very neatly. When I got closer, the meat looked exceptionally fresh, with a vibrant color. You could tell at a glance that it was good meat."
The stall owner, who was holding a knife, smiled a little more when he heard Song Xinran's words: "That's right, this is a local pig I just bought in the village, it weighs almost 300 jin."
Song Xinran exclaimed "Ah!" and said in a rather exaggerated tone, "It's rare to see a pig this heavy. The meat must be delicious, especially a local pig; the flavor must be even better. Boss, you have such good taste and luck! The pork is of such high quality. I've come to the right place today!"
Song Xinran showered the stall owner with compliments, making him feel a little embarrassed. He thought to himself, "This girl looks young and is quite eloquent. Who doesn't try to bargain by belittling things when buying something?"
The stall owner took a knife, selected another piece of pork belly, cut it off, and said with a smile, "This pork is indeed of good quality. I came late today and didn't sell out. Young lady, let me pick out a better piece of pork belly for you."
Song Xinran said, "Thank you so much, boss. You're so efficient, and you've cleaned up the stall so well. Unlike other stalls, there are flies flying around on it."
The stall owner's smile widened as he picked up the pork belly and weighed it: "One pound and one ounce, five yuan and fifty cents."
Song Xinran said, "Okay, boss, please pack it for me. You're really good at this. I bought it from another store and accidentally bought half a pound too much."
While packing the pork belly, the vendor said, "I've been selling these for over ten years, I've gotten the hang of it."
He then picked up the pig's blood curd from the bucket next to him, put it in another bag, and gave it to Song Xinran: "Here's a piece of blood curd for you, little girl. Take it home and make soup."
Song Xinran feigned surprise and said, "Thank you, boss! With your generosity, business is sure to get better and better!"
The stall owner beamed from ear to ear, modestly replying, "Not at all, not at all."
Song Xinran's gaze fell on the pig lungs on the stall, and she asked, "Boss, how much are those pig lungs? I'll buy them too."
The stall owner took one look and said, "Young lady, these pig lungs are not easy to clean. They usually sell for 80 cents. If you want them, I'll give them to you for 50 cents. That'll make it 6 yuan."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Thank you, boss. I figured your pork is so good, your lungs must be pretty good too. It's a rare opportunity, so I'll buy more."
The stall owner couldn't hide his smile as he helped Song Xinran pack her things, saying, "You're a really good talker, young lady."
After saying that, he stuffed another piece of pig's blood into Song Xinran's mouth.
Song Xinran paid and took the meat, smiling as she said, "Thank you, boss. I'll buy your meat again next time."
The boss agreed, beaming from ear to ear.
Song Xinran left the meat stall with a light step, carrying a large bag of things she had bought for only six yuan.
She knew that in the countryside, when someone slaughtered a pig, the host would usually give away a few pieces of pig's blood when someone they knew bought the meat.
But that's a privilege only for acquaintances; she got a good deal today.
Afterwards, Song Xinran bought some more seasonings. When she returned to her dormitory with bags of things, she did a mental calculation and realized that she had spent a total of 25 yuan that day.
The original owner had a total of 80 yuan in pocket money, and now there is 55 yuan left. If they are careful, it will last them a long time.
Now, she should go home.
A note from the author:
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