"Don't be so nervous! You guys eat. We just came from the blast furnace area, and we're all starving. We heard there was a dinner party here, so we came to freeload! We're uninvited guests, so please don't be offended, hahaha!"
Qin Mo and the others did indeed come directly from the construction site. Many of the technicians were still wearing stained work clothes, with their wicker work hats hanging jingling around their waists.
This group of people ate and drank casually in this setting without anyone finding it a spoilsport, simply because the handsome man at the head of the group was so dazzling that everything he did seemed perfectly natural.
"Your Highness, you've had a long journey. Please have some tea!"
"Hmm! It's not hard work. You just arrived today, are you getting used to the environment here?"
"Your Highness, the environment here is very nice, but I wonder when we can begin our internship?"
"It'll be soon. Blast Furnace No. 1 will be ignited and put into trial operation soon. We'll be very busy then!"
Shi Shengnan's eyes lit up, and she asked cautiously, "Your Highness, may we be allowed to do an internship at the blast furnace area...?"
"Hmm? What, you guys don't want to go on board as sailors anymore? Planning to switch to blast furnace workers? The wages for blast furnace workers are indeed not low..." Qin Mo took a sip of tea, swallowed the food in her mouth, and teased Shi Shengnan with a smile.
"Well... Your Highness, don't you always say that you have to eat one bite at a time, and you have to realize your dreams one step at a time?"
Although the government has gradually accepted women working in most industries, there are still many military branches and jobs that are off-limits to women. Naval sailors and blast furnace workers are two such examples. Women are prohibited from working in harsh or dangerous environments.
"If you provide proper safety training, you can work within the blast furnace area in a limited manner, but you are not allowed to do anything beyond your responsibilities. For now, just help your senior colleagues with various data collection!"
"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness!"
Shi Shengnan was overjoyed. Their group's motto was "gender equality." They always demanded that women have the same right to work as men. Only by having their own jobs could women gain the corresponding social status.
"Your Highness, please enjoy your meal. I'll take my leave now!" Shi Shengnan quietly retreated, preparing to tell her friends the good news.
"Shi family girl, wait a moment!"
Qin Mo put down the plate and whispered to Shi Shengnan, who had returned, "I support freedom of marriage in principle, but can you please not make such a big fuss? You can't always have your brother come to me and make me plead with the two ladies."
"Your Highness, we know you are enlightened. Ten years ago, you personally built the girls' school, and six years ago you built the girls' academy, but... we can't wait that long! Just a few days ago, another sister was forced into an engagement by her family, but she doesn't like her future husband at all..."
Tears welled up in Shi Shengnan's eyes. The social status of women in Dayuan was higher than anywhere else, all because of Qin Mo. They knew this in their hearts and did not want to cause trouble for Qin Mo, but when it came to something as mysterious as love, they still wanted to try their best to fight back.
Qin Mo thought for a moment and then said solemnly, "How about this? I will publish an article in the Dayuan Daily under my own name, supporting your freedom of marriage and opposing arranged marriages. What do you think?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com