Chapter 29 Chapter 29 After all, she also wanted to continue to advance...
Guangcheng Railway Station three days later.
There was a constant stream of people, all in a hurry, bound for some distant place.
In the train station square, near the southern fence, a dozen or so young people sat on the ground, all looking exhausted, as if they hadn't rested for a long time. Among them were young men and women, all around eighteen or nineteen, fresh and immature.
Some of them sat on the ground holding their luggage and fell into a light sleep, while others opened their inexperienced eyes and looked at this strange city cautiously.
These young people were all from Zhaozhuang, having traveled thousands of miles because of the job opportunities their fellow villagers had mentioned. Some were urged by their parents, while others were driven by their own desires, so they packed their bags and took the train all the way here.
The group had actually arrived last night. After following the crowd out of the station, these young people who were described as "hard workers" or "promising" or "smart and bold" by their parents and neighbors in the village were like eggplants hit by frost, and they didn't know how to react in an instant.
So big, so bright, so crowded, so strange.
Standing at the train station exit, they saw so many people, so many houses, so many roads, yet none of them had anything to do with them. They didn't know who to talk to, they couldn't understand what others were saying, and they didn't know which path to take.
For a moment, I was filled with confusion, like a child who had just left his mother. Some people actually felt terrified and scared, and started to back down in their hearts.
When the first ray of sunlight came out in the early morning and gradually shone on the tall train station building, some young people who were awake at this time looked at the sunlight in a daze, and no one knew what they were thinking.
A taxi driver stood by his car in the distance, occasionally glancing at the group of young people. Some of them had come over to ask for a taxi last night, but these country folk didn't know what a taxi was. When they asked about the fare, they complained it was too expensive and stayed outside all night. Fortunately, it was warm now, so they wouldn't be cold.
By this time, the sanitation workers had been working for a while. These elderly women used long, large brooms to sweep the square from one end to the other. Every time they approached a crowded area, they would either stop and wait for pedestrians to pass first, or call out to those who were standing still to make room for them.
"Make way, make way."
Among this group of young people, there were some who were still in a daze. When they heard the sound, they hurriedly looked in the direction of the sound and saw an aunt holding a broom, accompanied by dust rising high.
The person who reacted quickly stood up and called out to his other companions, asking them to stand up as well to make room for the other person and move further away to make it easier for him to sweep the floor.
The others who were still awake finally reacted, and those who were asleep were startled awake. They followed the actions of others, hurriedly standing up and taking their luggage, it was very busy.
With a loud noise, it suddenly became lively.
The cleaning lady didn't rush them. Seeing that they had cleared the space for her, she didn't say much and just swept the place clean with a few swipes of the broom. This was where people sat anyway, so it was definitely a clean spot, not one that would get dirty. When she finished, she didn't move on. Instead, she stood there with her broom, chatting with the group.
These people finally realized that it was no wonder that the aunt's accent sounded so familiar, it turned out that they were from the same hometown.
After hearing the aunt's introduction, the young people looked at her differently, their eyes immediately filled with trust. No wonder they say, "When fellow villagers meet, their eyes fill with tears." When you're in an unfamiliar place, it's so comforting to meet someone with a similar accent!
The sanitation worker asked, "You're all from the same place, right? No wonder there are so many of you."
Of the young people arriving in Zhaozhuang this time, Zhao Qingqing was the oldest, almost twenty-two. In the countryside, most girls her age would be married, and if they were older, they'd already have two children. But Zhao Qingqing was too ambitious to rush into a hasty marriage. Despite her parents' pressure, she found a job at a hotel in the local county town. This time, she'd heard about an opportunity to work in the south, and the thought of moving to a big city had enticed her. Her parents, however, couldn't persuade her otherwise. After all, she was their daughter, and they couldn't beat or scold her, so they agreed to let her come.
Zhao Qingqing was a girl with ambition and ideas. She'd always dreamed of trying her luck in the big city, and even if she had to return, she wouldn't be reluctant. But she'd struggled with not knowing anyone before, and even if she was brave, she was still a young woman who had never even left her own city. This time, she had her mind made up. Since she was already here, she wouldn't go back unless she stayed here for a few years and earned some money. At worst, she could just send some extra money to her parents.
On the way here, because she was the oldest and had her own opinions, everyone implicitly looked up to her as the leader, and her words carried weight. When someone spoke to them, Zhao Qingqing took it upon herself to speak for them, "Auntie, yes, we're all from the same place."
"Are you all here to find work?" The sanitation worker took it for granted that everyone was here to find work, "but it's not easy to find work now." She felt sympathy for so many people, silly child, finding a job is not easy, without connections, it's useless. I haven't seen people who come out to work bringing each other with them.
"But don't worry. The job opportunities here are much better than those in my hometown. Young men and women, as long as they work hard, are diligent, and are kind, they can find a place to settle down." The sanitation worker has her own set of social views, but she also has confidence in this era and these young people.
"Aunt, we came here this time to find a way. We will go to find someone later." Zhao Qingqing said.
"Well, that's good. Auntie was just worried about you. Besides, we all come from the same place, and I hope you can all settle down here. You won't be afraid if you have a way out. Even if it doesn't work out, you'll have a direction, and you won't be like a headless fly."
Zhao Qingqing looked at everyone and felt that they were quite lucky. Her aunt was a very nice person too. They all expressed their gratitude with big smiles on their faces.
After that, they chatted a few more words casually. Before the sanitation worker was about to leave, she kindly reminded the group of people: "Some places in Guangcheng are quite messy. Even if there are many of you, you can't be careless. Remember to keep an eye on your luggage and don't get lost. Children who are out here for the first time have no experience." After that, she continued to clean around with a broom.
A group of people watched the enthusiastic aunt walk away little by little, feeling warm in their hearts, thinking that they had met a kind person.
As the sun grew higher, someone suggested that they make a phone call to let people know they were coming.
Actually, they arrived not too late last night, but everyone thought it would be bad to bother others at this time since they had just arrived here. Maybe they had already gone to bed, so they just decided to stay at the train station for the night. It’s not as cold here as at home, and everyone was sweating after getting off the train.
Xia Li gave them her factory phone number. She usually called Jiang Dong's mother because she didn't have a landline. Later, thinking they'd probably arrive during the workday, she gave them the factory phone number and told them to call her and ask for Xia Li. She even went to the reception desk to let them know.
It can be considered as doing good deeds. She does not seek rewards and makes selfless contributions. It can be considered as making free contributions to the people of Zhao Village.
Inside the factory, Xia Li was still working in the workshop when someone called out for her. She was checking everyone's progress in the group. She froze for a moment, thinking someone was looking for her. She quickly gave her team a heads-up and left the workshop.
When she saw Sister Chen coming out of the workshop door, she realized that those people must have arrived. She had a clue in her mind.
After Chen Ayu came over and delivered the message, she didn't leave immediately. Instead, she waited outside for Xia Li to go back together. It was also a way to take a walk and exercise.
"Sister Chen, you look so energetic today and in great spirits." Xia Li praised her as they walked and talked.
Sister Chen from the message room is a straightforward person. She is indeed a nice person, but she can't help but praise her. As soon as Xia Li said that she was in good spirits, she kept smiling and the smile on her lips never faded.
Seeing her like this, Xia Li couldn't help but praise her a few more words. It's not tiring to get along with such a person.
It wasn't until Sister Chen mentioned something else that Xia Li's evaluation of her changed slightly. She felt that sometimes it wasn't good to get along too well with others, and that one shouldn't be too thorough in rejecting others.
Sister Chen was describing an introduction to Xia Li. The man was a relative of hers, a nice young man she said was close in age and had a good, stable job at a factory. She was very interested in Xia Li because she thought she was pretty, capable, and kind, and she really wanted to be her relative.
Charlie has her share of grievances, and she deserves it.
Because she has always been alone and has always presented herself as a single woman. She doesn't even have a boyfriend around her, which gives people the impression that she is decent. So, even though she is not young anymore, some people in big cities don't seem to care much about this. Of course, it may be because she is beautiful enough. In addition to this kind-hearted sister, she has also met many other kind-hearted people, but of course she declined their requests.
Oh my god, she is actually a married woman who is not even divorced, oh, and she has a baby.
But why would she take the initiative to tell others about such a private matter? Although she had good relationships with many people and was popular, Xia Li's current relationship with them was only at work, and there was almost no private contact.
They weren't close enough to enter her life.
She pretended to be embarrassed and said a little embarrassedly: "My dear sister, thank you so much. But you also know that my aunt has been urging me. I am currently in contact with a man she introduced to me. If the contact here is not suitable, can you introduce me to another one?"
Chen Ayu, who was called a good sister by Xia Li, felt it was a pity after hearing this. She really liked Xia Li. Although Xia Li was from another place, she was beautiful and capable. If a girl like her was her own, she would be so happy.
Sighing, shaking her head, and patting Xia Li's hand, Chen Ayu hesitated to speak. Then, remembering something, she turned around and asked, "Is that the person on the other end of the line from back home?"
"Yeah, it's a call from my hometown. I guess they want to talk to me about something." They were almost at the message room, and Xia Li was in no mood to continue talking.
"Sister Chen, I'll go answer the phone first. Don't keep them waiting anxiously." She smiled apologetically and without waiting for Chen Ayu to say anything else, she trotted into the message room.
There was another person in the reception room. After Xia Li entered, the person directly asked her to call back because the person on the other end had hung up after speaking.
After thanking them, Charlie sat on a chair beside them and called them back. After waiting for a while, the call was connected. She must have been waiting by the phone.
"Hello? Hello."
"Hello, is this Sister Xia Li? I'm Zhao Qingqing, uh, from Zhaozhuang."
The voice on the other end was that of a girl, and her tone was a bit cautious. Xia Li recognized it, but didn't think it was strange. After all, not everyone could be as fearless as she was. She asked directly, "Well, Qingqing, where are you now?"
"Sister Xia Li, we have arrived at Guangcheng Railway Station. We are outside the station. There are fifteen of us in total." Zhao Qingqing continued. She was very smart and knew that Xia Li might ask these questions, so she said it directly.
"Okay, then you guys wait there for a while, I'll pick you up later."
"Sister Xia Li, no need, just tell us the address and we can go directly there."
"No problem, I'll be there in a minute." She had considered giving them an address and having them come directly, but even if they found their way here by bus, what would they do? She wasn't off work yet, so they'd have to stay outside the factory all day. And when she got off work, she'd have to help them find accommodations, and there was no telling what might go wrong, or when she'd be able to get home.
It would be more cost-effective to just take a leave. As the saying goes, good deeds are the best way to go. She had originally intended to do this in a way that would earn others' gratitude, or else she would just do it perfunctorily. We're all human, and we can all sense when someone's putting in the effort isn't sincere enough; otherwise, no one would accept the favor.
Afterwards, Xia Li went to Director Fang's office to ask for leave. Fang Dechuan, having previously worked in a state-owned enterprise, did give his subordinates some face and granted her leave, but Xia Li also received a few teasing remarks from him.
Fang Dechuan teased Xia Li, saying she hadn't asked for leave in years, but within the past month, she'd been taking leave frequently. Finally, he asked her what had happened recently, and Xia Li could only make up an excuse.
After coming out, Xia Li thought to herself, I have taken leave now, but it seems that I don’t have anything very important to do in the future, so it’s better not to take leave again.
After all, she is also someone who wants to continue to improve.
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