Chapter 31 The Gloomy Little Poor Boy of the 1970s
There is no standard answer to what parental love is, but based on her understanding of life over the years, Shen Ci believes that love is about support, respect, and understanding.
She loved the child in her own way, wanting to give him confidence and plan for his future.
Shen Huai's biological father, grandmother, grandfather, and a whole clan are all in Zhoujia Village. There's no guarantee that someone won't use this against him in the future. More importantly, she doesn't want Shen Huai to be dominated by hatred again this time.
Having some hatred in your heart is not a bad thing; on the contrary, it can remind you to remember and keep you awake when you are sinking into despair. But if there is too much hatred, your whole heart will be filled with hatred and you will never be able to see the sunlight again.
Stepping onto the familiar road again, life has become completely different.
"Thump thump thump thump thump!"
The sound of gongs and drums rang out in the village. Gongs and drums are not sounded unless there is something important. The villagers put down what they were doing and went to the village with their friends and family.
The red banners had already been unfurled, and several tables and chairs had even been set up. The brigade leader himself was beating a gong, making quite a spectacle in the village.
"What happened? What's wrong? What serious incident has occurred?"
"Have wolves come down from the mountain?"
"The last time we banged a gong was decades ago, back in winter when wild boars came down from the mountains, and there were wolves too. Now that life is better, are there still wolves?"
"Captain, say something!"
Once most of the people had arrived, the brigade leader pointed to the banner above and said, "We used to talk about literacy campaigns, but no one took it seriously. Now they know what it's like to be blind."
"These words are so big right above your head, and you still can't understand them? You're a useless fellow!"
The brigade leader first gave a tirade, then, seeing that almost everyone in the village had arrived, he began to speak, still holding the loudspeaker he usually couldn't bear to use.
"Ahem, I have something important to tell you all."
A garment factory in the city is coming to our village to recruit workers. If you're selected, you'll be a worker and receive a worker's wage. The factory is in the suburbs, not far from our village. Anyone in the village who is hardworking and willing to give it a try is welcome to apply.
This matter was brought to him personally by Zhou Huai—no, now it's Shen Huai.
The captain was very grateful to Shen Huai and understood what he meant. He sighed inwardly, wondering why such a smart and sensible child hadn't been born into his own family.
The mother and son, Shen Huai, were only willing to give this opportunity to someone from the same village, out of respect for Shen Huai. As for whether the villager could be selected, that would depend on their own abilities.
This is an opportunity, an opportunity for the whole village.
If someone in a family is selected, the whole family will be relieved. They will no longer have to toil in the fields or depend on the weather for a living. It can be said that they have achieved a leap from farmer to worker.
The saying "When one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven" resonated deeply with the brigade leader, as everyone in their village was like chickens and dogs!
The whole village should remember this good thing!
"A garment factory is hiring?"
Is there really such a good thing?
"How could that be? Garment factories recruit workers by word of mouth, right? Where would they find us? Are they scammers?"
"What do you mean? Are you questioning whether the captain is so muddle-headed that he can't even tell a liar from a scam?"
"This is the first time. I've never heard of a village recruiting workers. Can we become workers? That would be an honor."
When the garment factory came to the village to recruit workers, everyone was both curious and expectant, but not entirely convinced, since they had never encountered anything like this before.
Is it possible that the entire village is now getting a spot in a situation where everyone is scrambling to get one?
"Hey, stop talking! Look who's that?"
"Isn't that Xiao Huai, the Huai boy from the Zhou family!"
"This kid has really grown up. He's gotten fatter and fairer than before. He looks like a rich young master now. Wow, he's so handsome!"
The captain clapped his hands.
"Everyone, stop talking for now. Those who want to participate, hurry up and line up here. The reason the garment factory is recruiting workers in our village this time is because of Zhou Huai, who has now changed his name to Shen Huai. He took his mother's surname."
"This opportunity was secured by Shen Huai, so what are you all still doubting? It's not like just anyone can be selected. Those who want to participate, hurry up and line up!"
What a bunch of clueless people! Who talks like that to your face? They're so rude. As the team leader, Shen Huai had made it clear to them that the garment factory was recruiting workers out of consideration for the villagers, but they wouldn't just rely on personal relationships.
Only then did the captain realize that Shen Ci was doing so well outside!
She didn't get rich by relying on men or marrying rich men, as the villagers said. She opened her own factory and became the factory manager!
It's better to have your own money than to have a man or a woman with money. This time, he truly admired Shen Ci and dared not underestimate her.
"Change your surname? Why would you change your surname? You're a kid from our Zhoujia Village!"
"Good job changing it. Look at how well other mothers raise their children. They fatten them up to be plump and healthy in just a few months. In the Zhou family, they were as thin as bamboo poles for more than ten years. Everyone can see where they are well-fed."
"Zhou Dayou and his family must be kicking themselves."
"It's better if the mother is rich. If the father is rich, then there will be a stepmother, and the biological father will become a stepfather."
"I want to participate! Give me a chance!"
"Me too!"
With acquaintances and the brigade leader explaining the situation, the villagers believed it much more. At least it wasn't a scam. There weren't any scams in northern Myanmar yet, so people tended to trust acquaintances.
Shen Huai sat there, surrounded by professionals from the factory and the team leader, making him appear very convincing.
Shen Ci found a shady spot and watched him work. She wanted to protect the child but also not to stifle his wings so that he could fly higher.
"Our garment factory only needs female workers. They should be bold, meticulous, efficient, clean, and skilled at sewing and mending. Those with good sewing skills are even better."
Zhou Huai picked up the megaphone and said that most of the workers in the garment factory were women, which was one of the main reasons for recruiting people from the village.
Women in the village do not have a high social status. They earn fewer work points than men when they work in the fields, so their status is low. As a villager, Shen Huai has seen many such cases. Shen Ci, a woman who ran away from the village, succeeded and also wanted to help the women in the village.
This is Shen Huai's opinion. Anyway, as long as there are female workers, men can do the physical labor. Women can earn money, so life will at least be a little better.
"Wife, come quick!"
"Me, me, I can do it!"
"I'll participate too! I've wanted to be a worker for a long time!"
Even the brigade leader's daughter-in-law came to line up. Originally, I thought it had nothing to do with them, but I didn't expect that as long as they were there, everyone would want to give it a try.
"Shen Huai, your stepmother is here!"
At the back of the crowd, Wang Layue stood there with an inscrutable expression, her eyes filled with mixed emotions as she looked at the group of people gathered together.
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