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The punishment for Sun Xiaoyu was decided quickly. She was relieved of her accounting position and sent to teach female workers in a cloth workshop for five years, teaching them literacy and arithmetic. She had no fixed salary, only some rice as a stipend.
The Sun family didn't dare object to this arrangement. After all, being an accountant wasn't easy, and they received a monthly salary. It would be a bit unfair for her to suddenly leave the job to marry someone else. Besides, her in-laws weren't opposed to teaching. Five years was a long time, but with only an hour of classes a day, it wasn't a big deal. Plus, they could still earn some food, so they could just consider it a way to make a name for themselves.
As for the issue of not leaking confidential information, it wasn't as serious as He Ling suggested. After all, the bank had already established regulations, and the penalties for leaking secrets were very severe. No matter how benign the Red Flag Gang seemed, they were still the dominant shipping gang in the South China Sea. Who would dare to challenge the law? Furthermore, these accountants mostly dealt with Qingmiao loans, and no one would inquire about how much money ordinary people had borrowed from the bank.
However, Sun Xiaoyu's departure still surprised many people, not to mention her colleagues in the bank, even many people in the cloth shop were surprised.
"He's actually giving us lessons? Ha! If I had the free time, I'd go home and sleep!"
"Do I have to listen to everything? Is it related to the promotion?"
"A little bastard like you got a promotion? Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter."
"Don't make a fuss, I think it's nice to be able to write my own name."
"The formula list has been hanging for a long time, and I don't see you have learned it yet!"
"Yeah, why did you find someone specifically to give us a lecture?"
"You don't know this, do you? That lady is from a bank. I heard she got into trouble, so she was punished to give us a lecture."
"Hey, aren't those women in the bank accountants? How serious a crime is this?"
"Who knows? Maybe he's greedy for money."
"You're still making a living after taking the gang's money? I guess you're just not educated enough and got kicked out!"
"That's right, why would a young woman take care of the accounts? This is a man's job. You are overestimating yourself."
"Be careful what you say, our gang leader is also a woman!"
"Oh, look at my stinky mouth, I deserve a beating..."
A group of women were chatting animatedly, but a little girl nearby overheard something scheming. Seeing nothing, she quickly spoke for the people around her: "Second Aunt, is there really a female teacher giving us a lecture?"
The old woman laughed and jokingly said, "Why, do you want to hear it?"
Huang Xiaoya nodded her head like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yes, I want to learn to read and write!"
Seeing her excitement, the old woman actually laughed: "Then come and listen. It is said that the lectures will be held in the afternoon and will last for an hour. Anyone who wants to listen can go."
Really?! Huang Xiaoya's eyes sparkled. She had memorized the formula table and spoken to the manager several times before finally securing a job in the weaving industry, freeing her from the daily grind of hemp rope. Now someone was teaching them to read and write. If they learned, wouldn't they be able to get another job?
Although she didn't know what job she could get, as a boatman, learning to read and write was something she had never dared to imagine. Now that someone was willing to teach her, how could she miss it!
Some people were indifferent, while others were eager to try. The real supervisor, Wang Sanniang, had already met the female teacher who came to take up the post.
"It's a great thing that Miss Sun can come to our cloth workshop." Wang Sanniang was genuinely happy about Sun Xiaoyu's arrival. She had learned arithmetic from Miss He's classes, which had allowed her to become a supervisor in the cloth workshop. However, if she wanted to get promoted, she would have needed to study a lot, and her busy work schedule meant she had no time for it. Now that she had someone right here, it was a perfect opportunity to learn.
Seeing Wang Sanniang laughing happily, Sun Xiaoyu also smiled: "I don't know much, if there is anything wrong, I hope Sanniang can give me some advice."
Seeing her so humble, Wang Sanniang was even happier. The man in the bank was the gang leader's confidant, and she had worried that he might have a bad temper and be difficult to get along with, but she hadn't expected him to be so kind. Recalling something, she hurriedly said, "We're all just stupid women here. If there are any naughty ones, Miss Sun, just beat them up and scold them, or even kick them out. Don't indulge them!"
Sun Xiaoyu didn't take it seriously and simply said, "It's okay. Those who like to learn can stay, and those who don't like to learn don't have to be forced."
This is also what He Ling said. She doesn't need to teach everyone, just come to class.
Wang Sanniang sighed in her heart. She knew the temperament of those female workers. She was afraid that they would rather learn embroidery patterns than spend time on writing and calculating. She didn't know how many of them could seize the opportunity.
She didn't dwell on it and changed the subject: "I heard that Miss Sun is getting married. Has she chosen a date?"
Sun Xiaoyu's expression was slightly restrained, and she whispered, "It's scheduled for two months from now."
Wang Sanniang immediately said, "That's still some time. When the time comes, I'll have someone embroider a beautiful brocade quilt for you to add to your makeup."
This kind of thing was convenient in the cloth shop, and Wang Sanniang had also made up her mind to make friends with this female teacher, attending her classes more often and reading some books with her, perhaps even helping her daughter to gain some enlightenment. Now that she didn't have to pay the tuition, she had to make up for it by earning money from other sources.
Sun Xiaoyu naturally said a few humble words, and the two of them got to the point.
"If we get married, will it be convenient for you to come here?" Wang Sanniang asked carefully.
"I've already agreed with my husband's family. It'll only take an hour, so it won't be a problem." After a pause, Sun Xiaoyu said, "If I get pregnant later, I might have to take a few months off, so I won't miss any classes."
Hearing her say this, Madam Wang San felt relieved: "Don't worry, we have a nursery here too. When you have a baby in the future, you can bring it here for someone to take care of it. It won't be a problem."
Her husband's family was afraid that they would not let her bring the child out, and she did not know how to answer. Sun Xiaoyu just responded vaguely and said no more.
When they were done chatting, they went to the cafeteria, which served as a lecture hall. There were tables and chairs, as well as a pre-prepared blackboard and chalk—all the same stuff they were used to at the bank—so there wasn't anything strange about it. Back when Sun Xiaoyu was at the bank, she'd often mentored new girls, so she already had some basic skills. The things she was teaching were much more basic, so it was no problem for her.
Everything was arranged, and it was time to leave work. After everyone had noisily finished their meal and cleared the table, she walked up to the podium and said to everyone, "My name is Sun Xiaoyu. I will be responsible for teaching you your lessons from now on. From now on, you will learn to read one day and learn to count one day, and you will have one day off every ten days. If there is anything you don't understand, you can come down and ask me."
Finally meeting this lady, the people below were incredibly curious, many whispering and laughing. Wang Sanniang immediately stood up and shouted, "Everyone, behave yourself! If you don't want to listen, don't come tomorrow! If anyone disrespects Ms. Sun, don't blame me for spanking you so you can't weave or embroider!"
These words were so strong that the people below immediately fell silent, not daring to act rashly. Wang Sanniang had also heard the rumors, so she added, "If Mr. Sun hadn't planned to get married, why would he have left the bank and come here to teach? It's your good fortune to be able to attend the class. Don't waste the gang leader's hard work!"
Wow! So she left the bank to get married. What high-flying marriage did she manage to get? Otherwise, how can you say she's so lucky? She can work in a bank and marry a good man. No one else can compare!
Some of those who were originally listless suddenly realized that if they studied hard, they would be able to marry into a good family in the future. They would have to find out which family this lady married into.
Wang Sanniang's words were flattering and meant to help her out, but somehow, Sun Xiaoyu felt a sense of emptiness in her heart, as if a piece of her was missing. There were quite a few people sitting densely below, but unlike the women in the bank, there was no such yearning in their eyes; they were just killing time, watching others laugh. Reading was probably less appealing to them than the meal they had just had.
Even so, Sun Xiaoyu had no intention of being perfunctory. Thinking of Miss He's angry expression, she felt a pang of discomfort in her heart. The gang leader was truly kind to her, even the punishment was so light. How could she let him down?
Deep down, Sun Xiaoyu was also willing to go out and teach. In two months, she would become a daughter-in-law of another family, serving her parents-in-law and living with a husband she had never met. She didn't know what they were like, nor did she know if she could please them. Wasn't there a fear in her heart? Now, she held a chalk made of chalk and plaster in her hand, and before her lay a familiar book. She only needed to teach these people what she had learned.
These were things she could control, and she truly loved them. The listless faces below no longer affected Sun Xiaoyu. She raised her voice and said, "Today we're going to talk about the Three Character Classic. If you don't have paper and pen, you can sift a plate of fine sand and bring it to class. You can practice writing along so you can remember it."
After that, she turned around and started writing on the blackboard.
Sitting in the corner, Wang Xiaoya stared at the white characters with her eyes wide open, her whole body trembling slightly. This really was teaching them to read! Although she didn't recognize a single word, Wang Xiaoya still clumsily imitated the handwriting on the blackboard with her fingers. She couldn't afford paper and pen, but the sand table was not difficult to make, so she had to prepare it for tomorrow!
"When people are born, their nature is good. Natures are similar, but habits make them different. This sentence means that when people are born, their nature is good..."
The female teacher on the stage began to explain. Some people in the audience were dazed, some yawned, and some listened attentively. Soon, the sound of reading aloud could be heard.
In one class, they only taught three or four sentences, and they had to teach each word one by one, which was actually a bit slow. However, Sun Xiaoyu felt that a slower pace was better. The female workers here would probably find it more difficult to learn, so they had to learn step by step. But she didn't know how many people would come tomorrow.
After chatting with Wang Sanniang for a few more words, Sun Xiaoyu headed out with her school basket, but before she even left the building, she was stopped. The girl, a short, dark-skinned girl, stood before her with a nervous expression. Sun Xiaoyu remembered her face; she'd been incredibly loud in class, one of the few who genuinely studied.
When she thought of this, she slowed down her voice and asked kindly, "But is there anything you don't understand?"
Wang Xiaoya shook her head vigorously, as if she had made up her mind, and suddenly said, "Teacher, your teaching is very good. I can understand it all. If I learn all this, can I also work as an accountant in a bank?"
She had indeed inquired. Banks were completely different from cloth mills. Women there could manage the business just as well as men. She could truly understand these things. She had an exceptionally good memory and was willing to work hard. If she succeeded, she could also work at a bank. Wouldn't she no longer have to weave, could she dress neatly every day, and earn a higher salary than the women in charge?
The little girl wasn't pretty, nor did she look particularly bright, but Sun Xiaoyu was incredibly familiar with the things in her eyes. She had seen them in the eyes of many of her colleagues, and she had also seen them countless times in the mirror... Her eyes warmed, and she nodded gently, "As long as you study hard, you'll have a chance."
These were the words she had heard from He Ling, which had supported her through so many difficult days.
Now she also wants to tell others, tell more women.
I just hope that they are not like her and can continue to move forward, to Linxian, to Panyu, and to all places that the Red Flag Gang can reach.
Wang Xiaoya's face lit up immediately and she bowed vigorously: "Thank you, sir. I will study hard!"
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