Chapter 193 A Legitimate Factory Job with an Iron Rice Bowl
For a moment, the main room became quiet.
The Xie family members looked at each other, their faces showing surprise and confusion, which then turned into solemnity.
They clearly hadn't expected Xu Zhili to give a return gift, and in such a formal way.
Looking at everyone's expressions, Xu Zhili gave a gentle yet slightly mysterious smile and softly urged, "Uncle, Aunt, open it and take a look. Maybe there will be a surprise."
Looking at the encouraging and sincere smile in her eyes, Wang Xiuying squeezed the not-so-thin envelope in her hand, her curiosity growing even stronger.
Without further hesitation, she carefully and slowly unsealed the package.
When she saw the certificate with the red official seal inside in the bright light, her fingers trembled violently, and her voice trembled with extreme surprise and excitement.
"This...this is...a job opening at a textile factory? My God, this...this is too precious, how can this be allowed?"
Xie Jianguo immediately leaned closer and squinted to take a closer look.
When he confirmed that it was indeed an extremely formal and rare letter of introduction for a factory job, his usually serious face couldn't help but show shock.
His tightly furrowed brows completely relaxed, and his eyes as he looked at Xu Zhili were instantly filled with indescribable complex emotions, the most prominent of which was deep admiration and newfound respect.
The two sisters, Xie Chunlan and Xie Dongmei, couldn't wait to gather around, standing on tiptoe to look at the paper in their mother's hand.
Upon seeing what it was, the two gasped almost simultaneously, their eyes widening in astonishing brightness as they stared intently at the heavy "gift," their faces filled with unbelievable surprise.
These days, everyone knows perfectly well what a formal job in a city factory means.
That's a secure job that countless people would fight tooth and nail for, a golden opportunity that could change the fate of an individual or even a family.
This "gift" was far beyond everyone's imagination and so precious that the simple farmers were momentarily at a loss and apprehensive. But what followed was an overwhelming and indescribable joy and gratitude.
Wang Xiuying held the light yet heavy piece of paper, feeling her palms burning.
As if she had been burned, she quickly pushed the object back into Xu Zhili's hand, her tone full of heartache and unwavering determination.
“Xiao Xu, this…this won’t do. This job is too valuable. Our Xie family can’t take it. You’re a young educated youth, and you’ve settled down here with your younger brother. It’s not easy for you.”
"This is precisely the time when you need a stable job to support your children and establish yourself, so you should keep this for yourself."
Xu Zhili did not accept it. Instead, she stretched out her hands and gently placed her warm palms on Wang Xiuying's rough hands, which were rough from years of labor, stopping her from refusing.
A gentle yet resolute smile spread across her face, and her voice was clear and bright, each word carrying a reassuring power.
"Auntie, don't worry, let me tell you, this job is really no longer useful to me."
She paused, then turned her gaze to Xie Jianguo, who had been silently smoking but listening intently. "Captain Xie knows that I'm currently working as a purchasing agent, shuttling between the county machinery factory and the logistics department of the Public Security Bureau. I get double pay, so my income is stable and I live comfortably. It's more than enough to support my brother and me. You really don't need to worry about us."
As she spoke, she leaned closer to Wang Xiuying, lowered her voice, and spoke with even more sincerity and earnestness, as if a daughter were having a private conversation with her mother.
“Auntie, Uncle, and Sister Chunlan and Dongmei, your whole family treats me so well and treats me like family. This kindness is more precious than anything else.”
"This is just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it. In any case, from now on we're truly family. What's the point of distinguishing between 'yours' and 'mine' among family members? Wouldn't that make us too distant?"
Seeing this, Xie Yunze calmly chimed in, "Mother, Zhili is telling the truth. These job placement letters have an expiration date, and the factory doesn't give us much time. If we don't get a job soon..."
"Once the deadline has passed, this spot will be void, and all of Zhili's good intentions and great opportunity will have been wasted."
His words were practical and highlighted the urgency.
At this moment, the third sister, Xie Qiuju, couldn't help but chime in. She was quick-witted and thought of another aspect: "Yes, Mother, this is a secure job in a proper factory in the city."
“I’ve heard that there are countless people in the county who are secretly eager to buy these quotas. Even if we don’t need them for the time being, we can still get a lot of money and coupons to supplement our household income by reselling them. It’s a win-win situation.”
Her words were practical, with a touch of worldly shrewdness.
Wang Xiuying's mind was stirred by her children's chatter, and she was torn between her own thoughts and her own inner turmoil.
The allure of the job opportunity was real, but her simple nature still made her feel uneasy.
"That...that makes sense, but...but isn't this taking advantage of you too much? We feel really bad about it..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhili simply took Wang Xiuying's hand and gently shook it, displaying a charming and innocent demeanor, like her own daughter being affectionate.
"Auntie, look at you, you're talking to two different people. We're family, how can there be any question of taking advantage of each other? I'm not just giving this away casually."
She changed the subject, her gaze falling on Xie Dongmei, who was nervously twisting her fingers together. Her tone became serious and encouraging, "I have thought about it carefully."
“Dongmei is a proper high school graduate, she’s educated, has a good foundation, and her handwriting must be neat. The job in the textile factory’s publicity department usually involves writing and drawing, making bulletin boards, and organizing documents. They need educated young people like her, she’s perfect.”
"If she does well, she'll be a cultured person sitting in an office in the future, with a bright future! Giving this opportunity to Dongmei is a perfect match, it's a good thing."
Xie Jianguo, who had been silently smoking his pipe without saying much, finally spoke after taking two puffs, tapping the pipe on the sole of his shoe.
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the decisiveness of a head of the family.
"Since Xiao Xu has put it this way, showing his sincere concern for our family and Dongmei, it would seem pretentious and unreasonable of us to refuse."
He looked at Wang Xiuying and said, "Old woman, just accept it."
But then he looked at Xu Zhili and Xie Dongmei and proposed a fair solution.
“Dongmei, listen up. If you ever get a job in the factory and start earning a salary, you’ll have to give half of it to your sister Xu, the educated youth.”
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