Work
For Qin Zhou and Song Yungui, the three-day monthly break at Beicheng No.1 Middle School was a brief period of revelry and rest, but for Qi Shuo and Sister Jin, it was a silent, realistic, and tough battle.
On the first day of the holiday, the sun was so bright it was almost blinding. Sister Jin had deliberately changed out of her usual trendy clothes, opting for a more understated and neat outfit of a shirt and trousers. As she fixed her hair in front of the mirror, she said to Qi Shuo in a relaxed tone:
"Xiao Shuo, I'll take you out for a walk today and see if there are any suitable jobs. We're not in a hurry, let's take our time choosing."
Qi Shuo nodded silently. He put on the black wide-leg pants and gray sweatshirt that Sister Jin had prepared for him. He looked clean, but he couldn't hide a kind of quietness that was out of place with his surroundings.
He knew that the unseen criminal record on his body was like an invisible brand, harder to cross than a high wall.
The first stop was a large logistics warehouse nearby, hiring stock clerks. The middle-aged man recruiting looked at Qi Shuo's ID card, then glanced at the simplified resume that Sister Jin had prepared for him, and casually asked a few questions. Qi Shuo's answers were brief and dry. The man frowned, made a phone call, spoke in hushed tones for a few moments, and after hanging up, said with a formulaic apology, "Sorry, we've just filled all our positions."
Jin Jie's smile froze for a moment, then brightened again: "It's alright, thank you so much, Master. Let's look at something else."
She grabbed Qi Shuo's arm and turned to leave.
Qi Shuo had no expression, but his hands, which were in his pockets, clenched silently.
For the next day and a half, they traversed the streets and alleys of the northern part of the city. Construction sites, parking lots, restaurant kitchens, security companies… the responses they received were largely the same. Some waved their hands immediately after hearing the words “just came out”; others were more polite, tactfully indicating “it’s not appropriate”; and one small restaurant owner even said with a hint of pity, “Young man, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, it’s just that my shop is small and has a diverse clientele, and I’m afraid it might have a bad influence.”
Each time he was rejected, Qi Shuo would simply listen in silence, nod, and turn to leave.
He was like a stone that had been repeatedly washed away; beneath his calm surface lay a growing sense of powerlessness.
From her initial high spirits to her later grumbling encouragement, and finally, as she watched Qi Shuo's increasingly straight back and lowered eyelashes, Jin Jie felt as if a damp cotton ball was stuck in her heart, both suffocating and aching.
On the afternoon of the third day, the last interview for a supermarket porter also ended in failure. On the bus home, the two sat side by side, the bustling city flowing outside the window, but a heavy atmosphere filled the air inside. The setting sun shone through the window, outlining a hard and lonely arc on Qi Shuo's profile.
"Damn it, what kind of world is this!" Sister Jin couldn't help but mutter under her breath. She took out a cigarette to light it, but after glancing at the no-smoking sign in the carriage, she irritably shoved it back. "Xiao Shuo, don't take it to heart. We'll find a job slowly. If it doesn't work out, I'll support you! Just stay at home and relax. It's not like I can't afford to support you."
Qi Shuo turned his head and looked at Sister Jin's face, which was slightly red from running around and being angry. He swallowed and his voice was a little hoarse: "Sister Jin, I can't... let you support me forever."
He wanted to live like a normal person. To work, earn money, and support himself, instead of being a burden who needed pity and care.
The idea was so simple, yet so difficult.
Seeing the stubbornness and disappointment hidden deep in his eyes, Sister Jin felt all the words of comfort stuck in her throat. She sighed and reached out to ruffle Qi Shuo's short, spiky hair: "Silly boy, don't be so formal with your sister. Fine, I'll listen to you, we'll look again tomorrow!"
Back home, Qin Zhou had just finished his homework and was playing games on the sofa when he heard a noise. He threw down the controller and ran over: "Brother Shuo, Sister Jin, how's it going? Did you find a job?"
Jin forced a smile and mumbled, "I've looked at a few places, still choosing. Are you hungry? I'll go cook something right away."
Qin Zhou keenly sensed that something was wrong. He glanced at the silent Qi Shuo, but didn't press further. However, a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.
That night, Qi Shuo did not sleep well. The vigilance he had developed during eight years in prison instilled in him a deep-seated anxiety about the uncertainty of the future.
Without work, there is no place to stand; the so-called "new life" is nothing but a castle suspended in the air.
However, sometimes the turning point in fate comes without warning.
The next morning, Qi Shuo was woken up by his cell phone ringing. It was an unfamiliar local number. He hesitated before answering.
"Is this Mr. Qi Shuo?" A gentle female voice came from the other end of the phone. "This is 'Encounter' restaurant. We saw your information on the recruitment platform and think you have good qualifications. We would like to invite you to come for an interview for a waiter/waitress position at 10:00 AM today. Is that convenient for you?"
Qi Shuo was stunned. He had no recollection of submitting his resume to this restaurant. He subconsciously glanced at Sister Jin, who had just gotten up and was rubbing her eyes as she came out of her room.
Upon hearing the conversation, Sister Jin looked surprised and mouthed, "Who is it?"
Qi Shuo covered the microphone and whispered, "A restaurant called 'Encounter' wants me to interview for a waiter position."
"Meet?" Sister Jin frowned and thought for a moment. "I think I've heard of it. It's a newly opened, rather stylish Western restaurant? In the east of the city. Did you submit your resume there?"
Qi Shuo shook his head.
Sister Jin's eyes darted around, a look of suspicion mixed with hope on her face: "Who cares! Just go when they tell you to! Maybe it's some job posting website that automatically recommended you? Anyway, I'm just killing time, so I might as well go and see! What if it's real?"
With some doubts, Qi Shuo took the bus to the restaurant called "Encounter" following the address given to him. The restaurant was located in a relatively quiet neighborhood, with a minimalist industrial style decor that did look quite upscale.
He was interviewed by the restaurant manager, a well-dressed man in his thirties. The manager didn't press Qi Shuo too much about the eight-year gap in his life; instead, he expressed approval of Qi Shuo's appearance and basic communication skills.
When the manager exchanged a few simple sentences in English and discovered that Qi Shuo's spoken English was surprisingly fluent, a clear look of surprise and satisfaction appeared on his face.
The interview went so smoothly that Qi Shuo felt it was unreal. In the end, the manager directly told him that he was hired, with a one-month probation period, a base salary of 3,000 yuan, a full attendance bonus of 400 yuan, an annual bonus, five social insurances and one housing fund, meals provided, a 9-to-6 work schedule, and one day off per week.
Even after leaving the restaurant with a simple job offer and standing in the early spring sunshine, Qi Shuo still felt a sense of disorientation. It all seemed so smooth, like a dream. He vaguely sensed something was amiss, but his desperate desire to grasp at a lifeline overwhelmed any attempt to investigate this "luck."
Unbeknownst to him, in a booth by the window on the second floor of the restaurant, a young man in a sophisticated beige coat was secretly watching his departing figure through the glass window.
Tan Huaiyu watched Qi Shuo standing by the roadside, seemingly looking down to check the note in his hand, then raising his head, looking up at the sky, and letting out a soft sigh.
In that instant, Tan Huaiyu seemed to see Qi Shuo's taut shoulders relax almost imperceptibly.
He quickly lowered his head, his heart pounding in his chest, both afraid of being discovered and filled with an indescribable, small sense of satisfaction. This was the only, clumsy, and unspoken way he could make amends.
When Qi Shuo returned home and told Sister Jin and Qin Zhou, who had just woken up, the news, Sister Jin was so happy she almost jumped for joy, saying "Great!" several times. Qin Zhou also grinned and patted Qi Shuo's shoulder hard: "Brother Shuo, that's awesome! A Western restaurant! Sounds so high-class!"
While happy, Sister Jin couldn't help but worry: "Isn't working nine to six too tiring? Why don't you rest at home for a while longer? It's not like I can't afford to support you."
Qi Shuo shook his head, his eyes showing a rare firmness: "No need, Sister Jin, I want to go. Besides, it's already a 9-to-5 job, what's so tiring about it? It's not like I haven't suffered before."
He needs this job, not just for the money, but also to regain the rhythm and dignity of being a "normal person" in the world.
Seeing the light in his eyes, Sister Jin knew she couldn't stop him, and finally nodded: "Okay, then let's do a good job. Our Xiao Shuo is so handsome, he'll definitely be able to charm those customers."
And so it was settled. The night before he went to work, Qin Zhou mysteriously pulled Qi Shuo to stand in the parking lot downstairs. He then ran a short distance away, slowly drove out on a white electric scooter, circled Qi Shuo a few times, and said with a hint of smugness, "Brother Shuo, this is for you!"
Qin Zhou stopped in front of him, took off his helmet and put it on his head, looking at him from left to right, very satisfied.
Qi Shuo was taken aback. In front of him was a brand-new, simply designed electric scooter.
"I bought it with all the New Year's money I've saved up over the years, and my competition scholarships!" Qin Zhou scratched his head, his tone deliberately light, but his eyes sparkled with anticipation for Qi Shuo's reaction. "It will be much more convenient for you to commute to and from get off work now. Taking the bus is such a hassle."
Qi Shuo looked at the brand-new electric scooter, then at the boy in front of him who was already not much shorter than him, with an arrogant look in his eyes but full of sincerity towards him. His chest felt like it had been hit by something, a sour and burning sensation.
Qin Zhou has no source of income, and he rarely asks Sister Jin for money. His living expenses at school are mainly covered by scholarships earned through his hard work and money he earns from part-time jobs during winter and summer vacations.
This car probably cost the child all his savings.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat tighten. In the end, he simply reached out and gently, with boundless warmth, ruffled Qin Zhou's hair, whispering, "Thank you."
The next day, Qi Shuo rode his electric scooter, which cost over three thousand yuan, towards the restaurant called "Encounter" in the morning breeze. The wind whistled past his ears, and the scenery on both sides of the street rushed past. This was the first time in eight years that he had a clear destination, a job he could look forward to, and a... seemingly tangible, ordinary future.
Working from nine to six and earning a monthly salary of 3,400 yuan, this job has completely exceeded Qi Shuo's expectations.
This may seem insignificant to most people, but for Qi Shuo, it was the first brick he personally laid on this ruin called "Undeserved Disaster".
He didn't know what awaited him ahead, but at least for now, the slight vibrations from the wheels rolling over the road made him truly feel it—
He is alive, and he is moving forward.
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