Fang Huahua waited for Fang Yu outside the kindergarten until she was dismissed from school.
"Huahua, when did you arrive? You can tell the gatekeeper to let you in!" Fang Yu came out and pushed her bicycle to Fang Huahua's side.
"I just arrived, so I'll wait outside. I feel awkward going in." Fang Huahua picked up the bag next to her.
"Let's go, let's go to my mom's and put the things down first. Here, put them on the back of my bicycle."
Fang Yu pushed her bicycle, while Fang Huahua held onto the bag on the back seat. "Fang Yu, where do you think I can find work? What kind of work can I do?"
"Let's go explore. There are plenty of things to do in the county town. Let's go to the night market tonight."
"Okay, I've been wanting to go since last year."
They arrived at the store. "Mom, Huahua's here!"
"Fang Yu's mom!"
"Hey, Huahua's here?"
After leaving the food in the store, I said, "Mom, let's go eat out."
"Okay, let's take Huahua out for something nice to eat and go for a walk."
After dinner, as darkness fell and the night air was filled with warmth, Fang Yu pulled Hua Hua toward the night market at Shizijie.
As soon as I reached the street corner, deafening music blasted over—Richie Jen's "Sad Pacific Ocean." The melody, "One step forward is dusk, one step back is life," mingled with the smoky aroma of grilled skewers, filling the air. The night market stalls were packed full.
The night market was packed with people. Fang Yu pulled Fang Huahua through the stalls, which sold clothes and bags. Various artificial leather bags hung on wires, some with plastic beads and others with celebrity portraits.
"It's so lively at night! At home, people would be getting ready for bed by now!" Fang Huahua went into every stall to take a look, regardless of whether she wanted to buy anything or not.
They shopped until Yu Jihong's store was about to close, then went home together.
On the way, Fang Huahua said, "Fang Yu, the sound of the night market speakers is still ringing in my head." Fang Huahua was still immersed in the liveliness of the night market.
This amused Yu Jihong and Fang Yu, who chuckled, saying, "Now that we're working in the county town, we can come here more often."
"The city is nice, but I don't know if I can find work," Fang Huahua said, still a little worried.
“Yes, as long as you’re willing to work hard, how can a young person not find a job?” Yu Jihong said.
Upon entering the apartment, a faint scent of soap wafted over.
This was Fang Huahua's first time visiting Fang Yu's house. Fang Yu took a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet by the door and gave them to Fang Huahua.
Fang Huahua stood there, staring at the room. Against the wall stood a dark-colored cabinet with glass panels on the doors that were so shiny they reflected her image. The sofa was beige faux leather, covered with a light green fabric cover with small floral patterns. A plastic tablecloth covered the dining table. The kitchen had white tiles all the way to the ceiling, and the gas stove was spotless, unlike the stoves in the village that were always covered in thick layers of grease and soot.
Fang Huahua awkwardly walked to the sofa and sat down. Is this what city people's homes are like? It's as clean as freshly washed clothes, and even the air smells refreshing.
Yu Jihong poured Fang Huahua a glass of water. "Huahua, have some water."
"Fang Yu's mom, you can go about your business and don't worry about me."
"Okay, I'll take a shower first, and you two can use the bathroom later."
Yu Jihong went to the balcony to collect the clothes and take a shower.
Fang Yu's room window faces the community garden, and Fang Huahua leaned on the windowsill and looked at it for a long time.
As Fang Huahua lay on her comfortable bed at night, she said, "Fang Yu, your home is so nice and comfortable. It's so much better to live in a house in the city."
"How about you buy a house in the city sometime?"
"I don't know what to do now. I don't even know when I'll be able to buy a house in the city while I'm working. Where am I supposed to look for a job tomorrow?"
"Shall we go out and take a look on the street, or would you like to go to the factory? Many shops have job postings."
"Let's go out and have a look around. We've been in the factory for so long, it's more lively on the street than in the store."
"Okay, we'll go ask about it tomorrow."
Taking advantage of the weekend, Fang Yu accompanied Fang Huahua to several streets and found her a job at a restaurant, with room and board included.
Fang Huahua moved into the dormitory provided by the hotel, where several female employees lived together. She was allowed to rest one day a week, as the hotel rules stipulated that she could not rest on weekends.
"Fang Yu, we won't have time to meet anymore. When I'm resting, you have to work, and when you're resting, I have to work."
"When you're resting, I don't have classes in the evenings, so we can still meet up."
"Okay! I'll come find you on days when I'm not working. Once I've saved up some money, I'll buy a pager too, then it'll be easier for you to contact me."
This is a small restaurant, and the work is quite varied. In the morning, they help wash and chop vegetables; at lunchtime, when there are many customers, they serve dishes and wipe tables; and in the evening, they clean the kitchen. When Fang Huahua first started, she didn't think much of it; wasn't this the kind of work she did at home?
Here, she could smell the aroma of food and see people coming and going, unlike in the factory where there was only the roar of machines and monotonous repetitive movements. Hua Hua was still somewhat excited about her new job.
The summer camp at the kindergarten has ended. Although she didn't get a break, Fang Yu was still quite satisfied because she had earned two more months' salary than other teachers.
As the new semester began, Fang Dongqiang took the bus to the provincial capital to start his second year of university.
The lingering heat of the day still hung in the air. Fang Dongqiang, carrying a bulging backpack, sat with the train window open, the wind carrying the noise of the station and the smell of gasoline. He leaned back in his seat, feeling both anticipation for his sophomore year computer class and a touch of reluctance to leave the comfort of home.
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