Regarding the Zhao family’s messy affairs, He Suqin only learned a little from a friend. She frowned slightly—if her mother heard about this kind of family, Shen Lanxiang would probably explode on the spot.
Fortunately, one good thing was that there were so many brothers in the Zhao family that they had already separated into different households. Now only the fourth and fifth sons, who were still in school, lived with their parents. Not living together was good—less conflict.
If Zhao Huai’an really had the ability, he would definitely manage to get a place of his own. That would be a plus in her eyes.
He Suqin decided to observe a bit longer and not rush things. She could hold back from telling her mother, but Shen Lanxiang had already been repeatedly questioning He Qiutong when she came home.
Only after asking too many times did He Qiutong refuse to say anything further.
The next morning after breakfast, He Qiutong suddenly realized—how were they supposed to get to work? There was only one bicycle at home. Should they take the bus?
“What bus? Mom will take you two there!” Shen Lanxiang pushed out her old 28-inch bicycle. “Come on, you sit in the front. I just stitched a padded cushion yesterday. It’ll be comfortable.”
He Qiutong pointed at herself. “Mom… you mean I sit on that bar?”
“Hey, you little brat, what’s wrong with that? When you were little, you loved sitting on the bar! You said sitting higher gave you a better view!” Shen Lanxiang tied the cushion securely and called her daughter over.
He Suqin, carrying her small bag, walked past with her head held high. Hehe—she clearly remembered how they used to squeeze three kids onto one bike. She wasn’t about to sit on the front bar; the back seat was far more comfortable!
Along the way, all Shen Lanxiang could hear was her younger daughter’s constant “ouch, ouch,” which annoyed her to no end. And why was this girl getting heavier and heavier?
“Mom, after work today I’ll take the bus,” He Qiutong said as soon as they arrived, rubbing her sore backside. “This bicycle seat is too uncomfortable.”
“I spent the whole day sewing that cushion, and now you say you won’t use it?” her mother complained.
At that moment, He Suqin also got off the bike. “Mom, if Qiutong wants to take the bus, let her. As for the cushion, just put it on the back seat for me—I’m fine riding the bicycle.”
Silly girl. After work, many people take the bus home. You think buses are comfortable? Only if you get on early enough to grab a seat. Otherwise, you’re squeezed like a meat pie.
But He Qiutong didn’t know that yet. Without arguing further, she waved her hand and headed toward the daily chemical factory.
Today, all the new employees were those who had passed the previous exam. There were also some “family quota” hires for internal workers’ children.
He Qiutong followed the directions to a designated room. It looked like a large classroom, already filled with people. At the front sat a young woman sorting documents.
When she saw He Qiutong arrive, she called her over.
“What’s your name? Where’s your work certificate?”
“He Qiutong. Here is my certificate.”
The girl glanced at it quickly, ticked her name off a list, and said, “Sign in. I’ll give you a form to fill out. I’ll collect it later.”
“Okay, thank you.”
So this was onboarding—naturally there were many documents to fill out. Even though the factory already had your information, they still made everyone fill it again for final organization.
After a while, many people had already finished filling in their forms. The remaining ones were either just arriving or hadn’t borrowed pens yet. The clerk didn’t wait any longer—she collected the completed forms and reminded the others to hurry.
With so many new hires and everyone talking quietly, the room felt stuffy. He Qiutong really wished she could stick her head outside for some fresh air.
“Hey! I already said no, I won’t lend it! I don’t even have enough money myself—go ask someone else! And who are you anyway? If I lend you my pen and you break it, or later I can’t find you, what then?”
A sharp voice suddenly cut through the room, drawing everyone’s attention.
He Qiutong immediately turned around to look—the sound came from the desk right behind her.
A simply dressed girl was standing in the aisle, being questioned by another girl who had just finished writing.
“I already said I’m a female worker from Workshop Two. My name is Cui Meili. I didn’t know I needed to bring a pen today, so I wanted to borrow one,” she said softly.
Nearby, some self-proclaimed “righteous” boys jumped in.
“Chen Xiaoqing, why are you bullying people here? Stop acting like a spoiled rich girl!”
“Pah! Which eye of yours saw me bullying her?” Chen Xiaoqing snapped back. “Trying to play hero? Ask her if she even wants your help! See that? The ‘hero’ behind you wants to back you up—go borrow from him then! I haven’t even finished writing!”
She snorted and quickly returned to filling out her form, thinking inwardly that Cui Meili really had no sense—there were so many people who had already finished, why come to her? Did she look easy to bully?
The boy named Meng Minsheng thought to himself: If I had a pen, I would’ve already lent it! I don’t have one either!
“Ah… no need, I’ll ask someone else,” Cui Meili said softly, shifting her gaze away from Chen Xiaoqing—and then forward.
Her eyes landed on He Qiutong, who had just turned around to watch the drama.
The moment their eyes met, He Qiutong felt a sudden jolt.
Wait… don’t tell me you’re about to ask me?
I’m not stingy, but why do I feel like your gaze is a little… off?