"Eldest Brother, I have second thoughts. I shouldn't have trusted that heartless man, Yang Yunkai.
He treats me like a servant. Back home, my parents wouldn't even let me do chores, but here, he makes me do dirty and tiring work, and I even have to wash the feet of that pregnant woman he's with!
Eldest Brother, am I going to die here?
Wuwuwu..."
When she came out with her eyes as swollen as lanterns from crying, everyone looked at her with pity.
There were even a few middle-aged women wiping away tears.
Without needing to think, this girl must have been blinded by love and chose to marry far away.
Now, she is calling out to heaven and earth with no one to answer her.
What a good girl, but look at the skirt she is wearing; it is covered in oil stains and vegetable juice. It is clear she has been doing a lot of hard work.
"Daughter, where are those scoundrels you mentioned?"
Li Yuchu covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her face again.
"The woman is from this town, her surname is Song, and she seems to be at the west end of town.
As for that man, he has a special occupation, so I dare not say.
Some people say it would have a bad influence!"
Several middle-aged men felt frustrated on her behalf.
"You are being abused to the point of death, and you still care about the influence?
Go to their leader and make a scene! Don't hold back at a time like this. Get the money and hurry home!"
Li Yuchu thought to herself that she didn't just want money; she wanted their lives!
"Their leader initially said it was a misunderstanding, but later..."
"What happened later?"
Why did Li Yuchu stop talking?
Because she accidentally caught sight of Gu Zechen standing at the entrance, straight as a pine, dressed in plain clothes.
At this moment, he was watching her masterful performance with an expressionless face,
as if signaling to her, "Keep going!"
Li Yuchu felt a pang of guilt, covered her face, pushed through the crowd, and ran away, "Wuwuwu..."
The remaining people cursed all sorts of things, and the guard Xiao Yu, who was standing to the side, didn't even dare to look at his Regiment Commander's face.
...
After Li Yuchu ran out of the post office, she found a place to wash her face and headed toward the home of Zhang Li, her only friend here.
They met by chance, hit it off, and often went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative together.
They both participated in the textile mill exam this time as well.
Li Yuchu did better than Zhang Li, taking first place while Zhang Li took second.
The job of warehouse keeper at the textile mill fell to Li Yuchu.
But this time, she was prepared to give the job to Zhang Li.
That Yang Yunkai still wanted to let Song Qian take her place?
Even in her wildest dreams, that wouldn't happen!
"Xiao Chu, what happened to you?"
Seeing her somewhat disheveled appearance and eyes that looked like she had cried eight thousand tons of tears, Zhang Li was very worried.
Li Yuchu blinked her eyes.
"Zhang Li, do you have time now? Let's go to the textile mill!"
Zhang Li was a bit confused.
"What for?" Even if she went, it wouldn't be her turn. She was very self-aware; she wasn't as capable as Xiao Chu!
"I'm giving the job to you. Do you want it?"
Zhang Li was just about to say she only wanted one, but upon hearing Li Yuchu's words, she was incredulous.
"What did you say?
Xiao Chu, did something happen? Tell me, if I can help, I definitely will."
Xiao Chu was just a girl who had traveled thousands of miles to find her fiancé and didn't know anyone. It wasn't easy for her to get a job.
If it wasn't a huge matter, how could she possibly give away the job?
Besides, her state today was very bad!
Li Yuchu felt a warmth in her heart as she listened to her sincere words. She had traveled thousands of miles here, and meeting this friend made the trip worthwhile!
"It's my fiancé. He has someone else, a widow, and they slept together! Wuwuwu!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Li stood up abruptly.
"Damn it, this is outrageous! Let's go, we'll go find their leader together."
Li Yuchu shook her arm.
"I've already looked for them, and they promised to give me an explanation!
Zhang Li, I'm going home in a few days, so I naturally won't need this job. I'm giving it to you! Let's go find the Director of the textile mill and explain the situation!"
Normally, if the first-place candidate doesn't report for duty, the second-place candidate should move up.
But jobs were so rare now that plenty of people were fighting for them. Usually, the exam only selected one person, and there was only one opportunity; there was no such thing as a second-place candidate moving up!
However, Zhang Li disagreed. She went to her grandma's house next door and called over her parents.
When the couple heard about such a good thing, they were so excited they didn't know where to put their hands.
"Xiao Chu, thank you for giving Zhang Li such a good opportunity.
But we can't take it for nothing.
How about we give you eight hundred yuan for this job? Is that okay?"
Li Yuchu shook her head.
"Uncle, Auntie, no need. Zhang Li and I are good friends!"
Mother Zhang held her hand.
"Daughter, it's not easy for you to be out on your own. We aren't unreasonable people; even brothers should settle accounts clearly!"
Li Yuchu didn't refuse again.
"Eight hundred is too much. Five hundred is fine!"
She didn't know about this place, but before she came, someone had offered six hundred yuan to buy her job at the steel mill!
She didn't sell it and gave it away for free to Yang Yunkai's sister.
The other party didn't even say thank you, feeling it was only natural to accept the fawning of her future sister-in-law!
Seeing them going back and forth, Father Zhang compromised.
"Then six hundred, and I'll prepare some coupons for you, okay?"
Li Yuchu smiled with her eyes curved like crescents.
"Then thank you, Uncle!"
An hour later, Zhang Li's family of three and Li Yuchu went to the home of the textile mill director.
Li Yuchu placed the malted milk food and biscuits she brought on the table. Of course, the items were purchased by Father Zhang, who said one shouldn't go empty-handed when asking for favors.
"Uncle Liu, this is what my Uncle Zhang bought for Grandma Liu."
Looking at Director Liu, who was a bit confused about the situation, Li Yuchu got straight to the point.
"Uncle Liu, I'm going home, and I want to give my job to Zhang Li!"
Before Director Liu could speak, Grandma Liu came out, trembling as she leaned on her cane.
"Xiao Chu, you're leaving just like that? You're not getting married?"
Li Yuchu and Zhang Li hurriedly stepped forward to support her. Looking at the old woman's kind face, Li Yuchu thought of her own grandmother who was still waiting for her, and her nose felt sore.
"Grandma Liu, I'm not getting married. The other party has second thoughts!"
"The scoundrel! My Xiao Chu is so good, sensible, and pretty. Is he blind or stupid?"
Li Yuchu comforted her.
"Grandma Liu, don't be angry. It's not worth it for such a beast.
Today, he wronged me in every way for the sake of a so-called life-saving grace, and who knows if he'll want my life in the future?
Leaving him is my good fortune!"
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Director Liu didn't try to persuade her further.
Who would have the heart to force a girl to stay when she wanted to return to her own home?
"Fine, if this one doesn't work out, the next one will be better!
It's just that Grandma Liu likes you very much. Why don't you come over for a meal before you leave?"
Li Yuchu nodded heavily. They were just passing acquaintances, but Director Liu's family had been truly kind to her.
Besides, after leaving this time, who knew when they would meet again.
"The day after tomorrow is the weekend. Would it be convenient for me to come?"
"Convenient, very convenient," Grandma Liu said, squinting as she held her hand, liking her more the more she looked at her. Such a good girl, how could anyone have the heart to hurt her?
Director Liu looked at his mother's happy expression and shook his head helplessly.
She didn't even dote on her own grandchildren like this.
He wrote a document on the spot.
"Zhang Li, come to the office to report tomorrow!"
...
Li Yuchu was then pulled and dragged by the Zhang family to stay for a meal before she slowly walked back.
When she returned to the family courtyard, the sky was already darkening.
"Comrade Li, Commander Gu and the Political Commissar would like to see you!"
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