Early in the morning, Shūxīn packed her things and climbed into the rickety car, heading into the city.
For most people, finding even temporary work in the city was extremely difficult. So why was Shūxīn so confident she could get a job? That story went back a bit.
When she first entered junior high in the city, she transferred directly into the second year. Because of this, she was seated next to another transfer student, Huáng Yáo, and over time they became friends who could talk freely.
In the chaotic world of the apocalypse, Shūxīn hadn’t had particularly close friends—mainly because she feared betrayal. Now, life was stable and happy, and naturally she wasn’t opposed to making friends.
Back in elementary school, her classmates had been a bunch of small kids, and she had no patience to babysit them. Coming to the county town, Huáng Yáo was effectively her first friend in this world.
One time, she had just left the black market when she stumbled upon a knife robbery in progress. Two criminals had taken two hostages and were yelling threats at the police to let them go.
Shūxīn had initially intended to just watch the commotion from the crowd. But as fate would have it, the hostages turned out to be her deskmate and, astonishingly, her deskmate’s mother—a coincidence so perfect it was uncanny.
Huáng Yáo’s mother was seven or eight months pregnant. Seeing this, no one dared act rashly. Shūxīn noticed a man nearby, clearly Huáng Yáo’s father, pacing anxiously. She wanted to subdue the criminals but feared harming the mother or daughter.
It seemed that Huáng Yáo’s father wasn’t just an ordinary police officer. He refused to relent, and no one else dared move rashly.
Shūxīn decided she couldn’t stand idly by. Huáng Yáo had always been generous and kind, and their friendship was good. Seeing her in danger, Shūxīn couldn’t ignore it.
Huáng Yáo herself was smart. She had spotted Shūxīn in the crowd but hadn’t dragged her into danger. Her legs trembled from fear, and she worried about her mother—clearly, she had good character and psychological strength, a friend worth having.
The Huáng family also seemed influential. Having more friends meant more paths to take. Shūxīn wasn’t being calculating—after surviving the apocalypse, she had seen plenty of betrayal and ingratitude. Naturally, she considered the situation carefully.
Carefully weaving through the crowd, Shūxīn moved to the side of the two kidnappers. Most of their attention was on the police, so they weren’t as alert to someone nearby.
The kidnapper holding Huáng Yáo noticed her but dismissed her as just another curious girl.
Shūxīn silently made a hand signal to Huáng Yáo. Huáng Yáo knew her deskmate wanted to help but worried about putting her in danger. After a moment of inner struggle, she followed Shūxīn’s instructions.
Huáng Yáo had also heard classmates talk about Shūxīn. She knew Shūxīn was strong—once, she had beaten up a troublemaker who harassed her, leaving him bruised and swelling. Even local ruffians avoided her after that. Now, she cleverly distracted the kidnappers’ attention from Shūxīn.
An hour passed, and the standoff continued. The kidnappers grew impatient, and their arms holding knives began to tire.
At that moment, as one kidnapper glanced at the other, Shūxīn acted. She kicked, knocking the knife from his hand, and didn’t waste a second. Taking advantage of the distance between the kidnapper and Huáng Yáo, she struck him with a hand chop, knocking him unconscious.
The second kidnapper tried to intervene but was hit in the shoulder by Shūxīn’s punch. Even at seven or eight years old, her strength could match adult men. Now, it was no contest—this punch would certainly disable his arm.
In the blink of an eye, both kidnappers were neutralized. The police surged forward and handcuffed them.
Shūxīn helped Huáng Yáo and her mother to their feet and asked, “Huáng Yáo, are you okay?”
Huáng Yáo thanked her profusely: “We’re fine, just our legs feel weak. Liú Shūxīn, thank you! If it weren’t for you, my mom and I would have been in real trouble today!”
Huáng Yáo’s father also thanked Shūxīn, then took Huáng Yáo’s mother for a checkup. After all, she was pregnant and had been frightened.
Later, they even brought her food and drinks to show their gratitude. Huáng Yáo’s mother treated her kindly as well, often sending Huáng Yáo to bring snacks for Shūxīn.
From that day on, Shūxīn became close with the Huáng family. Huáng Yáo and Shūxīn became inseparable confidantes, and Shūxīn’s words carried more weight with Huáng Yáo than even her parents’.
Over time, Shūxīn learned about the Huáng family’s status. Grandfather Huáng was a military district commander; the family were all soldiers. Huáng Yáo’s father had been injured and could no longer serve, so he retired to Xīnyáng County. Later, he became the local police chief, and Huáng Yáo’s mother was assigned as the women’s director of the county machinery factory.
Now that Shūxīn came into the city seeking work, she couldn’t avoid the Huáng family. With their support, all she had to do was ask, and they would help. She had no pride to prevent her from leveraging connections; if the Huáng family needed help in the future, she would return the favor. She understood the give-and-take of human relationships and didn’t resent it.
When she arrived at the government compound, the security didn’t stop her. Over the past two years, she had come with Huáng Yáo often enough that the guards recognized her as a close friend of the Huáng girls.
Huáng Yáo saw her and rushed over: “Shūxīn! Why are you so late? We’ve been waiting for you forever! If you didn’t come, I was going to write you a letter.”
“I’ve been busy helping at home. As soon as I had time, I came to see you. What’s the matter? You look excited,” Shūxīn replied.
Huáng Yáo, knowing her friend came from a rural family, quickly shared the good news: “Shūxīn, we’ve got work! The provincial and municipal railway bureau is building a train station in Xīnyáng County, right opposite the bus station.
“Our county secured several positions, and my dad worked hard to get us both in.”
“Really?” Shūxīn was thrilled. She had come for work and hadn’t expected it to be so straightforward. Huáng Yáo’s father had handled it, saving her a lot of effort.
She knew he had pulled some strings to get them in. She mentally planned to give something to the Huáng family to show her gratitude. After all, some people could spend their entire lives trying to get a position in the railway bureau and never succeed. She owed them her thanks. Human relationships required reciprocity.
That evening, when Huáng Yáo’s parents returned, they were pleased to see Shūxīn. They told her to stay in the city a few more days. She agreed; she had already planned to spend some time in the city. Before leaving, she had informed her family at home, so they wouldn’t worry.
Huáng Hào, returning from kindergarten, saw his beloved Shūxīn and insisted she hold him. Huáng Hào was the child Huáng Yáo’s mother had been pregnant with when Shūxīn had first come into their lives. Now four years old, he was already attending kindergarten.