The Director Ming Shuofu of the machinery factory was her contact in the factory. He could be said to be a close uncle because he was also the principal’s son.
Even when her mother took the job, he had guaranteed her that she could take it back whenever she wanted to. The father and son duo kindly reminded her that she could ask them for support, likely thinking she might just be afraid of her mother.
Sadly, she had been heavily brainwashed and took their offer at surface level.
She never truly blamed herself, though. She knew she was too young, immature, and was too starved of affection at the time.
She was unlucky to have been born with such a mother, and that was not her fault.
Speaking of those teachers and the principal, she took a mental note to send them a few crops from the space before she left.
As for her mother, Qiao Yaqin was also highly educated, and such a job was good for her. It was just that her background as a former capitalist blocked a lot of her paths—even when she had severed ties with her family—and this included some state jobs.
It was how a beautiful, well-bred woman like her ended up in Wang Dashan’s arms. At the peak of the chaotic area, she—a lone woman with a baby—had to grab at the closest support she could get.
That woman was a natural dodder and she could only survive with the support of others. Usually, it was men; Shamefully, in Qiao Yaqin’s case, it was also her underage daughter.
Now, both these paths were about to be cut off, and it would be all her fault.
...
The textile factory was not too far from the machinery factory, so she reached her destination after around ten minutes of walking.
Before alerting the guard, she brought out a few fresh goods from her space as a gift. They were all first-generation potatoes, corn, chilli, and peanuts, all of which were not inferior to the highest-grade crop in the market.
She also had a lot of wheat harvested lately, but she hadn’t processed them into flour, something she—sadly—had to do manually.
Before she could enter, the employee must acknowledge that they were the ones being visited. They also had to write and sign a logbook.
When the director saw her dressed as she was, he was both startled and confused. "You..."
The middle-aged man gave her a few looks, taking a moment to compare her current image with the one before. After all, she had already cut her hair. Most of all, the way she carried herself had contrasted a lot with how she was before: a repressed puppet with no thoughts of her own.
"Qingqing, how long has it been? Two years? How may I help you?" Director Ming asked, leading her to his office. He obviously wanted to ask why she was dressed like a boy, but stopped himself.
"I’m here about my job..." she said, immediately explaining the circumstances of how it was taken in the first place, including the most recent abuse case. She even showed the medical report, the guarantee from the police station, as well as a copy of the severance letter. The severance letter hadn’t been published in the newspaper yet, but she did have an advanced copy with her.
The man’s face reddened in anger for her sake, barely stopping himself from crumpling the documents. "What audacity!!"
He didn’t know Qiao Yaqin could be like that!
She had always carried herself with poise in the factory. Combined with her face, she had a lot of admirers. Had he not been warned by his father, he might’ve had a good impression of her himself.
Su Qinghua did not blame him. Qiao Yaqin’s upbringing was indeed excellent, and she exuded a sophistication that commoners admired. Combined with her gentle beauty, she indeed gave off good impressions, even with her questionable background.
It was why the young Su Qinghua was so convinced her suffering, her mother’s hate, was her own fault. Other people couldn’t see anything wrong with Qiao Yaqin, therefore, there must not be.
Director Ming once again looked at the police report and the medical report and felt immense shame, feeling like he was partially at fault for not sensing anything. "I understand. I will kick her out and give her job back to y—"
"No need," she said, stopping him. "I’d like to sell it. Just for 500, but the newcomer has to be able to handle Qiao Yaqin as well."
Director Ming looked at her with a complex expression. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," she said. "I’m afraid I’d suffer harassment if I pursue this path. Besides...I have already registered as an educated youth."
"What?!" At this, Director Ming shot up from his seat, looking at the young girl in shock.
"I was treated as a slave at home, Uncle Ming," she said. "Then I sent my stepfather to prison. I wouldn’t have a day of peace if I stay here."
This calmed him down. He remembered how smart this girl was. Only fourteen and could do better accounts than those who had been doing the job for a decade.
Such a brilliant girl...
What a pity...
"Don’t think too badly of this, Uncle Ming. It is my choice. I’ll make sure I will live well, wherever I am."
The director stared at her eyes, which were full of brilliance. He remembered that before, this child couldn’t even lift her head to meet other people’s eyes.
He inexplicably ended up believing in whatever she said.
She would really live well.
"Oh, by the way, since she had a case...there’s a legitimate way to shut her up," Qinghua couldn’t help but add.
Director Ming nodded. He bought the job himself, giving it to one of his nephews, who was also a high school graduate.
Instead of just 500, he paid more as if to offset his own guilt, giving her 800 yuan as well as some important nationally-valid coupons.
Seeing the bundle of ten-yuan denomination bills, Su Qinghua’s eyes sparkled with pride.
Too bad there were no more factories hiring in the City in the next couple of weeks. Otherwise, she might’ve made a whole career out of this.
With this, her total money was now a few hundred yuan past a thousand! Hey, even well-off urban families might not have this amount in their savings~