When she graduated, if she didn’t have a job, she would definitely be sent to the countryside—there was no question about it.
After thinking it over: now that she’d secured a position, she needed to spread the news as soon as possible.
After all, the Subdistrict Office and the Youth Resettlement Bureau kept close track of every household with graduating students. These young people were their key targets; the moment they graduated, they’d be immediately mobilized to go work in rural areas.
Her name was almost certainly already on their lists.
The Youth Resettlement Bureau had fixed quotas to fill for these rural assignments.
So she had to make sure they’d cross her off their radar—she had a job now, and she was not going to the countryside.
With that decision made, she’d announce it to her family over dinner. She’d let the news spread slowly outward from home.
Having made up her mind, she went to the kitchen to help Wang Xiulan wash vegetables and prepare the meal.
Wang Xiulan watched her composed demeanor, and concern outweighed her lingering resentment. She suppressed her irritation and asked worriedly, “Why are you home so late today? Did something happen?”
“Oh, nothing’s wrong at all—I’ve landed a job. Today was my very first day!” Lu Jinxia replied. Since Wang Xiulan had asked, now was as good a time as any to tell her.
“What? You’ve found work?” Wang Xiulan exclaimed in shock and delight, her voice loud enough to echo.
Her outburst drew attention. In the cramped shared kitchen, several neighbors who were scrubbing pots or stir-frying dishes slowed their movements and pricked up their ears.
Sound traveled easily in these apartment blocks; every little commotion in one household could be heard clearly across half the building.
Jobs were incredibly scarce in those days. Most graduates either remained unemployed at home or answered the call to work the land in the countryside. Landing a decent, legitimate job in the city was harder than climbing to the heavens.
Lu Jinxia nodded calmly. “Yes. I was fortunate enough to find something. Today was my first day, which is why I’m late.”
Wang Xiulan was brimming with questions—what kind of work was it? How had she found it? Was it stable? But then she caught sight of their neighbors out of the corner of her eye: they were ostensibly cooking, but their glances kept drifting their way. They were clearly eavesdropping.
She snapped her mouth shut instantly. When there were so many ears around, good news easily sparked envy. Lu Jinxia had only just started; her footing was far from secure. There was no need to broadcast it far and wide and invite idle gossip.
She promptly changed the subject, chatting casually about daily meals, deliberately steering clear of the job. She’d question Lu Jinxia thoroughly once they were safely behind their own closed door.
The eavesdropping neighbors looked visibly disappointed, curiosity gnawing at them. Barely two seconds later, Aunt Zhang from across the hallway could hold back no longer. She stepped over, ladle in hand, wearing a seemingly warm yet unmistakably curious smile. “Jinxia, you’re truly remarkable! Factories are shut down and hiring is frozen everywhere, yet so many young folk are just sitting at home waiting to be sent away—and you’ve quietly landed such a fine opportunity! Where are you working, then? Does your factory have any openings left?”
At those words, the neighbors who’d been busy with their own cooking swarmed around her in an instant, bombarding her with questions. Work was life itself in those times; nearly every family had a child nearing graduation, waiting to be sent to the countryside. At the mere mention of a hiring factory, eyes lit up—and everyone’s first thought was whether there was still room for their own children.
“I’m at the printing factory,” Lu Jinxia replied evenly. “The quota is already filled—they aren’t hiring anyone else right now.”
“Filled already?”
The group’s faces fell instantly; the light of hope faded, replaced by unmasked disappointment. Those who’d been secretly calculating whether they could pull strings to get their children considered were now completely out of options, their regret palpable.
Yet their curiosity remained unsatisfied, and they pressed forward again in a chorus of questions.
“How on earth did you manage to find it? Landing work these days is next to impossible!”
“Truly, Jinxia—what wonderful luck! How much do you earn each month? Are the benefits good? Is the work hard?”
Questions came thick and fast, one after another.
Lu Jinxia smiled gently and deflected them all smoothly. “I simply happened upon a last-minute opening—pure luck, nothing more. Today was only my first day. I don’t yet know the wage rates, the rules, or anything else; I’m still learning the ropes.”
After that, no matter how much they probed, hinted, or pressed, she simply smiled and shook her head, offering nothing further. Not a single unnecessary detail passed her lips.
The more information she revealed, the more likely envy and trouble would follow—especially since the Subdistrict Office and the Youth Resettlement Bureau were still watching this batch of graduates closely. She needed to keep herself entirely above suspicion, and make sure her name was struck permanently from the rural assignment list.
Seeing this, Wang Xiulan stepped forward immediately to intervene and deflect the questions. “Alright, alright— the child has only just started, and knows nothing yet. Stop crowding her and pestering her endlessly! Your food is burning on the stoves—go on and get your dinners ready!”
The neighbors realized Lu Jinxia was saying nothing further, and no useful details would be forthcoming. Disappointed, they drifted back to their cooking, whispering among themselves, filled with no small measure of envy.
No one had expected Lu Jinxia—of all people, the one who’d only recently returned from the countryside and seemed certain to be sent away—to have stolen a march and secured a steady city job before anyone else.
No more questions were asked, and the kitchen resumed its usual rhythm. Yet many continued to glance her way covertly.
Wang Xiulan finished cooking quickly and carried the dishes back into their apartment. As she stepped inside, Lu Jianguo, Lu Weidong, and Lu Lichun—who had just come home from work—saw the food on the table. Lu Lichun hurried over to take the dishes from Wang Xiulan and set them down. Lu Jinxia placed the bowls and chopsticks alongside. The whole family gathered around ready to eat.
Wang Xiulan looked around at her family, her face bright with joy, and broke the news. “I’ve wonderful news—Jinxia has found work! She started officially today!”
The whole family froze. Every pair of eyes turned as one toward Lu Jinxia, wide with disbelief.
Work quotas were extraordinarily scarce. Countless graduates had waited months at home with nothing to do, destined only for the countryside. Lu Jinxia hadn’t even officially graduated—and yet she’d quietly secured a job?
“It’s true then?” Lu Jianguo asked. “Where did you find it?”
Lu Jinxia had already thought this through. Every member of the family handed over their wages each month. If she wanted to keep her own earnings, she needed to lay the groundwork with a plausible explanation from the start. She had no intention of handing over every cent—money meant independence, and given her complicated place in this family, she intended to keep as much of it as she could. She meant to save it, so that one day she could buy a home of her own.
“I asked around through someone I know,” she replied calmly. “It so happened the factory needed a temporary hand. I applied, took the test, and was fortunate enough to be hired.”