By the time Yang Yuan circled around to the alley south of Song Can’s house, she was already too late.
Song Can had left.
Although the Yang and Song families shared a common wall, their front gates faced different directions. The Yang family’s gate opened to the east, while the Song family’s faced south. One was on the back street, the other on the front street, so the two entrances were actually quite far apart.
Yang Yuan couldn’t help feeling frustrated. In the original novel, the author had barely described the heroine’s life before she was sent to the countryside. The events of dealing with her stepmother, selling her job, and leaving by train were covered in just two chapters.
As a result, Yang Yuan had no idea where Song Can had run off to after storming out of the house following her argument with her stepmother.
She looked around but didn’t see her anywhere. Judging by the time, it wasn’t yet eleven o’clock. She spent two fen on a bus fare and headed to the textile factory.
The textile factory was the largest factory in the area, surrounded by numerous affiliated plants. The position Song Can had earned through the recruitment exam was a small office job at the printing and dyeing factory, one of the textile mill’s subsidiary factories.
Security for both the main factory and all its affiliated plants was handled by a single Security Department. Although they were called security guards, they were nothing like the elderly security guards of later generations. Most were retired soldiers, and they were well equipped. Everything from safeguarding every needle and spool of thread in the factory to protecting workers’ lives fell under their responsibility.
The person Yang Yuan wanted to see was one of the textile factory’s security officers—her second brother-in-law.
“Yuanyuan? What brings you here?” the tall, lean, slightly dark-skinned man asked in surprise when he saw her.
Yang Yuan got straight to the point.
“Brother-in-law, I need a favor. Do you know anyone in the factory’s Personnel Department?”
He scratched his head.
“I’ve only been here a short while, so I haven’t built many connections yet. What’s the matter? If necessary, I can ask our department chief for help.”
He wasn’t brushing her off. He had only been discharged from the military six months ago and had worked at the factory for less than three months.
“My classmate passed the recruitment exam and got a job at the textile factory, but she’s already signed up to go to the countryside. I want to buy her position. We’re just two young girls, though, and we’re worried the factory won’t approve the transfer.”
“You’ve found a job? That’s wonderful!”
His face split into a broad grin, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth.
“Leave it to me. Don’t worry—I guarantee I’ll find someone to help transfer the position. When are you coming?”
Yang Yuan hesitated before answering.
“Brother-in-law… I haven’t told my parents yet. My classmate scored very well, and the position is an office job, so she’s asking quite a lot for it. I’m afraid my mom won’t agree.”
He nodded in understanding.
She was right. A job was a major matter, and such a good position certainly wouldn’t come cheap.
But without a job, she’d have no choice but to go to the countryside. Besides, a young woman with stable employment would have much better marriage prospects. This was something that could affect her entire future.
“Yuanyuan, buying a job is no small matter. Talk it over carefully with your parents. I know a position this good must cost a lot of money. I’ll discuss it with your second sister too—we’ll help however we can.”
“As for the factory, don’t worry. I’ll find the right people first. Whenever you’re ready, we’ll take both of you there and get everything handled.”
Based on the memories she had inherited, Yang Yuan knew her brother-in-law was an honest man. If he said he would help, he genuinely would—he never made empty promises.
After thanking him, she declined his invitation to stay for lunch and left the textile factory.
Instead of taking the bus home, she walked along the roadside, looking around as she went.
Beyond the factory walls, she could see a few two-story buildings in the distance. Most of the houses lining the streets, however, were rows of single-story brick homes with gray brick walls. One slogan painted across a wall read:
“A revolutionary soldier is like a brick—move him wherever he’s needed.”
This area was considered a newly developed industrial district. After the founding of the People’s Republic, factories of all sizes had sprung up here. With so many workers moving in, what had once been the outskirts of town had become livelier than the old city center.
The road beneath her feet had been compacted by countless heavy trucks and was firm enough despite its rough appearance.
Yang Yuan jogged from place to place, searching everywhere she could think of, but there was still no sign of Song Can.
She even made a detour to the school.
A noisy crowd of teenage boys had gathered around the flag-raising platform, shouting and making a racket. She only glanced at them from afar before immediately leaving.
Not my business, she thought. I’m not getting involved. I just want to live my own life.
The streets gradually filled with workers getting off their shifts. Some rode bicycles, while others walked home in small groups.
Looking at the sea of gray, blue, and army green clothing, Yang Yuan pursed her lips.
Simple, indeed.
She herself was wearing a charcoal-gray jacket.
The original novel had glossed over the half month before Song Can was sent to the countryside, making the timeline frustratingly vague. Yang Yuan had no idea which day Song Can had sold her job.
Still, Song Can was decisive and practical.
Maybe she’s already looking for a buyer.
I have to find her quickly.
Yang Yuan returned home first.
After walking all morning, her legs felt like jelly.
Her fourth brother, Yang Wenping, had graduated from junior college the previous year. Since he still hadn’t been assigned a job, he’d volunteered to help the neighborhood committee with clerical work.
“Fourth Brother! Fourth Brother! Is lunch ready yet? Hurry up! I’m starving!”
Without the slightest bit of restraint, Yang Yuan plopped herself down by the stove to warm herself.
Yang Wenping set down a small basin of noodle soup with a loud thud.
“Where have you been this time? Mom told you not to run around, but you never listen. You could’ve at least cooked while you were home. I came back to a cold stove. Everyone else’s family’s already eating, and we haven’t even started cooking.”
Yang Yuan could only grin sheepishly.
“Come on, Fourth Brother. The neighborhood committee isn’t that busy anyway. Think of it as practicing your cooking skills—you’ll make your future wife happy. Besides, I was out on important business.”
He snorted.
Without even looking at her, he picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
He knew his little sister better than anyone.
Important business?
She’d be doing well enough if she stayed out of trouble.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that.”
Yang Yuan leaned closer while eating.
“Fourth Brother, I want to buy a job. It costs a lot of money, and Mom and Dad probably won’t agree. Can you lend me some?”
He looked up in surprise.
“So you really do have something important.”
Then his expression became serious.
“Whose job? How much? Is it legitimate? You’re not being scammed, are you?”
Under his skeptical gaze, Yang Yuan immediately recounted everything that had happened at the south courtyard that morning.
“I even went to the textile factory to ask Second Brother-in-law. He confirmed there really was a recruitment exam recently. He even said that if he hadn’t been on leave back then, he would’ve tipped me off so I could’ve taken the exam too.”
Her second sister had just given birth to her first child. Worried about his wife, her brother-in-law had taken a week’s leave to care for her.
That was also why Yang Yuan’s mother wasn’t home these days. After work, she went straight to her second daughter’s house every evening to help during the postpartum period.
Yeah, right, Yang Wenping thought.
With grades as terrible as yours, you’d have ranked dead last. Brother-in-law would’ve been embarrassed just recommending you.
Fortunately, he kept that thought to himself.
But when he heard the job would cost several hundred yuan, his expression darkened.
That was understandable.
Back then, every penny counted. A jin of vegetables cost only two or three fen, and a jin of coarse grain was around one mao. A hundred yuan was already a fortune, let alone several hundred.
Their father worked at the steel mill. He had only been promoted to a Grade Four worker after the New Year, and this month’s higher salary hadn’t arrived yet. Previously, he earned just 48 yuan a month.
Their mother worked as a cook. She didn’t even have a permanent position and was only considered a temporary employee. Her monthly wage of 23 yuan was already generous because she’d worked there for so many years. A raise was out of the question.
Neither Yang Yuan nor Yang Wenping had jobs yet, making them both dependents living off the family.
Her eldest brother and third sister had already been sent to the countryside, where life was difficult. The family regularly mailed them supplies, money, and ration coupons.
Her eldest brother, especially, had been in the Northeast for years. After he married, his wife became pregnant and later gave birth, so the family had sent them even more money and ration coupons.
Not to mention that when Yang Wenping got engaged, various circumstances had forced the family to scrape together 500 yuan as the bride price, completely draining the family’s savings.
Running the numbers in his head, Yang Wenping suddenly lost his appetite.
Yang Yuan silently chewed on her chopsticks.
In the original story, Song Can had sold the job for 800 yuan.
She didn’t want to take advantage of her.
Eight hundred yuan wouldn’t even cover her monthly living expenses in the modern world, but in this era, it was an astronomical sum.
Of course, she had no intention of asking her family to pay for everything.
She simply needed to let them know what she was planning and how difficult the situation was.
First, buying a job was too important to keep secret.
Second, while the family might not have hundreds of yuan, surely they could contribute something. At least that would give her a starting point.
As for where the rest of the money would come from…
She already had a plan.