The weather had grown hotter and hotter recently.
Fortunately, life had been peaceful.
There was nothing particularly troubling going on, and Yang Yuan was in good spirits.
After receiving his first paycheck, Yang Wenping bought Yang Yuan a bulaji dress.
It was a knee-length blue dress printed with tiny flowers.
The style was simple and conservative.
Naturally, it couldn’t compare to designer brands from the twenty-first century.
But it was a timeless classic.
Yang Yuan happily accepted it.
Mother Yang watched her daughter spin around in the new dress and felt deeply satisfied.
After work, despite wincing at the expense, she went to the department store and bought Yang Yuan a pair of low-heeled leather shoes.
“How can you wear cloth shoes with a bulaji?”
“Try them on.”
“Our little girl has grown into a young lady.”
“It’s time you had a few nice outfits.”
Only a couple of days later…
Yang Lan also returned to her parents’ home carrying another bulaji dress.
Yang Yuan was completely bewildered.
Did everyone plan this together?
Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with dressing me up?
A terrifying thought flashed through her mind.
Wait…
They’re not trying to set me up on blind dates, are they?
Good heavens!
She’d only turned sixteen.
In modern times she’d barely have graduated from junior high school.
She was still one of the nation’s precious little flowers.
And now they wanted to find her a husband?
This was nothing short of destroying a flower before it had even bloomed.
Mother Yang immediately chased after her with a light smack.
“You’re sixteen already, practically a grown girl!”
“Opening your mouth and talking about finding a man!”
“Have you no shame?”
“If people heard you on the street, they’d laugh you to death!”
Yang Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as there really wasn’t a matchmaking scheme…
Everything was fine.
“But Yuanyuan isn’t that young anymore.”
Yang Lan sipped an orange-flavored soda that had been chilled in the well.
“What?”
“Isn’t there any young man you like?”
“You can tell your big sister first.”
“I’ll help you investigate him.”
The moment those words were spoken…
Everyone in the family quietly perked up.
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Yang Yuan felt like a frightened little rabbit.
“Second Sister…”
“Please spare me.”
“I’m still young.”
“Why are you all staring at me?”
“Go bother Fourth Brother instead!”
“Matchmakers have already come to our house several times.”
“His lifelong happiness can’t wait.”
“You all should help him choose.”
Mission accomplished.
She had successfully redirected everyone’s attention.
Grabbing her new dress, she immediately fled.
As she ran…
She could distinctly feel someone’s resentful gaze boring into her back.
Yang Wenping’s.
Fourth Brother…
Better you than me.
Every man for himself.
“The kettle’s boiling.”
“I’ll go pour some water.”
“You sit right back down!”
Yang Wenping’s escape attempt failed instantly.
Mother Yang and Yang Lan each grabbed one of his arms and dragged him back.
His face looked utterly hopeless.
That rotten little sister…
All she knows is how to throw her brother under the carriage.
Ever since Yang Wenping started working…
Every matchmaker in the city seemed determined to visit the Yang household.
Mother Yang had even purchased a notebook.
Inside…
She carefully recorded the qualifications of every young woman introduced to her son.
Whenever a day off arrived…
She’d spend half the afternoon discussing candidates.
Having learned from past mistakes…
Mother Yang no longer dared make decisions by herself.
Instead…
She enthusiastically gathered everyone for family discussions.
Yang Yuan’s ears had nearly been worn out.
Poor Father Yang…
Who shared a bed with Mother Yang…
Had it even worse.
Nowadays, the moment Mother Yang opened her mouth…
He instinctively looked for an excuse to leave the room.
Yang Lan, on the other hand, was surprisingly enthusiastic.
Lately she’d been returning to her parents’ home more and more often.
At least that allowed Yang Yuan to quietly slip away.
The summer sun grew increasingly fierce.
Umbrellas weren’t fashionable—or even acceptable—for sun protection.
Yang Yuan could only wear a broad-brimmed sun hat.
Fortunately…
Most of her work was indoors.
Otherwise…
She really would’ve cried.
She hadn’t been particularly fair-skinned to begin with.
Just an ordinary light yellow complexion.
If she got tanned into charcoal…
How was she supposed to remain a fairy?
With no electric fans available…
She resorted to frequently wiping down desks and sprinkling water around the office in hopes of creating even the slightest hint of coolness.
By the window…
She also kept two flowerpots.
Both contained jasmine.
She dared not grow anything else.
Someone with malicious intentions might accuse her of indulging in petty bourgeois tastes.
That could easily become political trouble.
Of course…
If she was going to grow flowers herself…
She had to think ahead.
So she’d quietly distributed jasmine seeds throughout the entire textile factory compound.
Happiness should be shared.
When Luo Chengbin and Wei Junliang walked into the office discussing work…
Yang Yuan was standing there with a basin of water, flicking droplets over the jasmine blossoms while humming an unfamiliar tune.
Director Luo smiled.
“Having a woman in the office really does make a difference.”
“The moment you walk in…”
“The room feels brighter.”
“And it smells wonderful.”
“My mood immediately improves.”
Wei Junliang laughed.
“Exactly.”
“It’s not just our office.”
“Ever since Xiao Yang arrived…”
“The entire factory has benefited.”
Their conversation was loud enough to attract Aunt Dang from next door.
She poked her head inside.
“That’s absolutely true.”
“Ever since Xiao Yang came…”
“Our whole factory has changed.”
“The women workers are wearing brighter patterned clothes.”
“They gather around the jasmine flowers smiling.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Even people from other factories envy us.”
“Oh my…”
Yang Yuan smiled shyly.
“You’re all teasing me.”
“I’m still young.”
“I just like playing around.”
“If the factory director or Party secretary criticizes me…”
“Director Luo…”
“Sister Dang…”
“You two have to put in a good word for me.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Director Luo and Aunt Dang immediately promised.
“Leave it to us.”
Work was going smoothly.
Her coworkers were pleasant.
Naturally…
Yang Yuan’s life felt comfortable.
The only things she occasionally missed were air conditioning…
And ice cream.
Unfortunately…
There was nothing she could do about that.
One day…
She and Wei Junliang made their routine inspection through the workshops.
Normally…
Attendance was recorded level by level.
Team leaders tracked individual workers.
Workshop supervisors tracked team leaders.
Department heads compiled everything.
Personnel mainly served as inspectors.
No one expected the two of them to stand at the factory gate every day personally checking attendance.
So…
Sometimes they inspected together.
Sometimes whoever had free time went alone.
Since summer arrived…
The workshops had become unbearably hot.
Yang Yuan hadn’t visited for several days.
Today, however…
Wei Junliang specifically invited her along.
She found it difficult to refuse.
Inside…
The machinery roared so loudly that conversation required shouting.
Eventually…
The two stopped trying to speak altogether.
As they reached the end of the workshop…
Wei Junliang pointed toward a nearby exit.
Yang Yuan nodded.
They could also take the opportunity to inspect the boiler room and wastewater system.
They had barely taken a few steps…
When suddenly—
A terrible scream rang out.
Yang Yuan instantly turned around.
Nothing.
Only the deafening roar of machinery.
Almost as though she’d imagined it.
Wei Junliang shouted,
“Did you hear that?”
She nodded.
Without another second’s hesitation…
She began searching among the machines.
“Help!”
“Stop it!”
“Somebody!”
A woman’s desperate screams disappeared beneath the thunderous machinery.
One male worker had been pulled halfway into a machine.
His arm…
Especially his arm…
Had been dragged into the rollers.
Blood covered both the machine and the floor.
Most horrifying of all…
The machine was still running.
A female worker desperately clung to the injured man’s body.
If she lost her grip…
His entire body would be pulled inside.
Yang Yuan sprinted over to help.
Seeing the situation, Wei Junliang also ran toward them.
Other workers gradually realized something was terribly wrong.
People rushed over from every direction.
“Cut the power!”
“Cut the power!”
Yang Yuan shouted at the top of her lungs.
No one knew which switch controlled that particular machine.
Wei Junliang simply pulled every breaker he could find.
The entire workshop lost power.
“Go call Security!”
“Get more people!”
“Take him to the hospital!”
“Someone notify Director Luo!”
“And the factory director!”
“Hurry!”
Yang Yuan shouted frantically at the surrounding workers.
Her own arms were already trembling.
She could barely support the injured man’s weight.
Wei Junliang and several male workers hurried over to help.
The machine had finally stopped.
But…
The man’s arm remained trapped inside.
Attached at the shoulder.
No one dared move him.
They could only continue supporting his body exactly where it was.
But they couldn’t possibly drag him free just to send him to the hospital.
Yang Yuan’s arms…
Her clothes…
Were covered in blood.
Several female workers had gone completely pale.
Some looked ready to faint.
Then Yang Yuan suddenly shouted,
“Who’s a mechanic?”
“Who’s a maintenance technician?”
“Can someone dismantle the top of the machine?”
“Take out the steel rollers!”
“If we can free his arm that way…”
“He might still have a chance to keep part of it!”
Her words jolted everyone awake.
The workers immediately scattered.
Running to fetch tools.
Beginning to dismantle the machine piece by piece.