Yang Lihua picked at her food in the canteen, barely touching it. If she hadn’t been starving, she probably wouldn’t have eaten at all.
She was exhausted—not just physically. After spending a whole day in the deafening workshop, her head still buzzed from the noise of the machines.
Taking advantage of the empty dormitory, she quickly drew a drop of spirit spring water from her space. The moment it touched her lips, she felt an immediate, inexplicable refreshment—whether it was psychological or the water’s actual effect, her fatigue seemed to ease considerably, and her spirits lifted.
Lying on her bed, she looked at the red mole in the center of her left palm, her eyes flashing. Fortunately, she still had her space, a secret she could rely on for her future.
Having just joined the factory, she had barely set foot in her role. Any plans she had were just talk—without a solid foundation, she had little influence. Trying to transfer from the grueling spinning operator position now was nothing but a dream.
Sigh! It seemed she would have to endure this hardship for a while yet.
Zhao Xiaofen returned to the dormitory after her shift and glanced at Yang Lihua lying there. Her eyes flicked toward the empty bed across from her—the one belonging to Zhu Yuanyuan—and she hesitated.
“Xiaofen, what’s wrong? Why that expression?” Yang Lihua propped herself up, puzzled.
Biting her lower lip, Zhao Xiaofen leaned close, lowering her voice with evident irritation. “Lihua, do you know? Supervisor Sun had originally planned for Master Zhao Panlai to mentor you.”
Yang Lihua froze for a moment, confused. “Not Hongying? Who’s that?”
Hmm? What had happened here?
It couldn’t be Zhu Yuanyuan, could it? She had only been at the textile factory for two days. If anyone had offended people, it had to be yesterday’s incident with Zhu Yuanyuan.
She had been wondering why she was assigned to be mentored by Li Hongying instead of a master with extensive experience. Not that Li Hongying wasn’t good—just that typically, a new recruit should be guided by a senior master, not someone who had only been at the factory a few years.
“Your department’s master is Zhao Panlai!” Zhao Xiaofen said angrily. “Master Zhao has over twenty years of experience. Her skills are excellent, her standards strict, and her apprentices always become outstanding. Supervisor Sun originally wanted her to mentor you properly to build a strong foundation.”
Yang Lihua felt a sinking sensation, a bad premonition forming. Could it really be that Zhu Yuanyuan had sabotaged her?
“Then why was it changed to Hongying? Not that Hongying isn’t good, but…”
“What? Hmph! It’s all because of a petty person!” Zhao Xiaofen fumed. “It’s that Zhu Yuanyuan! Who knows what she told her mother? Something about ‘bad character,’ or ‘tricked her out of money.’ Song Xiao’e heard you were assigned to Workshop Three as a spinning operator and went to tell Master Zhao Panlai.”
Master Zhao had decades-long ties with Zhu Yuanyuan’s mother—they were very close.
Master Zhao values character above all. Hearing this, she immediately went to Supervisor Sun, saying she refused to teach someone of poor character! Supervisor Sun had no choice but to assign Li Hongying to mentor you temporarily.”
Yang Lihua’s suspicion had been correct. Zhu Yuanyuan was indeed petty. The book had probably beautified this character as kind and generous… but generous, my foot.
Curious, Yang Lihua asked, “Xiaofen, what does Zhu Yuanyuan’s mother do? I want to know, so I can avoid conflicts in the future. You know I’m not a native of the factory, just an outsider who passed the exam, with no backing… I’m worried…”
“Don’t worry, Lihua. We’re all on your side. It’s clear Zhu Yuanyuan was abusing her influence,” Zhao Xiaofen reassured her. “Oh, by the way, Zhu Yuanyuan’s mother works in the same workshop as me—a fine spinning worker. Her father is a logistics supervisor.”
Ah, so they were just relying on the father’s position to act so brazenly.
Yang Lihua’s eyes flickered with a cold light. She hadn’t realized they had some status—no wonder Zhu Yuanyuan acted so boldly.
Zhu Yuanyuan would resent her for the wooden box incident, but she hadn’t expected her to move so fast, effectively cutting off Yang Lihua’s chance to be mentored by the best master.
Master Zhao Panlai could have accelerated her skill development greatly if she had been willing to mentor Yang Lihua. Li Hongying was competent but young, with less experience. The difference between self-learning and guided learning was huge.
Zhu Yuanyuan, truly malicious!
“Xiaofen, thank you for telling me all this,” Yang Lihua said, taking a deep breath and suppressing her anger, sincerely thanking her.
“We all know what’s going on, and we don’t want you to be bullied,” Zhao Xiaofen said softly. Then she added with concern, “Master Zhao is respected in the workshop, and Zhu Yuanyuan’s father is a logistics supervisor with some influence in the administration office. If they deliberately make things difficult for you, your days won’t be easy.
And Supervisor Sun will probably form an opinion of you as well.”
Yang Lihua nodded, understanding Zhao Xiaofen’s worries. Without a background or proven ability, she was just a small worker in their eyes.
They could treat her however they pleased.
It was like starting her job with a huge obstacle: if she couldn’t master top-notch skills, she might also face biased views from leadership.
Not to mention a well-connected logistics supervisor keeping a watchful eye.
Even knowing all this, Yang Lihua had no immediate solution.
“They’re doing this, so I have to prove myself. Our factory isn’t short of excellent masters. If Master Zhao won’t teach me, I’ll observe more, practice more, and study harder myself.”
Master Zhao probably wasn’t as easily influenced as Zhao Xiaofen described. But decades-long relationships tend to sway people. Why should a brand-new female worker be trusted over a longtime friend?
“Lihua, keep going. If you need help, just ask. For things you don’t understand, ask Hongying more,” Zhao Xiaofen said.
“Thank you, Xiaofen!” Yang Lihua smiled.
Good. In the book, the dorm mates were all close to Zhu Yuanyuan, indifferent to her. Now, the situation had reversed—Yang Lihua, the underdog, was earning their respect.
Lying on her bed, Yang Lihua thought carefully about Zhao Xiaofen’s words. It seemed her future at the factory would be full of challenges… and opportunities.
This spinning operator role, she decided, she had to make a name for herself in it.