If things hadn’t escalated to the union, there might have been a chance to turn things around. But now… there was no hope—Zhu Yuanyuan would hardly ever be able to work at Hongxing Textile Factory again.
Li Hongying, getting excited, slapped her right thigh. “After hearing this, Chairman Ma immediately went to see Deputy Director Cai, who manages logistics and HR. The factory leaders were shocked—slacking off during work hours, bad attitude, thinking your connections let you ignore the rules. If we let this slide, how could anyone be disciplined in the future? And Zhu Yuanyuan is just a temporary worker!”
Li Hongying emphasized “temporary worker” carefully. In these times, the difference between a temp and a regular worker wasn’t just about pay—status and protections were worlds apart. Firing a temp for violating discipline met far less resistance than firing a regular worker.
“The factory leaders immediately made a decision! Zhu Yuanyuan was fired on the spot. In the afternoon, logistics was notified to clear out her dormitory, and her wages were settled the same afternoon.”
“Really… I didn’t expect this,” Yang Lihua murmured.
This was the heroine in the original book. Most of the story in this novel takes place in Hongxing Textile Factory—career, love, everything unfolds there.
In the book, she was universally loved, capable, and charming—the master chef everyone admired. Even Shi Chuncao, a senior master chef, had to yield to her later on.
In reality, however, she was a lazy, entitled temporary cafeteria worker, now fired.
Li Hongying, satisfied, said, “Serves her right! I heard she always slacked off in the cafeteria, acting high and mighty because of her father. This time… everyone finally treated her the way she deserves.”
Zhao Xiaofen sighed beside her. “Now she’s famous in the factory for all the wrong reasons. If she wants to work elsewhere, it’ll be tough.” Of course, going to another city might still be possible.
A record of dismissal, in this era of political performance and labor discipline, was almost impossible to erase.
Zhu Yuanyuan returned home, clutching her bedding bundle like a lost soul. Just entering the door, she heard her sister-in-law Zhao Meimei sneer coldly:
“Hmph! How shameful, Yuanyuan! What have you been doing? How is your brother supposed to survive in the factory after this?”
Her sister-in-law thought Zhu Yuanyuan was hopeless—a grown woman fighting over trivial things with toddlers at home, shamelessly making her brother Zhu Mancang care more about her than his own children. Even her mother-in-law, Song Xiao’e, spoiled her own children—why should her sons always side with Zhu Yuanyuan?
“Alright, have you said enough as a sister-in-law?” Song Xiao’e’s face darkened as she scolded Zhao Meimei.
“Of course not! Zhu Yuanyuan got fired, but this temp job was paid for by the whole family! It’s only been a month, and all that money went down the drain.”
The family had pooled money to get her a temporary worker slot so she wouldn’t have to go to the countryside. Her mother-in-law spoke politely, claiming her father’s logistics position would ensure eventual regular employment.
It was partly true—they had some influence, so regularization would have been easy. But Zhu Yuanyuan was so irresponsible that she only earned one month’s temp wage—15 yuan—before getting fired.
Fired?
Oh my! Zhao Meimei had never seen anyone in her family get fired. And now, it was her own household! How embarrassing.
“Money, money, money… all you care about is money! Your sister just suffered so much, and as the eldest sister-in-law, you didn’t even comfort her,” Song Xiao’e scolded Zhao Meimei, taking over the reprimand.
She could scold herself, but no one could scold her daughter.
Zhu Yuanyuan’s second sister-in-law, Liang Yun-yun, pouted. They had spent real money to secure this job, and now it was wasted—they couldn’t even complain.
Truly, she had never seen a girl so spoiled. And now, a big incident had occurred.
Zhao Meimei, seeing Song Xiao’e’s partiality, stayed silent—she wouldn’t let go of the money anyway. She would wait for Zhu Mancang to come back and let him talk to his mother.
Zhao Meimei returned to her bedroom, minding her own business. Liang Yun-yun glanced at Zhao Meimei, then at Zhu Yuanyuan slumped in the living room, and at the furious Song Xiao’e, and went back to her room.
With no one left in the living room, Song Xiao’e, trembling with anger, pointed at Zhu Yuanyuan and shouted, “You brainless fool! How could I give birth to someone like you! You dared to run back to the dorm and read leisure books during work hours? Do you think the cafeteria is your bed? How dare you?”
Zhu Yuanyuan, stunned by the sudden scolding, immediately protested, her voice full of grievance:
“Mom! I didn’t want to slack off! I just thought I’d go back to the dorm to drink some water and rest. And it’s not like anything ever happened before… today I ran into Yang Lihua… it must be her! It has to be her messing with me, otherwise how could it be such a coincidence…”
Shortly after Yang Lihua left, Shi Chuncao—the strict woman—arrived at the dorm. So coincidental? No way—it had to be Yang Lihua.
“Coincidental? Don’t make me laugh!” Song Xiao’e shouted even louder. “You’re the fool! You don’t even know how to slack off properly. Why couldn’t you hide somewhere in the cafeteria before? Why run back to the dorm? Are you out of your mind?”
Her scolding was genuine, out of frustration. The job had been bought for her daughter with the money of her two sons. Now she was fired—how the family would react remained to be seen.
Though she had restrained Zhao Meimei from causing a scene, she knew this was only the beginning. The money spent on the job—even if her two sons could let it go—the daughters-in-law were not generous.
Meanwhile, her resentment toward Yang Lihua grew like wild grass. Her daughter was at fault, yes, but if it weren’t for that little schemer, no one would have known Zhu Yuanyuan was in the dorm. She wouldn’t have been caught by the chef, and the incident wouldn’t have escalated, and she wouldn’t have lost her job.
“It’s her! It has to be Yang Lihua’s fault!” Zhu Yuanyuan cried, as if blaming someone else could lessen her guilt.
“She left not long ago, and Shi Chuncao came immediately—it has to be her who snitched! She did it on purpose! Mom, you have to tell Dad, he has to avenge me!”
Regardless of whether it was Yang Lihua’s fault, Zhu Yuanyuan had already decided to blame her. Who else could she pin it on? She was just unlucky.