Lin Wan froze. “Job? What job?”
“A bookkeeping job at the textile factory,” Li Guizhi said. “A colleague of mine has a sister-in-law who’s going with her husband into the army and moving to another place. She wants to sell the position. Her family and her in-laws both already have formal jobs, so they don’t need this quota. That’s how it got brought to me.”
At some point, Lu Zhanye had come in and was sitting on the edge of the kang bed, listening.
“Our township textile factory isn’t big, and the work is simple,” Li Guizhi continued. “Just accounts for incoming materials, outgoing stock, and payroll. It’s not complicated. If you want to take it, she can teach you for half a month and hand everything over clearly. But… you still need to take an exam.”
“An exam?” Lin Wan asked.
“Mm. Even though the job is being sold, the factory still has to see whether the person can actually do it. You’ll need to pass their assessment and get approval from the leaders,” Li Guizhi said. “The price is five hundred yuan.”
Five hundred yuan. Lin Wan’s heart tightened. That was no small amount.
Lu Zhanye looked at her. “Do you want to try? You graduated from high school—your math shouldn’t be bad. Being a factory accountant is better than working the fields.”
Lin Wan was tempted. No wind, no sun, no calloused hands. A fixed salary. In the future, even having children would come with grain rations… but—
“It’s too expensive,” she said honestly. “Five hundred yuan… how long would it take me to earn that back?”
Li Guizhi immediately said, “If money is tight, your brother and I can support you with one hundred yuan. You can pay it back when you’re more comfortable. No rush.”
Lu Guangcai smoked his pipe and then spoke. “Buy it. Eldest daughter-in-law, tell your colleague we’ll take the job.”
He looked at Lu Zhanye. “Second son, how much can you come up with? If there’s a shortfall, the family will cover it. But you’ll write an IOU. It’ll be repaid later. Our savings are for our retirement. They can only be divided between you brothers after your mother and I are gone.”
Lu Zhanye thought for a moment. “We can take out 260 yuan.”
Lin Wan was about to say she still had nearly 100 yuan of private savings she had brought from Beijing, but Lu Zhanye glanced at her and subtly shook his head.
Lu Guangcai did the math. “Add the eldest’s loan of 100—that’s 360. The remaining 140, the family will cover. Write the IOUs now. Your mother will give you the money.”
He turned to Li Guizhi. “Go ask tomorrow. Finalize it quickly so nothing changes.”
Li Guizhi nodded. “I’ll go first thing tomorrow morning.”
Lu Zhanye went to get paper and pen. Wang Xiuying climbed down from the kang and took out a cloth bundle from the bottom of a cabinet. Layer by layer, she opened it, revealing a stack of money. She counted out 140 yuan, and Li Guizhi went back to fetch the 100 yuan loan from home.
Soon, Lu Zhanye finished writing two IOUs—one to his parents, one to his elder brother and sister-in-law. The handwriting was neat, clearly stating the amount, date, and repayment terms.
“Put your fingerprints on them,” Lu Guangcai said.
Lu Zhanye and Lin Wan each pressed their red fingerprints onto the paper. The marks stood out like small, solemn promises.
Wang Xiuying handed over the money. “240 yuan. Count it.”
Lu Zhanye checked carefully. “Correct.”
“If the job works out, that’s good news,” Lu Guangcai said. “But if she fails the exam, the money can’t be returned, right?”
Li Guizhi replied, “I asked. If the assessment isn’t passed, 400 yuan can be refunded. The remaining 100 is compensation for their time.”
“That’s acceptable,” Lu Guangcai nodded. “Do your best in the exam. Lin Wan is educated—she should be fine.”
The matter was settled. After a while longer, Lu Zhanye and Lin Wan took their leave. Wang Xiuying insisted on sending them off with a carp tied with straw rope and a few boiled salted duck eggs.
“Walk carefully on the road,” she reminded them at the door.
“Got it, Mom.”
On the way back, the moonlight was bright. Lu Zhanye carried the fish in one hand and held Lin Wan’s hand in the other. Neither of them spoke, each lost in thought.
After walking a while, Lin Wan finally said, “I still have less than 100 yuan left. I brought it from home. Maybe we could—”
“That’s your personal money. You can’t use it,” Lu Zhanye interrupted. “If you can get this job, life will be easier. We’ll have another source of income. More importantly—”
He stopped and looked at her. “From now on, when we buy meat or new clothes, there’ll be a proper reason for it. The money I earn… it can’t be explained openly.”
Lin Wan understood immediately. With a formal job, their household income would have a legitimate source. Safer. More sustainable.
“And also,” Lu Zhanye continued, “working at the factory means you’ll meet more people. Get more information. Maybe there’ll be even better opportunities later.”
Lin Wan felt her heart surge. She didn’t want to spend her whole life working the land. In her past life she had worked in an office. Even though times were different, that sense of valuing knowledge and mental work was still deep in her bones.
“Then… I’ll try,” she said. “I’ll prepare well and pass the exam.”
“Mm.” He squeezed her hand. “I believe you can.”
They walked on. Moonlight made the dirt road clear, and frogs called from afar like background music for the night.
Back home, Lu Zhanye put the fish in a basin of water to keep for tomorrow, and carefully stored the money in the wooden box on the beam—now it held not only their savings, but the newly added 240 yuan.
After washing up, they lay down and blew out the lamp.
In the darkness, Lu Zhanye pulled her into his arms. “Don’t overthink it. Whether it works out or not, it’s fate. If it works, good. If not, we’ll find another way.”
“Mm.” Lin Wan leaned against his chest. “I’m just… a little nervous.”
“What’s there to be nervous about?” he said softly, patting her back. “You’re a high school graduate. In the village, that already makes you educated. A factory ledger won’t be hard for you.”
Lin Wan couldn’t help but smile. “Since when did you know so much?”
“I just do,” he said confidently. “The person I chose won’t be ordinary.”
Her heart warmed at that, and the tension slowly eased.
Outside, the moon hung high. The village was quiet, broken only by occasional barking dogs.
Inside the small home, they fell asleep in each other’s arms, both holding the same hope in their hearts.
A job.
A chance to change their lives.
A chance for Lin Wan to truly take root and grow in this land.
As for whether it would succeed…
Lin Wan closed her eyes.
She would do everything she could.
For herself, and for the man who supported her with everything he had—and for this home that had finally given her warmth.