Chapter 6: Dismissal

According to the electronics factory’s regulations, female workers were forbidden from going to places like dance halls. But rules were rules; people could say what they wanted, but no one could really control others. As long as no trouble was caused, they usually wouldn’t intervene.

Today, the supervisor came down to inspect the workshop, and if they got caught now, wouldn’t that mean being kicked out of the factory?

Factories nowadays had no shortage of female workers; those who didn’t meet standards simply wouldn’t be hired. There were plenty of people eager to work.

Zhou Jiajia steadied her nerves. “Xuexia, don’t make a scene. Making a fuss won’t do either of us any good. You’re tall, and you finally got into the factory. You still need to save money to support your sister’s schooling, right? Besides, it wouldn’t be good if your ‘college fiancé’ found out about this.”

Saying this, Zhou Jiajia found it amusing in her heart. She was certain Lin Xuexia was just bluffing. How could she dare cause trouble in this electronics factory? Even if something happened, she could only suffer in silence. Who could she blame?

Zhou Jiajia scrutinized Lin Xuexia up and down, curious whether she had been “taken advantage of” last night. If the little ruffians had truly tainted her innocence, then all those college fiancés would mean nothing.

If the dance hall incident got exposed, that alone would be enough trouble for her.

Zhou Jiajia’s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the man beside Lin Xuexia. His aura was so sharp that none of the girls dared look him in the eye. Zhou Jiajia quickly glanced at him, guessing his identity as Fu Wei.

The man stood straight and upright, without a hint of a hooligan’s air—he seemed to have been a soldier. His hair was short, neat, and clean. He was strikingly handsome but, judging by his build, unlikely a wealthy boss; probably not well off.

“Zhou Jiajia, do you really think I’d believe you?” Lin Xuexia looked at her deeply and fell silent. Last time, Zhou Jiajia had deceived her in the same way, persuading her not to make a fuss by claiming that her all-night absence last night and her morning absence from work were due to a sick relative she had gone to care for.

Lin Xuexia bore all the blame, and this month’s bonus was gone.

That was bad enough, but rumors had also spread back to her hometown, saying that she had gone south to work and had been used like a worn-out shoe in the dance hall.

Who had started those rumors?

Lin Xuexia took a deep breath and stopped looking at the four of them, turning her gaze to Fu Wei. “Think it over carefully, then come find me. No matter what, thank you, Fu Wei.”

She had never dared to imagine before what might have happened if Fu Wei had not appeared.

“I have already thought it through.” Fu Wei looked at Lin Xuexia with eyes full of pity and guilt.

He had already learned about last night’s events from the others’ conversation.

Fu Wei’s heart was resolute. Later, he would find those ruffians and teach them a lesson. After that, he would arrange for someone to keep an eye on them. If they acted up again, they would be thrown in jail.

Lin Xuexia glanced at the hesitant Xie Yingzi and the silently bowed Chen Liling and Tang Xiuchun. They all lowered their eyes, afraid to meet her gaze.

“Last night, this man saved me. If he hadn’t shown up, I don’t know if I could still be standing here.”

“Xie Yingzi, we grew up in the same village…”

Xie Yingzi covered her face and sobbed, “Xuexia, I’m sorry. Truly sorry.”

Zhou Jiajia gave Xie Yingzi a disdainful sideways glance, thinking, If you didn’t see it, just pretend you really didn’t see it. So spineless, not even good at lying.

Lin Xuexia ignored them and strode toward the factory workshop. She knew Director Sun was inspecting the workshop right now and was speaking to the female workers over a microphone, so she hurried back at this moment.

The female workers returned to the factory, and Fu Wei was stopped outside. He stood at the door until Lin Xuexia’s figure disappeared, then rode his bicycle back.

*

Inside the workshop, all the female workers stopped their work. They wore gray-blue uniforms, their hair tucked under the brims of their caps. The workshop’s environment was dim and bluish, with incandescent lights overhead that made it hard to tell whether it was day or night.

The female workers stood in three rows. Director Sun held a microphone, speaking as the workers applauded in bursts.

Qin Yi stood nearby, her mood uneasy. She was still worried about Lin Xuexia’s situation.

“Where is that Lin Xuexia? Little Qin, which outstanding female worker did you say she was?”

Qin Yi hesitated just as footsteps came from outside the workshop. She and Director Sun turned their heads and saw the flash of a bright red dress, jet-black curls, and a strikingly beautiful face. The woman wore heeled sandals, not work shoes, which clattered loudly as she walked inside, echoing through the workshop.

“Xue… Xuexia!” Qin Yi was shocked. Lin Xuexia, dressed in such a dazzling gown, looked like a movie star. There was no trace of the rustic braids and coarse cloth clothing she once wore, nor the awkward, shy smile.

Her eyes no longer avoided others. Unlike when she first arrived in the city, when she dared not look around, now she was fierce, staring straight ahead.

Lin Xuexia gave her a slight smile. “Sister Qin.”

“This must be Director Sun. Hello, Director. I am Lin Xuexia, the outstanding representative among the new female workers in this batch.” She turned toward the confused Director Sun and continued, “As a representative, I have many things I want to share with everyone through this microphone.”

The middle-aged, balding Director Sun’s forehead shone like a light bulb under the incandescent lights, his expression stunned, unable to recover.

He handed her the microphone.

Lin Xuexia took the microphone and stood before all the female workers. She took a deep breath and spoke with conviction:

“Hello, everyone. I am Lin Xuexia, a factory worker. I have been working here for a month or two, and I believe you all know me. Today, I want to tell you something. Last night, I experienced the most desperate moment of my life. I hope my experience serves as a warning.”

“Last night, the five of us—Zhou Jiajia, Xie Yingzi, Chen Liling, Tang Xiuchun, and I—went to a dance hall. At first, I was afraid, but Zhou Jiajia said, ‘What danger could there be? We have five people together.’ But once inside, I was forced by some ruffians to drink heavily. They dragged me outside. I shouted the names of the four of them loudly. I screamed for help, hoping they would come to my rescue. Although we weren’t far apart—I could clearly see their figures in the crowd—not one of them called for help.”

“No one called the police, and no one sought assistance.”

“I was taken away to a dark alley, where they prepared to assault me one after another. Do you know what it feels like when many men grab your body and tear at your clothes?”

“Last night, I was lucky to be saved by someone passing by. But what if no one had come?”

Lin Xuexia’s voice grew heavier. The workshop was utterly silent. Her words struck like iron rods on a great bell, each heavy tone pounding into everyone’s ears.

“I hope none of you ever experience such a thing.”

As Lin Xuexia’s words fell, Xie Yingzi and the others who had come in behind her stiffened into statues, their faces pale as snow. Xie Yingzi felt as if the sky was collapsing.

She dared not look at the expressions of the other workers, nor guess what they thought of her. Would they see her as a vicious, despicable person? When a girl from their village was in danger, she didn’t help—she feigned deafness and blindness, indifferent.

She knew what would happen to Lin Xuexia if taken away, yet she returned to the factory without a word.

Everyone knew now… how would they see her? What kind of person would they think she was?

Xie Yingzi’s mind buzzed, her ears filled with imagined whispers from last night: “Yingzi looks so honest, but her heart is so vicious.”

“She must be jealous of Lin Xuexia.”

“If Lin Xuexia kills herself in hatred, she’ll come back as a vengeful ghost in red, asking why Yingzi stood by and did nothing…”

Xie Yingzi’s face turned ashen. Chen Liling and Tang Xiuchun lowered their heads to stare at their toes. Zhou Jiajia’s expression was horrified, as if she had seen a ghost. She thought Lin Xuexia had gone mad, daring to speak such things openly.

“What exactly happened last night?” Director Sun demanded loudly, pointing at Qin Yi. “You bring those girls to the office and explain everything clearly.”

Since this incident involved the female workers, Qin Yi was partly to blame. She brought Lin Xuexia and the others before Director Sun to clarify the situation. Lin Xuexia calmly recounted the events. No matter how Zhou Jiajia tried to defend herself, Director Sun decided to fire them all.

“Tell them to pack up and leave tomorrow.”

Lin Xuexia calmly went back to pack her things. Xie Yingzi silently packed as well. She felt somewhat relieved by this outcome. She had no intention of staying here anymore; the city was too frightening and chaotic. She decided to return to her rural hometown to marry.

Chen Liling washed her face and accepted the outcome. She felt sorry for Lin Xuexia over what happened yesterday but didn’t know why she hadn’t suffered the same fate.

Having been fired from the electronics factory, she could try other factories.

Zhou Jiajia was followed by the resentful Tang Xiuchun. Tang Xiuchun had felt sorry for Lin Xuexia yesterday, but after today’s public exposure and the resulting dismissal, her pity turned to resentment and blame.

Why, of all times, had someone come to save her yesterday? She should have been left to suffer the consequences.

“Now it’s all settled, huh? Lost the job because of this big fuss.” Zhou Jiajia was furious. Returning to the factory, many female workers looked at her with strange eyes. What were they looking at?

Lin Xuexia said, “Zhou Jiajia, you better watch your own back. Be careful some things don’t come back to bite you.”

Zhou Jiajia sneered, “If your college fiancé knew about this, would he still want you?”

Thinking of this gave Zhou Jiajia a perverse satisfaction.

At first, some female workers had found partners in dance halls. Zhou Jiajia also had such thoughts but had mistakenly gotten involved with several shady men who spoke sweetly, wanted to date her, took her on bike rides, and invited her and their friends to eat and drink.

She enjoyed free meals and drinks a few times, truly believing they were friends—until one time when they got her drunk and then slept with her, none of them willing to take responsibility.

They even smiled and told her not to take it to heart. They were all good friends, helping each other in a city far from home. If she insisted on charging money, they’d give a ‘friendly price’ and still hang out later.

At that moment, she knew she was ruined.

Back at the factory, Zhou Jiajia saw naive and foolish Lin Xuexia, also from their village, who had a college fiancé studying medicine, destined to be a doctor with high social status and respect.

But now? Even if Zhou Jiajia had a college fiancé, she’d be just like the rest of these country factory girls, stuck in the mud.

After Zhou Jiajia said this, many in the dormitory looked over. Their dorm was cramped—sixteen people squeezed into a little over ten square meters, with bunk beds, narrow aisles, and two people sharing a bed.

When someone spoke in the dorm, everyone could hear.

In fact, many thought Lin Xuexia was both pitiful and lucky. Although she had been saved last night, would her college fiancé from the city still want her? He would probably despise her.

Now, having lost her job and being so tall and striking, it’d be hard for her to find work as a factory girl again. How would she live once she returned to the village?

All these female workers came from the same hometown, and the gossip would surely spread back. It would be difficult for Lin Xuexia to find a good fiancé.

“I don’t want a rural fiancé anymore.”

“What?” Several female workers nearby were shocked.

“Someone saved me yesterday,” Lin Xuexia said. “I want to marry him.”