country bumpkin

Chapter 320 Yun Ya Enters the Factory

She received her graduation certificate a week later. Sun Fei brought it back for her.

Huang Qingqing's graduation certificate was retrieved for her by her neighbor, Ma Qiaohui.

After junior high, everyone went their separate ways. Those who were supposed to go to school continued their studies. Those who didn't get into high school started planning to learn a trade or find a job, and began to travel around.

Sun Fei also failed the high school entrance exam, a result Yun Ya had known all along. Her grades weren't even as good as Yun Ya's; how could she possibly pass?

Sun Fei stayed at home for half a month. Apart from going out to meet up with classmates, she spent the rest of her time lying at home watching TV.

They were living a carefree and leisurely life, which made Yunya quite envious.

A month after graduation, there was a class reunion, a reunion of elementary school classmates. Sun Fei invited Yun Ya to go too.

Huang Qingqing was also present. Everyone split the bill, each contributing 20 yuan to order hot pot at a large restaurant.

There were three large tables of old classmates sitting together. Yunya and a few others who had poor grades didn't get along very well with the classmates who had excellent grades.

So the people sitting at the same table for meals were clearly divided into two groups. The top twenty students in terms of academic performance sat at one table, and those with lower grades sat at another. The group in the middle consisted of a few men and women who were good at talking and arguing.

A few eloquent people mingled around the tables, joking and teasing the people at each table.

Yunya noticed that her childhood friend Meng Fanxing was sitting at the middle table next to her. Many men and women were talking incessantly.

Yun Ya thought their table was too noisy, and glanced at Meng Fanxing, but Meng Fanxing didn't look at her.

He was chatting and laughing with someone, and Yunya felt as if a huge stone was lodged in her heart.

He had actually forgotten about his good friend. Yun Ya nudged Sun Fei without making a sound.

"Feifei, wasn't Meng Fanxing in your class in junior high? He seems different. Why doesn't he greet us anymore? He ignores me."

Sun Fei immediately understood what Yun Ya meant. She knew that Yun Ya had written him a love letter, and he had responded.

Yunya will definitely not accept that he is ignoring her like this.

But Sun Fei still told Yun Ya the truth.

It turns out that when he was in the third year of junior high school, a girl in his class wrote him a love letter. At the time, Meng Fanxing neither responded nor rejected her.

Whether the two actually talked or not, nobody knew. Yun Ya felt disheartened again; she felt that sitting there was pointless.

The food in my mouth no longer tasted good; I chewed it mechanically, as if it were tasteless wax.

Sun Fei offered a few words of comfort and continued enjoying the delicious food in front of her.

The meal was unappetizing and ended quickly. Yun Ya didn't take the initiative to talk to Meng Fanxing; she felt it was time to let go.

Since there was no beginning, how can there be an end? It's just a letter, what's the big deal? Beyond the mountains lies a green garden.

Even after returning home, Yunya was still upset all day. Only by letting go of the past can she properly welcome tomorrow.

Just as autumn began, before the heat of early autumn had completely dissipated, the "autumn tiger" (a period of late summer heat) emerged.

At midday, Yunya and Sun Fei braved the scorching sun to go to a textile factory in Yicheng.

Sun Fei's uncle knew a director at a textile factory. When he heard that they were hiring, he told Sun Fei's father, Sun Qingquan.

When her father saw that his daughter had been idle at home for almost a month, he thought, "Why don't we give it a try? We can't let her develop bad habits of being lazy and gluttonous at such a young age."

Sun Qingquan was worried about Sun Fei going to an unfamiliar place alone, so he asked Sun Fei's mother, Yu Huimin, to inform Kong Xiujuan across the street.

Kong Xiujuan always valued her second daughter's ability to work and earn money more than she valued herself. Yu Huimin was always aware of this.

She knew that as long as there was a good factory where she could work and earn money, Kong Xiujuan would definitely not refuse.

Sure enough, when Yu Huimin mentioned that there were job openings at the textile factory, Kong Xiujuan thanked her with a big smile and said that Yunya and Sun Fei would go together.

Yu Huimin said that a deposit of 1500 yuan was required, which was for learning fees and to guarantee that once the skills were learned, the job would be done long-term.

Otherwise, the factory trains so many people, but they only work for a month or two before leaving, which delays their work and wastes their time.

Kong Xiujuan hesitated about whether to pay the money, but then she thought that if she continued to do this job for many years, it would be a good job.

Kong Xiujuan looked at Yun Ya, Sun Fei was also there, and Yu Huimin and Kong Xiujuan were also looking at Yun Ya, all waiting for her reply.

In the end, Yunya decided to go to the textile factory; she wanted a proper, good job.

She didn't want to waste time looking for work everywhere and end up working as a nanny and maid. She didn't want to be at the mercy of others.

As it turns out, she was wrong. No matter what profession or place you are in, there will always be a group of people who bully the weak and fear the strong, who use sweet words and do nothing but flatter.

Furthermore, some team leaders and junior managers are just sycophants. They completely ignore the honest and hardworking laborers.

Sun Fei and Yun Ya were led by Sun Fei's uncle to the textile factory office, where they registered, paid their fees, and were assigned dormitories. Only then did the two go back to get their bedding and luggage.

The factory isn't very close; it takes about five bus stops to get there. It would also take more than half an hour to cycle there.

After registering, they went home, carried their bedding and luggage, and returned to the factory. They were both drenched in sweat from the heat, so Sun Fei bought two popsicles. One popsicle for each of them finally made them feel a little better and less hot.

Yunya was reluctant to buy popsicles, but since she ate Sun Fei's today, she had to return them tomorrow.

She didn't want to owe anyone a favor or be seen as someone who liked to take advantage of others. The two moved their things to the dormitory. Yun Ya was assigned to the upper bunk in room number 1, and Sun Fei was assigned to the upper bunk in room number 5. They weren't assigned to the same room.

Because they did different jobs. Sun Fei worked in the inspection department of a small workshop, inspecting the quality of fabrics.

Yunya went to the large fabric workshop. It was very hot in the large workshop; you had to wear a jacket even in winter, let alone in summer.

The temperature in the small workshop is similar to that outside; it's not too cold in winter or too hot in summer, falling into the category of being warm in winter and cool in summer.

In winter, closing the door and using the thick curtains makes the room warm and cozy. In summer, opening the doors and windows, along with the fan, makes it much cooler.

Yunya wasn't lucky enough to get into the inspection workshop. Maybe her uncle pulled some strings? Who knows?

But Yunya was still very grateful to Sun Fei, after all, it's really not easy for people their age to find a job.

And so they began their daily work routine of going to get off work and coming home.

The workshop operates on a three-shift system. After three days of familiarization, Yunya had basically learned everything. With a little more practice in speed, she could start working just like any other worker.

She's currently in a training period, and her salary for this month is based on that of a trainee. After a week, Yunya officially started working, doing the same workload as the experienced employees.

However, her salary was based on the trainee's salary, which was only 30 yuan a month. Yunya was a little annoyed and irritated.

She felt like she had been tricked; this factory was no good place, it was truly unscrupulous.

Wang Weiya, the new girl who shared a dorm with her, received the same salary. Knowing that all the newcomers received the same salary, Yun Ya felt a little better.

Sun Fei is also paid according to the trainee's salary, but her work is easy and the environment is good, so there is not much difference between a little more or less salary.

The new recruits in the large workshop this time are all young girls. Everyone has paid their fees and can only endure the hardship and continue to work.

If they leave, the money they paid will be wasted. So this is just the beginning for them.

The girls received only 50 yuan a month in wages the second month, and they lost the excitement they had when they first came to the factory.

My salary increased to 60 yuan in the third month and also to 60 yuan in the fourth month. It seems that getting a promotion is harder than climbing to heaven.

The minimum monthly wage for long-term employees is 130 yuan, and the maximum is 180 yuan or 200 yuan.

Yunya and the others would have to work for free for a year to earn back the money they paid, and that would only be possible after their six-month internship ended and their salaries increased.

For others, they can earn back the money they paid by working slowly and taking their time.

Yunya is different. She works the early and middle shifts normally, but when it comes to the night shift, she has trouble adjusting to staying up late and experiences some issues.

Her night shifts were the most agonizing time for her. She would feel dizzy and vomit until she had vomited up all the bile.

Yunya toiled in this factory for a whole year, working the night shift every two weeks. She would work six consecutive night shifts, and then suffer through three of them.