As she ate her makeshift breakfast, the sun grew brighter and hotter. Wen Jiajia moved to the shadow of the train station building.

It was already 9:10, and there was still no sign of anyone.

Wen Jiajia stuffed the last bite of the steamed bun and fried dough stick into her mouth, slowly chewing and swallowing, feeling full. She thought it was rather nice to eat outside during working hours.

It was just a bit boring.

Wen Jiajia started chatting with a staff member nearby. After learning that Wen Jiajia was from the medical glass factory and was there to pick someone up, the staff member kindly brought her a stool to sit on.

The staff member’s surname was Lu. She was a woman in her forties with deep smile lines on her face and a warm-hearted demeanor.

Sister Lu also offered her a glass of water. “You must have choked while eating that steamed bun. Drink some water to help.”

Wen Jiajia smiled awkwardly. “Thank you, Sister Lu, but I’ll pass. I’m afraid I’ll need to go to the toilet if I drink it.”

“Hey, it’s not like there aren’t any toilets at our train station,” Sister Lu replied.

Still, Wen Jiajia politely declined. “But I have to wait for someone. I’m worried they’ll arrive while I’m gone. The train was supposed to arrive at nine.”

It wasn’t safe to drink from a stranger’s cup, even though she knew Sister Lu probably meant well.

Seeing her concern, Sister Lu put the cup aside. “Yes, it’s almost half past nine now.”

After a pause, she asked, “Who are you waiting for from the Medical Glass Factory?”

There was no harm in answering, so Wen Jiajia said, “I’m waiting for some teachers and students.”

Sister Lu sighed. “Ah, they’re all educated people. A factory really needs educated people to run smoothly. My daughter could have gone to college with her intelligence if circumstances hadn’t held her back.”

“Ha! Old Lu, you’re shameless when you brag…” a staff member on duty nearby laughed.

Sister Lu retorted, “My daughter grew up in the countryside, studied at the commune school, and even went to high school where she was always ranked first in her grade. How is that bragging?”

She then added with a straight face, “My daughter works at the street office now, so I have nothing to be embarrassed about. Unlike your son, who couldn’t even get a job cleaning toilets at our railway station.”

“Rubbish!” The man, knowing that Sister Lu’s daughter was a sensitive topic for her, stopped teasing and snorted through gritted teeth. “My son has his own place to go. His uncle works at the railway signal factory. Unlike your niece, who couldn’t get in even if she begged at the door. You should just stay at home and wait to get married… They say nieces resemble their aunts. Like aunts, like nieces. Your Lu family really has a bloodline. You’ve been relying on marriage to find jobs for generations.”

With that, he walked away, leaving Sister Lu fuming.

“Sister Lu, are you okay?” Wen Jiajia quickly placed the water she had been given next to Sister Lu’s hand. “Please, drink it.”

Anger is harmful to your health, and that person’s words were really hurtful. Wen Jiajia thought he was extremely immoral.

But she was just a passer-by and didn’t want to get involved, as it might cause trouble for her.

Sister Lu forced a smile and said, “I’ll show you a joke.”

Wen Jiajia’s mouth twitched, unsure of what to say.

Sister Lu took a sip of water and took half a minute to calm down. She said, “I’m from the countryside. It’s not easy for us country people to find a job in the city, even as a temporary worker. My niece was thrilled when she heard your factory was hiring. She laughed out loud in the middle of the night. But she wasn’t selected due to the household registration issue, and she cried hoarsely for three days.”

Wen Jiajia frowned. Does the factory have restrictions based on household registration?

Indeed, there were restrictions in the first batch of recruits. She almost forgot that agricultural household registrations were excluded, so only children of army personnel could enter smoothly if they passed the exam.

Those with rural household registrations couldn’t even take the exam.

However, the later batches had different policies. Most were temporary workers, and many were recruited without such restrictions.

Wen Jiajia thought this over and said as much.

Sister Lu smiled bitterly. “I didn’t hire anyone because my niece was unlucky. She happened to be back in the countryside during those days, and my mother-in-law was sick, so I couldn’t help her keep track of the situation.”

Wen Jiajia could only offer comfort. “Don’t worry, we’ll recruit more people later.”

Sister Lu shook her head. “My brother and sister-in-law are short-sighted. Someone in the village offered a high bride price and is waiting to marry my niece off.”

Even if she helped delay it, how long could it last? Who knows when the medical glass factory will recruit again?

She heard that the current recruitment isn’t strict, and someone in her street got in through connections. But as she isn’t the head of her family, even if she had connections, her husband wouldn’t use them for her niece.

Wen Jiajia was speechless and didn’t know what to say.

She was silent for a moment, looking at the bright sunlight outside the station and then at her watch.

When the minute hand pointed to “7,” she suddenly asked, “If the job required a bribe, would your niece be able to pay for it?”

“Of course! If you want a job now, you have to pay for it besides taking the exam. Those who don’t need to pay or take the exam are just lucky,” Sister Lu said.

She pursed her lips, looked around, and whispered, “I won’t hide it from you. If you have a spot available, I can offer 400 yuan.”

Her family could still come up with 400 yuan. At worst, she could ask her niece to pay back 450 yuan. Her husband and parents-in-law should agree.

Wen Jiajia: “…”

Four hundred yuan was quite a lot.

The issue was that she didn’t know Sister Lu’s niece and had only met Sister Lu by chance, so she couldn’t agree right away. She needed to know more.

Sister Lu didn’t pressure her, thinking Wen Jiajia might need more time to consider. She just said, “If you have anything to offer, come find me here.”

Wen Jiajia nodded.

Professor Yan and his group finally arrived a little after 10 o’clock, each carrying large and small bags. Fortunately, the bus was right at the door.

“Teacher Yan, Teacher Feng!” Wen Jiajia greeted them with a smile and then addressed everyone individually.

“Comrade Xiao Wen.”

Wen Jiajia responded, “It’s me. How about I take you home to drop off your luggage first?”

“Okay, okay! You need to rest your legs.”

The group got on the bus, carrying a lot of luggage, and the bus was almost half full.

Wen Jiajia smiled and said, “Let’s go to Qingshui Lane. It’s only a few minutes away from the Medical Glass Factory. If someone shouts loudly at the back door of the Medical Glass Factory, Qingshui Lane will hear it.”

One student was excited. “So close? I won’t need to take the bus to work in the morning?”

“Yes! You won’t even need a bicycle.”

A dozen students chatted excitedly, looking out the window and occasionally sighing.

They weren’t admiring the tall buildings of Linhe City, as those couldn’t compare to those in Haishi. But Linhe City was still quite nice. The streets were wide, and there were many people on the road. Although there were low houses once you entered the main urban area, it was clear that the housing planning was well thought out.

Occasionally, they saw a few gardens, with white walls and black tiles, which were very beautiful.

It had a kind of graceful beauty that was completely different from the mirage.

Passing through the main urban area, they arrived at the area where various factories, including the medical glass factory and pharmaceutical factories, were located.

This area was even closer to the sea city, with tall buildings everywhere. Wen Jiajia pointed out each factory they passed by until they arrived at Yi Glass.

The large building of the medical school was particularly eye-catching after its renovation. Some students even exclaimed “Wow.”

The gate of the hospital was also very grand, specially designed to match the ocean-like building. It was still quite impressive just from the entrance.

They then passed by the factory primary school, where the children of nearby workers went to school. There was also a middle school just across the street, making it very convenient.

They got off at this stop, walked along the road, passed an intersection and a corner, and went through two alleys to reach Qingshui Lane, which was allocated to the Medical Glass Factory.

There was a ginkgo tree at the entrance of Qingshui Lane, said to be several hundred years old. It was not cut down during the Great Leap Forward.

The tree’s crown was so large it almost covered the entire alley. The leaves were beginning to turn yellow. Wen Jiajia pointed at the tree and said, “When autumn comes, this tree will be very beautiful.”

Teacher Feng looked up and said with great anticipation, “I’ll find some fallen leaves to use as bookmarks then.”

The houses in Qingshui Lane all have courtyards, with blue bricks and black tiles. At the end of the lane is a clear river, which is why it is named Qingshui Lane.

Wen Jiajia pointed to the bridge across the river at the end and said, “Most people living on the other side of the bridge work at the pharmaceutical factory. There is also a small garden there. The garden isn’t locked, and many people go there for a walk in the evening.”

She sighed inwardly, regretting that she had never lived there.

Teacher Yan sighed, “It’s great. I think living here is better than in a high-rise building.”

Wen Jiajia smiled, “Isn’t it? Teacher Yan, your family of seven is allocated a whole small courtyard. How comfortable it must be to live by yourself with the door closed.”

When they were still in Haishi and hadn’t returned to Linhe yet, Director Gao had called the factory to ensure that accommodation was prepared as soon as possible.

Qingshui Lane was originally the site of a chemical factory. Director Shen had to go through quite a process to take over Qingshui Lane, including visiting the Municipal Industrial Bureau, the Housing Management Office, and even having a confrontation with the chemical factory’s director.

Moreover, he had to borrow a repairman from the pharmaceutical factory to renovate the houses.

Wen Jiajia had glanced at it briefly before leaving work yesterday and felt more disappointed than a lemon. She thought to herself that if she ever had the chance, she would love to live in a house like this.