Chapter 2

Cao Yang ate that meal absentmindedly. Those two men were clearly not decent people—how could Yanzi know them?

From their accents, the three of them, including Zhou Qing, were from Sichuan. Zhou Qing also had a tattoo on her arm.

Normally, people with tattoos couldn’t get into factories. But Zhou Qing was Yanzi’s colleague. Did Yanzi really work in a factory?

One question after another rose in his mind. He wanted to ask but didn’t think it appropriate.

“I’m heading to work. You go back by yourself.” Li Yan handed him a key.

“Mm.” Cao Yang accepted it, feeling rather low.

Seeing his sulky expression, Li Yan asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Cao Yang left unhappily.

He had only walked two steps when Li Yan called him back, pulled out five yuan from her bag, and thrust it into his hand. “Here, spend this,” she said forcefully.

Cao Yang had never felt so speechless in his life—she handed out five yuan with the aura of fifty thousand, and it was his money to begin with!

…

After parting with Li Yan and the others, he didn’t go back but wandered outside the village.

Outside were factories everywhere, and it was rush hour—streets full of young men and women in blue short-sleeved uniforms.

He strolled aimlessly, checking the job postings outside factory gates.

Then he found a phone booth and called home to say he had arrived safely.

The call went to the village shop. He asked the shopkeeper to pass along to his mother that he’d reached Dongguan safely and found Li Yan.

He hung up, paid thirty cents for the call.

A craving for cigarettes hit him, but the booth was sold out of packs cheaper than five yuan.

As he was about to leave, the shopkeeper told him they sold loose cigarettes—thirty cents a stick.

They were just the five-yuan-a-pack kind, but selling them individually let the owner earn an extra yuan per pack. Shops around factories often did this.

Cao Yang bought five, smoking as he kept wandering until nightfall, then headed back.

Not far into the village, someone whistled at him. Looking over, he saw a woman in a camisole and a very short skirt beckoning him.

“Me?” Cao Yang pointed at himself, unsure if she meant him.

The woman smiled and nodded, motioning for him to come.

Still confused, Cao Yang walked over. “What is it?”

“Handsome, come in and have some fun,” the woman said, pulling him toward a small room.

“What kind of fun?” Cao Yang asked curiously. Were people here always this friendly?

“Playing dumb, are you?” The woman laughed, shoved him onto the sofa, and began unbuttoning his pants.

Only then did Cao Yang realize—she was a prostitute.

“No, I don’t want to!” He shot up and bolted outside. He was fast—gone in the blink of an eye.

Back at the apartment, he showered again. The heat was unbearable; one trip outside left him sticky with sweat.

After washing, he lay on the sofa, recalling the prostitute. His stomach burned with nameless anger.

“She was pretty—why would she do that kind of thing?” He couldn’t understand. If he’d had money, he would’ve wanted to ask her properly.

Thinking of her made him think of Li Yan.

Did Yanzi really work in a factory? Or was she doing shady things?

Other factory workers could only send home two or three thousand a year. She sent seven or eight.

He had a vague guess, but didn’t want to confirm it.

His chest felt heavy, like a rock pressing on it.

She was his childhood goddess. Had she really fallen this far?

It felt like heartbreak.

Maybe he was overthinking. Maybe she really did work in a factory and just happened to know some shady people.

He tried to comfort himself and drifted to sleep.

Around four or five in the morning, the sound of the door woke him. Li Yan and Zhou Qing were back.

Seeing them return at this hour crushed him. A normal night shift ended at dawn, not this early.

Li Yan turned on the light, glanced at him sleeping soundly, and ignored him. She turned it off and went to bed.

But Cao Yang was awake—just keeping his eyes closed.

Not long after, Zhou Qing came out of her room and went to shower. After some noise, she stepped out naked, not bothering to cover herself.

Cao Yang’s eyes widened. She wasn’t treating him like an outsider at all!

Thinking about it, maybe she was just used to walking around like that and forgot there was a man on the sofa tonight.

Zhou Qing wasn’t as tall as Li Yan, and not as pretty, but she was… big. Even a quick glance left Cao Yang sleepless.

He endured until eight in the morning before getting up to knock on Li Yan’s door, reminding her she was supposed to take him to work.

“What?!” Li Yan opened the door with messy hair, her face dark with sleepiness.

“It’s eight. Weren’t you taking me to work today?”

“What’s the rush? We’ll go this afternoon!” She slammed the door and went back to sleep.

Helpless, Cao Yang wandered around again, only returning at one in the afternoon.

Just then, Li Yan woke, quickly washed up, and took him to see her friend.

“Yanzi, let’s take a car,” Cao Yang said, lugging his heavy bag, dripping with sweat.

“It’s not far, just three kilometers. We’ll walk.” She was sweating too, her white dress soaked through.

“But it’s way too hot. You’re just trying to save money, aren’t you?”

“A taxi costs seven or eight yuan. If we run into a black cab, they’ll rip us off.”

“Then let’s take a bus!”

“There’s no bus that goes there.”

Cao Yang wiped his sweat and saw a stall selling chilled watermelon. His mouth watered.

“Yanzi, let’s buy some watermelon.”

“What for? You’re so greedy!”

“You really are just being stingy, huh?”

“Of course. You think money grows on trees?”

“Use my money, then. My treat.”

“Your money? What money?”

“Didn’t I give you my 120?”

“That 120 was for your lodging and the agency fee for introducing you to a job. What money do you think you have left?”

Cao Yang froze, staring at her in disbelief.

Their mothers were close friends, neighbors back home—surely she wouldn’t treat him this way?

Besides, even if she did shady work, she couldn’t be that poor. She didn’t need to take his measly hundred yuan. And if she really did that kind of work, the whole village would shame her when she went home!

“What’s with that look? You think I care about your hundred-something yuan? I was just joking.” She laughed and bought two slices of watermelon for one yuan.

With the chilled watermelon in his belly, the heat eased.

Soon, they arrived at their destination: a small electronics factory with about 300 workers.

Li Yan’s friend, an unattractive woman, helped Cao Yang get his work badge, meal card, and dorm arranged.

After everything was settled, she told him to start work that night, then waved goodbye.

“Work hard. If anything happens, call me or come find me. I’m heading back.” Li Yan patted his shoulder, reminding him before leaving.

She had only taken two steps when Cao Yang stopped her, holding out his hand.

“What is it?” Li Yan asked.

“Money! Give me my money. How am I supposed to survive without it?”

“They provide food and housing here. What do you need money for?”

“It’s my money to begin with! And what about cigarettes, daily necessities?”

“True,” Li Yan nodded. “That makes sense.”

She dug thirty yuan from her bag and handed it to him. “But don’t smoke—it’s bad for you. Use this for now. If it’s not enough, tell me.”

“It’s not enough.” Cao Yang immediately said.

Li Yan blinked. “You haven’t even spent it yet. Use it up first, then we’ll talk.”

Cao Yang was utterly speechless. Why was she always so stingy with his little bit of money? He refused to believe she actually needed it.

He had hoped to get 300 yuan—100 of his own, plus borrowing 200 from her and paying her back after payday. But seeing how hard it was just to reclaim his own money, borrowing from her was impossible.