Chapter 13: Work

Early in the morning, Shuxin packed her things and boarded the rickety bus, setting off for the city.

For most people, finding a temporary job in the city is incredibly difficult, so why did Shuxin have such confidence in finding work? This requires a bit of backstory.

When she first transferred to junior high school in the city and joined in the second year, she sat next to Huang Yao, another transfer student. Over time, they became friends who could talk to each other.

In the tumultuous world of the apocalypse, Shuxin didn’t have any close friends, mostly due to a fear of betrayal. Now that she was safe and living a stable, happy life, she naturally didn’t shy away from making friends.

In elementary school, she was always surrounded by little kids, and she found it tiring to care for them. Arriving in the county town, Huang Yao became her first friend in this world.

Once, after leaving the black market, she happened to encounter a robbery in progress. Two criminals had taken two hostages and were shouting threats for the police to let them go.

Shuxin was in the crowd, initially planning to just watch the excitement, but then she happened to recognize that one of the hostages was her desk partner, and the other was her desk partner’s mother—what a coincidence!

Huang Yao’s mother was pregnant, showing a belly about seven or eight months along. Upon seeing this, the crowd hesitated to act. Shuxin noticed a man beside her, who looked like Huang Yao’s father, anxiously pacing back and forth. He wanted to overpower the criminals but was afraid of endangering his wife and daughter.

It seemed that Huang Yao’s father was not an ordinary police officer, as his silence kept others from daring to act recklessly.

Seeing this, Shuxin didn’t plan to stand idly by. Huang Yao had always been generous and had a good character; they had a decent relationship. Now that she saw her friend in trouble, she would surely step in.

Moreover, Huang Yao was clever. Even though she saw Shuxin in the crowd, she didn’t drag her into the mess. Trembling with fear and worrying about her mother, Huang Yao clearly demonstrated that she was a worthy friend, both in her character and psychological resilience.

Besides, the Huang family appeared to be rather prominent. The more friends, the more options. It wouldn’t hurt to be realistic; saving people also mattered. Having experienced the cruelty and ingratitude of the post-apocalyptic world, Shuxin was naturally more cautious in her considerations.

Carefully, Shuxin maneuvered through the crowd, eventually sneaking up beside the two robbers. They were mostly focused on the police, leaving them less guarded against those nearby.

When one of the robbers noticed Shuxin, he didn’t think much of it; after all, she was just a young girl who seemed to be there for the show.

Taking advantage of the moment when the criminals were distracted, Shuxin made a quiet gesture to Huang Yao. Huang Yao wasn’t foolish; she understood that Shuxin was trying to save her but worried about getting Shuxin involved. After some internal struggle, she decided to follow Shuxin’s lead.

Huang Yao had heard her classmates talk about Shuxin before and knew she was quite capable of handling herself. Once, Shuxin had beaten up a bully who was bothering her, leaving him bruised and swollen, which made the local thugs wary of her. Meanwhile, Huang Yao smartly redirected the robbers’ attention away from Shuxin.

After an hour of stalemate, the robbers grew impatient. Maintaining a single posture for so long made them physically uncomfortable, and their grip started to weaken.

At that moment, while one of the robbers turned to speak to the other, Shuxin saw her chance. She executed a swift kick that knocked the gun from the robber’s hand. Not wasting any time, she quickly closed the distance and knocked the other robber unconscious.

The second robber, seeing the commotion, rushed over to help, but Shuxin pivoted and slammed her fist into his shoulder. Even as a child, Shuxin had strength that rivaled older boys, and now, against two men, it was no contest. When her fist landed, it was evident that the robber’s arm wasn’t just injured; it was broken.

In the blink of an eye, the two robbers lost their ability to move, and the police surged in to handcuff them.

Shuxin then went over to help Huang Yao and her mother up, concern etched on her face. “Huang Yao, are you okay?”

Huang Yao expressed her gratitude, “I’m fine, just a bit shaky. Liu Shuxin, thank you! If it weren’t for you, my mom and I might not have made it out of this!”

Huang Yao’s father also thanked Shuxin profusely before quickly taking Huang Yao’s mother to get checked out, since she was pregnant and had been frightened.

After everything had settled, Huang Yao’s father personally delivered some food and drinks to express his gratitude. Huang Yao’s mother was also fond of Shuxin, knowing she was friends with Huang Yao and often asked her to bring treats for Yao.

From that day on, Shuxin became very close to the Huang family, and Huang Yao became her confidante. Shuxin felt more comfortable sharing her thoughts with Huang Yao compared to her parents.

Over time, Shuxin learned that the Huang family was quite distinguished. Huang Yao’s grandfather was a commander in the military district, and the Huang family had a strong military background. Huang Yao’s father, who had been injured and couldn’t stay in the military, retired and moved to Luyang County, where he leveraged connections to become the head of the police department. Meanwhile, Huang Yao’s mother was assigned to a local machinery factory as a women’s director.

With her interest in finding a job in the city, it was clear that Shuxin couldn’t avoid the Huang family. Given their favorable attitude towards her, she was confident they would help her if she asked. She didn’t possess the pride that would prevent her from seeking assistance; some connections were meant to be utilized. She understood the social dynamics and didn’t mind relying on them when needed.

Upon arriving at the government compound, the security guard didn’t stop her. She had visited often with Huang Yao over the past two years, and the guard recognized her as a friend of the Huang family.

When Huang Yao saw Shuxin arrive, she hurriedly ushered her inside and exclaimed, “Shuxin, why did you take so long? I’ve been waiting for you! If you didn’t come soon, I was going to write you a letter!”

“I was busy working in the fields helping my family. Now that I finally have time, I came to find you. What’s going on? You look like something’s up?” Shuxin responded.

Huang Yao understood that Shuxin came from a rural family and likely didn’t have the same leisure time she did. Understanding Shuxin’s curiosity, she quickly shared the exciting news she had just received.

“Shuxin, we’ve got work lined up! Our provincial railway bureau is going to build a train station in Luyang County, right across from the bus station.”

“They also secured a number of positions for this project in Luyang County. My dad pulled some strings to get us both in!”

“Really?” Shuxin exclaimed with joy. She had come specifically to find work and thought she’d need to put in a lot of effort, but it turned out Huang Yao’s dad had already solved the problem.

She realized that Huang Yao’s dad must have exerted considerable influence to bring them in, and as she considered what to do for the Huang family in return, she knew she couldn’t let them bear the costs of helping her.

There are many people who spend a lifetime trying to break into the railway bureau. She felt grateful to the Huang family for this opportunity and understood the importance of showing her appreciation. In relationships, if one only seeks to take without giving, even the strongest connections can fade.

When Huang Yao’s parents returned in the evening and saw Shuxin there, they were delighted, encouraging her to stay in the city for a few days. Shuxin agreed without hesitation; she had always planned to stay a while, and she had informed her family beforehand, knowing that the Liu family would worry if she didn’t return for a few days.

When Huang Hao came back from kindergarten and saw his beloved sister Shuxin had arrived, he squealed for her to pick him up. Huang Hao was the child Huang Yao’s mother carried during her pregnancy; before, they only had Huang Yao. When Huang Yao’s father was reinstated, Huang Yao’s mother became pregnant with this little boy, who was now four years old and had just started kindergarten.