Inside, two women and three men sat behind a long wooden table arranged in a semi-circle facing a single chair. The room was simple but official—a portrait of Chairman Mao hung on the wall, and a red flag stood in the corner.
A middle-aged man with wire-rimmed glasses, who appeared to be the dean, gestured to the empty chair. "Please, take a seat."
Meixiang sat down, keeping her back straight and her hands folded in her lap. She remembered to appear pitiful but not weak—just enough to invoke sympathy, not enough to seem incapable.
The dean spoke first. "Your name?"
"Chen Meixiang."
"Which village?"
"Hongqi Village, about fifty minutes' walk from here."
A woman on the left, wearing a grey cadre jacket, picked up a document. "Your file says you are a middle school graduate. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Comrade. I completed middle school, though my grades were not exceptional. I was always better at practical work than book learning."
The woman nodded, making a note.
Another man, younger than the dean, leaned forward. "Your late husband was a martyr?"
Meixiang lowered her eyes and let her voice soften. "Yes, Comrade. He died serving the country. He left behind me and our daughter. She is seven years old."
"I'm sorry for your loss," the man said, his tone gentler now.
"Thank you, Comrade. I have tried my best to raise her well, as he would have wanted."
The dean spoke again. "Why do you want this caretaker position?"
Meixiang had prepared for this question. She looked up, letting her eyes glisten slightly—not enough to cry, but enough to show emotion.
"My daughter will be starting school soon. I want her to have a good education so she can serve the country one day, just like her father. But the walk from our village is long—fifty minutes each way. She is too small to make that journey twice a day. If I work here, I can live in the dormitory and walk her to class each morning. I can also ensure that the girl students are safe and follow the rules. I am hardworking and responsible. I will not let the school down."
The five interviewers exchanged glances. The woman in the grey jacket asked, "You understand the job requires you to be on duty every night, including weekends?"
"Yes, Comrade. I have no problem with that. My daughter will be with me, so I have no reason to leave the campus."
The dean nodded slowly. "We will consider your application. You may wait outside. The results will be posted on the notice board in two hours."
Meixiang stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "Thank you, Comrades. I will wait patiently."
She turned and walked out, her heart pounding but her face calm.
For the next hour, Meixiang sat in the hallway while the remaining two women went in for their interviews. The other woman—the sturdy, plain-faced one—emerged looking confident. The last woman, a young teacher applicant, came out smiling.
Then the waiting began.
Two hours crawled by like two years. Meixiang sat on the wooden chair, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. He Ping passed by once and gave her an encouraging nod but did not stop to talk.
Finally, the clerk came out again, a sheet of paper in his hand. He walked to the notice board at the end of the hallway and pinned it up.
Everyone rushed forward.
Meixiang hung back for a moment, afraid to look. Then she took a deep breath, stood up, and walked toward the board.
She pushed through the small crowd and read the list.
Her name was there.
Chen Meixiang – Girls' Hostel Caretaker (Approved)
She stared at the words, not daring to believe them. Then a smile broke across her face—a real smile, not the pitiful one she wore for others.
I got it.
She thought of Su Rui. She thought of the long walk that her daughter would never have to make. She thought of the state rations and the warm dormitory room.
We are going to be okay.
After the results were posted, Chen Meixiang stood in front of the notice board for a long moment, letting the reality sink in. Her name was there. She had gotten the job.
She took a deep breath to steady herself and walked toward the office where the clerk had been calling candidates earlier. A small sign on the door read: "New Recruitment – Document Submission."
She knocked gently.
"Enter," a voice called from inside.
Meixiang pushed the door open and stepped in. The same woman in the grey cadre jacket from the interview panel was now sitting behind a desk, sorting through a stack of papers. She looked up as Meixiang approached.
"Ah, Chen Meixiang. Congratulations. Please sit."
"Thank you, Comrade," Meixiang said, sitting down on the wooden stool across from her.
The woman pushed a form across the desk. "I am Comrade Wang, the school's administrative officer. You will need to fill out this employment registration form. Do you have your documents with you?"
"Yes, Comrade Wang." Meixiang opened her cloth bag and carefully取出 (took out) her household registration booklet, her late husband's martyr certificate, her middle school graduation certificate, the letter of recommendation from the village committee, her identity card, and three small black-and-white photos.
Comrade Wang examined each document carefully, nodding as she went. She compared the photos to Meixiang's face, then stamped each document with a red ink seal.
"Everything is in order," Comrade Wang said, setting the documents aside. "Now, let me explain the terms of your employment."
Meixiang leaned forward, listening intently.
"Your position is Girls' Hostel Caretaker, classified as a temporary state employee. Your monthly salary will be 18 yuan," Comrade Wang began. "In addition, you will receive monthly ration tickets for 30 jin of grain, 1 jin of cooking oil, 2 jin of pork, and 5 jin of coal. You will also receive a cloth ration ticket twice a year."
Meixiang's eyes widened slightly. Eighteen yuan a month was more than she had expected. Combined with the ration tickets, she and Rui Rui would not go hungry.
"You will work six days a week, with Sundays off. Your duties include: unlocking the girls' dormitory at 5:30 AM, conducting a headcount before the 9:00 PM curfew, locking the dormitory at 9:30 PM, reporting any rule violations to the dean's office, and ensuring the common areas remain clean and orderly."
Meixiang nodded, committing every word to memory.
Comrade Wang continued, " The school has hired cleaners and other workers. Your job is to supervise them—inspect their work, assign tasks, and make sure everything is done properly. If something is not clean, you report it to the cleaner. If the cleaner fails to fix it, you report to me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Comrade Wang. I understand. I will make sure everything is perfect."
"You will also be required to assist during emergencies—if a student falls ill at night, you must notify the school clinic or arrange transport to the town hospital."
"I understand, Comrade Wang. I can do all of that."