After telling Meixiang everything comrade Wang signalled her that she can go ,
At first, Meixiang hesitated for a moment, then decided to ask. "Comrade Wang, I have a daughter. She is seven years old. She will be starting school here after the New Year. I was hoping... could she stay in the dormitory with me?"
Comrade Wang's expression softened slightly. "The dean mentioned your situation. Normally, caretakers live in a small room attached to the girls' hostel. The room is approximately twelve square meters—enough for one person. However, given your circumstances, the school has agreed to allow your daughter to stay with you, provided she does not disturb the students."
"Thank you, Comrade Wang! Thank you so much!" Meixiang's eyes glistened with genuine gratitude.
"Do not thank me yet. The room is currently being repaired. The hostel has been empty for nearly two years, and many things need to be fixed before students can move in. New windows, door locks, bedding, and basic furniture must be arranged."
"When can we move in?"
Comrade Wang checked a calendar on her desk. "Today is Friday. You will start working next week—Monday morning, 7:00 AM sharp. For the next two months, until the New Year, you will commute from your village. Your main task during this time will be Supervising and helping to organize and repair the hostels before new semester starts.
"What about after the New Year?"
"After the Spring Festival, when the new session begins, you will be allotted a room with an attached bathroom. The renovation should be completed by then. You and your daughter can move in at that time."
Meixiang's heart soared. A room with an attached bathroom was better than she had ever hoped for. No more walking to the village well in the freezing morning.
"I will be here Monday morning, Comrade Wang. I promise."
Comrade Wang handed her a small paper booklet. "This is your temporary employment pass. Do not lose it. You will need to show it to the gatekeeper every day until your official ID is issued. Now, sign here."
Meixiang picked up the brush pen, her hand trembling slightly with excitement, and signed her name on the registration form.
"Welcome to the school, Comrade Chen," Comrade Wang said with a small nod.
Meixiang walked out of the office on light feet, clutching her employment pass like a treasure. She made her way back to the gatehouse, where Uncle He was sitting by the small coal stove, drinking tea.
He looked up as she approached. "Well, girl? How did it go?"
Meixiang broke into a wide smile. "I got it, Uncle He. I got the job."
Uncle He's weathered face cracked into a grin. "Ha! I knew you would. You have a good head on your shoulders. Not like some of those nervous wrecks who came today."
"Thank you, Uncle He. Truly. If you had not told me about the vacancy and introduced me to your daughter, I would never have known." Meixiang reached into her bag and took out a pack of cigarettes she had bought earlier. She placed it on the small table. "Please, accept this."
Uncle He waved his hand. "No, no, girl. Keep your money. You have a daughter to feed."
"Please, Uncle He. It is not much. Just a small token of my gratitude."
Seeing her sincere expression, Uncle He finally relented and tucked the cigarettes into his pocket. "Fine, fine. But this is the last time. Now, go home and celebrate with your family. You start Monday, yes?"
"Yes. Comrade Wang told me to come at 7:00 AM."
"Good. I will be here. Now go, before it gets dark."
Meixiang left the school and walked toward the town's small supply and co-op store. The afternoon sun was already low in the sky, casting long shadows across the dirt road.
Inside the store, she looked at the shelves for a long moment. Her fingers brushed over the small packet of brown sugar—a luxury she could never afford before. Today, she decided, was a special day.
"I will take this," she said to the shop assistant, pointing to the brown sugar packet.
It cost 0.30 yuan, more than she should spend. But she did not care. Tonight, she would make sweet rice porridge for Rui Rui. They would celebrate together.
She also bought a small piece of candy wrapped in red wax paper—a rare treat for her daughter.
The fifty-minute walk to Hongqi Village felt shorter than ever before. Meixiang's feet barely touched the ground. The winter wind bit at her cheeks, but she barely noticed.
She clutched the brown sugar packet and the employment pass in her cloth bag, her heart full.
Eighteen yuan a month. Ration tickets. A room with a bathroom. Rui Rui can study at the town school.
She thought of her daughter's face when she would see the candy. She thought of her mother's pride. She thought of Chen Hu's sullen expression—and smiled.
We are going to be okay. We are going to be more than okay.
As the familiar roofs of Hongqi Village came into view, Meixiang quickened her pace. She could not wait to get home.
Tonight, there would be sweet porridge and smiles
The system who was lecturing the little girl about what do when encountering human traffickers and bad people.
He wants to make sure that his like sugar can become an well educated, well aware , proud citizen and can achieve something in life .
While teaching it get a notification as it smirked again . Thinking it seems Chen Meixiang is really the solid thigh i should hold . From the moment it came she is the one giving him most credit points.
[ Ding ]
[ Name - Chen Meixiang]
[ Villian potential - 27 %]
[Reward - 19 merit points]
Upon hearing the sound of merit points hitting the account, the system's mechanical smile widened. After binding host only from Chen Meixiang he had farmed 73 merit points. According to the system's interface it will recieve lage sum of 50 merit coins once Lu Hai married another woman . After adding up the reward from decreasing villian potential and plot deviation he had will farm whopping 150 merits points from Chen Meixiang.
If any system were here it would think what a miserly system it is being happy on receiving 150 merit points but who told the system to be so poor .
Every point counts.