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墨書 Inktalez
Since the incident, Shaw Min had hardly stepped out of the house. When she suddenly made this request, Bai Cuifen was taken aback. "A Min, if you don't want to, just say so. Mother will fully respect your wishes and won't force you. Even if you don't want to get married in the future, Mother and An Shaojie won't pressure you. But please don't keep any thoughts to yourself that might lead to unhappiness. Mother and An Shaojie can't be with you every day."
Bai Cuifen's words were meant to tell An Shaomin that it was okay to visit a classmate's house, but she should not do anything foolish.
Shaw Min understood the implication of Bai Cuifen's words, so she quickly responded, "I will be fine; I just want to hang out with my classmates."
Bai Cuifen nodded. "That's good."
Indeed, Shaw Min should go visit her classmates and clear her mind; she had not been outside for almost a month.
That night after returning from her classmate's house, the family sat outside on a bamboo bed enjoying the cool evening air after dinner. An Shaojie told Bai Cuifen that at the beginning of August, their school would have make-up classes for the sophomore year, so he needed to go to school early.
Bai Cuifen acknowledged with a sound.
The three of them sat in silence, not saying a word.
In the past, An Shaojie and Shaw Min loved summer nights because they could cool off outside.
The summer nights in the mountain village were not as stifling as those in the plains. An Shaojie and Shaw Min lay on the bamboo bed while Bai Cuifen sat beside them with a fan that not only kept away mosquitoes but also helped dispel the heat. As she fanned them, she would share stories from her time at her maternal family outside the mountains.
An Shaojie and Shaw Min would playfully tease each other while curiously asking Bai Cuifen about details and questions from her stories.
Outside An Shaojie's house was a spacious flat area leading to an arched bridge. Every summer, when the reservoir upstream of Liu Family Village opened its gates for irrigation, cool water flowed beneath the bridge and past their front door.
The dense shade of the Old Locust Tree cast over the cool water in the ditch made An Shaojie's flat area cooler than any other family's front yard in Liu Family Village.
Thus, during summer nights, many people would gather there with their bamboo beds or chairs to enjoy the coolness.
Although Shaw Min and An Shaojie rarely spoke to those who came to cool off back then, the scene was always lively. Moreover, with Bai Cuifen sharing interesting stories and jokes, summer nights became a wonderful time.
However, now there were only the three of them sitting quietly together in solitude without speaking.
Bai Cuifen waved a fan, staring blankly into the distance.
An Shaojie and Shaw Min were no longer lying beside Bai Cuifen as they used to; Shaw Min sat on the bamboo bed while An Shaojie sat on a bamboo chair nearby.
"Mother, I want to go out and find a job after a while," Shaw Min suddenly said.
"Find a job?" Bai Cuifen paused for a moment and turned to look at Shaw Min.
"Yes," Shaw Min lowered her head, avoiding Bai Cuifen's gaze.
"Where do you want to work?" Bai Cuifen asked thoughtfully.
This topic from Shaw Min came too suddenly, and Bai Cuifen couldn't grasp what Shaw Min meant by going out to work. Since marrying into Liu Family Village, she had hardly ever stepped outside the mountains surrounding Liu Family Village. For families like theirs, the idea of going out to find work was almost unthinkable. The only way for children in the village to leave was through education and university; there were only one or two children who had been taken out because someone in their family worked for the government. Most of the other children in Liu Family Village stayed behind to farm, with very few having ever left the mountains. She couldn't imagine who would help Shaw Min find a job outside.
"I'm going south," Shaw Min said with a calm expression.
"South!" At this moment, An Shaojie looked up in surprise and asked Shaw Min.
"Yes," Shaw Min nodded. "To Shenzhen."
"Shenzhen?" An Shaojie jumped up from his chair, knocking it over. "How far is Shenzhen? You're going alone?"
Bai Cuifen helped An Shaojie pick up the chair and gestured for him to sit down. "You need to sit down first."
Then she turned to Shaw Min. "Yes, I've heard of Shenzhen, but it's very far away. It takes days and nights by train, and it's unfamiliar territory. Where will you go? Who will take you? Who can help you find a job there?"
"Mother, I've heard that in Shenzhen, you don't need anyone to help you find a job; there are jobs everywhere waiting for people to take them. As long as you're not lazy, you'll definitely find work," Shaw Min raised her head and looked at Bai Cuifen, then glanced at An Shaojie.
"But, Sister, it's so far away. How will you go alone? Besides, if you go alone, Mother and I won't feel at ease about you."
In the past two years, a few people from the neighboring village and nearby settlements have been to Shenzhen, so Bai Cuifen and An Shaojie have heard about that place. They also heard that it is a very profitable place, filled with lights and wine, a paradise on earth.
An Shaojie, being educated, is even more worried about Shaw Min after hearing such claims. Is there really such an easy way to make money? If such a place existed, wouldn't everyone in the country rush there? He wouldn’t need to study; if he weren’t lazy, he could just go there to find work and earn money.
"I’ve been at my classmate's house these past few days and have contacted several classmates who didn’t get into college. They all went there. Either someone from our village is working there or they have relatives or acquaintances there. Their friends urged them to go quickly, saying that they need people to work and that they should bring more people along. Once they arrive, they can get jobs in factories. They also said that girls like us who graduated from high school have a better chance of getting into the factories, and those who perform well can basically get promoted."
Shaw Min seems to have forgotten the misfortune she just experienced; it appears that a bright path has opened up before her.
"But..."
"Mother, please let me go out and explore. It’s better than staying here where I can only see the sky," Bai Cuifen started to speak, but Shaw Min interrupted her, gazing at the starry night sky with a hint of sorrow.
"But Mother is worried," Bai Cuifen said, her eyes moistening as she sighed and took out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.
"Yes, Sister, I’m worried about you too," An Shaojie said as tears streamed down her face. "I’ve heard it’s chaotic there, with many bad people."
"Bad people? Where are there none?" Shaw Min suddenly stood up in agitation.
An Shaojie realized she had misspoken and quickly stood up, lowering her head in front of Shaw Min and whispering, "I’m sorry, Sister. I didn’t mean it; I’m just worried about you."
Shaw Min sat down and sighed. "It’s not your fault, An Shaojie. Sit down." "I’ve already made plans with my classmates; we set the date for August 10th to gather at my classmate's house and go together. Once we get there, I’ll contact you." After saying this, Shaw Min stood up and went straight back to her room alone, leaving Bai Cuifen and An Shaojie behind to stare blankly at her retreating figure.
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