Chapter 2 Working Odd Jobs

  "Mom, I've decided. Tomorrow, I'll set off to Xilin City. I only need to bring my tuition fees with me. There's still over a month before school starts, so I'll go find some work to do and earn my own living expenses. Mom, from now on, I'll earn back the tuition fees for university myself."

  Han Qing'e looked at Xu Shaojie and tears came out.

  "Shao Jie, there's no need to do this. We still have some money at home for your university tuition, it's enough. Your father just passed away and I'm not feeling well. You doing this is hurting me."

  "Mom, you must take care of your body. I know that the money at home is not abundant, and my sister needs money for school, so prepare more for her. I'm already grown up and need to be self-sufficient."

  Han Qing'e didn't say much, and spent the whole day helping Xu Shaojie pack his luggage. Xu Shaojie took the admission notice himself to the police station to handle the transfer of his household registration and grain oil relationship. The county town was not big, and many people knew about what had happened at Xu Shaojie's home. Xu Shaojie's father was a university student from outside the province who had worked in the county town all his life, but he had passed away. Many people thought it was unfair, so the police station handled the transfer of Xu Shaojie's household registration and grain oil relationship quickly. On the effective date of the receipt, they specifically noted that it was valid for one and a half months. In this way, even if Xu Shaojie went to handle the formalities when school started, there would be no problem.

  Han Qing'e's cultural level was not high, at night, she kept reminding Xu Shaojie to pay attention to his body, don't be too bitter and tired, if he lacked money, he must remember to send a letter home, Xu Shaojie nodded in agreement, holding the ticket tightly in his hand, at this moment, his father's words were particularly clear in his mind.

  When Xujiajie got off the bus, he looked at the crowded long-distance bus station and suddenly felt a little timid. But he overcame such weakness quickly. Xujiajie is 178 cm tall, which is considered tall in a small county town. He looks like his mother, handsome and gentle. Xujiajie remembered that when he was young, adults often said that since he looked like his mother, he would have a very good fate in the future. But he didn't know if his fate was good or bad. If his father could be healthy, Xujiajie would rather not go to college.

  Xu Shaojie carried the quilt and luggage on his shoulder, following those migrant workers. Many farmers have entered the big cities to work, with the most going south, and Xilin City is no exception. Xu Shaojie had heard his teacher talk about these things before, so he knew that as long as he followed these people, he would be able to find a place to do things. Xu Shaojie's way of thinking was simple, and he hadn't thought about finding a place to stay at all. Even if there wasn't anywhere to live, he could just find somewhere random and make do for one night. It was still mid-summer, and the time to report to Xilin University wasn't until mid-September, so there was plenty of time.

  Xu Shaojie slowly walked out of the bus station, silently thinking to himself. With their current standard of living, they needed at least 30 yuan per month for expenses. His father and mother's salaries were clear to him - each person earned less than 100 yuan per month, adding up to less than 200 yuan in total. They relied on these meager wages for everything. After his father passed away, the family lost half of its income, which would cause a lot of difficulties.

  The registration fee required over 200 yuan, which Han Qing'e had prepared for him, but Xu Shaojie hadn't brought it with him, fearing he might lose it. Xu Shaojie only had 30 yuan on him, and he would be in Xilin City for over a month - he didn't know what would happen. Xu Shaojie planned to rely on himself to earn over 100 yuan, at least enough to solve part of their living expenses, and then think of other ways to deal with the rest.

  In front of them were two peasants carrying large sacks, who seemed to be familiar with Xilin City. Xu Shaojie followed behind them, walking slowly. The two men obviously noticed Xu Shaojie following behind and slowed down their pace.

  "Little brother, what are you following us for?"

  "Two big brothers, I'm in Xilin City for the first time and don't know anything. I want to find a place to do something. I think you two must be familiar with it, so I'll follow you."

  The two of them looked at Xu Shaojie, who seemed a bit immature, and one of them had a look of pity on his face.

  "Little brother, you're still young, why don't you just go back? It's not easy to make a living outside, and if you don't earn any money, you'll end up hurting your body."

  "My body is fine, no problem, as long as I can find things to do, I can endure hardship."

  The two men stopped talking and continued walking forward, with Xu Shaojie following behind them. It was already noon, and the scorching sun beat down on him, making Xu Shaojie feel hot and hungry. However, he gritted his teeth and persisted. The two men entered a small noodle shop, and Xu Shaojie followed them in. The owner, seemingly familiar with these migrant workers, spoke up directly.

  "Bring three bowls of noodles, and make them large bowls."

  Xu Shaojie wolfed down the noodles, his speed faster than both of them. He even finished the noodle soup. Xu Shaojie had never felt so comfortable before. He took out 10 yuan from his pocket, stood up and handed it to the boss. The boss gave him back 7 yuan in change. A bowl of noodles cost 1 yuan. Although Xu Shaojie was a bit heartbroken, he knew he had to do this. His father had told him that there would be no gain without pain.

  When they left the small restaurant, the attitude of both had changed, country people are mostly very down-to-earth.

  "Little brother, I can tell you're not an ordinary person. At such a young age, you know so much and won't be taken advantage of in the future. We work on construction sites, if you don't mind, come with us and we'll talk to the foreman, it should be fine. But it's hard labor, I'm not sure if you can handle it."

  Xu Shaojie nodded desperately, being able to find something to do was much better than wandering around the streets.

  Along the way, the two men's conversation increased, all about how life is not easy, nowadays the cost of children's education is too expensive, it's hard to study, after being admitted, they can't afford it, and not letting them go to school would be unfair to the child. Xu Shaojie listened silently, without speaking. Xu Shaojie had never truly entered society before, this was his first time interacting with a stranger alone, in Xu Shaojie's heart, there was still a sense of pride, but on the surface, he equated himself with migrant workers.

  Finally arrived at the destination, this is a very large construction site, it seems to be building houses, and I don't know which unit has such a big momentum. Xu Shaojie remembers that when the county was building its own dormitory, because two buildings were started at once, many people came to watch, saying it was a big hand, but compared to here, it's nothing.

  "Little brother, it's here. Follow us and we'll go find the foreman together. We'll tell him that we're from the same place as him, so there shouldn't be any problem."

  A man in his 30s sat in a makeshift house, with an office desk inside, cluttered with materials, surrounded by several wooden chairs. Near the corner of the wall, there was a row of cloth sofas with pillows on them. The electric fan on the desk was working hard. The man had dark skin and a confident face.

  "Lao Liu, Lao Song, you're back! Is everything okay at home? Hmm, who's this little brother?"

  "Brother Zhang, everything is fine at home. Sorry to trouble you. This young brother was met at the train station and wanted to find something to do. We thought he was all right, so we brought him along. Brother Zhang just happens to need someone."

  "Oh, I see, so it's just that you look a bit younger and your height is still okay."

  The foreman stretched out his hand and grasped Xu Shaojie's, who immediately felt the rough skin rubbing against his palms.

  "You've just graduated from school, tender and delicate, this isn't your home, little brother, if you can't handle it, forget it, it's not easy to make a living here."

  "I have no problem."

  Xu Shaojie's calmness and composure surprised Bao Gongtou somewhat.

  "Alright, then stay here. My name is Zhang Shao Cai, from now on you can call me Brother Zhang, everyone calls me that. Take him to the side and register, no need to say, you're also a laborer, okay? Old Liu, Old Song, this young brother came with you two, just have him stay with you two, what needs to be done, you two tell him."

  "Zhang Ge, there's something I need to mention in advance, I'll be working on the construction site until September 10th."

  Zhang Shaocai was taken aback, then burst out laughing.

  "Little brother, be realistic, I don't care how long you work, your salary is calculated by the day."

  Old Liu was called Liu Fugui, and Old Song was called Song Guangming. They were both skilled workers on the construction site. Xu Shaojie remembered their names clearly. When they arrived at the house next door, a woman wearing glasses was examining materials, with Liu Fugui and Song Guangming being cautious.

  "Yan sister, there is a new person who has come to work."

  The woman slightly raised her head to glance at Xu Shaojie, nodded to indicate that she understood, and then began to ask about Xu Shaojie's basic situation, taking notes as she asked. Xu Shaojie found that the woman looked quite good, but had a somewhat arrogant attitude.

  "Yan Jie, Zhang Ge said, the new little brother will follow us."

  "Okay, I know what to do. You tell him that the salary will be calculated from tomorrow onwards. Since you introduced him, let's say 5 yuan per day. One day's work is one day's pay. Room and board are included. Salary will be paid once a month."

  Xu Shaojie followed Liu Fugui and Song Guangming as they left, noticing that both of their faces had somewhat strange expressions. He didn't say anything more, but he was certain that Yanzi must be hiding some secret, something Xu Shaojie couldn't quite grasp yet.

  "Little brother, you're new here, 5 yuan a day is not bad at all. In a month's time, it's even better than getting a salary. Work hard and hope your luck is good. If there are many rainy days, you won't be able to earn much money."

  "Thank you, Uncle Liu and Uncle Song, I will work hard."

  Xu Shaojie was immersed in excitement, if he could work for a full month, he would be able to earn 150 yuan, which would basically guarantee his living expenses for the semester. This way, he could alleviate the burden on his family, and suffering a bit was nothing, as long as he had the strength to do so.

  The accommodation was a surprise to Xu Shaojie, with simple dormitories and a row of temporary beds, the thin quilts on the beds emitting a musty smell. Xu Shaojie had never lived in such an environment before, but since he came here, he would have to endure everything for the sake of making money. These hardships were nothing. Xu Shaojie quietly put down his quilt cover, which was wrapped in plastic and meant for school use, not suitable for this place, especially during summer when quilts were not needed.

  "Little brother, conditions are not good, overcome it a bit, come out and do things, there's no need to be so particular. There's still some empty space nearby, find a place to settle down."

  Xu Shaojie took out the bed sheet and spread it on the outermost side. The closer to the inside, the hotter it was, so being near the outside wasn't bad. Xu Shaojie had just arrived and wouldn't fight over these things. Liu Fugui and Song Guangming looked at Xu Shaojie but didn't say anything.

  "Put your things on the bed, and let's go take a look at the construction site with us."

  On the construction site, the distinction between laborers and skilled workers is very clear, with completely different status. Generally, there are several laborers under a skilled worker, who work extremely hard and will be scolded if they are not careful, without daring to talk back. The skilled workers eat "technical rice", some laborers want to learn skills, but it's not easy to get what they want even if they try their best to please the skilled workers.

  Xu Shaojie's job is very simple, just moving bricks. He follows Liu Fugui and Song Guangming, watching as the hollow bricks are transported up from below via a lift, then quickly pulling over the hollow bricks and handing them over to Liu Fugui and Song Guangming. Of course, this task isn't done by Xu Shaojie alone, but also by three other laborers.

  Carrying bricks requires strength, it's a typical physical labor that doesn't require brain work and can't be done with shortcuts. The sixth floor has already been built, this 8-story residential building won't need much more time before the main construction is completed. Xu Shaojie came at an inopportune moment, if not for Liu Fugui and Song Guangming's introduction, Xu Shaojie wouldn't have been able to get in to work.

  At mealtime, the workers in the shed gathered together, each holding a large bowl, full of rice, with two basins in the middle, one filled with stir-fried potatoes and the other with bok choy and tofu soup. There was enough rice, but no extra dishes, and nowhere to sit, so everyone picked up some vegetables and found a place to squat or sit or stand. It was Xu Shaojie's first time eating like this, and he felt a bit curious. Many people who got off work saw Xu Shaojie and learned that he had been introduced by Liu Fugui and Song Guangming, so they were very polite to him.

  "Listen, kid. To survive here, you gotta adapt fast. I can tell by your looks that you're a bookworm, and bookworms are always so full of themselves. But we don't need bookworms here, we need people with strength. We get along pretty well, so I'm telling you this: if anyone on the construction site tries to bully you, just let me know and I'll help you out."

  Xu Shaojie knew that it was all due to the effect of those two bowls of noodles. Although the money wasn't much, in Liu Fugui and Song Guangming's eyes, it wasn't a big deal, but his own attitude had won over the two men, which is why everything turned out as it did today.