Making a living in Dongguan, her fiery red lips offer me tenderness.

The woman ordered a large plate of stir-fried noodles, a plate of stir-fried snails, a plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers, two bottles of beer, and some barbecue.

"Beautiful lady, what do you do for a living in the factory?"

Unexpectedly, Liu Jing took out a brand name tag from her pocket and handed it to Ding Yang.

Ding Yang took it and looked at it.

"Holy crap, it's the supervisor!"

"What? Doesn't it look like it?"

"I never expected you, a little girl, to be a workshop supervisor!"

"I'm not a little brat!"

"Hey, if I may ask, how old are you this year?"

"Does anyone ask a girl her age so directly?"

"Fine, then don't answer. Just pretend I didn't ask."

"I'm 26 this year, do I look old?"

"No, don't talk nonsense. How long have you been in Dongguan?"

"It's been 8 years. I came to Dongguan in 99. I started working before graduating from high school and have been in this factory ever since."

"oh!"

"Xiaoyang, how old are you?"

Ding Yang thought to himself, "I'll definitely let you see it later."

"I'm 24 this year, two years younger than you. By age, I should call you 'older sister'."

"Yes, that's right!"

Suddenly, Ding Yang thought of something.

"Hey beautiful, are you still hiring at your factory?"

"What's wrong, Xiao Xiang wants to work in a factory?"

"Hmm, is that okay?"

"You seem quite familiar with this area. What did you do before?"

"To be honest, I've only been in Dongguan for a little over a month. I've been driving a motorcycle taxi here, and during this time I've traveled all over the villages, big and small, in Fenggang."

"I had bad luck today. My motorcycle was impounded by the traffic police this afternoon. Since my motorcycle doesn't have a license plate, I can't get it back. It's like it was confiscated."

"Oh! That's pretty unlucky."

"What, you look down on motorcycle taxi drivers?"

No, no.

"Handsome guy, you really want to work in a factory?"

"Who wants to work in a factory? Isn't it all just to make a living?"

"Alright then, you can come to report tomorrow."

"It's that simple?"

"Our factory generally doesn't hire male workers, but since we're friends, I'll go talk to the HR department."

"Thanks!"

"Oh, what's your educational background?"

"Vocational high school!"

Do you have a graduation certificate?

"Of course."

"Then go do QC, it'll be easier."

"Wow, is a vocational high school really that impressive?"

"Vocational high schools are considered secondary vocational schools, which aren't exactly prestigious, but in the factory, over 95% of the employees only graduated from junior high school, and many didn't even finish junior high."

Ding Yang was stunned. He had thought vocational high schools were second-rate, but it turned out that in Dongguan, they were considered highly educated. It was like being jolted awake from a dying dream; he realized he was among the elite. It turned out that vocational high school graduates were also considered cultured.

"Hehe, is the salary high?"

"The QC position includes an extra allowance of 150 yuan/month, overtime pay of 4.5 yuan/hour on weekdays and 6 yuan/hour on weekends, and a night shift allowance of 10 yuan/night. The monthly salary is around 1500 yuan on weekdays and around 2000 yuan during peak season."

"Hey beautiful, do you have a boyfriend?"

The woman suddenly blushed.

"No!"

"Impossible! 26 and never been in a relationship? Who would believe that?"

"I dated someone back in my hometown last year, but it wasn't a good match, so we broke up. I've been working in a factory and rarely go home."

"You have so many male employees in your factory, and you don't like any of them?"

"It's not that I look down on them, it's just that I haven't met the right one. Of course, I don't want to hire ordinary assembly line workers either."

"understand!"

Are there many Japanese people in your factory?

"Not many, about 10, all of them are senior executives and chief engineers."

"oh!"

"What? You have a prejudice against the Japanese?"

"Nonsense, I want to punch any Japanese person I see, except for actresses, of course. I quite like actresses like Aoi Sora, Maria Ozawa, and Ai Iijima."

"Who are these people?"

Oh my god, big sister, you're not still a virgin, are you?

The woman blushed and didn't say anything.

Do you speak Japanese?

"No, but we have a translator in our factory. Do you speak Japanese?"

"I can do a little bit, like, Mishi Mishi, Baka, Sodasne, Aiga Aiga, Yamat."

Liu Jing cursed inwardly, "Scumbag!"

"Sister Liu, give me your phone number. I'll call you if I need to look for a job."

"Okay, write it down."

"Xiaoyang, where do you live?"

"Oh, I live over at Shaling."

"You rent an apartment?"

"Um!"

"Xiaoyang, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, I've only been in Dongguan for a little over a month. I've never been in a relationship. I'm still a virgin."

"You're crazy, what are you saying? Aren't you ashamed?"

The woman showed a shy expression.

"Eat quickly, and I'll take you back to the factory after you're done."

"No rush, our factory doesn't close until 11:00."

An hour later, the two finished eating, and Ding Yang drank two bottles of beer.

Liu Jing paid the bill herself.

Ding Yang escorted Liu Jing back to the factory.

We're almost at the factory gate.

"Xiaoyang, thank you for today."

"You are welcome!"

"Xiaoyang, if you're planning to work in a factory, our factory is pretty good. We pay wages on time, don't deduct deposits, don't impose fines arbitrarily, and provide free room and board. If you come, I can find someone to arrange an easy job for you."

"Thanks!"

The two waved goodbye, and Ding Yang turned to walk back.

I boarded a bus from Yantian to Shaling; it was already 10 p.m.

Ding Yang returned to Shaling and went to Tang Li's small shop.

Tang Li was cleaning at that moment.

Ding Yang didn't say anything and simply leaned back on the sofa.

"What's wrong? Where's your motorcycle?"

"I wasn't paying attention and the traffic police impounded it. I can't drive this motorcycle anymore."

"If it can't be driven, then it can't be driven. I already said that this motorcycle doesn't have a license plate and it will be checked sooner or later."

"Sis, I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"I'm going to work at the factory. I've gotten to know quite a few people while I've been driving a motorcycle taxi. I plan to go to Yantian tomorrow."

"Where will you stay tonight?"

"I've started working in the factory, so I'll definitely be living there."

"Will you come here again in the future?"

"Sister, staying with me is a waste of your time. I think I should leave. Even if the motorcycle isn't confiscated, I'm ready to go."

Are you breaking up with me for good?

"Sis, we've been together for over a month now, and the initial excitement has long since worn off. If we continue to force ourselves to stay together, all that'll be left is a mess."

"Poverty makes everything difficult for couples. I can't give you the life you want, and I have no plans to get married."

"We haven't argued once in the past month or so. Let's leave a good impression on each other. If we keep making do like this, we'll end up arguing sooner or later and turning lovers into enemies would be incredibly foolish."

"You have a strong personality, and I can't be a henpecked husband. You have your dazzling brilliance, and I have my quiet stubbornness. Let's part ways amicably."

Tang Li didn't say anything, but tears welled up in her eyes.

"Okay, go take a shower and go to bed early, it's getting late!"

"Um!"

Not long after, they both took a shower and went to bed, embracing each other tightly.

That night, Ding Yang gave it his all, and the two clung tightly to each other, releasing themselves completely.

Knowing that Ding Yang was leaving, Tang Li became even more unreasonable, demanding more from him like a juicer, trying to squeeze him dry...

The next morning,

Ding Yang got up, ate breakfast, and went to the market. He spent 120 yuan to buy a suitcase with a handle and wheels. The suitcase was quite big, the quality was okay, and it even had a combination lock.