The old man was friendly, seeing his honest face, and feeling sympathetic, he told him about a certain industrial zone in the suburbs.
Afraid Peng Fei might forget, he even thoughtfully found paper and a pen to write down the location.
Peng Fei chatted with the old man for a long time before taking his leave.
The car fare cost him 380 yuan, and he bought a bottle of water for two yuan that afternoon. His funds were low, and Peng Fei didn't eat dinner that night.
Fortunately, big cities have many parks, and it wasn't too cold at this time of year. Everywhere was brightly lit, so there was no shortage of places to sleep.
He casually found a lounge chair and dozed off, spending the night on and off, and the next morning, he set off on foot towards the industrial zone.
Peng Fei had no mobile phone, couldn't use navigation, and couldn't understand bus routes. He asked several street cleaners along the way and it took him half a day to reach the industrial zone.
There were many factory buildings in the industrial zone, over 200 in total. Red cloths were posted and recruitment notices were hung in front of each factory.
He wasn't picky about the job type, only looking at the monthly salary. Whichever offered a higher salary piqued his interest.
After walking around half of the industrial zone, he found a furniture factory that paid more than other factories and decided to go to the security office.
The HR department had many application forms for interviews in the security office. Peng Fei filled out his basic information, and the security guard called the HR clerk.
The clerk happened to be not busy, so she asked him to come in for an interview.
He soon met a girl named Wang Li from the HR department.
The girl was also a migrant worker, and she had encountered boys like him more often since childhood, so she felt a sense of familiarity.
Especially since he was tall, handsome, and looked honest and sincere, her first impression was good, and she spoke to him gently.
She mentioned a few positions they were currently hiring for and asked Peng Fei which one he wanted to apply for. Peng Fei chose the polishing worker, which had the highest salary, surprising Wang Li.
"You want to do this? Do you know what polishing entails?"
Peng Fei didn't know, but he could guess. It was probably about taking the finished products and grinding them with a grinding wheel and sandpaper to make them clean and smooth.
The reason for the high salary was the high dust content and significant health risks, similar to working in a mine.
The risk factor was directly proportional to the salary, akin to the saying, "Great rewards will surely draw brave men."
Wang Li thought he didn't understand and kindly advised him, "You are so young and not married. Doing this is very harmful to your health, you should really consider it. Although the salary is one or two thousand yuan more than other positions, you won't get rich, and what if you get sick later..."
One or two thousand yuan might not be much to someone who isn't short on money, but for Peng Fei at that moment, it was a lifeline.
Converted into the corn and peanuts from his family's farm, he would have to plant two more acres to earn that much money!
"No need to say more. I'll do this. Please sign me up."
It was evident that his family was poor, and he was silent and stubborn. Wang Li could only agree to his request.
"Alright then, we are short-handed right now. If you register and complete the procedures today, you can start work tomorrow. Can you come tomorrow?"
Peng Fei wished he could start working today. "Yes!"
"Then, are you living in the factory dormitory or..."
The factory had dormitories? That would be perfect.
"Living in the dormitory is free, right?"
"No charge. The factory provides free meals three times a day, but the food isn't very good, so people don't really like to eat it."
With free food and lodging, and a job with a decent salary, he had a place to stay that day, and Peng Fei's long-depressed heart finally brightened a little.
After registering, Wang Li took him to the dormitory and reminded him to buy toiletries and prepare change of clothes.
Peng Fei inquired about the nearest place to buy things and picked out the cheapest bedding, sheets, toothpaste, toothbrush, and a set of clothes.
Although he had been very frugal, his money was spent here.
Wang Li mentioned that he could only receive his salary tomorrow, which was for the current month. Although he was staying and eating at the factory for free, having no money on him made him feel insecure.
Peng Fei decided to find some odd jobs during the half-day break in the afternoon.
When he was looking for work earlier, he saw some factory entrances advertising temporary work with daily pay. He chose a packing job and packed goods for half a day, earning 50 yuan.
After starving for a day, he finally allowed himself to buy a meal.
After eating, he heard the supervisor say that they would be working overtime until 11 o'clock, so Peng Fei stayed for a few more hours.
What Zhan Jingchun said was right: as long as you are willing to leave that mountain village, it is easy to earn money outside.
In less than a day, he had already earned 100 yuan.
He really wanted to share this news with his mother and Fangfang, but their village had no phone, and it was no longer common to write letters in the big city. He didn't know how to contact them.
From that moment on, he decided to work hard and, after receiving his salary, buy a mobile phone for his family and himself, so they could call freely.
With motivation, life becomes more purposeful and it's harder to overthink things.
He temporarily put aside the idea of finding Zhan Jingchun and worked diligently every day.
When his own factory required overtime, he worked overtime. When it didn't, he looked for temporary jobs. Time flew by, and a month later, he received his first salary, 5400 yuan.
Although as a newcomer, working such hard labor for only over 5000 yuan felt a bit like being ripped off, it was the first time he had earned so much money besides farming. It felt like a fortune, and Peng Fei was very satisfied.
That evening, he didn't have overtime. He went and bought a mobile phone, got a SIM card, and called his friend Li Tao, who worked as an apprentice at a motorcycle repair shop in town.
Li Tao had heard that Peng Fei had gotten into trouble some time ago and had gone out to work to escape debt, expecting not to see him for three to five years. He was surprised to receive his call so soon.
Peng Fei told him on the phone to help him make a trip to buy a mobile phone for his mother and get a SIM card, and then link it to a bank card. Li Tao was very surprised.
"You're already sending money to your mom? Where did you strike it rich? How much did you earn? If not, I'll come to you!"
He only earned about 300 yuan a month as an apprentice at the shop.
Peng Fei knew that if he wanted someone to do him a favor, he had to offer something in return, so he agreed.
Li Tao was very happy and immediately rode his motorcycle back to report the good news to Peng's mother, then took her to town to get a phone card and a bank card.
Peng Fei transferred 2000 yuan to the card for his mother to repay her debts, and his mother was overjoyed.
The family was heavily in debt, and she worried so much that she couldn't eat or sleep, not knowing when or if they would ever be able to pay it off, or if any girl would be willing to marry into their family in the future. Yet, in just over a month, her son had shown such capability, repaying 2000 yuan!
Peng Fei said, "I will earn more and more in the future. Once I buy the phones, there won't be any big expenses. I guarantee I'll send you 5000 yuan every month, and we'll pay off our debt soon."
"Mom, don't worry. Take good care of yourself, let Fangfang study well, and our good days will come soon."
Peng's mother was so moved that tears streamed down her face. "Good, good. Mom knew you would be successful. Then Mom will wait for you."