Chapter 209: The Little Girl's Part-Time Job Diary
Ding Heng tapped the steering wheel lightly: "Want me to give you some advice?"
Bai Ma's eyes lit up, and she immediately snuggled up to him, acting all cute.
"Brother~ You're the best~"
"Okay, okay, okay."
Unable to resist her rubbing against him, Ding Heng reached out and pressed down on her shoulder, gently pushing her away.
"Don't be so mushy."
"Then promise me~"
Bai Ma was pushed backward, but immediately leaned back, pouting cutely.
Ding Heng told him, "I'll give you some advice, but it depends on whether you can endure the hardship."
Pema's eyes were stubborn and full of confidence!
"Of course I can! It's not like I didn't do chores when I was little. Back in the snowy region, I started helping my mother milk cows when I was six, and herded sheep when I was seven! In winter, when it was minus twenty degrees Celsius, I had to go to the river to break the ice and get water..."
"Okay, okay, I know you were capable when you were little."
Ding Heng interrupted Baima, sighing and laughing: "Being able to endure hardship when you were young doesn't mean you can now."
Let's set aside how much of Baima's statement is exaggerated.
Even if everything she said is true, having lived a life of luxury for nearly ten years, does this girl still think of herself as that hardworking girl from the snowy region?
Look how delicate her skin is now, and how innocent she looks.
If Ding Heng is a swindler with ill intentions, it would be a disservice to his integrity as a swindler not to swindle her.
He then asked, "Do you want to start tomorrow morning, or tonight?"
Without hesitation, Baima replied, "Of course, the sooner the better!"
"OK."
Ding Heng started the car: "I'll take you there now."
Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of a wholesale market.
Ding Heng turned off the engine, opened the door, and got out of the car.
Pema followed behind, looking around curiously.
The market wasn't big; it was a makeshift tin shed with all sorts of clothes hanging inside, colorful and varied, ranging from socks costing a few dollars to T-shirts costing tens of dollars.
Ding Heng walked up to a stall, picked up a white T-shirt to look at it, and then picked up a pair of work pants.
"Boss, how much is this set?"
"Tops are 35, pants are 45, a set is 65."
"Two sets for one hundred?"
"Can!"
Ding Heng scanned the QR code to pay, selected an outfit, and handed it to Bai Ma.
Baima took it and looked down; it had a Nike logo.
"A pirated copy?"
"As long as it's wearable, it's fine."
Ding Heng drew the curtain before entering a simple fitting room.
Bai Ma pouted and slipped into another fitting room.
After changing her clothes, Baima stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself.
A bootleg Nike t-shirt paired with Adidas sweatpants and canvas shoes—everything about it exudes cheapness.
Baima asked curiously, "Brother, why are you changing your clothes?"
Ding Heng tugged at his collar: "Your short-sleeved shirt costs several thousand yuan. When you get there, people will know you're rich just by looking at it."
"And this outfit..."
"Okay, I'll deduct it from your salary later."
"Brother!"
"There's no room for negotiation."
Ding Heng had already turned and walked out.
Baima gritted her teeth and followed.
The car continued driving forward, and the road became increasingly remote.
The streetlights on both sides gradually thinned out, until only a few scattered dim yellow lights remained.
Pema leaned back in her chair and yawned: "Brother, how much longer?"
"Soon."
Ding Heng pulled out a bottle of Red Bull and handed it to him: "Here, have a drink! You still have to work hard tonight, don't fall asleep."
The car turned onto a dirt road, making the ride even more bumpy.
Baima was shaken so badly that she almost hit her head on the car window several times.
Finally, a cheap hotel building came into view.
Ding Heng dared not drive the Mercedes too close, and stopped it in an open space two hundred meters away.
Baima pushed open the door and got out of the car, only to find a scene of chaos.
Dozens of people gathered at the factory gate, including men and women, young and old.
Some were squatting on the ground smoking, some were leaning against the wall dozing off... and they were chatting in twos and threes.
Upon closer inspection, the smells of sweat, smoke, and an indescribable sour odor immediately assaulted the nostrils.
Baima instinctively covered her nose.
Ding Heng followed her, took out a pair of black-rimmed glasses from his pocket, and put them on her nose.
"Wear it properly, don't take it off."
"What is this?"
Don't ask.
Ding Heng took her hand and walked into the crowd.
The smell made Baima feel nauseous, and she wanted to say something but swallowed it back.
At six o'clock sharp, a bus drove up shakily and stopped in front of the crowd.
The car door opened, and a man in his forties jumped out, holding a stack of forms in his hand.
"Line up! Line up!"
The crowd surged forward instantly, surrounding the man.
"Me! Me! Me!"
"Give it to me first!"
"Don't push, don't push—"
Bai Ma was jostled and nearly fell several times, only managing to stay together from being separated by the crowd thanks to Ding Heng's protection.
The man started calling roll, handing out forms one by one.
Baima stood on tiptoe, barely able to reach the man's line of sight.
"What's your name?"
"Pema Yangjin".
The man glanced down at the form, then looked up at her.
How big?
"eighteen."
Do you have your ID card?
Baima quickly took out her ID card from her bag and handed it over.
The man took it, glanced at it, handed it back to her, and took out a form from his hand and handed it to her.
"Fill it out."
Baima took the form and lay down on the car to start filling it out.
Name, age, ID number, contact number...
After filling out the form, the man took it back and waved to Baima.
"Get in the car."
Baima followed Ding Heng and squeezed onto the bus.
The car drove slowly and swayed for nearly forty minutes before stopping in front of an electronics factory.
The factory area is very large, with several gray and white factory buildings arranged neatly, and the lights illuminate the entire factory area as bright as day.
Baima followed the crowd and entered a factory building.
A pungent plastic smell hits you, mixed with the smell of engine oil and sweat.
She coughed from the choking and covered her nose again.
The man in charge led them to an assembly line and pointed to a bench next to it.
"Wait a minute, we'll start work at eight."
Baima glanced at her phone—7:20, still forty minutes to go.
She and Ding Heng sat down on a bench, next to a woman in her forties who was eating a steamed bun with her head down.
The woman glanced up at Baima, then lowered her head again and continued eating.
Bai Ma withdrew her gaze, leaned on Ding Heng's shoulder, and closed her eyes to rest.
At exactly eight o'clock, a man in overalls walked over, holding a megaphone.
"Get up, everyone! Let's get to work!"
The crowd began to stand up in hushed tones, and Pema followed the flow of people.
"Newcomers, step forward!"
Baima and Ding Heng were pushed to the front.
The man's gaze swept across their faces, his tone forceful.
"I don't care what you did before, once you're here, you have to listen to me. Do what I tell you to do, and if you can't, get out. Understand?"
No one spoke.
"Did you understand?"
"I understand..."
Sparse and disorganized responses.
"Speak louder!"
"I understand!"
Baima shouted along.
The men began assigning jobs.
"You, go over there and pack it up."
"You, go and put up the labels."
"You, go sort the circuit boards."
Baima was assigned to inspect circuit boards.
Her job was simple: pick up a circuit board, look at the color of the label, throw the red ones into the red plastic basket next to it, and put the green ones into the green plastic basket.
piece.
Two pieces.
Three pieces.
……
At first, she found it quite novel and looked at it carefully.
Ten yuan.
Twenty yuan.
Thirty yuan.
……
Her eyes started to sting.
Fifty dollars.
Sixty yuan.
Seventy dollars.
……
Her neck began to stiffen, and her back began to ache.
One hundred dollars.
One hundred and fifty yuan.
Two hundred yuan.
……
Baima's movements became slower and slower, and her vision became increasingly blurry.
She looked up at the clock on the wall—10:40.
Only two hours have passed.
She took a deep breath and continued working with her head down.
At exactly twelve o'clock, the loudspeaker sounded.
"Eat! Eat! Everyone stop what you're doing!"
Baima put down the circuit board in her hand and rubbed her sore eyes.
Ding Heng walked over, carrying two boxed lunches.
"Let's go eat over there."
The two returned to the bench and sat down. Baima took the boxed lunch and opened it.
Rice, stir-fried cabbage, a piece of braised pork, and a fried egg.
Baima picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of cabbage, and put it in her mouth; it was greasy.
She picked up the braised pork again, took a bite, and found it too fatty, making her feel nauseous.
Baima put down her chopsticks, having no appetite whatsoever.
Ding Heng, however, seemed to be enjoying his meal, jokingly asking, "Can't you eat anymore?"
"Um……"
"You have to eat, whether you like it or not. There are still seven hours left tonight. Do you want to starve to death?"
"I'll eat it!"
Baima gritted her teeth, picked up her chopsticks again, ate a mouthful of rice and a mouthful of cabbage, and forced herself to swallow.
One mouthful.
Two mouthfuls.
……
She chewed mechanically, finding it tasteless.
Ding Heng watched this with a slight amazement; this girl was more capable of enduring hardship than he had anticipated.
After being tortured by the repetitive assembly line, he figured Baima wouldn't be able to make it through the meal... but to his surprise, she actually managed to swallow it.
After finishing their meal, with no extra time to rest, the two continued working.
Baima sat back down at her workstation and picked up a circuit board.
Two hundred yuan.
Two hundred and fifty yuan.
Three hundred yuan.
……
Her eyesight was getting worse, and she almost made a mistake several times.
At three in the morning, her eyelids began to droop.
Sleepy.
Good sleep.
She blinked hard, pinched her thigh, and forced herself to wake up.
Three hundred and fifty yuan.
Four hundred yuan.
Four hundred and fifty yuan.
……
Her fingers began to go numb, and her fingertips ached from being rubbed raw by the edge of the circuit board.
At five o'clock in the morning, Baima felt that her soul had floated out of her body.
She didn't know what she was doing; she was just mechanically repeating the same action.
Pick it up, glance at it, and put it down.
Pick it up, glance at it, and put it down.
……
Finally, the horn sounded again.
"Time to go home! Time to go home! Everyone stop what you're doing!"
Baima put down the circuit board in her hand, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, she realized... the torture was over!
She stood up, her legs went weak, and she almost lost her balance.
Ding Heng quickly came over and supported her arm.
"Let's go."
The two followed the crowd out of the factory. It was already daylight outside; the time was 7:30 in the morning.
A gray sky, gray factory buildings, gray faces.
Pema looked up at the sky and exhaled a long breath.
Like being reborn!
The place to collect wages was a small hut next to the factory gate.
The crowd formed a long queue, and one by one they went inside.
Baima followed behind Ding Heng, slowly moving forward.
Finally, it was her turn.
She went inside, and a middle-aged man was sitting at the table.
"name."
"Pema Yangjin".
The man flipped through a few pages of forms, found her name, gestured for her to open the payment QR code, and made a joke as he did so.
"Oh dear, another one using the fruit 17! 160."
When the balance arrived, Baima was still a little confused.
160.
From 8 pm to 7:30 am, almost twelve hours, only 160 yuan!
Baima gripped her phone tightly, turned around, and walked out of the house.
After receiving their wages, the two walked back towards the bus. Baima's steps were unsteady, and she still couldn't believe it.
"Brother..."
"Um?"
"I worked a full twelve hours and only earned 160?"
"I almost forgot! The clothes cost fifty yuan, transfer it to me!"
"I almost forgot! The clothes cost fifty yuan, transfer it to me!"
Bai Ma was stunned, and Ding Heng repeated it again.
"Clothes, fifty yuan."
"Brother~!"
"There's no room for negotiation."
Baima gritted her teeth, opened her phone and transferred fifty yuan to Ding Heng, then looked at the remaining two hundred and thirty-eight yuan in her wallet, feeling like crying.
Sunburn during the day, exhaustion at night... a whole day of hard work!
In the end, I only earned thirty-eight!
The bus took them back to where they boarded the day before.
When Baima got off the bus, she saw many people walking towards the hotel next door.
"Brother, why aren't they going home?"
That's their home.
Ding Heng raised his chin, gesturing for Bai Ma to look at the dilapidated little building.
The building wasn't tall, only six stories. Several windows were broken and covered with cardboard. Most of the white paint on the exterior walls had peeled off, revealing the gray-black cement underneath.
"They earn 160 a night, and they still have money to stay in a hotel?"
"The cheapest place here is 20 yuan a night, which isn't expensive."
Baima was stunned.
twenty?
A cup of coffee at Starbucks costs her more than twenty yuan.
"They earn 160 yuan a night, spend 20 yuan on a night's stay, and still have 140 yuan left."
Ding Heng said calmly, "One hundred and forty. After eating, smoking, drinking water... it's good if you can save a few dozen yuan a day."
Bai Ma didn't speak, so Ding Heng continued to explain.
"In those electronics factories, the daytime workers are on long-term monthly pay, while the nighttime workers are on daily pay. It operates 24/7 to guarantee absolute efficiency. Although the daily pay is low and the work is heavy, many people still flock to it because of the daily rate, and most of them work one day and then lie back for three..."
"Brother, how did you know?"
"Didn't I tell you? My mom's medical treatment cost a lot of money, and our family was in debt. I secretly pretended to be an adult to do it, and then slept through the night at school... But I was caught by my dad after only two days and he made me go back to school!"
Baima swallowed hard and checked her phone balance again.
Is money... really that hard to earn?
It was almost nine o'clock when we got back to the villa.
Sister Jiang went out to buy groceries, and the house was quiet.
Baima walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Hot water poured down from above, washing away the fatigue of the night.
She looked down at her fingers; the tips were red from being rubbed against the edge of the circuit board, and in several places the skin was broken, oozing tiny beads of blood.
Baima put her hand under the running water, and the stinging sensation made her gasp.
After taking a shower, she changed into clean pajamas and lay down on the bed.
My body is very tired, but my mind is incredibly clear.
What's even stranger is that, even though she clearly remembers the numbers, she can't help but open her wallet again and again to check her balance.
160.
Twelve hours, 160!
She turned over and buried her face in the pillow.
How did my mother earn so much money back then?
When she was little, Quzhen would bring her lots of delicious food and fun toys every time she came back from outside.
At that time, she didn't understand; she only knew how to be happy.
Looking back now, I wonder if my mother earned all those delicious treats and fun activities little by little in that first year.
Baima sniffed, picked up her phone again, and continued browsing job postings.
One.
Two.
Three.
……
She flipped through countless pages, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
The phone slipped and fell onto the pillow.
She didn't pick it up; she closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually became steady.
After taking a shower, Ding Heng stopped in his tracks as he passed Bai Ma's room.
The door wasn't closed completely, leaving a crack.
He gently pushed open the door and went inside.
The bedside lamp was still on.
The little girl's sleeping posture was quite unseemly, with her eyelashes drooping and her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was still worrying about money in her dream.
She kicked the blanket aside, leaving only her stomach covered, her two bare legs exposed, her pink toes slightly curled.
My phone fell onto the pillow, and the screen was still lit.
Ding Heng picked it up and glanced at it; the interface remained on the recruitment software.
He first charged his phone, then bent down to pick up the blanket from the ground, gently covered Baima with it, and finally adjusted the temperature to 26 degrees Celsius.
After finishing everything, Ding Heng stood by the bed and looked down at her.
The little girl's delicate face looked exceptionally fair in the morning light, and Ding Heng couldn't help but reach out and brush the stray hairs from her forehead to the side.
I moved very gently, afraid of waking her.
In any case, I hope this girl can grow up a bit before going to university.
Bai Ma was stunned, and Ding Heng repeated it again.
"Clothes, fifty yuan."
"Brother~!"
"There's no room for negotiation."
Baima gritted her teeth, opened her phone and transferred fifty yuan to Ding Heng, then looked at the remaining two hundred and thirty-eight yuan in her wallet, feeling like crying.
Sunburn during the day, exhaustion at night... a whole day of hard work!
In the end, I only earned thirty-eight!
The bus took them back to where they boarded the day before.
When Baima got off the bus, she saw many people walking towards the hotel next door.
"Brother, why aren't they going home?"
That's their home.
Ding Heng raised his chin, gesturing for Bai Ma to look at the dilapidated little building.
The building wasn't tall, only six stories. Several windows were broken and covered with cardboard. Most of the white paint on the exterior walls had peeled off, revealing the gray-black cement underneath.
"They earn 160 a night, and they still have money to stay in a hotel?"
"The cheapest place here is 20 yuan a night, which isn't expensive."
Baima was stunned.
twenty?
A cup of coffee at Starbucks costs her more than twenty yuan.
"They earn 160 yuan a night, spend 20 yuan on a night's stay, and still have 140 yuan left."
Ding Heng said calmly, "One hundred and forty. After eating, smoking, drinking water... it's good if you can save a few dozen yuan a day."
Bai Ma didn't speak, so Ding Heng continued to explain.
"In those electronics factories, the daytime workers are on long-term monthly pay, while the nighttime workers are on daily pay. It operates 24/7 to guarantee absolute efficiency. Although the daily pay is low and the work is heavy, many people still flock to it because of the daily rate, and most of them work one day and then lie back for three..."
"Brother, how did you know?"
"Didn't I tell you? My mom's medical treatment cost a lot of money, and our family was in debt. I secretly pretended to be an adult to do it, and then slept through the night at school... But I was caught by my dad after only two days and he made me go back to school!"
Baima swallowed hard and checked her phone balance again.
Is money... really that hard to earn?
It was almost nine o'clock when we got back to the villa.
Sister Jiang went out to buy groceries, and the house was quiet.
Baima walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Hot water poured down from above, washing away the fatigue of the night.
She looked down at her fingers; the tips were red from being rubbed against the edge of the circuit board, and in several places the skin was broken, oozing tiny beads of blood.
Baima put her hand under the running water, and the stinging sensation made her gasp.
After taking a shower, she changed into clean pajamas and lay down on the bed.
My body is very tired, but my mind is incredibly clear.
What's even stranger is that, even though she clearly remembers the numbers, she can't help but open her wallet again and again to check her balance.
160.
Twelve hours, 160!
She turned over and buried her face in the pillow.
How did my mother earn so much money back then?
When she was little, Quzhen would bring her lots of delicious food and fun toys every time she came back from outside.
At that time, she didn't understand; she only knew how to be happy.
Looking back now, I wonder if my mother earned all those delicious treats and fun activities little by little in that first year.
Baima sniffed, picked up her phone again, and continued browsing job postings.
One.
Two.
Three.
……
She flipped through countless pages, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
The phone slipped and fell onto the pillow.
She didn't pick it up; she closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually became steady.
After taking a shower, Ding Heng stopped in his tracks as he passed Bai Ma's room.
The door wasn't closed completely, leaving a crack.
He gently pushed open the door and went inside.
The bedside lamp was still on.
The little girl's sleeping posture was quite unseemly, with her eyelashes drooping and her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was still worrying about money in her dream.
She kicked the blanket aside, leaving only her stomach covered, her two bare legs exposed, her pink toes slightly curled.
My phone fell onto the pillow, and the screen was still lit.
Ding Heng picked it up and glanced at it; the interface remained on the recruitment software.
He first charged his phone, then bent down to pick up the blanket from the ground, gently covered Baima with it, and finally adjusted the temperature to 26 degrees Celsius.
After finishing everything, Ding Heng stood by the bed and looked down at her.
The little girl's delicate face looked exceptionally fair in the morning light, and Ding Heng couldn't help but reach out and brush the stray hairs from her forehead to the side.
I moved very gently, afraid of waking her.
In any case, I hope this girl can grow up a bit before going to university.
Bai Ma was stunned, and Ding Heng repeated it again.
"Clothes, fifty yuan."
"Brother~!"
"There's no room for negotiation."
Baima gritted her teeth, opened her phone and transferred fifty yuan to Ding Heng, then looked at the remaining two hundred and thirty-eight yuan in her wallet, feeling like crying.
Sunburn during the day, exhaustion at night... a whole day of hard work!
In the end, I only earned thirty-eight!
The bus took them back to where they boarded the day before.
When Baima got off the bus, she saw many people walking towards the hotel next door.
"Brother, why aren't they going home?"
That's their home.
Ding Heng raised his chin, gesturing for Bai Ma to look at the dilapidated little building.
The building wasn't tall, only six stories. Several windows were broken and covered with cardboard. Most of the white paint on the exterior walls had peeled off, revealing the gray-black cement underneath.
"They earn 160 a night, and they still have money to stay in a hotel?"
"The cheapest place here is 20 yuan a night, which isn't expensive."
Baima was stunned.
twenty?
A cup of coffee at Starbucks costs her more than twenty yuan.
"They earn 160 yuan a night, spend 20 yuan on a night's stay, and still have 140 yuan left."
Ding Heng said calmly, "One hundred and forty. After eating, smoking, drinking water... it's good if you can save a few dozen yuan a day."
Bai Ma didn't speak, so Ding Heng continued to explain.
"In those electronics factories, the daytime workers are on long-term monthly pay, while the nighttime workers are on daily pay. It operates 24/7 to guarantee absolute efficiency. Although the daily pay is low and the work is heavy, many people still flock to it because of the daily rate, and most of them work one day and then lie back for three..."
"Brother, how did you know?"
"Didn't I tell you? My mom's medical treatment cost a lot of money, and our family was in debt. I secretly pretended to be an adult to do it, and then slept through the night at school... But I was caught by my dad after only two days and he made me go back to school!"
Baima swallowed hard and checked her phone balance again.
Is money... really that hard to earn?
It was almost nine o'clock when we got back to the villa.
Sister Jiang went out to buy groceries, and the house was quiet.
Baima walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Hot water poured down from above, washing away the fatigue of the night.
She looked down at her fingers; the tips were red from being rubbed against the edge of the circuit board, and in several places the skin was broken, oozing tiny beads of blood.
Baima put her hand under the running water, and the stinging sensation made her gasp.
After taking a shower, she changed into clean pajamas and lay down on the bed.
My body is very tired, but my mind is incredibly clear.
What's even stranger is that, even though she clearly remembers the numbers, she can't help but open her wallet again and again to check her balance.
160.
Twelve hours, 160!
She turned over and buried her face in the pillow.
How did my mother earn so much money back then?
When she was little, Quzhen would bring her lots of delicious food and fun toys every time she came back from outside.
At that time, she didn't understand; she only knew how to be happy.
Looking back now, I wonder if my mother earned all those delicious treats and fun activities little by little in that first year.
Baima sniffed, picked up her phone again, and continued browsing job postings.
One.
Two.
Three.
……
She flipped through countless pages, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
The phone slipped and fell onto the pillow.
She didn't pick it up; she closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually became steady.
After taking a shower, Ding Heng stopped in his tracks as he passed Bai Ma's room.
The door wasn't closed completely, leaving a crack.
He gently pushed open the door and went inside.
The bedside lamp was still on.
The little girl's sleeping posture was quite unseemly, with her eyelashes drooping and her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was still worrying about money in her dream.
She kicked the blanket aside, leaving only her stomach covered, her two bare legs exposed, her pink toes slightly curled.
My phone fell onto the pillow, and the screen was still lit.
Ding Heng picked it up and glanced at it; the interface remained on the recruitment software.
He first charged his phone, then bent down to pick up the blanket from the ground, gently covered Baima with it, and finally adjusted the temperature to 26 degrees Celsius.
After finishing everything, Ding Heng stood by the bed and looked down at her.
The little girl's delicate face looked exceptionally fair in the morning light, and Ding Heng couldn't help but reach out and brush the stray hairs from her forehead to the side.
I moved very gently, afraid of waking her.
In any case, I hope this girl can grow up a bit before going to university.