The old man was kind and, seeing his honest face, felt sympathetic. He told him about a certain industrial zone in the suburbs.
Fearing 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 bidding farewell.
The taxi fare cost him 380 yuan. He also bought a bottle of water for two yuan that afternoon, leaving him with little money. Peng Fei didn't eat that evening.
Fortunately, big cities have many parks, and it wasn't too cold this season. Everywhere was brightly lit, so he had a place to sleep.
He casually found a lounge chair, dozing on and off, and spent the night there. The next morning, he walked towards the industrial zone.
Peng Fei didn't have a mobile phone, didn't know how to use navigation, and couldn't read bus routes. He asked several cleaners along the way and walked for half a day before reaching the industrial zone.
The industrial zone had many factory buildings, over 200 in total. Each factory building had red cloth posted at the entrance and recruitment notices hanging.
He wasn't picky about the job type, only looking at the monthly salary. He was interested in whichever offered higher pay.
After circling half of the industrial zone, he noticed a furniture factory that paid higher than other factories, so he decided to go to the security office.
The HR department had many application forms in the security office. Peng Fei filled in his basic information, and the security guard called the HR clerk.
The clerk was not busy at the moment and 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 from out of town. She had more experience with boys like him from a young age and felt very familiar.
Especially since he was tall, handsome, and looked honest and sincere, her first impression was very good, and she spoke to him gently.
She mentioned several 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, and Wang Li was a little surprised.
"You want to do this? Do you know what polishing involves?"
Peng Fei didn't know, but he could guess. It was probably about grinding finished products with a grinding wheel or sandpaper to make them clean and smooth.
The reason for the high salary was the significant dust, which was harmful to health, similar to working in a mine.
The risk factor was proportional to the salary, like "fortune favors the brave."
Wang Li thought he didn't understand and kindly advised, "You're so young and unmarried. 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 for someone who wasn't short of money, but for Peng Fei at that moment, it was a lifesaver.
Converted to the corn and peanuts he grew, he would have to cultivate two more mu of land to earn that much money!
"No need to say more. I'll do this. Please register me."
It was evident that his family was poor, and he was a silent and stubborn person. Wang Li could only agree to his request.
"Alright then, we're 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!"
"So, are you staying in the factory dormitory or..."
The factory had dormitories? That would be ideal.
"It's free to stay in the dormitory, right?"
"No charge. The factory provides free meals three times a day, but the food isn't very good, so most people don't like to eat it."
With free room and board, 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 his own toiletries and prepare change of clothes.
Peng Fei inquired about the nearest place to buy things and chose the cheapest bedding, sheets, toothpaste, toothbrush, and a set of clothes.
Although he was very economical, his money was all spent here.
Wang Li said he could collect his salary tomorrow, which would be for the next month. Even though he was staying at the factory and didn't have to spend money on food and drink, 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 a job earlier, he saw some factory entrances advertising for temporary workers with daily pay. He chose a packing job and worked for half a day, earning 50 yuan.
After going hungry all day, he finally treated himself to a meal.
After eating, he heard the supervisor say they would be working overtime until 11 o'clock. Peng Fei stayed and worked for a few more hours.
What Zhan Jingchun said was true: as long as one was willing to leave that mountain village, earning money outside was quite easy.
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 big cities. He didn't know how to contact them.
From this moment on, he decided to work hard and earn money. Once he received his salary, he would buy mobile phones for his family and himself, and then they could call each other freely.
With motivation, life became more purposeful and less prone to overthinking.
He temporarily put aside the idea of finding Zhan Jingchun and worked diligently every day.
When his own factory needed overtime, he worked overtime. When it didn't, he looked for temporary jobs. A month passed in the blink of an eye, and he received his first salary, 5400 yuan.
Although as a newcomer, working such hard labor for just 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 an astronomical figure, and Peng Fei was very satisfied.
That evening, he didn't work 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 he had gotten into trouble some time ago and had gone out to work to escape debt. He thought he wouldn't see him for three to five years, but he didn't expect 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, get a SIM card, and 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 find you!"
His monthly earnings as an apprentice at the shop were only around 300 yuan.
Peng Fei knew that if he wanted someone to do him a favor, he had to offer them something in return, so he agreed.
Li Tao was very happy. He immediately rode his motorcycle back to report the good news to Peng's mother and 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. His mother was overjoyed.
The family was heavily in debt, and she was so worried that she couldn't eat or sleep. She didn't know when 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 and had already repaid 2000 yuan!
Peng Fei said, "I'll earn more and more in the future. Once I buy the phone, there won't be many big expenses. I promise to send you 5000 yuan every month, and we'll pay off our debt soon."
"Mom, don't worry. Take good care of yourself, and let Fangfang study well. Our good days will come soon."
Peng's mother was so moved that tears streamed down her face. "Okay, okay, Mom knew you'd be successful. Then Mom will wait for you."