An 80s female translator was spoiled rotten by a rough and jealous man.

Chapter 321: A Blessing or a Curse? (Part 2)
In the afternoon, the old-fashioned ceiling fan spun slowly in the newspaper office area, making the stacks of handwritten manuscripts on the desks rustle. The smell of ink mixed with the smell of coal smoke wafting from the tea room, creating a stuffy atmosphere in the small space.

Zhou Xiaobei held a sample newspaper, rubbing her fingertips along the edge until they felt stiff. She took a deep breath and tiptoed to Wan Fengxia's desk.

“Sister Wan,” her voice was low and soft, the sample newspaper in her hand was clenched so tightly that her knuckles were wrinkled with several deep creases, “you said before that this report about the knitting factory… would be credited to me.”

Sister Wan was tilting her head, cracking sunflower seeds, her eyes glued to the "Popular Cinema" pictorial magazine. Hearing this, she didn't even blink, casually replying, "I was so busy I forgot! The layout has been so rushed lately, I'm already stressed enough just watching the page layout, how could I remember such a small thing?" As she spoke, the sunflower seed shells she spat out landed with a "plop" in the enamel dish on the corner of the table, making a crisp sound.

Zhou Xiaobei pursed her lips and took a small step forward: "I took the early bus to the knitting factory for four days in a row. I stayed in the workshop every day. The knitting machine operators changed three times, and I followed along and memorized them all. Before I handed the first draft to you, I revised it all night before I dared to send it to you."

"I know, I know, it's just a few extra trips and a few pages of writing." Sister Wang threw the unfinished sunflower seeds back into the tin biscuit box, finally looked up at her, her tone full of impatience: "I revised the final draft, and I was the one who coordinated with the factory, so it's perfectly reasonable for my name to be on the list. You're just a temporary worker, you're lucky to even get a topic, don't make a fuss about it."

“I’m not being petty.” Zhou Xiaobei’s voice trembled, but she still forced herself to continue: “Last time when I wrote ‘New Convenience Stalls Added to the East City Vegetable Market,’ I also spent three days squatting there and revised the first draft several times, but in the end, only your name was credited.”

"Zhou Xiaobei, are you never going to stop?" Sister Wan slammed the magazine on the table. Seeing Zhou Xiaobei standing motionless in front of the table like a statue, she was furious. She reached out to grab the sample magazine that Zhou Xiaobei had placed on the edge of the table. "I'm busy! Don't block my way. Get back to work!"

Her careless shoveling caused the sample newspaper to slide off the edge of the table with a "whoosh," knocking over the loosely sealed box of red inkpad on the corner of the table.

The inkpad box bumped right into the hem of Zhou Xiaobei's shirt. The sticky, paste-like ink inside instantly smeared onto the fabric, leaving a large dark red stain. Then, the box slid down her skirt and fell to the ground with a "thud," splashing a few drops of ink onto the white ceramic tiles, which were particularly eye-catching.

"Look at you! What are you doing standing here? You've got ink all over yourself!" Sister Wan showed no remorse whatsoever. Instead, she glared at Zhou Xiaobei and complained, "I just got this ink, I haven't even used it for two days. Where am I supposed to get it repaired now that it's stained? Hurry up and pick it up and clean it up, don't just stand here making a mess!"

Hearing the commotion, the surrounding colleagues would steal a few glances up from their busy schedules, then immediately look down again, pretending not to have seen anything.

Zhou Xiaobei lowered her head, staring at the red stain on the hem of her shirt. She touched it lightly with her fingertips, but the ink stuck to the fabric and couldn't be wiped off. She didn't say anything more, silently bending down to pick up the inkpad and the sample newspaper that had slipped to the ground.

After wiping the stains off the table and floor with a rag, she clutched the crumpled newspaper and walked out of the office step by step.

The restroom in the newspaper office's backyard was cramped and damp, with patches of mold on the walls and a faint metallic smell from the tap. Zhou Xiaobei squatted by the sink, holding the hem of her shirt under the water, carefully rubbing the red stain with her hands. But the ink was stubbornly sticky, and the more she rubbed, the more it spread, the dark red mark expanding into a small patch.

Zhou Xiaobei rummaged through her canvas bag and pulled out a thick layer of coarse soap. She rubbed it repeatedly, and the white foam mixed with dark red ink dripped down with the water. After a lot of effort to rinse, the stain was still clear, only a little lighter.

She squatted there, her eyes fixed on the red blush. The soap in her hand was slippery, and her fingertips ached from rubbing against it. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall.

The beige shirt she's wearing was bought for her by her older sister, Xiao Meng, last year at a shopping mall in Ximing City. Her sister said she believes Xiao Meng will be successful in the future and won't have to worry about not being able to pay her back for the clothes.

At that time, Zhou Xiaobei was also full of ambition, with a burning flame in her heart and a blazing spirit. She looked forward to the day when she could realize her ambitions at the newspaper and her life would become more and more promising.

Zhou Xiaobei had even started planning in her mind what gift she would buy for Sister Xiaomeng to express her gratitude after she got a permanent position and saved some money. Just now, they passed by a women's clothing store, and the red dress on the mannequin at the entrance was so beautiful, even more flattering than the yellow shirt she was wearing. Zhou Xiaobei thought Sister Xiaomeng would look stunning in it.

The outfits that Sister Meng picked out for her were indeed very tasteful, fashionable and elegant. Clothes make the man, so much so that in the first month after she came to the newspaper, her colleagues thought that Zhou Xiaobei's family must be well-off because of her clothes. Therefore, most of them were a little wary of her and treated her not only politely, but some even very warmly.

However, Zhou Xiaobei did not understand the reason behind these people's enthusiasm for her at the time, and thought that her colleagues were all easy to get along with.

But later, Zhao Chunmei somehow found out the newspaper office address, went there and made a scene, and her true colors were revealed—everyone knew that this stylishly dressed girl was actually a country bumpkin with no education or background.

Zhao Chunmei feared that if Zhou Xiaobei came to the city and escaped her control, she would abandon the Zhou family. She worried that her daughter, whom she had raised for over a decade, would become ungrateful. Therefore, Zhao Chunmei was determined to force her back, determined to ruin her job. Zhou Xiaobei didn't want to give up this hard-won job opportunity, nor did she want her budding dreams to be shattered. So she tried to negotiate with Zhao Chunmei and finally agreed to send two-thirds of her salary home each month—the limit she could bear.

The temporary workers' pay was not good—they didn't provide accommodation, so Zhou Xiaobei had to find cheap shared rooms on her own. Several families lived together, and the windows faced other people's walls, so even during the day, there wasn't much sunlight coming in. Moreover, the company only issued ration coupons for rice, flour, and cooking oil to permanent employees. Zhou Xiaobei didn't have a city household registration, so as an outsider, she could only buy expensive food at the free market. In winter, she wanted to light a stove for heating, but without coal coupons, she couldn't buy cheap coal. At night, the room was as cold as a cellar, so she could only wrap herself in a blanket, light a candle for light, and work overtime to finish her manuscript while her fingers trembled.

Even so, the not-so-high cost of living each month still left her breathless. The little money Zhou Xiaobei had left her was barely enough to keep her in the city, requiring her to be extremely frugal. She had to carefully budget every penny; if she were to fall ill one day, she wouldn't have enough savings to see a doctor or buy medicine, and she would likely be left to die in her low-rent apartment.

Several times, sitting under the dim candlelight, looking at the words she had written on the manuscript paper, she would suddenly freeze in shock—sometimes even Zhou Xiaobei herself couldn't understand how she had persevered, and for so long? ...Perhaps it was because the faint flame in her heart had never been completely extinguished.

Zhou Xiaobei wrung out the damp hem of her shirt and stepped into the office area. As soon as she entered, she heard someone call out to her loudly, "Zhou Xiaobei!" The tone was completely impolite and dismissive, as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "I haven't seen you all day. Where have you been slacking off? Come here right now!"

The person who made the call was Zhu Rong, who had just become a permanent employee last month. She was already eager to adapt to her new identity, which was mainly reflected in her active use of temporary workers.

Everyone at the newspaper knew that Zhu Rong was a typical "slacker." She was never late or left early, and aside from the quality of her articles, they were riddled with typos and grammatical errors, making people wonder several times if she had even graduated from elementary school. Yet… despite having been with the newspaper much shorter than Zhou Xiaobei, and with no outstanding work ability or achievements, she was the one selected for a permanent position last month. The reason was simple: Zhu Rong was the niece of the newspaper's deputy editor-in-chief.

In this era where the planned economy held sway over employment, most jobs were allocated through channels within the system, with "succession through replacement" and "assignment through connections" dominating the employment path. It was no secret that connections mattered—family background, relationships, education, and even basic factory jobs like screwing screws or tailoring required personal connections. This was openly discussed and few seemed to find it unfair; the rules were universally accepted, an invisible barrier that firmly kept Zhou Xiaobei out.

Despite her hard work and perseverance, Zhou Xiaobei has yet to achieve the wonderful wish that Teacher Wang made: "Life is long, so keep a long-term perspective. Keep going! Work hard! The future is promising!"

Doesn't she work hard? Is her future... promising?

Only a year has passed since her teacher's admonition and Sister Meng's encouragement, but it seems that there is no hope left for her future.

However, just when you feel that your life couldn't be worse, fate often loves to play an even bigger joke on you.

That night, Zhou Xiaobei was held up by a mountain of proofreading manuscripts and stayed at the office alone to work overtime. The clock on the wall quietly slipped past eleven o'clock, and the autumn night wind outside the window made the window frame whistle.

Suddenly, Director Jia from the editorial department pushed open the door and walked in, his balding head radiating cold air. He called her to his private office, saying he had some urgent work to arrange.

Once Zhou Xiaobei entered the room, the middle-aged man first hinted that he could help her secure a permanent position in the company if she was willing to make some sacrifices.

Zhou Xiaobei understood what the other person meant and immediately panicked and said she had to go out to work. But before she could finish speaking, the man pounced on her like a hungry wolf.

The man hugged her tightly from behind, his desire undisguised. He sneered and advised, "You're just a country girl. If you miss this chance, you might not have another opportunity in ten years. Listen to me, be smart, and you'll avoid a lot of detours!"

Zhou Xiaobei was dragged back to the desk, her coat was ripped off, and her beige shirt underneath was torn to shreds. After struggling for a while, she grabbed the desk lamp and smashed it down on the man's head with all her might.

Fortunately... Zhou Xiaobei managed to escape. However, on the third day after the incident, she lost her job. Zhou Xiaobei wasn't foolish enough to ask why or demand an explanation.

Without a source of income, and with the Zhou family no longer welcoming her, Zhou Xiaobei felt like an abandoned child cast aside by two worlds. She had no idea how she would pay next month's rent. Walking alone on the desolate autumn streets, she saw countless brightly lit homes filled with the aroma of hot dinners, but there was nowhere for her to find shelter.

Living in an era where injustice and prejudice are rampant, the right to education is denied, employment and career advancement are squeezed, and it is impossible to break free from the shackles of one's family of origin. A simple encouragement and blessing like "Keep going, work hard, the future is bright!" is too weak to support the life and dreams of a rural girl.