country bumpkin

The next day, Kong Xiufang led Kong Xiujin to the warehouse management department of the garment factory. After completing the onboarding procedures, they would officially start work the next day.

Kong Xiufang then took her to the new dormitory. There were already six people in the dormitory, all of whom were long-time employees of the warehouse management department.

This is an 8-person room. All of them have bunk beds. There are only two empty upper bunks left.

After greeting them, I started packing my things.

Kong Xiufang helped her make up the mattress and sheets, and put the pillows in place. She then placed the luggage in the corner of the bed against the wall.

After making the bed, I placed daily necessities such as towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toothbrush cups, and washbasins in the washroom.

Kong Xiufang also thoughtfully bought her slippers and a thermos. After everything was packed, Kong Xiufang took her to the cafeteria.

After lunch, I took them on a tour of the factory to familiarize them with the layout and the location of each department.

After learning everything she needed to know, Kong Xiujin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She grasped Kong Xiufang's hand and said, "Xiufang, thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without your help."

The two sat together in the small garden for a while and chatted.

As night deepened, darkness deepened. The sky was dotted with stars, like jewels embedded in the night, radiating their light freely.

The Milky Way, like a dazzling ribbon of light, stretches across the sky, mysterious and alluring.

Perhaps only under such a tranquil starry sky can one truly feel the happiness of a simple life.

A gentle evening breeze blew, and the small garden was silent. All the dormitory lights were off. Kong Xiufang and Kong Xiujin went back to their respective dormitories to sleep.

Tomorrow is a brand new day. For Kong Xiujin, tomorrow is the beginning of a new life, her rebirth.

…………

The next day, the weather was sunny and the temperature was pleasant. All the workers in the dormitories got up early to wash up and eat.

Kong Xiujin went to the cafeteria for lunch with the senior staff members of the dormitory.

After finishing our meal, we went straight to the warehouse management department. Upon arriving at the warehouse entrance, the team leader began taking attendance.

When each name was called, someone would answer "Here!" When Kong Xiujin's name was called, she also shouted "Here!"

Her heart skipped a beat after she shouted it. She realized she was too nervous and afraid of making a mistake.

After the names were read out, the team leader called a meeting and gave a speech. He talked about some issues that happened in the class yesterday. Only after he finished speaking did the meeting end and we started working again.

Kong Xiujin didn't know what to do, so she just stood there without moving.

The warehouse team leader, Jiang Hushui, came over and asked her, "Are you the new colleague who joined today?"

Kong Xiujin nodded and slowly said, "Yes."

Seeing that she looked nervous, Jiang Hushui said, "Don't be so reserved. First, learn from the senior employees how to check the goods, check the data, record, and put them into the warehouse."

"Come on, follow me to the database. There's an experienced mentor there who can guide you."

Jiang Hushui walked ahead, and she followed behind, and together they went to the database.

Upon entering the database, Kong Xiujin saw an elderly man with gray hair but sharp eyes, intently focused on the data table in front of him.

"Master Han, this is the new girl, Xiao Kong. Could you mentor her?" Jiang Hushui said.

Master Han looked up and smiled gently, "Alright, little girl, don't be afraid, this job isn't difficult."

Master Han patiently explained to Kong Xiujin how to verify the quantity of goods against the data and how to record it quickly and accurately.

Kong Xiujin listened attentively, occasionally asking small questions.

Just then, there was a sudden noise outside.

It turned out that the delivery truck had arrived early, causing some chaos in the warehousing team. Jiang Hushui hurriedly went out to coordinate.

Master Han patted Kong Xiujin on the shoulder, "Girl, we need to speed things up."

Kong Xiujin took a deep breath and began to get busy following the method taught by Master Han. Although she was nervous, she quickly got the hang of it.

After a while, two more middle-aged women came in and joined the busy work.

At the end of the day, Kong Xiujin was exhausted with a sore back, but she felt a great sense of accomplishment.

When she returned to the dormitory that evening, her roommates enthusiastically asked her how her first day at work felt.

Kong Xiujin recounted her day's experiences with a smile. She knew that she was slowly integrating into this new environment, and the picture of a new life was slowly unfolding.

She then asked a few questions to the senior staff members in the dormitory, and the older women who had time helped her answer them.

After resolving these issues, it was already 7 o'clock. She realized she hadn't seen Kong Xiufang yet, so she went to Kong Xiufang's room. They were five rooms apart, and she arrived in just a few minutes.

He knocked on the door, and a tall, thin woman with a voluptuous face and a long, snake-like appearance came out and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Kong Xiujin took a step back and whispered, "Hello comrade, I'm looking for Kong Xiufang."

The woman with the snake-like face and red lips said, "She went out on a date and hasn't come back yet. If you need anything, tell me and I'll pass it on for you."

Kong Xiujin said, "Oh, thank you. No need to trouble yourself. It's nothing, I just came to visit her and chat."

Qi Feifei rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, okay then! Whatever. She won't be back until tonight. I have something to do, I'll be going now."

After saying that, she walked out and locked the door behind her. Feeling embarrassed to stay any longer, Kong Xiujin returned to her dormitory.

Meanwhile, Kong Xiufang was chatting with Song Shiyue at Lin Junhui's house.

Lin Junhui sat on the stool listening to their conversation. He also peeled sunflower seeds for Kong Xiufang.

The shelled melon seeds were placed in a small plate, and a small pile of melon seed shells was thrown into an unused shoebox.

Kong Xiufang grabbed a handful of melon seeds and put them into Song Shiyue's hand, saying, "Auntie, you can have some melon seeds."

Song Shiyue smiled and said, "Don't worry about me, you can eat it yourself. You young girls all love to eat these snacks, but people our age aren't used to them."

Lin Junhui watched the interaction between his mother and daughter-in-law with a smile, feeling very happy. What more could one ask for in a relationship like this?

Song Shiyue is gentle and kind, and Kong Xiufang is also sensible and cheerful. The two of them live together without any conflicts.

After returning to her dormitory, Kong Xiujin felt a little empty inside.

She had gone to chat with Kong Xiufang with great anticipation, but found no one there. However, she understood that everyone has their own social life.

A few days later, on the weekend, the factory held a small event and encouraged everyone to participate. Kong Xiujin's warehouse management department planned to put on a choral performance.

Everyone nominated Kong Xiujin to be the lead singer because of her clear and beautiful voice. Kong Xiujin was very shy at first, but agreed after being encouraged by her colleagues.

During the practice, Kong Xiujin accidentally discovered that Lin Junhui was also involved and in charge of organizing the work.

When Lin Junhui saw her, he gave her a gentle smile, and the two exchanged a brief greeting.

On the day of the event, Kong Xiujin, dressed in simple yet neat clothes, took to the stage to lead the singing. Her outstanding performance won rounds of applause.

After stepping off the stage, Lin Junhui walked over to her and praised her. Kong Xiujin blushed and thanked him. At this moment, Kong Xiufang also came over and jokingly said, "Brother Junhui, you can't steal my sister." Everyone laughed.

At that moment, Kong Xiujin felt the warmth of the community and the boundless joy of her new life, and she became even more determined to live a good life here.