Chapter 586: The Educated Youth's Pain

These days, it always feels like time passes quickly, with snow falling again and again.

Beneath the snow‑laden eaves also lie many families' helpless hearts.

The main problem is that the child who returned to the city some time ago still has no job.

Factories won't take them, Temporary Workers are no longer wanted, and the Cooperative is overcrowded with pitifully low wages.

With that meager pay, it's not even enough to help the family; merely supporting oneself is difficult.

Watching the child at home, he eats, sleeps, eats again, or sits on a chair and zones out for the whole day.

Day after day it passes like this, and the parents at home are extremely anxious.

They have also asked every relative and friend, hoping someone can arrange a job for the child.

From initially demanding a regular position, then a Temporary Worker, and finally the Collective Cooperative…

The parents' demands keep dropping, and the child's morale also keeps dropping, only begging for a job to make ends meet, even if it means digging dung.

But there are so many Educated Youth returning to the city, and only so many positions, making it impossible to place everyone.

Having no job means idling at home, while the parents chat with neighbors outside, each time sighing and lamenting.

A child with a strong sense of pride, even a neighbor's extra glance feels like a sneer, so he prefers to stay hidden at home.

Until this deep‑winter day, with a month left before the New Year.

In a Hu Tong Li of the Capital City, a Big Aunt brandished a red flyer, rushed anxiously into the house, and pushed open the child's bedroom door.

"There's a job, there's a job, son, you can go work now…"

The young man lying on the bed was closing his eyes to rest; the family's white‑face still needs to be kept for the New Year, and as the only idler at home, he must be frugal.

As long as he lies down and moves little, that's considered a contribution to the family.

Hearing his mother's words, the youth merely turned over, fearing any big movement would stir his stomach, so even the roll was done cautiously.

And regarding his mother's claim of finding a job, the youth seemed accustomed to hearing it and clearly paid it no mind.

Every time they say they've found a job, they go with hope, but as soon as they're seen, they're waved away with a refusal.

They'd rather take a guard dog than him.

"Mom, if you close the door and the neighbors see, they'll roll their eyes at me again."

The Big Aunt sighed; how could she not know how aggrieved her son feels?

At that time he was leading a group of Educated Youth in a protest visit, which indirectly gave the Educated Youth a chance to return to the city.

But precisely because the son led the unrest, the factory leaders saw him as a troublemaker, hard to manage, and refused to take him no matter what.

Clearly, indirectly facilitating the Educated Youth's return was a glorious deed, yet now that they've returned, it has become his son's blemish.

The Big Aunt instinctively rushed to close the door, but halfway through she realized something was off.

"Oh dear, what door are we closing? We've really found a job this time; look at this paper, they're handing out flyers to recruit workers."

The youth snorted, "Where did you pick up that paper again?"

"What 'pick up'? It was given to me by someone from the factory."

The youth, still lying on his side, asked, "Do you think that's possible? Even the Cooperative is closed to outsiders, and the factory you mention doesn't lack workers at all; how could they be handing out recruitment flyers on the street?"

The Big Aunt froze for a moment; her son's point made sense—currently every factory's Temporary Workers are over‑recruited, so there's no need to post recruitment flyers.

In fact, the Big Aunt had also doubted the flyer's authenticity…

"Son, it's true; next‑door courtyard's Li Dama, her son Xiao Tian, has already gone to see it and has successfully signed up."

Seeing his mother speak so earnestly this time, the youth finally couldn't help but sit up.

"Really? What factory is that?"

The youth still looked skeptical, mainly because in the current climate a factory actively recruiting is virtually impossible.

Until his mother handed over the red flyer, the youth gave it a quick glance.

"A Electric Heating Blanket factory? The job mainly involves assembling Electric Heating Blankets? I could actually do that."

The Big Aunt gestured, "Read further; it says this factory is directly under the Railway Department."

"Railway Department?" the youth was surprised; who doesn't know the Railway Department offers good benefits.

But… back then, he had led Educated Youth to lie on the tracks to return to the city, causing plenty of trouble for the Railway Department.

Thinking of that, the youth lay down again.

"Forget it, a Railway Department factory would be even less likely to take me."

The Big Aunt sighed, "Oh dear, you should still try; what if it works? Besides, didn't you say back then that it was the Railway Department leaders who stepped forward and gave you the chance to return, showing they were on your side?"

Her mother's words seemed to have some logic.

This also made the youth recall two people: Minister Lu, who died from overworking to get the Educated Youth back to the city, and his son, Lu Jingzhang.

Those two indeed spent a lot of effort on the Educated Youth's affairs.

"So… is it hiring Temporary Workers or regular staff?"

The Big Aunt stamped her foot anxiously, "What does it matter now whether it's a regular or Temporary Worker! This is the Railway Department; even as a Temporary Worker the benefits surpass those of other factories. The fact that we have any job at all is already a blessing from Heaven."

The youth nodded, "Then how much is the pay? It's not written on this."

The Big Aunt grew more frantic, hurriedly fetching clothes for her son while saying, "It obviously doesn't list those details; you should get up quickly and ask if you can sign up. Don't wait until they leave or fill all positions without you noticing; there's a crowd gathered right at the Hu Tong Entrance ahead…"

The Big Aunt's urging made the youth a bit urgent as well; getting a job now is hard enough, let alone one run by the Railway Department.

Whether they want him or not, you have to try to find out.

Big Aunt urged like this, and the young man grew a bit impatient; getting a job now isn't easy, let alone one at a Railway‑run factory.

"Then comb your hair; it's been ages since you got a haircut, looking a mess like a Ji Wo."

"Too late; a factory that makes Electric Heating Blankets doesn't care about appearances."

Then comb your hair; it's been ages since you had a haircut, all messy like a Ji Wo.

It's too late, it's a factory that produces Electric Heating Blankets, not one that cares about image.

The youth put on his jacket, hurriedly tried to put on his shoes, stepped onto them and immediately ran out, while casually snatching a military cap from the table.

"The shoes are on the wrong foot, oops…"

Big Aunt complained outwardly, but was very happy inside; now she only hoped her son could successfully sign up.

Otherwise, lying at home every day, even without illness they'd end up getting sick.

……

At the Hu Tong Entrance a table was set up, and the front was surrounded by people, not only from this Hu Tong but also those who came from other Hu Tongs after hearing the news.

Most were young‑looking, clearly Returning Youth, because from their appearance either they hadn't had a haircut for a long time, or their beards were scruffy, and their eyes carried a sense of bewilderment.

There were also Big Aunts, older, but we don't want such people; we only need Unemployed Youth.

"Lu Cheng, why are there so many people coming?"

Zhao Bin was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected it to be so easy to recruit people. If he had known, he could have saved even the cost of flyers and just shouted loudly.

Lu Cheng closed the notebook recording the registrations.

"We've already recruited ten more people; tell them we aren't taking any more, and let them go back."