Chapter 65: The Belle of Dafu Factory
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At midday, Wang Wenyu was roused by the clamor from the street outside. She opened her bleary eyes and realized her hand was clutching a stick. Jiang Fan’s eyes were wide open, watching her with a mischievous grin. Embarrassed, she let go, noticing her hand still felt slick. She stole a glance and saw that although Jiang Fan was properly dressed in his underwear, there was a small damp patch at the front.
She shyly rolled over and got up, and before heading into the bathroom, she shot Jiang Fan a reproachful look and said, “You rascal, always up to no good, and you don’t even think to warn me.”
Jiang Fan, wary of getting hurt again, rose slowly and gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He kissed her earlobe and whispered, “How could I not be delighted by such a wonderful thing? Besides, it’s your personal toy to begin with. How could I have reminded you?”
Wang Wenyu nestled contentedly in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. With her fingers, she playfully traced her delicate cheeks. “You scoundrel. Even hurt like this, you’re still not behaving. Aren’t you ashamed?”
“I’ve already done my best to restrain myself. You should praise me. This is just the vanguard, a perfectly normal physiological reaction. What’s there to be ashamed of?”
Wang Wenyu held up her slick hand in front of Jiang Fan’s eyes. “Look at you, still up to mischief even now! Go shower quickly. I haven’t been to work these past two days because of you. After lunch I have to go back to the station. From now on, I’ll take the minibus home after work instead of driving, so I won’t draw any unwanted attention.”
They parted ways only after eating lunch downstairs together.
Jiang Fan returned to the factory. The guard at the gate greeted him warmly. “Assistant Manager Jiang, Boss Chen is looking for you.”
“Looking for me? What for?”
Another guard chimed in, “The night shift guard said that after one in the morning last night, the boss came back and sent someone to your dorm, wanted to have a drink with you. Then he came again after we started our shift today. I went to your dorm but you weren’t there.”
“He’s crazy. Looking for me to drink in the middle of the night? I’m here to work, not to keep him company drinking.”
The incident with Wang Wenyu had passed, but Jiang Fan still felt uneasy. He didn’t care if his words ended up being used by the guards as a way to curry favor with Chen Anlong.
Just as he finished speaking, Chen Anlong came out of the administrative building. He approached, trying to put an arm around Jiang Fan’s shoulders, but coming up short, he settled for a pat instead, leading him over to the building.
Chen Anlong let go and said in a gentle, roundabout way, “You can’t be blamed for what you didn’t know. Don’t take yesterday’s business to heart. I wanted to have a drink with you last night but you weren’t around.
“It’s almost New Year’s, and there are a lot of expenses. Maybe you want to send some money home too. You’ve contributed a lot to the factory, and now you’re injured. I’ve already notified the finance office. You can withdraw this month’s salary in advance, and as for your medical expenses, just fill out a form and we’ll reimburse you immediately. Any further costs, you can claim all at once as well.”
He had barely started at the factory before getting dragged to a gambling den with Chen Anlong and then getting injured. He’d hardly accomplished anything. Hearing Chen Anlong praise his contributions, Jiang Fan knew it was really thanks to Wang Wenyu.
“My medical receipts are at my rented place. I don’t have them with me. I’ll go fetch them now.”
Never hit a smiling face—though Jiang Fan was uncomfortable, he didn’t let it show. He thought about how Chen Anlong squeezed his workers but was lavish in nightclubs and casinos. At the moment, he was strapped for cash and in debt, so he didn’t stand on ceremony and turned to go get his receipts and change.
Chen Anlong grabbed his arm and, pointing to the office building, feigned concern. “If you don’t like the dorm, why didn’t you say something? You spent money to rent a place, but there are vacant rooms upstairs, fully furnished and equipped. Why not move back into the dorm? It would make commuting easier.”
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“As for the reimbursement, do you really need receipts? Just write down how much you spent, that will do.”
Jiang Fan hurriedly waved him off. “The place is already rented, so there’s no need for extra trouble. I’m fine with an advance on my salary, but I can’t accept what isn’t mine. Let’s stick to the rules.”
Chen Anlong knew that haste would only backfire. Seeing Jiang Fan’s firm refusal, he relented. “Alright, whatever works for you. Once you have the receipts, take them straight to finance. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
He hadn’t gotten this far in business by being a fool. Chen Anlong’s keen intelligence and smooth manner showed in this moment.
The first medical bill had been paid by Deputy Director Tang. Counting even the few yuan spent on Yunnan Baiyao, it was just over a hundred. The cab ride back from Zhangmutou hadn’t been paid for, so that couldn’t be claimed.
Thinking of the kindhearted cab driver, Jiang Fan mused to himself, “Brother, where are you now? Will fate ever bring us together again?”
Once he got his money, Jiang Fan set aside what he owed Deputy Director Tang. The remaining three thousand and five yuan he carefully tucked into his pocket.
Clutching his pocket, Jiang Fan went to Tang’s office. Seeing the man was busy, he was about to leave and try again later.
But Tang put down his work immediately and came over. “Is something wrong?”
“Thank you for taking me for treatment last time. Here’s the money you advanced for the medicine. The factory reimbursed it today.”
Though their interactions had been brief, Jiang Fan had found Tang different from Chen Anlong and the other Taiwanese managers, who looked down on mainlanders. He felt less prejudice and found himself speaking more politely.
Tang accepted the money. “Please thank your girlfriend for giving me face yesterday. When you have time, let’s have a drink together. I’ve been here in the mainland for over a year and still don’t have many friends.”
Repaying money meant preserving his own dignity and character. Tang wisely didn’t refuse, and his invitation was subtle, sparing Jiang Fan’s feelings.
Sensing Tang’s respectful tone, Jiang Fan felt respected in turn. “I’m free while I’m recuperating, but my girlfriend doesn’t have time after work.”
“I’ve still got things to finish up now, so how about tomorrow? You pick the time. Here or outside the factory, you decide. Anyone who cares about who they’re drinking with doesn’t care about the venue.”
Tang’s easygoing words truly made him seem a friend to the workers, and Jiang Fan’s goodwill toward him grew.
Respect is mutual, and knowing his place, Jiang Fan replied, “Why don’t you choose? I’m free during the day, anytime.”
Leaving Tang’s office, Jiang Fan didn’t know where to go, so he wandered to a patch of grass by the basketball court, fingering the money in his pocket and mulling over his problems.
Apart from cigarettes, he could hardly bring himself to spend any money. He’d already decided to split the three thousand into three—one thousand for Wang Wenyu, for their daily needs, the rest to be saved. One share would be sent to his family, one to Li Jiuguan.
But it was the money for his family and Li Jiuguan that troubled him.
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He still didn’t know how to explain his dismissal to his family. He didn’t dare contact them, nor did he want them to know his current address.
As for Li Jiuguan, sending fifty or a hundred yuan was fine, but to send a thousand after being away just a dozen days? Such a large sum would not only startle Li Jiuguan, it might make him suspect the money was ill-gotten, and he might even chase Jiang Fan down in Dongguan and give him a beating.
He knew his master’s temperament—Li Jiuguan might well do just that.
His thoughts kept returning to Li Jiuguan. He wanted his master to have an easier life, but sending too little would make him uncomfortable with himself.
Jiang Fan lay on the grass, a blade of grass in his mouth, brooding. Suddenly, he heard Shen Tingting’s voice coming from the factory building near the basketball court.
“Please, stop following me and let me work, can’t you?”
He saw Zhu Bing trailing after her like a shadow, grinning and pestering her.
Jiang Fan sprang up, pointed his grass stalk at Zhu Bing, and shouted, “You mangy cur, what are you doing? Trying to play the hooligan in broad daylight?”
With that, he strode over to them.
Seeing Jiang Fan approaching fiercely, Zhu Bing made a hasty escape toward the factory gate.
Jiang Fan, his hand still injured, dared not give chase. He stopped by Shen Tingting and, glaring at the fleeing Zhu Bing, bellowed, “Coward! If you’ve got any guts, don’t play the turtle—don’t be a deserter!”
Shen Tingting, seeing his anger, tried to calm him. “Don’t shout. He’s gone now. Even if you shout yourself hoarse, he won’t hear.”
Jiang Fan asked, confused, “Wasn’t that rascal sent to be a security guard? How come he’s still causing trouble everywhere?”
Shen Tingting pursed her lips. “With a boss who loves flattery and a lackey like Zhu Bing who’s good at sucking up, after just two days as a guard, he was transferred to the logistics department to oversee factory waste.”
Brooding already, Jiang Fan seized the chance for banter. “With his sort, you’d be lucky if he doesn’t steal himself, let alone oversee others.
“So, how do you know the boss likes flattery? Seems you know him well! And why aren’t you in your office during work hours? What are you doing out here?”
A shadow crossed Shen Tingting’s face. “Know him? Anyone who’s spent a month or two here knows the boss’s character. Look at his favorites—aren’t they all masters of flattery?”
She waved the folder in her hand at Jiang Fan and continued, “I’d love to stay in the office, but Manager Liu just looks for trouble when he’s bored. He saw me with nothing to do and sent me to inspect the dorms, check if any workers are stealing leather. If she doesn’t give me something to do each day, she’s not happy.”