Chapter 59: Inside the Textile Mill

“Give me back my dignity! Last time, I don’t know who it was, but when he caught sight of that young lady, his eyes practically glazed over. He scared her so much her cheeks flushed red and she fled in a panic,” Liu Yicheng exclaimed angrily at Ge Xu.

“Besides, our factory’s hallmark is the abundance of girls. Every day feels like living in a kingdom of women—even if you don’t want to look, you can’t help it.”

“I’ve made progress. Yesterday,” Ge Xu replied succinctly.

“What? Progress in what?” Liu Yicheng paused, thinking, then hurriedly asked, “Is it the same girl you embarrassed last time? You’ve made progress with her? At this rate, you’re building rockets!”

His face was a picture of astonishment.

Then, Liu Yicheng fell noticeably silent.

Xiao Weiguo watched the two lively characters before him and couldn’t help but be amused. He could tell neither of them was a bad sort or particularly odd—he might just have found himself good company for the future.

“You two really made progress?” Liu Yicheng pressed, refusing to give up.

Ge Xu ignored him and strode ahead.

“Hey, share some tips! My mother is nagging me at home!” Liu Yicheng chased after him.

Since Ge Xu was adamant about keeping the details to himself, Liu Yicheng had to collect himself and, with Xiao Weiguo, the new colleague, continued the tour of the factory grounds. He said, “We’re in the southern part of the factory now; there’s not much to see here. Let’s head to the northern residential area. That’s where everything is.”

The three crossed the stone road outside Chaoyang Gate and entered the southern residential area. There, newly built three-story red-brick buildings stood in a row, each surrounded by lush greenery, like small gardens.

“What are those red buildings?” Xiao Weiguo asked.

“Employee dormitories—brand new, really nice inside. If my family weren’t against it, I’d have moved in myself,” Liu Yicheng replied.

“Oh, right, Weiguo, aren’t you staying in the dorm? Which one are you in?” he continued.

“Oh, I’m living in Nanluoguxiang. I was allocated a room,” Xiao Weiguo answered, glancing around at the scenery.

“Did the team leader have you stay over there? He’s mentioned it to us before, but none of us went. He mostly wants someone nearby for when he needs help. Now that you’re there, he won’t bother us anymore. Good, good,” Liu Yicheng said with relief.

He added, “Who wants to work overtime after hours anyway?”

“I’m actually quite satisfied—it’s right in the city,” Xiao Weiguo said, slowly.

“Of course, Nanluoguxiang is a prime spot. Just being close to Houhai is a huge plus. Boating in summer, skating in winter,” Liu Yicheng continued. “Just look at the skating rink—in winter, it feels like all the young people from the capital gather on that stretch of ice. Too bad I’m getting old. Back in the day, I was the prince of the skating rink.”

The three continued deeper into the residential area, where the amenities were fully equipped: hospital, bathhouse, barbershop, schools, shops, auditorium, stadium, and more.

The auditorium was used for movies and literary performances by the factory.

Xiao Weiguo noticed a dense, green patch to the north and asked, “What’s that up north? Looks like a forest.”

“Not a forest—a park, a large one called Red Scarf Park. It’s got a huge lake,” Liu Yicheng explained.

“Why is it called Red Scarf Park?” Xiao Weiguo inquired.

“They started building it a couple of years ago, mobilizing thousands of local students to help dig and plant trees. My little niece took part—she came home exhausted, calling for her mother. To honor their effort, they named it Red Scarf Park,” Liu Yicheng said.

“It was just finished this year,” Ge Xu chimed in unexpectedly.

“We could take a girl for a walk there later, eh?” Liu Yicheng said with a sly grin.

“Too bad it’s not evening; otherwise, we could go to the Workers’ Club, sing and dance,” he continued to the others.

“Six hundred mu,” Ge Xu interjected again.

“Six hundred mu? Your family owns six hundred mu of land? Quite the landlord!” Liu Yicheng teased.

“Xu means Red Scarf Park is six hundred mu. It’d be exhausting to walk around,” Xiao Weiguo explained.

“That big? The lake must be two or three hundred mu—no need to go to Houhai for boating, just head to Red Scarf,” Liu Yicheng said as he walked.

“Brothers, we picked the wrong time—mid-morning on a weekday, no girls around.”

“Let’s go eat,” Liu Yicheng said, clutching his stomach as he headed back toward the factory.

Suddenly, he remembered something, and said to Xiao Weiguo, “Weiguo, that’s the store. Go in and buy a lunchbox. After eating, just leave it in the office like us. Next time, you can eat in the cafeteria.”

“Oh, alright.” Xiao Weiguo turned into the store, where everything was new and dazzling, even more complete than the supply cooperative.

“I’d like a lunchbox,” Xiao Weiguo told the shop assistant.

“Small aluminum lunchbox, one yuan twenty; large, three yuan fifty.”

“I’ll take a large one.” Xiao Weiguo was growing and his appetite had increased, so he went for the large lunchbox—the small ones were probably meant for female workers.

Examining the aluminum lunchbox in his hands, he saw its rectangular shape, silver-white, two layers with a lid. Such lunchboxes had vanished in later years, replaced by round stainless steel ones.

Wait—wasn’t there talk that aluminum lunchboxes are poisonous?

Well, hundreds of millions use them. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. There’s nowhere else to buy one right now, anyway—just use it sparingly.

Back at the office area, he asked Sister Ling for meal tickets.

With Liu Yicheng and Ge Xu, lunchboxes in hand, they headed straight for the cafeteria.

They arrived early—the serving windows weren’t open yet, only a few female workers were already queuing.

The three picked a window and lined up, chatting as they waited. Liu Yicheng stood at the back, constantly surveying his surroundings—no doubt looking for pretty girls.

Three female workers entered, all in factory uniforms that concealed their figures, but their faces glowed with youthful energy.

Seeing three men at the front of the line, they were surprised and hesitated to approach. It was rare to see a department with more than three male employees in this factory.

They glanced at the cafeteria—this window was the only one about to open, so they had no choice but to line up behind the men, though they kept a two-meter distance from Liu Yicheng at the end.

The last girl whispered to her friends, “It’s so rare to see men here. The ones we do see are always middle-aged. Look, these three are young—probably single. If you fancy one, hurry up and get to know him. Who knows, maybe they’re permanent staff.”