"Leisure? Aren't you going to work?" Lu Weimin glanced at Wei Deyong and Qi Zhendong, who were swimming over, and asked casually.
"I wish I could go to work, but there's no work in the workshop. We've been on a week-long holiday. I just went to the factory to sign in this morning, and there was nothing to do. I think there will be very little work in our workshop this year. I'm so bored, I really don't want to work here anymore." Xiao Jinfeng sighed, "It's really fucking boring."
"You don't want to work here anymore?!" Lu Weimin asked in surprise, "Are you crazy? Everyone knows how hard it is to get into our Factory 195. If you don't want to work here, what do you want to do?"
"Do you think so too?" Xiao Jinfeng curled his lips, "I'm young and strong. I can find a way to make a living. Yao Zhishan can make money by taking shortcuts, why can't I?"
"Hmph, you say Yao Zhishan is taking shortcuts, are you thinking of learning from him?" Lu Weimin, sitting on the backseat rack, asked in return.
"Not really. Although taking shortcuts can make money now, the risk is high. If you mess up, you might end up in jail for a few years. It's not worth it." Xiao Jinfeng waved his hand, signaling his brother to step aside, and said, "But, does it mean that only by taking shortcuts can one make money? The factory only pays a few hundred yuan a month, and you have to work your ass off. Last week, a steel cable on the overhead crane in our workshop broke, and it took the life of one of my seniors. Half his head was gone, and his brain splattered all over the place. I couldn't eat for a whole day. The month before last, Wu Jian's sister forgot to wear a safety helmet, and her hair got caught in the machine. She died on the spot. Wu Jian's mother fainted from grief, and the Wu family had a big argument with the factory over compensation. Wu Jian almost got arrested by the factory security. It was tragic."
Lu Weimin also sighed. Factory 195 was considered one of the better ones, a large state-owned enterprise with relatively strict safety measures. But with over ten thousand people in the factory, so many workshops, and so many large machines, accidents were bound to happen. If you were unlucky, you could either die or be injured. There were always a few cases every year.
"If you don't want to work in the factory, what do you want to do?" Lu Weimin knew that Xiao Jinfeng's family wasn't well-off. His father had passed away early, his mother worked in the factory canteen, and his brother was in college, which was a heavy burden. Xiao Jinfeng had to help support his brother. If he didn't work in the factory, what could he do?
"I haven't decided yet, but I feel there's no future in the factory. I'm just a technical school graduate, not like you with a solid university degree. These days, it's hard to earn overtime, and I don't want to spend my days flattering the secretary and the workshop director. I won't get recommended for the vocational college either. What's the point of spending my whole life in the workshop?" Xiao Jinfeng looked into the distance with a somewhat indifferent expression, "I haven't even told my family about this. My mother would be devastated. Da Min, you studied in Lingnan for a few years. I heard that money is easy to earn there. If you're lucky, you can become a ten-thousand-yuan household in a year. Is that true?"
Lu Weimin smiled bitterly. Indeed, ten-thousand-yuan households were no longer a big deal in Lingnan, especially in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Huang Shaocheng's family was probably in the million-yuan range. In those places, "ten thousand isn't rich, a million is just the start" was a common saying, but making money wasn't that simple.
Lu Weimin knew roughly how Huang Shaocheng's family had made their money. They started with a handbag factory, doing contract manufacturing with Hong Kong, then expanded to a toy factory, exporting mainly to Europe and America through Hong Kong. Huang Shaocheng's father was smart and started early, with many relatives in Hong Kong, who had fled there in the 1950s and 1960s. Over the years, their business grew larger and larger.
But for a poor guy like Xiao Jinfeng, going to Shenzhen or Guangzhou to make a fortune was a bit of a pipe dream. To put it bluntly, few people would give up their stable jobs in a state-owned factory to become a worker in Lingnan. Unless you had a special skill, what did Xiao Jinfeng have?
"Jinfeng, you need to think this through carefully. Your brother is still in college and needs your support. You can earn over a hundred yuan a month, and your family isn't well-off. You need to weigh your options carefully."
Lu Weimin knew Xiao Jinfeng's character. There weren't many people in the factory he could confide in, and he considered himself one of them. Although Wu Jian was a close friend, he had a short temper and wasn't thoughtful, so he couldn't offer much advice on such matters. That's why Xiao Jinfeng only talked to him about this.
"Ah, I don't know if I'm being overly ambitious or just arrogant. I just feel I shouldn't be stuck in this factory. The factory isn't doing well, and the work is inconsistent. But you still have to clock in every day, even if you just sit around in the workshop with nothing to do. What's the point?"
Xiao Jinfeng sighed, "I know it looks easy when others make money, but when it comes to me, I might be overestimating myself. I might end up with nothing, but if I don't try, how will I know if I can do it? Damn, it's so frustrating!"
Lu Weimin's heart stirred. If it were a few days ago, he might not have known how to answer his close friend, who was seeking guidance. Xiao Jinfeng thought that since he had attended a prestigious university in the bustling and dynamic Lingnan, he must have seen a lot and could offer advice. In the past, he wouldn't have dared to speak so freely, but now, he felt he could do something.
"Never mind, Da Min, don't worry too much. I was just talking. If I really had to give up this iron rice bowl, I probably wouldn't have the courage." Xiao Jinfeng patted Lu Weimin's shoulder, thinking he was worried about him.
"Jinfeng, if you really decide you don't want to work in the factory, I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. As you said, if you don't try, how will you know if you can't?" Lu Weimin looked at him, "But before you do, you need to think carefully about what you will do if you leave the factory and what suits you best."
Xiao Jinfeng looked at Lu Weimin with some doubt, surprised and a bit pleased by his change in attitude, "Da Min, do you really think I can go out and try my luck?"
"If you really want to, why not? Life is short, and you should have some dreams. You should fight for your dreams, or you'll regret it." Lu Weimin smiled, hoping his advice could help Xiao Jinfeng find his path.
"Alright, Da Min, just for your words, I'll think about it seriously." Xiao Jinfeng felt invigorated and said happily.
Brothers, throw your votes at me! Thanks!