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The Women in This Village Are Truly Amazing
墨書 Inktalez
Hu Xiuying, at the age of 45, was troubled by the tuition fees for her four children due tomorrow. Her husband, Li Kehu, was a simple farmer, and they had both elderly parents in their seventies and four school-aged children. The family's living expenses relied solely on Hu Xiuying's income.
She worked at a private Paper Box Factory in the city, earning only 1,500 yuan a month. With an entire family depending on her meager salary, it was hardly enough to make ends meet, leaving them burdened with financial stress.
Tomorrow, she still needed 1,000 yuan for tuition since her children were starting school.
Her eldest son, Li Xiaogang, was 22 years old and had repeated a grade; he was now in his third year of university. Her second son, Li Xiao Lei, was 19 and in high school. Her third child, daughter Li Xiaocai, was 17 and also a freshman in high school. The youngest son, Li Xiao Zhi, was 15 and in middle school.
The annual expenses for such a large family were substantial—far beyond what an average household could bear. It was clear that Hu Xiuying's single income was insufficient.
That night, as Hu Xiuying lay in bed tossing and turning, sleep eluded her. The more she thought about their situation, the more distressed she became, and she found herself quietly crying.
Li Kehu turned over in bed and said, "Why not borrow some money tomorrow? Crying won't help."
Hu Xiuying was truly anxious; through her tears she replied, "Borrowing? It's always me who borrows! I'm the one supporting this entire family. People only know I borrow but never pay back; who would lend us money?"
With a sigh, Kehu rubbed his head and said frustratedly, "I really don’t have anything to give."
Despite her worries, Hu Xiuying remained devoted to her husband. As a woman, she believed in standing by her man through thick and thin. Seeing her husband so distressed made her want to comfort him instead: "Kehu, please don’t be like this. I’ll think of something tomorrow and try to borrow again. We must pay the children's tuition; otherwise they’ll end up like you—staying home to farm all their lives."
A woman's heart is tender; she would endure hardship herself rather than let her husband or children suffer even a little.
Upon hearing this, Li Kehu was moved to tears. Gratefully he said, "Xiuying, I will always be grateful to you. You are truly my wonderful wife. I don’t know what I did in my past life to deserve such a good partner."
Hu Xiuying hurriedly said, "Don't say that. It's getting late; let's go to sleep."
In the morning, Hu Xiuying woke up at five o'clock every day to prepare breakfast, sweep the floor, and tidy up the mess. Only after she finished her chores did she call everyone to get up, wash their faces, and eat.
The family sat around a large table, chatting while having breakfast. "Eldest Brother, school starts tomorrow. Today is the last day of vacation. Can you take us out to have some fun?" asked the third daughter, Xiao Cai, in a sweet voice.
"I want to go too!" Xiao Lei, the youngest son, chimed in eagerly.
Li Xiaogang smiled and said, "Sure! I'll take you out for a good time, but you all have to behave."
"Great! You should come too, Second Brother," Xiao Zhi said to Xiao Lei sitting across from him.
"I’m not going. You all go have fun; what’s so interesting anyway?" Xiao Lei replied reluctantly.
Among the four children, Xiao Lei was the least talkative. He usually remained silent and seemed burdened with worries every day.
"If you’re not going, then we’ll just go play without you," Xiao Zhi teased, sticking out his tongue at Xiao Lei.
Seeing her children so happy brought joy to Hu Xiuying's heart. However, she suddenly remembered their school fees for tomorrow, and her heart sank. Where could she borrow money today? She had already borrowed from everyone she could think of. Yet seeing her children so cheerful made her determined to find a way to ensure they could attend school properly.
After finishing breakfast, the table was cleared by the elderly matriarch.
Hu Xiuying rode her bicycle to work. Her home was in the suburbs, half an hour away from the Paper Box Factory in the city.
This private Paper Box Factory was small, with only a dozen workers. In Hu Xiuying's workshop, there were only two people: herself and a young boy named Hu Zai who had been recruited from another area. At just eighteen years old, Hu Zai had to leave his family behind due to poverty and work instead of continuing his education.
Every day, Hu Xiuying worked alongside this boy in their small room assembling paper boxes. She admired Hu Zai for his courage; it wasn’t easy for someone so young to leave their parents and work far from home. Therefore, she treated him with kindness and care.
As Hu Xiuying entered the room, she heard Hu Zai exclaim, "You're here, Big Sister!"
Hu Xiuying shot him a glare and replied, "I told you not to call me Big Sister. You should call me Aunt instead; my son is older than you."
"No, but you don't look old at all! I'm going to keep calling you Big Sister," Hu Zai laughed.
"I’m practically an old woman now; how can I not be old?" Every woman enjoys being told she looks young, and Xiuying was no exception, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"You don’t look like an old woman at all! You look very young! When I get married, I want to find someone as beautiful as you," Hu Zai joked.
"Stop it, stop it! You’re just teasing me," Xiuying said, her face growing warm. Suddenly reminded of her financial troubles, her expression darkened, and she fell silent.
Noticing her change in demeanor, Hu Zai quickly asked, "What’s wrong, Big Sister?"
Xiuying sighed, "It’s nothing."
"That’s not true; something must be bothering you. You’re not usually like this," Hu Zai observed.
Seeing his persistence, Hu Xiuying reluctantly shared the difficulties her family was facing.
Upon hearing this, Hu Zai grew anxious. "What are we going to do about it?"
Hu Xiuying shook her head helplessly, lost in thought.
Then Hu Zai suddenly suggested, "Why don’t you ask the Factory Director?"
"Director, you can be quite stingy, you know," Hu Xiuying said.
"Of course I need to make a request; how else would I know? School is important," Hu Zai urged.
Hu Xiuying thought for a moment and agreed, "Alright, I guess I have to make the request."
An old man in his sixties sat behind the office desk. He was short and balding, with a narrow face. Upon seeing Hu Xiuying enter, he quickly asked, "What can I do for you, Hu Xiuying?"
The Factory Director had long had his eye on Hu Xiuying. He noticed her charm—her fair complexion and curvy figure—but had never found the opportunity to approach her.
Hu Xiuying hesitated before speaking. "Director, I..."
"What is it? Just say it," the old man urged.
"I’d like to borrow 1,000 yuan, if that’s alright. You can deduct it from my next paycheck," she finally said.
"Oh, that’s quite a sum. What do you need it for?" The Factory Director asked, his eyes roaming over her figure with interest. Internally, he felt pleased; finally, an opportunity had come.
Hu Xiuying dreaded the way he looked at her. She often felt uncomfortable under his gaze in the factory and instinctively lowered her head as she softly replied, "It’s for my children's school fees."
"Of course! Education is crucial for children; how can we manage without money?" the old man responded eagerly.
To her surprise, the Factory Director agreed so readily. Hu Xiuying felt a surge of relief and joyfully said, "Thank you, Director."
"Hold on a moment; I have conditions," the Factory Director replied, his gaze fixated on Hu Xiuying's prominently curved chest.
Seeing his expression, Hu Xiuying felt uneasy and quietly asked, "What are the conditions?"
"Sleep with me once, please," Factory Director said straight to the point. Hu Xiuying blushed when she heard that, and cursed, "Shameless," and turned to the door, just as she was about to open it. "I don't want the 1,000 yuan," Factory Director shouted hurriedly. Hu Xiuying was stunned when she heard 1,000 yuan, because this 1,000 yuan was too important to her, and it was related to her children's future. She stood there motionless without realizing it. The old man Factory Director hurriedly came behind her and whispered, "You are not a virgin. As long as you close your eyes and loosen your belt, you will have 1,000 yuan. As long as you agree, I will not deduct this 1,000 yuan from your salary next month. I'll give it to you." Hu Xiuying said anxiously, "But I have a family, a husband, and children. How can I face people in the future?" But she was a little tempted in her heart. What Factory Director said was right. As long as you close your eyes and loosen your belt, you will have 1,000 yuan. Besides, his salary will not be deducted. The old man saw that she was a little depressed, thinking that there must be a chance, and hurriedly added fuel to the fire, "What does it matter? I don't even know your husband. As long as you don't tell others, nothing will happen, right?" For the sake of her children's tuition, Hu Xiuying gritted her teeth and made up her mind, "I promise you, but only this time. Don't tell others," Factory Director was overjoyed when he heard it. The old man was so excited that he even drooled. He thought about this Hu Xiuying day and night. Xiuying finally agreed, and hurriedly said: "That's smart," while saying that, he hugged her with his backhand, "Don't, don't." Xiuying naturally struggled. "I've agreed, why are you still struggling? Come on, I'll help you take off your clothes." The old man said as he started to take off her clothes.
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