Chapter 255: Choices
As soon as the team leader announced the dismissal, the entire area immediately became lively. Everyone began discussing the matter, and not a single person left the scene—they were all waiting for the team leader to post the notice and related documents.
Even those from the youth cadre institute stayed in their seats, discussing among themselves.
Liu Yao turned her body excitedly and asked, “Are you going to join this recruitment? It sounds pretty good.”
Wu Guifang didn’t get excited. She shook her head, unconvinced. She thought clearly to herself:
“I don’t know what kind of work it is. If they’re only hiring miners, it has nothing to do with us. Even without considering the requirements, mining work is much more exhausting than regular labor. I have to act within my limits.”
“Guifang is right,” Chen Ye Chu first agreed with Wu Guifang, then analyzed further:
“But I think there might be other jobs. Didn’t they say meals are included? The team leader also asked Aunt Qiuju to get the old canteen ready, which means they’re hiring people to cook. That position is definitely a good option.”
She was 100% certain there would be that post, and she thought highly of it. It was relatively easier than manual labor, with more free time, which would allow her to study and read. Plus, she believed her cooking skills were up to standard.
With only one year left before the college entrance exams resumed, she needed a job with fewer working hours and more free time to leave herself room for review.
After hearing this analysis, Liu Yao suddenly lost some enthusiasm. With a bitter face, she shook her head:
“I won’t even consider it. I’ll just do the regular labor. None of this is suitable for me. Right now, I can barely cook a proper meal for myself; cooking for a whole group would be an enormous challenge.”
Wang Mengmeng shared the same thought as Liu Yao: “I’m just like Yao Yao. I don’t have any cooking skills, so I won’t participate. Labor work at least allows for some laziness.”
Ning Xiyue chuckled: “I was wondering why you’re all sitting there speculating. Look, the team leader is bringing out the notice. Go and see for yourselves, then decide after reading it.”
“It’s out? Let’s go take a look.”
Chen Ye Chu glanced toward the office and saw the team leader stepping out. She stood up, grabbed her small stool, and ran toward the notice board, where a small crowd had already gathered.
“Let’s go, let’s get a good spot at the board,” she said.
Wang Mengmeng saw others reacting and running toward the notice board. She hurriedly picked up her stool and ran after them, urging, “Hurry, hurry, so many people are crowding over there!”
“Coming, coming! Wait for me!” Wu Guifang lifted her stool and grabbed Ning Xiyue’s hand as they rushed forward.
Had they all been influenced by Liu Yao? Chen Ye Chu, who used to be a quieter girl, had become a bit more outspoken.
Wang Mengmeng, once a proud and aloof young lady, had also become surprisingly down-to-earth.
As the eldest sister, Guifang had always been composed and mature, but now she was much more lively and cheerful.
Indeed, people who spend a long time together gradually start to resemble one another. The youths at the institute all influenced each other.
Ning Xiyue shook her head, smiling, letting Wu Guifang drag her forward. The male youth followed closely behind.
“Make way, I’ll post it and then you can read it,” the team leader said, holding glue and posting the notice with the secretary.
As soon as the team leader finished and left, the crowd surged forward, nearly pressing against the board.
Chen Ye Chu led the way, and all the youth from the institute squeezed to the front.
“Those who can read, read it aloud for the rest!” shouted those in the back or those who couldn’t read.
“Got it! I’ll read,” Zhao Jianshe responded loudly.
Zhao Jianshe read each word clearly for everyone.
Ning Xiyue and her group stayed at the front, choosing to read themselves.
The notice posted this time contained the same documents they had seen at Director Huang’s house last time.
The difference was that this notice was more detailed, listing recruitment requirements, conditions, and benefits.
Ning Xiyue first looked at the warehouse manager post that her second brother had chosen, checking the benefits.
Six yuan per month, with three meals included.
The wage wasn’t high, but with meals provided, most daily needs were covered. Six yuan was pure income, and the work wasn’t too strenuous. In the countryside, this was already a very good job.
Working in the fields was just to earn work points, to secure daily meals.
Ning Xiyue had already heard many people discussing this position. However, the discussion mostly involved the youth from their institute, as only they met the requirements.
Liu Yao pointed at this post and looked at the group: “This post is good; you can give it a try. They’re hiring two people.”
“I’m not going. I’ll just do regular labor,” Wang Mengmeng shook her head uninterestedly. Warehouse work involved lifting heavy items, and she’d rather do the labor work comfortably.
“I’ll sign up for kitchen work,” Wu Guifang decided. She had her eye on tasks like picking vegetables, cutting, and miscellaneous chores. But competition was stiff; the aunts in the team were all eyeing this position.
“Xiyue, what about you?” Liu Yao asked, noticing Ning Xiyue staring silently at the notice.
Ning Xiyue smirked mischievously: “Yao Yao, have you forgotten I work at the team’s health clinic?”
Chen Ye Chu lowered her eyes from the notice and smiled at Liu Yao: “Xiyue’s job is far better than these. She doesn’t have to chase after trivial things; the team leader wouldn’t allow it.”
Liu Yao tapped her head twice: “Right! I forgot. Xiyue is a barefoot doctor—a perfect job.”
Wu Guifang asked everyone: “Have you all finished looking? Once done, we’ll head back. If you want to sign up, it has to be in town tomorrow.”
“Done.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Ning Xiyue grabbed her stool and squeezed through the crowd: “Let’s go. We can talk on the way.”
The remaining male and female youths left the crowd together.
Everyone had seen what they needed to see. Whether to sign up or which position to choose, everyone had made up their minds.
As they walked and discussed, they returned to the institute. No one went inside; they just sat on their small stools in the yard and talked about the day’s events.
Currently, the youths at the institute got along harmoniously, speaking one by one, sharing their thoughts.
After listening, Ning Xiyue tallied up: quite a few were not signing up. Besides herself, Liu Yao, Wang Mengmeng, Xia Zhipeng, and unexpectedly Wang Jiandong also weren’t planning to register.
When asked why, Wang Jiandong scratched the back of his head and smiled foolishly: “I’m simple-minded and not very strong. I can barely cook, so I’m better off just doing regular labor.”
Everyone else believed him, but Ning Xiyue was the first not to.
She suspected he thought manual labor allowed more idling and freedom.
But everyone had their own preferences; it wasn’t her business.
The remaining Zhao Jianshe, Yu Zhiyu, and Chen Ye Chu were all aiming for the warehouse post, wanting to give it a try.
Of course, Chen Ye Chu had a secondary plan—she also wanted to sign up for kitchen work with Wu Guifang.
Whether the kitchen work was tiring or not was another matter. According to Chen Ye Chu, it was worth trying. If she got chosen, she wouldn’t have to stick with it; the team leader said personnel could be replaced.
If it was too exhausting, she could find someone willing to switch. There would always be an aunt in the team willing to swap.
After saying roughly this, Liu Yao clapped excitedly: “Tomorrow the town will be lively. I want to go see it. Are you coming?”
“Sure, I’ll join the fun,” Wang Mengmeng immediately agreed. There was nothing much to do at the team, so she might as well go to town.
“Alright, then we’ll go together tomorrow. I’m guessing there won’t be many people at the team,” Ning Xiyue added. She wasn’t signing up, but her second brother was, and she had promised to visit Taotao at Director Huang’s house.
“Then it’s settled,” Zhao Jianshe said, looking expectantly at the Great Qi Mountain, shrouded in clouds in the distance.
