It had been almost two months since Tongzi came to this small factory. In the past two months, Tongzi had been living in depression almost every day. Tongzi's hometown was Ji'an, which was in Jiangxi Province. It was very close to the border of Ganzhou. From her home to the town, it would take about ten miles of mountain road. She felt that she belonged to the mountains for the rest of her life, and she was a girl in the mountains. But... Tongzi still remembered that when she came out, her father took her hand and said to her earnestly,

"Tongzi! Go out and earn money!"

Tongzi looked at the dilapidated old house in frustration. She glanced at her mother who was washing clothes in the house and her younger brother who was dragging her luggage. This new suitcase contained all her luggage.

"Dad! I'm leaving."

Tongzi took a deep breath and finished what she did not want to say the most.

Tongzi's hometown was very poor! Those who had some money had almost moved to the town over the years. No one wanted to live in a remote old house. No matter young or old, people here had been moving outside for the past few years. A girl or a boy worked in a factory outside, and after a year, they would be able to bring home tens of thousands of yuan. In two or three years, they could buy a piece of land to build a house in the town or build a two-story building in their old house.

There were almost no girls as old as Tongzi in the village who were idle at home! This 17-year-old girl had never been married and had never gone far away.

"Tongzi, I don't mean to chase you away. Your aunt's girl got married two years ago. This year, she even didn't wean her baby before going out to work. It's nothing! Go out and work for two years, and then we can build a new house! Even if you get married in the future, you can have a place to stay every time you come back! Look at our dilapidated house! Can we still live here? I will go out in two days. We can work hard together! When we earn money, we will also move to the town to live!"

Tongzi did not reply. She just lowered her head and followed her father going out of the mountain. After walking for a few hundred meters, she arrived at a vegetable field. The area of the vegetable field was not small! There were seven or eight acres! There were all kinds of seasonal vegetables and a few big sheds! The plastic film on both sides had been uncovered, revealing the shed leg.

"Gouzi... Is Gouzi at home?"

Tongzi's Father shouted at an old house next to the vegetable field.

Gouzi's surname was Du. His family was the only outsider in the village. The people in the village were all surnamed Li. However, this village was not big. When Tongzi was a child, there were more than a dozen families and nearly a hundred people in the village! Now? Well, Tongzi did not know how many people were left in the village. There were three families in the past, and now her family was the only one left.

"Does my family really have no money?" Tongzi had been thinking about this question for the past few years.

Tongzi graduated from junior high school in 1999. To be exact, she did not finish her third year of middle school. In the second semester, her father went to school to ask for sick leave and didn't let her go to school from then! Tongzi was asked to work at a steamed stuffed bun shop in the town. Tongzi lived in this relative's house for the past two years. Every day, she would wake up at three o'clock in the morning without any breaks no matter in summer or winter. She had to work until around noon. When it was cold in winter, she was paid five yuan a day. In other seasons, she was paid four yuan a day. In this way, Tongzi persisted in working for two years! Tongzi was a strong girl, and Tongzi had never complained.

Tongzi's Father was used to stretching his budgets. He had earned quite a bit of money by driving for people to haul things over the years. Two years ago, he had also worked alone and pulled stones and wood. However, Tongzi's Father was too petty so he offended the buyers and sellers. As a result, he had no business every month. After one or two years, he had lost a lot of money. Not to mention everything he had earned in the past, even if he sold his car, it would only be enough to pay off his debts. Now, he did not think about anything else. He only focused on working for others and earning some money steadily.

Tongzi's Father was a very laid-back person. Although he was very stingy, he was a very optimistic person in life! Tongzi's name was obtained when he ran to Nanjing in the early years. He saw a huge parasol tree there, and he hoped that his daughter would be able to meet a man who loved her the same as the man who loved Song May-ling in the future...

"Uncle! You're here."

"Gouzi" ran out of the house, followed by his wife.

Gouzi was two years older than Tongzi. Last year, when Gouzi wanted to have a blind date, Tongzi's Father was very active. He hoped to introduce Tongzi to him. The reason was that Gouzi's family had made a greenhouse for vegetables and earned money! Tongzi's mother thought Tongzi was too young so she didn't agree. Otherwise, Tongzi didn't need to go out with a suitcase now.

Gouzi's wife looked at Tongzi and curled her lips. She knew about "Gouzi" and her family. Otherwise, she would not follow Gouzi as soon as he returned to the old house.

"Does the vegetables sell well recently?"

Tongzi's Father asked with a smile.

"Not bad! Uncle, come in and sit."

Gouzi replied without hesitation.

"Thanks, but your sister is leaving. Can she take your car to town later..."

"Oh! Okay! I don't have much to do today. I will leave after I unload these bags of fertilizers."

Gouzi swiftly carried a few bags of fertilizer from the tractor to the old house.

"What time is the train, Uncle?"

"No hurry. At night."

They were chatting casually, but Gouzi's wife was looking up and down at Tongzi.

"Where are you going, sister?"

Gouzi's wife asked in a strange tone.

"Guangdong!"

Tongzi answered directly without looking at her.

Gouzi's wife felt that it was boring to talk to this girl, so she turned around and returned to her room.

"Sis, the suitcase is here. I'm going home."

Tongzi's brother, who had been ignored by others, moved his sour little arm and left without looking back. In his opinion, it was common to go out to work.

Tongzi's younger brother was in junior high school in town. His grades were run-of-the-mill. He usually stayed in school and only came back at weekend.

"This devilish brat!"

Tongzi's Father scolded him with a smile, his eyes full of love.

"Alright! Let's go, Uncle."

Gouzi said to Tongzi's Father as he dusted himself off with a towel.

Gouzi's wife also came out of the old house and rushed straight to the driver's seat. Gouzi's driver's seat was modified by himself, so did the windshield, wipers, and the car door.

"Hey, Li Tong, come to the front and squeeze with us."

Gouzi's wife greeted Tongzi warmly.

"Uncle, I'm sorry to let you squeeze there!"

"It's fine, it's fine. I'll be fine in the hopper."

As Tongzi's Father spoke, he lifted the suitcase above his head and gently placed it in the hopper. Then, he climbed up himself. Tongzi's Father sat with his back against the driver's seat, then wiped the dust off the suitcase with his sleeves and held the suitcase in his arms.

Gouzi locked the door of his old house and got in the car. Tongzi whispered in the driver's seat.

"Brother Fujun!"

This was considered a greeting.

Tongzi's Father knocked on the rear window, indicating that they could leave. The car started. Tongzi turned back to look at her home. She saw her mother looking at them from a distance on the hill...