He Zong didn’t dare to slight Sun Jijun’s young brother. He put his arm around Shui Miao’s shoulder and personally led him to the workshop to find people.
In fact, locating someone within the factory wasn’t that difficult—if someone was willing to help, it would only take a few minutes. For example, in a garment factory employing five thousand workers, all the workers were divided into various groups, each with designated group leaders and assistant leaders. As long as one asked these leaders, finding people became effortless. The guards who had just harassed Shui Miao did so purely because they saw him as young and easy to bully. Moreover, these guards were used to being domineering and arrogant, and their poor character was the main reason for the incident.
He Zong took Shui Miao to the workshop, summoned the workshop director, and then called for the group and assistant group leaders. When Shui Miao mentioned Chenxiang’s name, one of the group leaders immediately said that there was someone named Chenxiang in her group.
The surname Chen was indeed quite rare, and no one else in the other groups shared it.
Sun Jijun and the two hooligans followed closely behind. Originally, He Zong had intended to let the assistant leader take Shui Miao to the workshop, but seeing that Sun Jijun and the others were following, he had no choice but to accompany Shui Miao into the noisy production area.
The workshop was crowded, and many of the female workers enjoyed gossiping and chatting about daily life while they sewed, making the workshop extremely noisy—like a bustling marketplace.
When the boss arrived, the workshop immediately fell silent, leaving only the sound of machines.
After walking through a long corridor, they entered a more cramped workshop. Immediately, everyone noticed that the workers here were all young girls who looked very young.
The group leader took Shui Miao to look for Chenxiang, but Sun Jijun stopped He Zong by patting his shoulder and said, “Old He, you’re pretty gutsy! Even underage workers—you dare to use them?”
Sun Jijun knew well that after beating the guards today, He Zong had outwardly remained polite and unbothered, but deep down, he must be furious. To completely suppress He Zong, Sun had been thinking of ways to catch him in a compromising situation. Now that he had seen many girls who appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, Sun felt relieved—he had found the leverage he needed.
At these words, He Zong immediately stiffened, startled, and waved his hands in a panic, “No, no! They just look young. Actually, they’re all over eighteen…”
He Zong’s voice faltered slightly, betraying his uncertainty.
Sun Jijun, seizing the advantage, smiled coolly, “Alright, no need to deny it. We’re all businessmen just trying to make a little extra money.”
“Uh… hehe…”
He Zong was a bit confused but dared not argue further. If he angered Sun Jijun and he called Director Zhang, things would become a huge problem.
Meanwhile, Sun and He exchanged words, engaging in a subtle battle of wits and veiled threats.
On the other side, Shui Miao had already spotted his younger sister, Chenxiang.
In a corner near the wall, a small, frail girl was busily working, her appearance unchanged from three years ago—still so thin and delicate, so fragile that it pained one’s heart to look at her for too long.
While everyone else paused to look around and whisper, only Chenxiang continued working nonstop.
Seeing her like this, Shui Miao could easily imagine how hard the past three years must have been for his sister. Tears welled up in his eyes naturally.
The sudden silence in the workshop finally caused Chenxiang to lift her head—and in that instant, she froze.
At that moment, the entire workshop had gone completely silent, the machines also stilled.
“Shui Miao gege!”
Tears streamed down Chenxiang’s face. Slowly, she stood up, hardly daring to believe what she was seeing.
“Sister!”
Shui Miao walked toward Chenxiang.
“Gege…”
Suddenly, Chenxiang burst into loud sobs, running out to tightly embrace her brother, crying bitterly and heartbrokenly.
Although the other girls in the workshop didn’t know exactly what had happened, seeing this scene reminded them of their own painful memories, and they too began shedding tearful, sorrowful tears.
For a moment, the workshop was filled with weeping and sobbing.
Even Sun Jijun was moved. He pointed at He Zong and silently led him out of the workshop.
The female assistant supervisor of the workshop was also a sentimental person. Seeing this scene, she too began to cry. These girls had all been neglected and unloved at home, simply because they were girls. Their parents refused to let them study and instead forced them to work here to earn money. Yet the factory owners were heartless, making them work overtime daily, withholding half their wages, and even skimping on their meals, treating them like slaves.
There were many such girls in the factory.
General He did not dare to neglect Sun Jijun’s young friend. He put his arm around Shui Miao’s shoulder and personally took him to the workshop to find someone.
In fact, finding someone in the factory wasn’t that difficult. As long as they were willing to help, it would take at most a few minutes. For example, in a garment factory with five thousand workers, all employees were divided into several groups. Each group had dedicated team leaders, and under them were sub-leaders. As long as you asked these leaders, the person could easily be found. The security guards had given Shui Miao a hard time earlier purely because he looked young and easy to bully. Moreover, these guards were accustomed to acting arrogantly and domineeringly, and their poor character was the main reason for the incident.
General He brought Shui Miao to the workshop and called the workshop supervisor to summon the team leaders and sub-leaders. When Shui Miao mentioned Chen Xiang’s name, one of the team leaders immediately said there was a girl named Chen Xiang in their group.
The surname Chen was quite rare, and no one in the other groups shared it.
Sun Jijun and the two troublemakers had also followed. General He originally intended to have a sub-leader take Shui Miao to the workshop, but seeing that Sun Jijun and the others had come along, he had no choice but to personally escort Shui Miao into the noisy workshop.
The workshop was crowded, and some of the women enjoyed gossiping and chatting about daily life while sewing, making the workshop extremely noisy—it felt like entering a large vegetable market.
When the boss arrived, the workshop instantly fell silent, leaving only the sound of machines.
After passing through a long corridor, they arrived at a seemingly cramped workshop where everyone noticed that the workers here were all very young-looking girls…
The team leader took Shui Miao to find Chen Xiang, but General He was stopped when Sun Jijun patted him on the shoulder: “Old He, you’re something else! You even dare to employ child laborers?”
Sun Jijun knew very well that although General He had been polite and seemingly unbothered on the surface after the incident with the security guards, he couldn’t possibly be happy about it. To completely suppress General He, Sun Jijun had been thinking of a way to catch him off guard. Seeing so many fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girls, Sun Jijun finally relaxed—he had found the leverage he needed.
Hearing this, General He snapped back to reality, startled, and quickly waved his hands: “No, no, they just look young. Actually, they’re all over eighteen…”
General He felt unsure and began to stammer.
Sun Jijun pressed his advantage, smiling faintly: “Alright, no need to deny it. We’re both businesspeople, just trying to make a little extra money.”
“Uh… hehe…”
General He wasn’t quite sure what was happening, but he didn’t dare argue further. If he angered Sun Jijun, he could call Director Zhang, and then the trouble would be much bigger.
Meanwhile, as Sun Jijun and General He exchanged words, their conversation was filled with veiled threats and subtle confrontations…
On Shui Miao’s side, he had already spotted his younger sister, Chen Xiang…
In a corner by the wall, a petite, thin girl was busy with her work. She looked exactly as she had three years ago, almost unchanged—still so frail that it hurt to look at her for long…
While others had stopped to look around and whisper, Chen Xiang remained focused on her work…
Seeing Chen Xiang like this, Shui Miao could easily imagine how difficult the past three years had been for his sister. Tears welled up in his eyes naturally…
The sudden silence in the workshop finally made Chen Xiang look up. The moment she did, she froze…
At that moment, the entire workshop fell silent, and even the machines stopped.
“Brother Shui Miao!”
Tears instantly streamed down Chen Xiang’s face. She slowly stood up, seemingly unable to believe what she was seeing…
“Little sister!”
Shui Miao walked toward Chen Xiang…
“Brother…”
Chen Xiang suddenly burst into loud sobs, running out and tightly hugging Shui Miao. She cried heart-wrenchingly, overwhelmed with sorrow!
Although the other girls in the workshop didn’t know what was happening, seeing this scene reminded them of their own hardships, and they too shed tears of grievance…
For a moment, the workshop was filled with cries and sobs…
Even Sun Jijun was moved by the scene. He pointed at General He and, without a word, pulled him out of the workshop…
The sub-leader in charge of the workshop was also emotional. Seeing this, she too shed tears. These young girls had suffered so much. They were all children unloved by their parents, simply because they were girls. Their parents refused to let them study and forced them to come here to earn money. But the factory owner was heartless, not only making them work overtime daily but also deducting their wages, paying them only half, and even cutting corners on their meals, treating these girls like slaves.
There were many other young girls like them in the factory.
Chen Xiang cried bitterly. She hadn’t shed a single tear in three years, but today, she released all the grievances she had endured over those years…
Shui Miao stood quietly, but his mind was racing, thinking about how to change his and Chen Xiang’s fate.
After several minutes, Shui Miao suddenly spoke: “Sister, come with me. Let’s leave this place together.”
As soon as Shui Miao said this, the workshop fell silent again.
Chen Xiang loosened her grip on Shui Miao and looked at him in disbelief. “Brother Shui Miao, are you really willing to take me away?”
“Of course, when have I ever lied to you?” Shui Miao wiped the tears from Chen Xiang’s face. “From now on, you’ll never have to cry again. I’ll take care of you…”
“But… but it’s not the end of the month yet. What about my wages? The boss is still holding a month’s salary as a deposit…” Chen Xiang had no attachment to her parents—her heart had been broken by them. But she couldn’t just abandon the hard-earned money she had worked for.
Just then, the workshop supervisor, a woman in her thirties, hurried in. She smiled and announced to everyone: “Everyone, the boss just made a decision. From now on, your treatment will be the same as the older workers. Also, in recognition of your hard work, the boss has decided to give everyone an extra month’s salary this month, along with returning all previous deposits. The meal situation will also be improved.”
Hearing this, the workshop erupted in excitement, and everyone’s face showed surprise and joy.
The workshop supervisor smiled as she approached Shui Miao and nodded to him: “Hello, you must be Chen Xiang’s brother. Thank you for coming! If it weren’t for you, these girls wouldn’t know how much longer they would have to endure. By the way, the boss said that if Chen Xiang needs money, she can come with me to the finance department to collect her salary now. Her previous deposit will also be returned to her.”
“Thank you. Please take her to the finance department. She’s resigning,” Shui Miao nodded to the supervisor.
Hearing this, the supervisor was slightly taken aback. “What? Resigning!?”
Just when they had finally found someone who could make the boss yield, this leverage was about to disappear. The supervisor worried whether the boss would still keep his promises after this.
Before Shui Miao could respond, Chen Xiang spoke up: “Supervisor Yang, can my sisters also settle their accounts today?”
The supervisor knew very well that if the boss didn’t withhold deposits, half the people in the workshop would choose to leave.
“I… I’ll go ask…”
The supervisor took a deep breath. She knew that if she asked now, the boss would likely agree in front of Sun Jijun, but afterward, she might be demoted or even fired.
“Let me handle it, Supervisor. Thank you for your trouble.”
Shui Miao asked Chen Xiang to go with Supervisor Yang to settle her accounts while he walked out of the workshop.
Things went smoothly. General He not only agreed to Shui Miao’s suggestion immediately but also acted very generously. However, it didn’t take long for workers from other workshops to hear the news and flock to the finance department to settle their accounts. General He’s generous demeanor quickly faded when he received a call from the finance department about a shortage of funds. He hurriedly excused himself and rushed to the finance department.
Watching General He’s plump figure disappear into the distance, Shui Miao curiously asked Sun Jijun: “President Sun, why is he so afraid of you?”
“Hehe, it’s because I have strong connections. He’s an out-of-town investor who has poured all his assets here. If he dares to cross me, isn’t he digging his own grave?” Sun Jijun shook his head and smiled, patting Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Let’s go have tea later. I have a small matter I’d like to ask your advice on.”
“Advice is too strong a word. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Shui Miao nodded, responding generously.
Shui Miao was a simple person—he treated others well if they treated him well. Sun Jijun had helped him greatly, and he felt he must repay this kindness. Even if Sun Jijun didn’t ask, he would have offered.
As for Sun Jijun’s purpose, Shui Miao had a rough idea—he probably wanted to ask his grandfather for help with feng shui.
Shui Miao even thought to himself, “It’s just about dealing with a dark spirit. Even if Grandpa doesn’t intervene, I’m willing to give it a shot. I already absorbed one dark spirit at the mass grave—what’s one more?”
Shui Miao stood silently, but his mind was racing, thinking quickly about how to change both his and his sister’s fate.
After several minutes, Shui Miao suddenly spoke, “Sister, come with me. Let’s leave this place together.”
As soon as these words left his mouth, the workshop immediately fell silent.
Chenxiang loosened her arms around Shui Miao and looked at him in disbelief. “Shui Miao gege, do you really want to take me with you?”
“Of course, when have I ever lied to you?” Shui Miao gently wiped the tears from Chenxiang’s face. “From now on, you won’t have to cry anymore. I’ll take care of you.”
“But… but it’s not the end of the month yet. What if I can’t get my wages? The boss has withheld a month’s salary from me…”
Chenxiang had no attachment to her parents—her heart had already been broken. But she couldn’t just abandon the hard-earned money she had worked so hard for.
Just then, the workshop supervisor, a woman in her thirties, hurried in with a smile and announced joyfully to everyone, “Everyone, the boss has just made a decision: your treatment from now on will be the same as the experienced workers. Also, in recognition of your performance, the boss has decided to give everyone an extra month’s salary this time, including the previously withheld deposit. And the food situation will also be improved.”
Upon hearing this, the workshop buzzed with excitement, and everyone’s face lit up with surprise and joy.
Smiling, the workshop supervisor approached Shui Miao and nodded, “Hello, you must be Chenxiang’s older brother. Thank you so much for coming today! Without you, who knows how much longer these girls would have had to endure. By the way, the boss said that if Chenxiang needs money, she can come with me to the finance department to collect her wages, and the deposit will be returned to her as well.”
“Thank you. Please take her to the finance department. She’s quitting.”
Shui Miao nodded at the supervisor.
Hearing this, the woman was momentarily stunned. “What? Resigning!?”
Just when she had finally found a powerful connection capable of forcing the boss to yield, that connection was suddenly gone. The supervisor couldn’t help but worry—would the boss still honor his promises afterward?
Before Shui Miao could respond, Chenxiang spoke up, “Director Yang, can my sisters here also settle their accounts today?”
Actually, the supervisor already knew that if the boss stopped withholding deposits, half the workers in the workshop would choose to leave.
“I’ll go ask…”
The supervisor took a deep breath. She knew that asking now, with Sun Jijun present, the boss would definitely agree—but afterward, she might be demoted or even fired.
“Let me talk to him. Thanks for your help, Director.”
Shui Miao let Chenxiang go with Director Yang to settle her accounts, then walked out of the workshop himself.
The matter went smoothly. He Zong not only readily agreed to Shui Miao’s request but also appeared very magnanimous. However, it wasn’t long before other workers from different workshops heard the news and rushed to the finance department to settle their accounts. He Zong’s face quickly lost its magnanimity. Receiving a call from the finance department about a cash shortage, he hurriedly excused himself and rushed over.
Watching He Zong’s fat figure disappear into the distance, Shui Miao curiously asked Sun Jijun, “Why is he so afraid of you, Sun Zong?”
“Hehe, naturally because I have strong connections. He’s an outside investor who has poured all his assets into this place. If he dares to challenge me, isn’t he just asking for trouble?” Sun Jijun shook his head with a smile, patting Shui Miao’s shoulder lightly. “Come on, let’s go have some tea later. I also have a small favor to ask of you.”
“I’m not worthy of teaching you anything, but whatever I know, I’ll share it fully.”
Shui Miao nodded generously.
In truth, Shui Miao was a very simple person. He would be loyal and kind to those who were kind to him. Sun Jijun had helped him greatly, and he was determined to repay that kindness. Even if Sun Jijun hadn’t asked, he would have offered help willingly.
As for Sun Jijun’s true intentions, Shui Miao had already guessed. It was probably about asking his grandfather to examine some feng shui matters.
General He dared not slight Sun Jijun’s young friend. He put his arm around Shui Miao’s shoulder and personally took him to the workshop to find someone.
In fact, finding someone in the factory wasn’t that difficult. As long as they were willing to help, it would take at most a few minutes. For example, in a garment factory with five thousand workers, all employees were divided into several groups. Each group had a dedicated team leader, and under them were sub-leaders. As long as you asked these leaders, the person could easily be found. The earlier trouble the security guards gave Shui Miao was purely because they saw he was young and easy to bully. Moreover, these guards were used to being domineering—their poor character was the main reason for the incident.
General He brought Shui Miao to the workshop and had the workshop supervisor call the team leaders and sub-leaders. When Shui Miao mentioned Chenxiang’s name, one team leader immediately said there was a girl named Chenxiang in their group.
The surname Chen was quite uncommon, and no other groups had anyone with the same surname.
Sun Jijun and the two troublemakers followed along. General He originally intended to have a sub-leader take Shui Miao into the workshop, but seeing that Sun Jijun and the others were following, he had no choice but to take Shui Miao into the noisy workshop himself.
The workshop was crowded. Some of the women enjoyed gossiping and chatting about daily life while sewing, making the workshop extremely noisy—it felt like entering a large vegetable market.
When they saw the boss arrive, the workshop suddenly fell silent, leaving only the sound of machines.
After passing through a long corridor, they entered a seemingly cramped workshop area and realized that the workers here were all very young-looking girls…
The team leader took Shui Miao to find Chenxiang, but General He was stopped when Sun Jijun patted him on the shoulder: “Lao He, you’re something else! You even dare to hire child laborers?”
Sun Jijun knew very well that even though General He had been polite and seemingly unbothered on the surface after the incident with the security guards, he couldn’t possibly be happy about it. To completely suppress General He, Sun Jijun had been thinking of a way to find leverage over him. Seeing so many fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girls, Sun Jijun finally relaxed—he had found what he needed.
Hearing this, General He snapped back to reality, startled, and quickly waved his hands: “No, no, they just look young! Actually, they’re all over eighteen…”
General He lacked confidence, and his words stumbled.
Sun Jijun pressed his advantage and said with a faint smile, “Alright, no need to deny it. We’re both businesspeople, just trying to make a little extra money.”
“Uh… hehe…” General He wasn’t sure what to make of the situation but didn’t dare argue further. If he angered Sun Jijun, who could call Director Zhang, the consequences would be serious.
While Sun Jijun and General He exchanged veiled and overt threats…
Shui Miao had already spotted his younger sister, Chenxiang…
In a corner by the wall, a petite, thin girl was busy with her work. She looked almost the same as she had three years ago—still so frail that it hurt to look at her for long…
While others had stopped to look around and whisper, Chenxiang remained focused on her work…
Seeing her like this, Shui Miao could easily imagine how difficult the past three years had been for his sister. Tears welled up in his eyes…
The sudden silence in the workshop finally made Chenxiang look up. The moment she did, she froze…
At that moment, the entire workshop fell silent, and even the machines stopped.
“Brother Shui Miao!” Tears instantly streamed down Chenxiang’s face. She slowly stood up, as if unable to believe what she was seeing…
“Little sister!” Shui Miao walked toward Chenxiang…
“Brother…” Chenxiang suddenly burst into loud sobs, running toward him and hugging him tightly. Her cries were heart-wrenching, filled with grief and despair!
Although the other girls in the workshop didn’t know what was happening, the scene moved them, reminding them of their own sorrows. They, too, began shedding tears of sadness…
For a moment, the workshop was filled with the sound of crying and sobbing…
Even Sun Jijun was touched by the scene. He pointed at General He and wordlessly pulled him out of the workshop…
The sub-leader in charge of the workshop was also emotional. Seeing this, she too shed tears. These young girls had suffered greatly—they were unloved by their parents, simply because they were girls. Not allowed to study, they were forced to come here and earn money. Yet the factory owner was heartless, making them work overtime daily, deducting their wages, paying them only half, and even cutting corners on their meals, treating them like slaves.
There were many other girls like them in the factory.
Chenxiang cried bitterly. She hadn’t shed a single tear in three years, but today, she released all the grievances she had endured…
Shui Miao stood quietly, his mind racing as he thought about how to change his and Chenxiang’s fate.
After several minutes, Shui Miao suddenly spoke: “Little sister, come with me. Let’s leave this place together.”
As soon as he said this, the workshop fell silent again.
Chenxiang loosened her grip and looked at Shui Miao in disbelief. “Brother Shui Miao, do you really mean it? You’ll take me with you?”
“Of course. Have I ever lied to you?” Shui Miao wiped the tears from Chenxiang’s face. “From now on, you won’t have to cry anymore. I’ll take care of you…”
“But… but it’s not the end of the month yet. What about my wages? The boss is still holding one month’s pay as a deposit…” Chenxiang had no attachment to her parents—they had broken her heart. But she couldn’t simply abandon the hard-earned money she had toiled for.
Just then, the workshop supervisor, a woman in her thirties, hurried in. She smiled and announced to everyone, “Everyone, the boss just made a decision: from now on, your treatment will be the same as the older workers. Also, in recognition of your hard work, the boss has decided to give everyone an extra month’s pay this month, along with returning all previous deposits. The food situation will also improve.”
Hearing this, the workshop erupted in excitement. Everyone’s face lit up with surprise and joy.
The female workshop supervisor smiled as she approached Shui Miao and nodded. “Hello, you must be Chenxiang’s brother. Thank you for coming! If it weren’t for you, who knows how long these girls would have had to endure this. By the way, the boss said that if Chenxiang needs money, she can come with me to the finance department to collect her wages and her deposit.”
“Thank you. Please take her to the finance department. She’s resigning,” Shui Miao said with a nod.
Hearing this, the workshop supervisor was slightly taken aback. “What? Resigning?!”
She had finally encountered someone who could make the boss yield, but now that leverage was disappearing. She worried whether the boss would keep his promises after this.
Before Shui Miao could respond, Chenxiang spoke up: “Supervisor Yang, can my sisters here also settle their accounts today?”
The supervisor knew very well that if the boss didn’t withhold deposits, half the people in the workshop would choose to leave.
“I… I’ll go ask…” The supervisor took a deep breath. She knew that if she asked now, the boss would likely agree in front of Sun Jijun, but she might be demoted or fired afterward.
“Let me handle it, Supervisor. Thank you for your help.” Shui Miao had Chenxiang go with Supervisor Yang to settle her accounts while he walked out of the workshop.
Things went smoothly. General He not only agreed to Shui Miao’s suggestion but also acted very generously. However, it wasn’t long before workers from other workshops heard the news and rushed to the finance department to settle their accounts. General He’s generosity quickly faded when he received a call from the finance department about insufficient funds. He hurriedly excused himself and rushed over.
Watching General He’s plump figure disappear into the distance, Shui Miao curiously asked Sun Jijun, “Mr. Sun, why is he so afraid of you?”
“Hehe, it’s because I have strong connections. He’s an out-of-town investor who’s sunk all his assets here. If he crosses me, he’s digging his own grave,” Sun Jijun said with a light laugh, patting Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Let’s go for tea later. I have a small matter I’d like to ask your advice on.”
“I’m not sure I’m qualified to advise, but I’ll share everything I know.” Shui Miao nodded, responding generously.
Shui Miao was a simple person—he treated others well if they treated him well. Sun Jijun had helped him greatly, and he felt compelled to repay the favor. Even if Sun Jijun hadn’t asked, he would have offered.
As for Sun Jijun’s intentions, Shui Miao had a rough idea—he probably wanted to ask his grandfather for help with feng shui.
Shui Miao even thought to himself, “It’s just about evil spirits. Even if Grandpa doesn’t intervene, I’m willing to take the risk. I already absorbed one evil spirit at the mass grave—what’s one more?”
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