Chapter 5

Rong then turned around and coldly asked, "What is it?"

At mealtime, Xiao Chen, who had once stood up for her, came to find her, accompanying her to work at a distance that was neither too close nor too far. In the evening, after work, the young man could no longer contain himself and invited her to go watch a movie together

Su Mo stood up shivering, her hands still protecting her chest. She resembled a fish that had been pulled from the river and thrown onto the shore, floundering helplessly, still in shock. The tall young man who had just spoken hurriedly took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, saying: "These are all rough people here, so be careful in the future. Don't stay alone, and when it's time to eat, just follow the crowd."

Su Mo was so frightened that she nearly fainted, randomly pushing and hitting the man in front of her, which only provoked his brute strength even more. In that moment, she felt utterly helpless, calling out to the heavens and the earth in vain. Overwhelmed by shame and anger, tears began to flow from her eyes.

The young man with a sunny smile threw out a remark: "It's just a worn-out shoe; if you want to pursue it, go ahead, I don't care."

Su Mo still bore the marks of having been bruised by someone, and for a period of time, she would get goosebumps at the mere sight of burly men. She felt a deep resentment within her, and after much contemplation, she thought of Cong Rong. From the bottom of her heart, she hoped that Cong Rong could help her switch to a different type of work; as long as she did not have to stay in a place crowded with such men, she would be willing to go anywhere.

Suddenly, the man with the big nose lunged out, forcefully pushing her against the cargo box behind her. Su Mo was caught off guard and gasped in shock. The man covered her mouth and said, "I told you, no matter how capable you are, you are still just a woman," as he reached out and began to roughly grope her.

The foreman perceived her as seemingly timid and easy to talk to, and through both coaxing and deception, he managed to suppress the matter.

Su Mo felt disgusted just looking at the face of the man with the surname Niu, wishing she could rush up and slap him a few times. However, she quickly thought that she had just joined the company, and if things escalated, would it cause trouble for Cong Rong? Would she end up losing her job? If she lost her job, how long would it take to rise above in her uncle's small factory? Moreover, she had just spoken to her family on the phone, and they already knew about her job change and salary increase, planning to send more money back home in the future. She found herself unable to make a decision in that moment.

Su Mo smiled candidly and said: "I have a daughter, she is three years old"

Boss Zhong quickly interjected: "Your aunt doesn't express herself well; what she means is for you not to worry about us and to focus on your own work."

Su Mo could not endure even a single day, so she went directly to wait downstairs at the office building for Rong after work.

Initially filled with joy, she only realized the stark reality behind her hopeful expectations upon starting her new job. Her workplace is located in a warehouse behind the office building, known as warehouse dispatch, where her main responsibilities include generating orders, loading goods, and handling transfers.

During those days when Rong was on a business trip, Su Mo had to be on guard everywhere. First, she would take a detour whenever she saw someone with the surname Niu. Second, she preferred to exert extra effort to use a hydraulic cart to drag the goods to a crowded area and then slowly count them.

In the evening, Boss Zhong announced this news at home, and Su Mo naturally expressed her apologies for being unable to continue assisting at the factory

Aunt smiled and said, "What is there to be polite about among family? If you want to contribute, that's fine; we can keep it for you for now."

Rong seemed to have just remembered, casually saying: "No need, this kind of low-level job is something you can do as long as you are willing to come in; I didn't exert any effort. Besides, we are not that familiar with each other."

The foreman did not say much, only after Niu Dazui arrived did he scold him a few times, saying: "You still act all nonchalant and put on a show, while others have already finished your work. Just wait to be fired."

The foreman muttered upon seeing Su Mo: "This is strange, why did we hire a woman? All the work here requires strength, there is no place for women to do embroidery."

Su Mo nodded slightly, and after a long pause, she finally uttered a few words: "Xiao, Xiao Chen, thank you..."

Aunt chuckled and said, "You don't need to think so much. Before you came, we were doing the same amount of work. Whether you do it or not, it remains the same. The workload in the factory hasn't increased or decreased, so your presence or absence doesn't matter. We can still pay the same salary. Don't you agree?"

After this, Su Mo's days in the warehouse became difficult. Whatever the men did, she had to do as well; light work was no longer an option for her. With her small strength, she also became the target of ridicule. Su Mo was unwilling to ask for help, and with her stubbornness, she could only force herself to adapt to the environment. Day after day, her hands became rough, her strength gradually increased, her voice grew louder, and she even learned to use a jack and operate an electric forklift

Su Mo accompanied by a smile said, "I wonder if you have time; I would like to invite you to a meal as a token of my gratitude"

Su Mo thought for a moment and hurriedly said, "I didn't contribute before, but I will contribute more now. It would be quite embarrassing to take advantage of the food and drink without giving anything in return"

Xiao Chen was sitting nearby, bowing his head to eat. After she finished her meal, he asked, "Do you really have children? They say you have been divorced; is that true?" His expression was quite strange.

Before the words had left his mouth, the young man picked up the bowl and walked away

Early the next morning, Su Mo sought out her uncle alone to discuss the matter of Rong inviting her to work at the company

There are □ employees in the warehouse, a foreman in his forties, an elderly man in his fifties with the surname Li, and the rest are all young people in their twenties

At the beginning, Su Mo was merely engaged in testing and repairing products, or filling out detailed forms, which was not particularly arduous. However, for the warehouse scheduling tasks, the foreman assigned another person to work with Old Li, citing the reason that Su Mo was not familiar with the situation

Aunt reproached, "Only you know how to speak."

As the crowd dispersed, the foreman smiled and nodded slightly at Su Mo, saying nothing, and leisurely walked away

Boss Zhong was very pleased to hear this: "You are doing better and better here, which brings me honor and allows me to give an account to your parents." He also advised her, "Someone like Miss is a benefactor in your life. You must remember that whenever you encounter someone willing to support you, you should cherish this connection, seize the opportunity, and be grateful."

Xiao Chen was very disappointed and said, "One day, you will agree to me." He did not press her, and during the day at work, he still took care of her a lot.

Su Mo was momentarily taken aback. Although she had sensed it earlier, she had no romantic notions. At this moment, her sole focus was on earning money to support her family, leaving her no time to be distracted. Without much thought, she politely declined.

Xiao Chen always looked at her with sympathetic eyes, occasionally coming over to lend her a hand, and was also ridiculed by others, yet he did not back down. This friendship was like a ray of dawn in the darkness

As the two gradually spent more time together, they would chat during lunch breaks or go to the cafeteria to eat. Until Qingquan called out "Mom" on the other end of the phone, Su Mo held the phone and, upon hearing her daughter's tender voice, a smile spread across her face.

Su Mo said, "Thank you for introducing me to this job"

The person who works with Old Li in scheduling is surnamed Niu. It is said that he is a distant nephew of the foreman or something similar. He used to drive a forklift, but ever since he changed his job, he has been displaying an air of superiority everywhere. He walks with his head held high in front of his coworkers, giving arbitrary commands, and when he speaks to others, he snorts through his nostrils. His coworkers find this intolerable and have given him a nickname: Big-Nosed Niu

The big-nosed bull immediately stopped its movements, and after a moment of stalemate, it finally gasped for breath and climbed off Su Mo, shouting: "It's nothing, just playing around with her..." After saying this, it dashed away.

Not long after, Cong Rong and several colleagues came out together, their polished and elegant professional attire forming a stark contrast to Su Mo's listlessness. Su Mo lowered her head and politely greeted them. Cong Rong ignored her, continuing to converse with her companions without even glancing at her. Su Mo had no choice but to raise her voice and call out, "Manager Cong"

Niu Dabi often makes mistakes while working, and although Lao Li has many grievances against him, he does not dare to speak out. For a few days, when he noticed that Niu Dabi was on leave, he asked Su Mo to help out. Su Mo is diligent, attentive, and has a good memory; she manages inventory and issues orders in an orderly manner. In just a few days, she became proficient and developed a good rapport with Lao Li.

At the very moment of despair, the restraints on my body seemed to lighten. Someone said, "Brother Niu, you must be out of your mind. You dare to touch someone from the sister's side? If she finds out, you won't be able to bear the consequences."

One day, the foreman asked Su Mo to count the mobile phone inventory in the corner of the warehouse. Su Mo was busy from early morning until noon, while her colleagues went to the cafeteria in small groups, and the surroundings became increasingly deserted.

In the cafeteria, she heard a group of men gathered at a table, laughing in loud voices from a distance. Someone shouted, "Xiao Chen, why are you so quiet? Don't you want to pursue that girl anymore?"

In the afternoon, after the foreman learned about the situation, he sternly reprimanded his nephew in front of everyone, threatening to report him to the higher-ups for dismissal if he committed the offense again. In the end, he gently comforted Su Mo, assuring her that such incidents would not happen again and hoping that the matter would be resolved quietly

That big-nosed ox, having been scolded, harbored resentment and was determined to seek an opportunity for revenge

With an exaggerated expression of surprise, Rong said: "Thank me? Thank me for what?"

Su Mo arranged these trivial matters one by one, barely letting out a sigh of relief. Before going to work at the company, she also invited her uncle's family to dine at a restaurant.

The young man smiled slightly and said, "Rest assured, I will speak to the foreman, and from now on, Big-Nosed Niu will not dare to act in any way."

Su Mo felt very embarrassed

The foreman let out a sound of "oh," gazing at Su Mo a few times, his expression becoming somewhat more amiable

The people around her were all watching, their expressions speaking volumes, even the foreman from the warehouse came over to join the commotion. Su Mo's face turned red, and she stammered as if she wanted to say something, but Rong had already turned and left.

One person beside whispered: "It seems that they were introduced by the manager; they must be relatives of hers."

Su Mo hurriedly went to finalize her work with Rong. Considering the accommodation issue for the future, she returned to the small factory to find her aunt and asked, since she would no longer be working there, if she could pay the accommodation and meal expenses that were previously included in her salary on a monthly basis. Her aunt smiled and asked, "Are you mistaken? When have I ever charged you for your meals? Haven't you been eating and drinking with us all along?"