#财经新势力新春季 #
"When my son got married last year, I was still outside to take orders, and when his daughter-in-law gave birth in the future, I didn't know if I could help bring it... Like us, I don't know how many other people's children we take care of in a year, but our own children don't even know if they have enough to eat. ”
Pictured| stills from "Find You"
Most of the time, work is directly related to our survival. Whether we are actively looking for a job to make a living, constantly pursuing our favorite career, passively accepting the arrangement of fate, or even passively evading, it is the most important part of our life.
In order to live a better life, generations Chinese are constantly adapting to the changes of the times, never stopping, and cannot stop. Work is like a prism, reflecting the diversity of individuals of different generations, different regions, different classes, different education levels, and different personalities.
This time, we would like to invite you to record your own and the work-related stories of the people around you. Record what our fathers fought for, and record everything we were confused about, worried about, and persevered about.
To record yourself is to record today.
The essay is valid for a long time, and the submission should be sent to [email protected] with the title marked "Seeking a Job in China". Looking forward to your contribution.
Seeking Business in China· Work in China丨Serial 10
Through a third-person description, this article attempts to present the story of my mother Chen Wan's nearly 4-year career as a confinement sister-in-law, and how a group of confinement sisters-in-law who are in the same situation as her are single-handedly supporting their families.
The rise of this industry once gave them hope, but its development speed and gradual standardization inevitably made them fall into the difficulties of life again.
It's hard for me to write about the bitterness of this group at a limited level, just to let people understand that there is such a group of women who are so strong.
In 2012, Chen Wan rushed to F City alone in December's tail.
This was Chen Wan's first time here, and as the crowd walked out of the train station, the wet and cold evening breeze came with an unfamiliar breath, and her inner uneasiness gradually amplified. But the heavy burden of her family drives her to continue to move forward without hesitation.
Chen Wan clutched a note with the address Ah Zhu wrote to her, and according to the route written on the note, she got on the bus with a thin duffel bag.
It was already 7 p.m. when I arrived at the Provincial Maternity and Child Hospital. I called Azhu, and nearly half an hour later, I saw her hurrying out of the hospital.
"Why is it so late? I'm busy right now. Ah Zhu said breathlessly, then made a gesture and signaled Chen Wan to follow her.
A few years older than Chen Wan, Azhu is a confinement sister-in-law with 6 years of experience, and Chen Wan met her more than a month ago through the introduction of the landlord of the rental house. Just yesterday, Azhu just received an order, the mother chose to have a caesarean section due to incorrect fetal position, and her body was weak after giving birth.
"I'll take you to the company first, introduce Boss Wang and then get back." She has a house in F City, rarely in the company, and this is not a few new people recently, just in time for you to catch up. Azhu said as she walked. Chen Wan followed Azhu quickly between several old residential buildings, but fortunately she had a few changes of clothes in her duffel bag, otherwise she would not be able to keep up with Azhu's footsteps.
Less than 10 minutes before and after, a tube building appeared in front of you. Azhu said: "The company is on the 3rd floor, you will live here tonight, and you can also live here when you come back in the future, but it is a little crowded." ”
Chen Wan moved her gaze to the 3rd floor, and saw a simple sign hanging on the exterior wall of a glass window on the far left, with yellow characters on a red background, saying "XX Sister-in-law Company".
Ah Zhu took Chen Wan into the dark corridor, she was obviously very familiar with this darkness, and went up to the second floor quickly, only to find that Chen Wan did not follow. Azhu didn't dare to leave the hospital for too long, so she went directly down more than a dozen steps and took Chen Wan's hand: "You look at the road, just get used to walking in the future." ”
Crossing a narrow corridor on the 3rd floor, Ah Zhu finally stopped in front of an iron door at the end of the corridor. When the old iron door was opened, there was a sharp noise from the hinge, which caused a group of people inside the door to look towards this side.
The "company" has only two rooms and a living room, the living room is small and simply furnished, and directly opposite the door stands a counter with a few leaflets scattered on it, and behind the counter there is a leather swivel chair. To the left of the door sits an old gray sofa, in front of which is a small coffee table. Nothing else.
"Is Boss Wang still there?" Azhu asked everyone.
"In the office." Several women with various accents said in unison. In the dim yellow light, their faces looked a little sallow.
When Ah Zhu walked in with Chen Wan, the entire living room looked even more forced. The door of the "office" was next to the sofa, and Ah Zhu knocked twice, and a female voice immediately came from inside.
"Boss Wang, this is the Chen Wan I told you about earlier," After hearing the reply, Azhu said as he opened the door, "You also know the details, and I will have to trouble you to take care of you more in the future." I have to hurry back to the hospital at this point, if there is anything to know, just ask her. ”
After speaking, Azhu saw that the boss nodded, hurriedly pulled Chen Wan sideways, and said to the boss: "Then I will go first, you are busy." ”
Azhu and Boss Wang were old acquaintances, who had worked here since the beginning of the company's establishment, and are now the company's senior sister-in-law. Before closing the door, she whispered to Chen Wan: "If there is anything that you won't know, you can call me and ask me, let's go first." ”
A Simmons bed occupies 1/3 of the office, and there is a desk and a chair next to the bed. If the desk is not full of documents, it is more like a temporary lounge.
Boss Wang, a woman in her early 50s, was fat, leaning on the back of a chair, her body almost filling the entire chair. To Chen Wan's surprise, she only asked some basic personal information, and did not ask more.
"Tomorrow morning, you go and get your health certificate first, and then come back for training." Boss Wang handed the ID card back to Chen Wan, "Pay another 200 yuan for the training fee." ”
Boss Wang never spent the night in the company, and before leaving, she specially explained to Chen Wan: "Remember to go to the epidemic prevention station, you don't have to go to the hospital." ”
There are a total of 11 sisters-in-law in the living room, 4 of them are new arrivals in the past two days like Chen Wan, and the rest have just returned from "issuing orders" and waiting in the company to continue to accept orders. Chen Wan chatted with them and found that she was the youngest in them — even though she was 43 at the time.
The confinement sister-in-law's common bedroom is next door to the office, so small that it can only accommodate a 1.5 meter * 2 meter bed, and there is a path next to the bed, which allows one person to pass sideways. Chen Wan and 11 others lay side by side on the bed, their feet hanging out of the edge of the bed. Although the posture was not comfortable, for some reason, when she squeezed between these strange confinement sisters-in-law, the uneasiness in her heart, which had been continuous since leaving the station, eased a little.
When Chen Wan arrived at the epidemic prevention station the next day, she found that there were really many people who came to apply for health certificates, and overheard their conversations, and several of them were also confinement sisters-in-law.
"Is there a rule that confinement sisters-in-law must come to the epidemic prevention station to apply for a health certificate?" Chen Wan was a little puzzled and couldn't help but ask.
Several concubines looked at each other, and after a long silence, one of them smiled and spoke: "It's nothing, it's just to save some money." The same medical examination program is much more expensive in the hospital. ”
"Yes, you can save a lot of money by running it at the epidemic prevention station." Another sister-in-law nodded in agreement.
After returning from the epidemic prevention station, Chen Wan began a week-long "pre-job training". Unlike what she imagined, there was no special training teacher, it was Boss Wang himself who told the newcomers, and the confinement sisters-in-law who did not take orders temporarily acted as teaching assistants.
Later, Chen Wan learned that Boss Wang herself was born as a concubine. In the past few years, the moon-in-law industry was in the ascendant, and she saw the prospects of this industry and got a piece of the pie before the market was saturated. In the past two years, companies that have established themselves in the local market are on the rise, with new moon sisters-in-law joining almost every month, and customer orders have increased rapidly.
Boss Wang sat casually on the swivel chair in front of the living room counter, holding a baby model in his hand, and quickly explained the relevant knowledge of how to care for mothers and newborns to the new moon sisters-in-law from beginning to end. However, she spoke incoherently, she said whatever she thought of, and let a few old concubines on the side supplement it to see if there were any omissions. The work of nursing mothers and newborns is numerous and trivial, and such a fragmented explanation makes several newcomers listen to the clouds.
On the fifth day after the training, the company came to many customer orders, but the old confinement sisters-in-law all went out to take orders. Chen Wan was called to the office by Boss Wang: "Now there is a nursing list, I see that you have studied well in the past few days, can you go?" ”
"Can you go to work now?" Although the "training" is over, even if Boss Wang does not take the exam, Chen Wan knows how well she has learned, and she does not feel that she has reached the point where she can take orders.
"Just 3 days, just take care of the mother and baby in the hospital. Sister-in-law will only accumulate experience if she does it. Boss Wang said slowly.
Chen Wan knew that continuing to stay in the company would not help, and what Boss Wang said was not unreasonable, not to mention that she urgently needed money - the two children were still in school, and the living expenses for the next month had not yet been paid - so she nodded: "When?" ”
"Just tomorrow, I will send the customer information and hospital address to your mobile phone." Saying that, Boss Wang pulled out a folder from the pile of documents on the table, "This is your seniority certificate and health certificate." ”
Chen Wan took it and found that her seniority certificate said "since 2008." "Did I make a mistake?" Chen Wan vaguely sensed something, but still wanted to confirm again - in the past ten days, through contact with other confinement sisters-in-law, Chen Wan basically had some understanding of the company's situation. A few days ago, her sister-in-law told her: "The company was actually only established in 2009, and in order to show the company's old brand, Boss Wang said that he established the company in 2006." When asked by customers, we have to say the same. ”
When the sister-in-law said this, she suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly: "Anyway, I haven't seen anyone really come to check." ”
The situation of all confinement sisters-in-law here is similar: less literate and difficult families. Some of them didn't even pass the physical examination, and they came here after being rejected by other confinement companies. It is probably because of this that Boss Wang will not ask Chen Wan's specific situation in detail.
"The commission is too high, and more than half of each order has to be drawn!" Before, sister-in-law Li couldn't help but complain to Chen Wan, "But there is no way, there is no way to go, only here is willing to ask me." ”
"If you encounter a customer with strict requirements, the health certificate issued by the epidemic prevention station will be useless." Sister-in-law Wu said on the side, "I met one before, they asked me to go to the hospital for a physical examination first, and only after passing the order did I sign the bill." I knew I wouldn't qualify, so I refused, and then they asked me to come back the next day. ”
"Since you are not qualified, why can you get a health certificate at the epidemic prevention station?" Chen Wan still couldn't understand.
"People at the station never ask about the usefulness of health certificates, and hospitals are different. As soon as the doctor heard that I was a confinement sister-in-law, he said that I had hepatitis B and was not qualified. Sister Wu explained with a wry smile.
(Editor's note: Hepatitis B is mainly transmitted through contact with blood and other body fluids, and most of them are bloodstream infections.) ）
Chen Wan finally understood why Boss Wang directly asked her to go to the epidemic prevention station to apply for a health certificate.
"Make no mistake, remember, you've been working for almost 5 years now." Chen Wan retracted her thoughts and heard Boss Wang emphasize to her without the slightest hesitation, "But this time it is an old customer, I will tell her that it is a newcomer, and the seniority certificate is not needed for the time being." ”
In mid-January 2013, it had just rained in F City, and the weather was cold and wet.
When Chen Wan followed the customer into the strange community, she saw that the street was covered with fallen leaves of subtropical evergreens that had just been washed by rain, and the color was still emerald green. She did not expect that she would be forced to rush to work - just yesterday, after 3 days of nursing and about to leave the hospital, Chen Wan was suddenly stopped by the mother's mother-in-law.
"Xiao Chen, wait for you to go with us, the next 20 days will trouble you."
When she first heard this, Chen Wan didn't react, but she soon realized that she was deceived by Boss Wang - from the beginning, this was not only 3 days of care, Boss Wang signed long-term orders with customers behind her back.
Chen Wan did not dare to show that she did not know about this matter, since it was difficult to ride a tiger, she could only drive ducks on the shelves.
Despite the cold weather, Chen Wan was still sweating in the bathroom. She was holding a baby girl less than 7 days old, and the soft and boneless touch kept coming. Chen Wan was very nervous, and after applying the belly button sticker to the baby, her movements began to hesitate. She didn't expect that the nursing knowledge she learned would be so difficult to do when it came to practical application.
"Sister Chen, wouldn't you?" The woman standing on the side suddenly spoke.
Chen Wan didn't know how to answer for a while, so nervous that sweat slowly flowed down the corners of her forehead, and she didn't care to wipe it when it was about to flow into her eyes.
"I'll teach you, you wipe the sweat first." The mother knew that Chen Wan was a novice before, but she chose her in the end. 3 days is not a long time, but it is enough to see who a person is. Although Chen Wan is not familiar with how to care for mothers and newborns, she is careful, patient and loving.
The mother took her daughter, hugged her body with her left hand, supported her buttocks with her right hand, and gently put her into the bathtub prepared in advance.
"I'm sorry, I'm too nervous," Chen Wan was so ashamed that she even forgot to wipe her sweat, "I still have to trouble you." ”
"It's okay Sister Chen, it just so happens that I am the second child, and I have also invited a confinement sister-in-law before, in fact, I will have some." After the mother placed the baby, she began to explain while cleaning the child, "Look at the order and method of my cleaning, first up and then down, first inside and out..."
In the following days, Chen Wan learned a lot of specific operations with the mother: the use of breast pumps, how to soak milk, induce milk, breast massage, make confinement meals... The mother is equivalent to giving Chen Wan a second training.
Years later, whenever she recalled her first order, Chen Wan would sincerely thank this mother, she must not know how much courage and support her kindness gave Chen Wan.
20 days later, Chen Wan "issued an order" and returned to the company and got her first salary since becoming a confinement sister-in-law, 1,800 yuan - previously, Boss Wang had taken 2,000 yuan. Although the salary was not much, Chen Wan still took part of it first and signed herself up for a formal confinement training class. After that, he sent all the rest of the money to his children, and he continued to save money.
"Haven't I already trained you? How, not satisfied with my training? Knowing that Chen Wan was going to participate in the training, Boss Wang's attitude cooled down, "Didn't the customer this time also say that you are very good, with this time, it is better to take a few more orders to practice." ”
"The client this time was so good that he didn't fire me. I know my own jin two, you taught it well, but I was too stupid to learn. Give me two weeks, and as soon as the training is over, I will be able to take big orders, and I will definitely earn more by then. Chen Wan defended tactfully.
Boss Wang's fingers scraped back and forth on his round chin, and his squinted eyes suddenly opened a slit: "Since you want to spend this spare money, I can't stop it - don't you still lack a certificate for the "three certificates" of the moon sister-in-law?" There is a primary certificate exam in April, as soon as your training is over, you will give me a few nursing lists, and then get the certificate in hand! ”
(Editor's note: Three certificates for confinement sister-in-law - ID card, health certificate within the validity period and maternal and child care training certificate.) ）
In April of that year, after two weeks of formal training and several successive lists, Chen Wan obtained the primary certificate of confinement sister-in-law with a high score, and officially began her 24-hour on-call and year-round career as a confinement sister-in-law.
After Chen Wan had been a confinement sister-in-law for nearly a year, Boss Wang once introduced her to a rather tricky list - the customer changed two confinement sisters-in-law in succession and was still not satisfied, the first month's sister-in-law worked in the customer's home for less than 10 days, and the latter worked less than 1 day.
When handing over to the previous confinement sister-in-law, Chen Wan learned that Bao's mother was almost unable to walk on the ground due to the separation of the pubic symphysis during childbirth, and needed to sit in a wheelchair for more than a month, and the baby was covered with eczema, so Bao's mother was extremely hot-tempered.
"Do babies' usual clothes have to be dried in the dryer?" Chen Wan had encountered such a situation before.
"Yes, it has been raining recently, and my mother-in-law is worried that the clothes will not be able to wear well for the baby." Baoma nodded while sitting in a wheelchair.
"So you just put the freshly dried clothes on the baby right away?" Chen Wan continued to ask.
Seeing Bao's mother nodding, she explained: "Freshly baked clothes can not be worn for the baby immediately, the baby's skin is very fragile, especially newborns, the skin is particularly sensitive, such clothes are very easy to make the baby suffocate eczema." ”
"You don't have to worry, with me, the baby's eczema will be fine in two days." Chen Wan soothed.
Chen Wan didn't say much, and indeed in less than two days, the baby's eczema basically disappeared. Bao's mother and family were very happy and couldn't stop praising Chen Wan for her experience. "Unlike the first two, like the new ones, even this will not be dealt with."
Hearing such praise, Chen Wan couldn't help but smile bitterly in her heart. She always remembered how embarrassed she was a year ago, and if it weren't for the kindness of that family, I am afraid that she would not be able to persist to this day.
However, the gratitude for curing the baby's eczema did not last long, and Chen Wan was once again used by the family as a 24-hour on-call nanny.
"Since I paid you to hire, shouldn't you be there 24 hours a day for me?" Two months ago, one of Chen's clients said to her. And this time, although the customer did not speak bluntly, but showed it vividly in behavior.
Bao's mother eats 7 confinement meals a day, and each meal will change 1 set of clothes, 2 towels, counting the baby's clothes, and washing 12 sets of clothes every day. "I have to wash it by hand, my fabric is all good." Bao's mother did not forget to instruct.
Every afternoon, after feeding the baby and coaxing her to take a nap, Chen Wan could have taken a nap, but Bao's mother pinched the time every time, and as soon as Chen Wan came out of the nursery, she immediately called her in the bedroom: "Sister Chen, give me a massage, I have breasts." But when Chen Wan massaged Bao's mother, she found that she didn't have any milk at all.
After going to bed at 2 o'clock every night, getting up at 4 o'clock to prepare breakfast, and constantly taking care of the baby and the 150-pound mother who was almost unable to move in a wheelchair, Chen Wan finally became exhausted: "Are you dissatisfied with my work, or are you dissatisfied with myself?" If I don't have a good rest, I can't take care of you and your baby to the best of my ability, right? If you think I'm not qualified, just say that I will help you invite other confinement sisters-in-law to come. ”
"No," Baoma replied briefly, "that's my personality, big sister, don't blame me." I'm in my 30s and gave birth to my second child," Bao's mother looked up apologetically while sitting in a wheelchair, "There may be depression." ”
In the days since, Bao's mother's attitude has finally changed, no longer letting Chen Wan wash clothes by hand, no longer making excuses not to let Chen Wan rest during lunch break, and even sometimes confiding in Chen Wan about her postpartum depression.
"Let's go after 42 days, Sister Wan, no one will talk to me as soon as you leave." Towards the end of the month, Bao's mother cried.
"I also want to accompany you more, but the work schedule has already been set, and the next order is after the end of this list." Chen Wan persuaded, "You still have a baby to take care of in the future, you have to relax, the baby itself is a happy thing." ”
"Sister Wan," Bao's mother squeezed Chen Wan's hand, then wiped her eyes and laughed, "You are right, I am too late to be happy to have such a baby." ”
Later, Chen Wan inadvertently asked Boss Wang why she chose to let her, a junior sister-in-law who had just worked for less than a year, take over this list of postpartum depression, and Boss Wang's answer was unexpected: "Every time you issue an order, I will call and communicate with customers, and as I thought, they have a good evaluation of you." ”
Chen Wan knew that her every move was under Boss Wang's control.
In the fall of 2014, Chen Wan took the confinement intermediate certificate exam, but obtained the confinement sister-in-law senior certificate. As soon as I asked the boss, I knew: "I have people I know, and after communicating with them, there is naturally a way for you to get a senior certificate." Boss Wang privately sold well to Chen Wan and said, "This is not something that everyone can get. After that, he glanced at Chen Wan with a smile.
In this way, Chen Wan officially became a senior confinement sister-in-law in the company, and while her salary increased, the list she received became more and more tricky, and Boss Wang's commission also rose with the tide.
In April 2015, Boss Wang gave Chen Wan another difficult list: Baoma, the owner of a clothing chain, found Chen Wan after firing a lactator, a nurse, a doctor and two confinement sisters-in-law.
As soon as Chen Wan arrived at the customer's home, she saw a scene of chickens flying and dogs jumping: the whole family revolved around the crying baby, but they were helpless. Chen Wan took the baby over, took off her pants and saw that it was a shocking blood red color - the baby suffered from "red butt (diaper rash)", which was very serious and had bleeding. Looking at it again, the baby's face was black, his whole body was wrinkled, and he had obviously been hungry for a long time.
"How long has it been since my baby drank?" Chen Wan immediately asked Bao's mother.
"Since I was born, I have only been fed 4 times." Bao's mother said anxiously, "I can't feed him at all, every time I feed him, it's like I want to break my breath, and even my face is black." ”
"It's important to feed the baby now, I'll take care of it after the red butt." Chen Wan signaled Bao's mother to go to the room, walked to the bed and taught Bao's mother, "You lie down first and lie on your side." ”
"Do you want to lie down and feed? How to feed lying down? Isn't it? Baoma hesitated to do so.
"Trust me, lie down first."
After Bao's mother lay down suspiciously, Chen Wan gently placed the baby next to Bao's mother, with her head next to her breast, so that the baby could hold it. After a while, the baby starts sucking.
"Really sucked!" Bao's mother exclaimed in surprise, which attracted the family members who had been waiting outside the door to come in to see the baby drink milk, and they were all happy.
"Sister, you are now the idol of our whole family! We invited so many people before that they couldn't feed it, and you treated the baby as soon as you came! After breastfeeding, Bao's mother looked admiring, "When the confinement sister-in-law changed the baby's diaper before, she saw that the baby was bleeding from her ass, so she immediately ran to me and told me that she would not deal with it and did not dare to do it." ”
Bao's mother was very talkative, and told Chen Wan about her struggle history during confinement. "I was originally from H City, and I came here to work as an accountant after graduation. After working for a few years and earning a lot, I wanted to do my own business, so I opened a western restaurant. Speaking of this, Bao's mother suddenly asked Chen Wan, "Sister, have you drunk milk tea, do you think it tastes good?" ”
"I haven't drunk it." Chen Wan answered truthfully.
"Then don't drink it! Do you know how much we sell for a cup of milk tea? Ordinary ones cost more than a dozen, and the cost of our bucket of flavor is only a dozen, but we can use it to make hundreds of cups. The western restaurant has been open for 4 years, making a lot of money, but I feel uncomfortable, I don't dare to earn this kind of black money, for fear of retribution to the children in the future, so I gave it to others, and then opened a clothing store..."
Chen Wan thought at that time that she must tell her children to drink less milk tea when she went back.
On the day of the baby's full moon wine, Bao's mother asked Chen Wan if she believed in Buddhism.
"I believe it." Chen Wan knew that it didn't really matter whether she believed or not, she just let herself have a thought in her heart. In this way, life will not be too difficult.
"Let's go to the temple together to put incense on it and pray for the baby."
That day, the two braved the rain to go to a temple far away. The temple is built on a mountain, and the mountain is full of clouds. After serving the incense, Chen Wan also saw peacocks in the temple. That was the first time Chen Wan saw a peacock, and she still remembers the surprise and joy when she first saw a peacock.
"Little sister, thank you for bringing me here." On the way back, Chen Wan said to Bao's mother gratefully.
In the summer of 2015, when Chen Wan walked out of the ward of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the First Affiliated Hospital of F University, she saw that someone from the next ward also walked out at the same time, and the two came to the elevator almost at the same time.
"Are you also a confinement sister-in-law?" In the elevator, Chen Wan talked.
After a short conversation, Chen Wan learned that this woman named Zhao Hua was actually her fellow countryman. As early as 2003, Zhao Hua became a confinement sister-in-law and has been working for 12 years.
Many similarities made Chen Wan and Zhao Hua friends. Later, Chen Wan learned that Zhao Hua would receive 12 orders every year, all year round. Her husband, a gambler, owes more than $140,000 in foreign debt, and her son, who was detained two years ago for tax evasion for his boss, remains unsettled. On weekdays, in addition to paying off her husband's debts, she also has to help her son hire a lawyer, like a spinning top that never stops, spinning year after year, and still can't stop.
"Ah Wan, every time I hire a lawyer, I have to spend 8,000 yuan, but they only go up and say a few words," Zhao Hua complained to Chen Wan on the phone, "Several times, there is no progress at all." But I had to please, and I didn't know what else I could do for him. ”
At this time, a choked sound suddenly came from Chen Wan's earpiece. "I used to fear that he would be sentenced, but now I expect him to be sentenced." You said that if I had judged it earlier, I would have known that I would have to wait a few years," Zhao Hua's voice was a little lower, as if he was trying to suppress something, "I waited for him to come out, and I also had a hope in my heart." But until now, even the case has not been closed, so I locked him up like this..."
Zhao Hua could no longer restrain himself and cried. Another time, Zhao Hua sighed bitterly to Chen Wan on the phone: "Do our work of serving people, don't expect to be treated as a person." ”
It turned out that Zhao Hua met the kind of suspicious customer again - during the work, Baoma's mother-in-law had been monitoring her every move, and before she made the order, the mother-in-law righteously asked to check the luggage: "How do I know if you will take something from my house?" ”
"Don't think about it, if you think about it, you can't do it for a day." Chen Wan replied helplessly, she had also met many times.
"I don't dare to think about it, sometimes I can't help but shed tears when I think about it, but for someone like my age, if I really shed tears, I am afraid of being laughed at." On the phone. Zhao Hua laughed, "Ah Wan, you don't matter, stay up for a few more years, and when your daughter graduates and works, she will be able to enjoy the blessing." ”
When I met Zhao Hua, Chen Wan's daughter was already in her third year of high school. During the National Day, Chen Wan happened to issue an order, and she was worried that her daughter's study pressure was too great, so she planned to use this rare free time to bring her daughter to F City to play for a few days.
When Chen Wan was walking with her daughter through several old residential buildings, she suddenly remembered the night when she first arrived here.
"I'll take you to a hotel near the company." There are many confinement sisters-in-law who have returned from orders in the past two days, and the company may not be able to sleep. It's hard to come out and relax, you have to catch up on sleep. ”
"It's okay Mom, I originally came here to stay with you for a few more days." The daughter immediately declined, "You let me go to the hotel alone, I don't agree." ”
Chen Wan knew that her daughter was stubborn in some way, so she no longer insisted.
When she opened the old iron door of the company, Chen Wan saw that the narrow living room was already crowded with people. Boss Wang was sitting on the swivel chair, talking and laughing loudly with several old concubines. Seeing the daughter behind Chen Wan, they all changed the topic.
"Xiao Chen, who is this? ——Boss Wang, there is a new person again! Sister Wu, with a Sichuan accent, laughed to herself.
"To come as a confinement sister-in-law at such a young age, I am afraid that the rice bowls of our grandmothers will not be guaranteed..." Several confinement sisters-in-law sitting on the broken sofa, as if they had discovered something new, you talked about it with each other.
"Xiao Chen, is this your daughter?" After Boss Wang spoke, everyone else immediately stopped talking.
"Yes, bring F City to play for a few days."
"Vacation? It's going to be fun for a few days, take her out to eat something good. Sister Li answered.
When Chen Wan took her daughter into the room on the left, she was apprehensive in her heart, she really didn't want her daughter to know that she had been sleeping in this kind of place all this time.
"Mom, do I sleep here at night?"
"Yes, there are only two rooms, you sleep with us, and the other is Boss Wang's office." Chen Wan saw her daughter looking at the small bed in the room, silent for a long time, knowing that she really worried her daughter, so she immediately explained, "Usually there are really not so many people in the company, and it just so happens that they have all issued orders recently, so they squeezed a little." Moreover, I usually take orders outside, and rarely sleep in the company, so you can rest assured. ”
When she slept at night, Chen Wan let her daughter sleep in the corner and protected her inside. Chen Wan thought to herself that no matter how her daughter objected tomorrow, she must take her to a hotel.
At this time, Sister Li, who was sleeping next to her, suddenly spoke: "Xiao Chen, my youngest son should be the same age as your daughter - I haven't seen him for almost 4 years." ”
"I haven't seen my daughter for a long time, and I don't know if she studied well." Another confinement sister-in-law also opened the chatterbox.
"Now I seem to be able to use my mobile phone to video people, but unfortunately I can only make calls."
"Video also needs to use that kind of smartphone, your mobile phone can only make calls!"
Chen Wan didn't expect that several concubines would suddenly talk about such a topic, and she didn't want her daughter to worry about her after knowing this. She quietly tilted her head to glance at her daughter's sleeping face, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"When my son got married last year, I was still taking orders at someone else's house, and when his daughter-in-law gave birth in the future, I don't know if I will have the opportunity to help him bring up the child... Like us, we don't know how many other people's children are taken care of outside all year round, but our own children don't even know if they have enough to eat. ”
"Xiao Chen, you are so good, home is close, you can go home several times a year, and this time you can bring your daughter to play." It's like me, I've been here from Sichuan for more than 3 years, and I haven't returned once, I'm afraid I won't be able to come out once I go back, haha. Although Sister-in-law Li kept laughing, her tone was full of sadness that could not be hidden, "Once I wanted to write a letter to my baby, and I went to buy a pen and paper, but when I came back to write, I found that I could only write my baby's name, haha..."
"Don't think about these useless things, make good money so that children can have books to read!" Do you want him to be like you and can't even write letters? ”
"You're never going to hear you, but you're not wrong this time. Ha ha. ”
The conversation in the night continued, and what Chen Wan didn't know was that the moment she breathed a sigh of relief, tears came out of her daughter's closed eyes.
In Chinese New Year's Eve 2016, Chen Wan received a photo from Zhao Hua of a small bowl of boiled mustard greens and a bowl of rice, followed by a message: "I have been eating this for almost a month, and this is still this tonight." ”
Zhao Hua received a "New Year's List" this time, and Baoma's family ate each meal separately from Zhao Hua, and would prepare a bowl of boiled mustard greens for Zhao Hua alone, even Chinese New Year's Eve night. "It's only been a few days since I ate it, and my stomach starts to hurt."
"Don't do it, the body is important, the money has a chance to earn again." Chen Wan tried to persuade, although she knew that persuasion was useless.
"Do it for a few more days, the annual order will pay more, and you know that I can't bear it." Sure enough, Zhao Hua replied.
In fact, when persuading Zhao Hua, Chen Wan herself was also enduring stomach colic - she had been eating boiled fish rolls in the customer's house in X City for half a month.
This time, the client's ancestors have been teachers for generations, and during Bao's mother's confinement, her mother-in-law specially came from Q City, and brought a lot of special products - fish rolls.
"I don't have ten fingers in my life to be stained with spring water, and if the food is not delicious, don't be surprised." The mother-in-law said. Chen Wan thought it was just a joke at first, but after a meal, she found out that she was telling the truth. No matter what kind of dish she makes, whether it is meat or vegetarian, my mother-in-law first pours a little oil into the pot, and then pours boiling water into it and cooks the ingredients in a pot, and the same is true for fish rolls.
The taste of this method can be imagined, but the mother-in-law said that this is the most healthy way to eat.
A month later, when Chen Wan returned home from the order, her whole person lost a lot of weight.
After the Spring Festival, Chen Wan left Boss Wang's confinement company.
In recent years, the company has continuously had many new sisters-in-law joining, and at the same time, old sisters-in-law have left. Basically, those who remain cannot apply for health certificates, otherwise no one can endure such unreasonable exploitation by Boss Wang for a long time. The loss of senior confinement sisters-in-law has caused the company's reputation to continue to decline, and it will soon face the risk of bankruptcy.
"Boss Wang, I want to leave the company." When Chen Wan asked Boss Wang to resign, she didn't have much confidence in her heart. She knew that if it were not for Boss Wang's intentional cultivation over the years, she would not have had the opportunity to accumulate word of mouth among customers. Despite being squeezed for many years, Chen Wan was still grateful to her in her heart.
"I know you'll leave sooner or later," Boss Wang sat leisurely on the chair in the office as he did when he first met, "Actually, I am quite happy to see you leave one by one." You may not believe it, but I always feel a sense of accomplishment in my heart as I watch you go step by step from layman to where you are now. ”
"If you have a reputation, you will naturally have your own source of customers, which is obtained by your own skills." Boss Wang said reasonably, "It's really a loss for the company that you're all gone, but I won't forget why you came in the first place, so I won't keep you." ”
As she grew older, Chen Wan became more and more unable to do it. After being a confinement sister-in-law for many years, the cervical spondylosis she originally fell from working in the factory did not improve at all, but she also suffered from lumbar spondylosis and arthritis because of taking care of the baby.
And in the past two years, as the profession of confinement sister-in-law has attracted more and more attention and attention from the public, the industry has continuously injected new blood and added new regulations, and the original confinement sister-in-law has gradually lost a place.
"You can type on your phone, but you can't write?" When I went to another confinement company for an interview, the little girl in charge of the company asked.
"I really can't write." Looking at the thick "Moon Sister-in-law Work Record Book" handed over by the other party, Chen Wan was at a loss. She thought that it was enough to take care of the baby and her mother, why did she write in the book what she had done for the day? This is too difficult for her, even if she can write, this thick book, which requires two pages a day, must take a lot of time.
"Big sister, your set is outdated, and it must be 'standardized' now!" The little girl deliberately bit those 3 words extremely hard.
There are many concubines in a similar situation to Chen Wan, they are older and have little culture, some are just years of accumulated experience, and now even this is "outdated".
"My son hasn't married his daughter-in-law yet, and he doesn't even have a house at home." Sister Li, who was also dismissed by that company, looked bitter.
postscript
On National Day in my third year of high school, I went to my mother's company. At that time, the "XX Sister-in-law Company" was still lively, and I still remember the scene of myself and a few confinement sisters-in-law who came back from the order crowded on the small bed in the common bedroom. The confinement sister-in-law from Sichuan said that she had not seen her children for many years, and the laughter seemed to be in her ears.
Later, listening to my mother tell the story of these confinement sisters-in-law, I realized that they were only like this when they were in the company. That small world, although shabby and crowded, seems to be the only place that allows them to relax without looking at their faces.
I met Zhao Hua by chance, and she happily held my hand and told me to treat my mother well in the future. When she said this with a smile, her eyes were gloomy, and I think she must have thought of her son who was still in prison.
In 2019, my mother finally quit her job as a confinement sister-in-law completely after I graduated from work. I don't know if the concubines-in-law I met a few years ago are still struggling in this industry, or like Zhao Hua, they can only work part-time.
Later, I accidentally found the "confinement sister-in-law's work record book" at home, opened the thick book, and only two crooked words were written on it, which were my mother's name. (The hedgehog lost his thorn)
(Excerpted from the WeChat public account theLivings)