Hearing the sound of Henry Carter opening the door, Olivia Watson across the hall poked her head out again and asked Henry Carter. Smelling the alcohol on Henry Carter, she frowned slightly and said, “Little Carter, you just graduated, don’t start living it up like Fatty and the others, or your salary won’t be enough to cover your expenses.”

“Thank you, Olivia,” Henry Carter replied gratefully. Although Olivia Watson’s reminder was a bit redundant for Henry Carter, her concern was genuine. In fact, Henry Carter and Olivia Watson had only met briefly that afternoon, yet Olivia Watson was already treating him so sincerely.

“You must be from the countryside too, right? I’m from the countryside as well. Us country folks can’t compare to those city people. Their families all work at Qingfeng Factory, and they rely on their parents for everything.” Olivia Watson said earnestly to Henry Carter.

“Thank you for the advice, Olivia. It’s just that I’m new here, and with Ning Mo and the others being so enthusiastic, it didn’t feel right to refuse. I won’t go out eating and drinking with them anymore.” Henry Carter promised.

Olivia Watson nodded in satisfaction and added, “You came all the way from Hongze, and you’ve been sweating so much. Go wash up in the water room. The water’s a bit cold at night, but I have some hot water in my thermos—you can take it if you want.”

“No need, I’m used to cold showers,” Henry Carter said, then added with a smile, “Looks like I really have to call you ‘sis’—you’re taking care of me like a little brother.”

Olivia Watson smiled sweetly and said, “Didn’t you say it yourself? ‘Distant relatives aren’t as good as close neighbors, and close neighbors aren’t as good as the ones right across the hall.’ You just got here—if you need anything, just come to me. If there’s anything you don’t know, feel free to ask. Don’t be shy.”

Chapter 10: Isn’t It Just a Foundry Worker

In the single dormitory at Qingfeng Agricultural Machinery Factory, Henry Carter spent his first night since crossing over. The factory was surrounded by farmland, and in the height of summer, the chorus of frogs was like a lullaby, quickly sending Henry Carter into dreamland.

In his previous life, Henry Carter was used to working late into the night and sleeping in the next morning. But in this world, he had to change his routine. With no computer or TV, there was nothing to do at night but go to bed early. And at half past six the next morning, the factory’s loudspeakers blared without mercy. After a round of “Ode to the Motherland,” the powerful voice of the “News and Newspaper Digest” announcer followed.

“Sigh, who wakes first from a great dream? I alone know myself in this life…”

Stretching, Henry Carter got out of bed, reciting the lines Zhuge Kongming once chanted in his thatched cottage, and walked to the window. He pulled open the dirty curtains left by the previous occupant, and the morning sunlight instantly filled the room, inexplicably brightening Henry Carter’s mood.

When he went to the washroom, Henry Carter ran into Olivia Watson again. The single dormitory’s men and women shared one washroom, with more than a dozen faucets for washing up and doing laundry. Toilets for men and women were on either side, and people came and went as a matter of course—no one found it awkward. It was common for male and female workers to come out of their respective toilets, nodding and greeting each other, and no one thought anything of it.

Henry Carter happened to run into Olivia Watson as he came out of the men’s toilet. Olivia Watson was washing her face at a faucet. When she looked up and saw Henry Carter, she greeted him naturally: “Little Carter, did you sleep well last night?”

“Uh…” Henry Carter took a moment to adjust to the scene, then nodded, “I slept pretty well.”

“I forgot to tell you, the mosquitoes here are vicious. If your mosquito net isn’t tucked in tight, they’ll get in, and one bite leaves a huge bump,” Olivia Watson said.

Henry Carter replied, “I did hear mosquitoes buzzing, but luckily I didn’t get bitten… Maybe it’s because I’m an outsider and the mosquitoes don’t like the taste of my flesh.”

Olivia Watson giggled, “Little Carter, you’re really funny. By the way, you didn’t get any meal tickets yesterday, did you? Come by my place and get some so you can buy breakfast. The cafeteria has buns and fried dough sticks in the morning—if you go late, only steamed buns are left.”

“That’s… not necessary. I’ll just find something to eat outside,” Henry Carter said.

Olivia Watson replied, “Where are you going to find food? You’d have to walk all the way to the pesticide factory to get breakfast, and it’s expensive. You can’t eat out every day. Just take some meal tickets from me and pay me back when you get your own—it’s not like I’m giving them to you for free.”

“All right then, thank you, Olivia,” Henry Carter said.

Olivia Watson laughed, “Little Carter, I find you’re really too polite—you say thank you for every little thing. We’ve had technical school graduates and even college graduates assigned here before, but none of them were as refined as you.”

Henry Carter laughed as well, “So I’m too refined? All right, I’ll have to break that bad habit.”

Olivia Watson wiped her hands with a towel and said, “No need to change—it’s actually nice to be refined. My younger brother is in county high school, and I hope he learns to be a bit more refined too. By the way, Little Carter, when my brother comes to visit, could you teach him a bit?”

“Teach him what?” Henry Carter asked curiously.