Chapter 12: CH 12

Chapter 12 - It made a black-hearted person like herself a bit embarrassed (1)

Yan Xiaofang saw that she was crying so hard and became anxious. Stirred up, she comforted, "Comrade Su Yu, there’s no reason for you to feel guilty. You fainted at your work post. That means you strived to work as long as possible at your work post. You’re an activist of our working class. You're a role model. Don’t feel guilty!”

"Officer Yan, don't comfort me, I know my own shortcomings."

Su Yu took her hand and shed tears while recounting, "My parents died early. Back then, the factory gave me a job so that I can feed my younger siblings. I should have tirelessly worked for the factory to repay the organization for its care. But all these years… My family situation has been too difficult. I wish I could split myself into two people so I can be a good employee and a good sister. I've been thinking about this all these years. Whenever I think that I haven’t dedicated myself to the factory, to the organization, I feel guilty.

“Officer Yan, I've decided that I'm going to get closer to the organization. I'm going to work wholeheartedly for our factory by weaving more cloth to help the factory increase its output, so that people all over the country can wear good clothes."

Yan Xiaofang looked at Su Yu with tears in her eyes.

Comrade Su Yu’s life was too difficult. She had raised a family all these years and also contributed to the factory. Her life was so difficult, but she still managed to keep such a positive outlook. Even when she was lying in a hospital bed, she was still thinking about the issue of her working. She was such a good worker.

This was an activist in their workforce. She was a person worth helping.

"Comrade Su Yu, the union will help you. If you encounter any difficulties at work in the future, just look for our union, and we will definitely help you solve things."

Looking as if she was moved by these words, Su Yu said, "Really?"

Yan Xiaofang felt that Comrade Su Yu's eyes were like seeing a lifeline. An inexplicable sense of responsibility sprang up in her heart. As an officer of the union, it was her duty to solve difficulties for the workers in the factory.

"Of course it's true!" She said firmly, "If you have any difficulties in the future, come to the union and look for me."

Su Yu was thrilled. "The union is truly the support of the working class. Officer Yan, I will work hard to get closer to the union and learn more knowledge, be a capable person, and repay the union for helping me.”

"I’ll help you improve,” Officer Yan said excitedly. To be able to hear a worker trusting and relying on the union so much, Officer Yan felt honored and a sense of mission was born.

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"Big Sis.”

As the two female comrades were appreciating each other, Su Dazhi came into the room.

When she saw Su Dazhi, the smile disappeared from Su Yu's face.

Yan Xiaofang, as an officer of the union, also knew the recent contradictions in the Su’s. Seeing that Su Dazhi had come here at this time, she was displeased. "Comrade Su Dazhi, you came here way too late.”

Su Dazhi looked embarrassed. He had come from the factory, but he didn't even have a dime on him and couldn’t afford to take the bus. He was too embarrassed to say this kind of thing directly.

His late arrival made Yan Xiaofang feel that this man was too much; he didn’t even care about his relative. His relative had been hospitalized, but he came even later than a union officer.

But seeing that Su Yu was lying in bed and knowing that it wouldn’t be good to directly criticize someone else's brother, she simply got up and said, "Comrade Su Yu, I'm going to eat first. I'll come see you later."

Su Yu pursed her lips into a faint smile and nodded. "Officer Yan, I don't need anyone to take care of me. I’ll be fine by myself. You can go back to work. You can't delay the organization's work for me."

"It's fine, the union assigned me to take care of you." Yan Xiaofang smiled and left. On her way out, she even looked at Su Dazhi condemningly.

Su Yu looked at Yan Xiaofang's back figure. She hadn’t thought that people of this era were even more simple and honest than how they were described by in later generations. It made a black-hearted person like herself a bit embarrassed. Still, this was a person she could treat sincerely and become friends with.

Translator Ramblings: A reader reviewed on NU that they’re disappointed by the propaganda. I wonder if it's because of lines like “And in her eyes, the ones who fainted at work, were glorious activists.”

That type of thought by the characters of this era is just the author showing the environment created by an authoritative government’s indoctrination. We’ll see in this chapter part and later ones that Yan Xiaofang is portrayed as a naive and kind character, who comes from a relatively well-off family. People with more work experience like Su Yu obviously don’t think fainting from overworking is admirable. That’s my interpretation of the author’s portrayal of this era anyways. What do you guys think?

I’m not sure if Su Yu views simple and honest as a positive attribute. Su Dazhi is also simple (lacking in critical thinking ability, making him easily manipulated by others) and honest (doesn’t deceive anyone).

And although we’ll see Su Yu spouting off communism quotes and ideals better than anyone else in future chapters, she doesn’t believe in it. If Su Yu was transmigrated into a world ruled by benign cat overlords, she would have no problem declaring there’s nothing more glorious than cleaning cat litter while scheming her way to the top of the social hierarchy.

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