No Way Out (Chapter 2)

July 6th, 2024:

Sister Mann’s eyes welled up, her face partially hidden by a few strands of messy hair across her cheek. She wiped her eyes and nose and said, “Kiddo, I’m probably around your mom’s age. Sorry to make a fool of myself in front of you." Quickly, I shook my head and handed her a tissue. "No, no, I totally understand. I’ve talked to many workers, and I really get it. You’ve got to believe that you’ll find a way out, even in the toughest situations." Sister Mann lifted her head and glanced at me. It was a mixture of sadness and, perhaps, disbelief, that I saw in her eyes. "There’s no way out of my desperation," she said quietly.

She began to explain the series of setbacks that had led her to this point. The reason she had switched jobs so often was partly because of her family and children, and partly because she hoped for better pay and prospects. But each time, she found herself stuck in the same place, running in circles of hope and despair.

When she was 17, she worked as a waitress at a restaurant in Luohu district. Her main tasks were serving food and cleaning tables. “Everyday, my only thought was to work diligently and hope the boss would give me a raise. And after a year, my monthly salary went from 700 to 800 yuan. Every day, I tried my best to greet my customers warmly, and with care, like what they told you to do during the short training sessions before you start this job. Eager to do my best, I was. Then there was this one rainy day, people were constantly coming in and going out, and the first floor of the restaurant became slippery – you can see the reflection of lights on the ceiling clearly on the white ceramic tile floor, that’s how watery the floor is. I was carrying a tray of dishes, some of the dishes were quite deep and heavy, you know, those dishes used to carry soup. I slipped and spilled soup on a customer’s clothes. I didn’t know what to do but to repeat ‘I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry,’ you know, ‘I didn’t mean it, the floor is slippery, I’m really sorry,’ that sort of thing. And I was really sorry, I meant it. The customer wouldn’t forgive me. I was probably too nervous, I didn’t say the right words; the customer was unhappy. The clothes were expensive, and the restaurant owner had to pay for them. After that, he deducted a month’s salary from me. 7 hundred, 8 hundred yuan, deducted at once, gone.” After that, Sister Mann left the restaurant, hoping to find a job where she’d be paid by the day so she could at least secure her living.

Through connections from her hometown, she landed a job at a construction site, doing menial tasks like carrying bricks, mixing cement, and cleaning up. But as an 18-year-old girl with little strength, she didn’t last long. “Just a few days after joining the construction site, I hurt my foot while carrying bricks, and accidentally hit a coworker with a brick too. The bricks were heavy. And when mixing cement, I got splattered everywhere. The cement looked fluid, but it was actually thick once you started trying to stir it. I was also the slowest at cleaning up.” Her coworkers grew impatient with her, complaining that she was more trouble than help, calling her a burden. “A nuisance, that’s the word they used. I felt humiliated. I was determined to improve, not to be looked down upon, at least. I was young back then, and it felt as if I had a fire in my gut.” Despite her injuries, she worked harder and faster, pushing through the pain. She became more efficient, but jobs on the construction site required physical strength she simply didn’t have. She still lagged behind. “Even though I improved a little, my coworkers continued to criticize me, especially the more capable female workers. The stronger and more skilled ones couldn't stand my slowness.”

Seeing her small and struggling frame, her hometown friend who had helped her get the job, advised her to seek another. He helped her to get her pay for her 15 days of work, plus a small compensation for her injury. “The wages were 50 yuan a day, 750 for 15 days. Added to the compensation, that totaled 800 yuan for 15 days of work. Though it wasn’t much, it was better than nothing, and it was the best outcome I could get, the best my friend could negotiate for me. If it weren’t my hometown friend, I don’t know how that’ll end up.” But Sister Mann was lost again, unsure of what to do next. “Maybe I could work in the construction site’s canteen, I thought. Perhaps chopping vegetables or washing dishes, that sort of stuff. But then when I actually asked around, I was told that the canteen didn’t need more hands. In fact, they preferred to hire women in their thirties or forties, since they’re generally believed to have more experience and endurance.” Defeated and with no other choice, she left the construction site in search of yet another job.