Civil Engineering in the Mortal World: Ten Years Without Knowing Today's Events

The job market is located on the east side of the county town, in a three-story building with white paint on the exterior walls that has turned gray. A sign stands at the entrance with job postings, the paper frayed and curled by the wind.

I parked my electric scooter by the roadside and went inside. There weren't many people in the lobby; a few middle-aged men sat on benches, holding file folders and wearing expressions that suggested they had been waiting for a long time.

The electronic screen on the wall scrolls through job postings: property management, sales, security, cleaning, and occasionally a "construction worker" posting flashes by, with a salary of three to four thousand five hundred.

I stood in front of the electronic screen, staring at the "Construction Worker" sign. Three to four thousand five hundred, almost half less than what I earned in the provincial capital. My mortgage was three thousand five hundred, and my father's medical expenses were over two thousand; my salary wasn't enough to cover these costs.

A young woman in a white shirt approached, holding a stack of forms. "Sir, are you looking for a job? Please fill out this registration form."

I took the form and leaned against the wall to fill it out. Name, age, education, work experience. When I got to the work experience section, my pen stopped. Eight years, four projects, from basic to main structure, and then to decoration. It only took three lines to write down.

"Are you working on construction sites?" The girl in the white shirt leaned closer for a look. "A construction company around here is hiring. Wait a moment, I'll ask them for you."

She made a phone call, and after hanging up, she said, "The boss will be here this afternoon. Come for the interview at 3 PM. I'll send you the address."

"Thanks."

Stepping out of the job market, the sun was blazing. I stood on the steps, watching the cars and people on the street. The morning rush hour was over, and there weren't many people on the road. A middle-aged man in a suit hurried past, carrying a briefcase, his leather shoes creaking on the paving stones. I looked down at my own shoes—a pair of black sneakers, the soles almost worn flat. I'd worn them for almost a year in the provincial capital; it was time to replace them.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, I arrived at the construction company. They had rented two offices on the fifth floor of an office building on the west side of the county town. The boss, surnamed Zhang, was in his forties, bald, wearing a gold ring, and sat behind his desk with his legs crossed.

"You're Chen Mu?"

"Hello, Mr. Zhang."

He flipped through my resume, frowning slightly. "Eight years?"

"Yes."

"So, what salary are you looking for?"

"Six thousand."

He chuckled. "Xiao Chen, this county town isn't the provincial capital. Six thousand? I could hire a project manager for that. Four thousand five? Take it or leave it."

I looked at his face. Beneath his bald head were a pair of small eyes, which darted around quickly, as if he were doing accounting.

"Mr. Zhang, four thousand five hundred is not even enough for my mortgage."

"That's your problem." He lowered his head and continued flipping through his resume, ignoring me.

I stood there, resume still in my hand. After a few seconds, I turned around and left.

Stepping out of the office building, the sunlight was so bright I squinted. Standing on the steps, a warm breeze blew by. My phone vibrated. A message from Xiaohui.

"Brother Chen, have you found a job yet?"

I typed a few words: "Not yet. Keep looking."

"Take your time, Brother Chen. No rush."

No rush. How could there not be a rush? Dad's medical bills can't wait, the mortgage can't wait, the money borrowed for the wedding can't wait. But talking to her about these things is useless. She doesn't understand; knowing would only make her anxious.

I put my phone in my pocket, got on my electric scooter, and continued my search.

Over the next two weeks, I interviewed with seven companies.

The first company was in municipal engineering, offering 5,000 yuan a month, but no social security contributions. The second was in renovation, offering 4,800 yuan a month, but requiring business trips. The third was a developer's own engineering department, offering 5,500 yuan a month, but requiring experience working for the client. I didn't have that. The fourth was a contractor hiring, offering 6,000 yuan a month, but only a living allowance when there was no work. The fifth was a supervision company, offering 4,000 yuan a month, but requiring certification. The sixth was a concrete mixing plant, offering 5,000 yuan a month, but requiring night shifts. The seventh was the same construction company, with a new boss surnamed Wang, offering 5,000 yuan a month, but only 4,000 yuan during the three-month probation period.

I wrote down the information of every company in my notebook. I didn't visit five, and two said they would "consider." The county town isn't big, and there are only a few construction companies. I've been visiting them for two weeks, all over the place, but I still haven't made a decision.

Just when I was worrying about finding a job, Lao Hu called.

"Chen Mu, how's the job search going?"

"It's hard to find work. The pay is low and there's not much to do."

"That's how it is in a county town." He paused on the other end of the phone. "Are you going to another province? A friend of mine has started a project there and they need people."

"Out of the province?"

"Yes. The salary is 12,000, accommodation included."

Twelve thousand. I did the math in my head; it's more than double the price in the county town. That's enough for Dad's medicine, enough for the mortgage, and enough to pay off the debts. But what about Xiaohui? What about Dad?

"Mr. Hu, I'll think about it."

"Okay, but don't take too long. They're desperately short-staffed."

After hanging up the phone, I sat on the steps by the roadside. The afternoon sun was still scorching, making the asphalt road surface feel soft.

In the evening, I went to see Dad. He was sitting on the sofa with a blanket over his legs, and the TV was on, showing a traditional opera channel. Mom was washing dishes in the kitchen, the tap running.

"Dad, Lao Hu called. There's a project in another province, the salary is 12,000."

Dad didn't say anything, he just watched TV.

Should I go or not?

He remained silent for a long time. "You decide."

"I'm leaving. You and Xiao Hui—"

"You're leaving, your mother will take care of me. Talk to Xiaohui about it." His voice was soft. "But you need to think it through. How often can you come back after you leave?"

"Once a month, I guess."

Are you going or not?

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

After leaving Dad's place and returning home, Xiao Hui was watching "Boonie Bears".

"Xiao Hui, I'm planning to go to another province. The salary is higher, but I can only come back once a month."

"Brother Chen, go ahead, I'll wait for you." Her voice was calm, as if she were saying something very simple.

……

The next day, I called Lao Hu back.

"Mr. Hu, I'll go."

"Is it settled?"

"It's settled."

"Alright. I'll leave at the beginning of next month. Make sure you get everything settled at home first."

……

At the end of the month, I accompanied Dad to the hospital for a follow-up check-up. The doctor said the indicators were relatively stable, better than expected. After we got home, Mom held the test results, looking at them over and over, not understanding them, but her expression relaxed a bit.

"Xiao Mu, don't worry about home when you go to another province. Your dad and I will manage."

"Mom, your back isn't good—"

"It's okay. Your dad can go to the toilet by himself now, he doesn't need my help."

I looked at Dad. He was sitting in his wheelchair, holding a thermos and drinking water. The thermos was a bit heavy, and he held it with both hands as if he were holding something he was afraid of dropping.

"Dad, I'm leaving."

"Let's go." He didn't look at me, his eyes glued to the TV. "Call me when we get there."

"We'll fight when we get there."

……

When I got home, Xiao Hui was waiting for me downstairs.

"Brother Chen, the food is ready."

"Okay, let's eat."