I stood there in shock for a long time—I had actually been accepted into the women's prison!
I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't even speak. Tears streamed down my face, rolling freely across a man's cheeks that had weathered hardship for years.
"Yesterday's humiliation isn't worth remembering. Today, I set out for the world." The old verses echoed in my head—When spring arrives, the horse gallops proudly, and in one day, all the flowers of Chang'an can be seen.
That night, I celebrated with the simplest luxury I could afford: a big bowl of beef noodles, a small plate of peanuts, and a cheap bottle of white liquor.
I called home to share the news. My father was so excited he couldn't speak for a long while. To them, this meant I was now officially a man of the state—eating from the government's table, on the path to becoming an officer. This was glory for the family name.
And yet, doubts crept in. Why would that woman let me pass? She wasn't the forgiving type. I could still remember the night she smashed a bottle over my head. Would she let me in just to make my life miserable from the inside?
I couldn't figure it out. But whatever game she was playing, one thing was certain—I was going in. If soldiers come, I'll block them; if water rises, I'll build the dam.
Five days later, I reported for duty.
After the taxi driver got lost twice, GPS finally led us to the gates of the women's prison on the outskirts of the city.
Towering walls, watchtowers with armed police, a massive iron gate with the national emblem shining above it—this was no ordinary place.
I stopped at the entrance and straightened my wrinkled clothes, still rumpled from the crowded bus ride.
"Who are you? This is restricted ground! Move along!" a voice barked from a small reinforced window in the concrete guard post.
I hurried over and explained who I was. The guard—a woman—stared at me, clearly surprised to see a man applying here, then began interrogating me like a suspect.
Only when I produced the official document with the red stamp did she finally make a call to let me through. A moment later, a smaller iron gate clanked open.
"Zhang Fan! Get in here!" someone shouted.
Inside, I was searched thoroughly. They took my phone and keys.
"Go on in."
A stout, heavyset woman with a stern, gloomy expression was waiting for me.
"Hello, leader. I'm the new trainee," I said carefully.
I wasn't sure how to address her, but calling someone "leader" is never wrong in an office setting. Everyone likes to feel important.
She just grunted that her surname was Ma, then told me to wait while she stepped into the guardroom.
I looked around. A chill seemed to seep through the air—tall walls, barbed wire, a sense of suffocating separation. Just one gate, just one wall, and already it felt like another world entirely.
It wasn't like TV. The yard was empty, no prisoners in sight. Maybe, like schoolchildren, inmates only came out at certain times, perhaps for roll call or exercises.
The modern prison blocks loomed in the distance, but they gave off no sense of comfort—only unease.
Sister Ma finally returned. "Follow me!"
"What about my phone and keys?" I asked.
She sneered. "What do you think this place is, your university? Phones stay in the guardroom!"
I cursed silently—must be menopause. Why yell when a simple explanation would do? Still, I didn't dare offend her. I asked cautiously, "Sister Ma, where are we going?"
"Just follow me. Why so many questions?" she snapped.
Her tone was sharp, like I owed her money. Later, I found out the reason—my hiring had taken the spot meant for her nephew. No wonder she hated me on sight.
"I was only asking…" I muttered under my breath.
That set her off. "If you don't want the job, leave now. Get out!"
The anger boiled inside me, but I knew better than to argue. A fight with her would mean endless trouble later. So I swallowed the fire burning in my chest and kept silent.
The plump woman led me to a tall building and brought me upstairs into an office.
She told me to wait outside while she knocked on the door. From inside came a woman's calm voice: "Come in."
The fat woman slipped inside at once, bowing and scraping like a lapdog. "Instructor Kang, our unit just recruited a new clerk. He's here now—would you like to see him?"
A woman's voice floated out: "Oh? Let him in."
I knocked lightly and stepped inside. Behind the desk sat a woman in her early thirties, elegant and poised. She was focused on her computer screen, her skin fair and luminous, her presence radiating both intellect and maturity.
Her figure was full and graceful, striking enough to make her ordinary-looking face seem beautiful in its own right.
I've always been defenseless against women like her—fair-skinned, mature, with an aura of quiet strength. I couldn't help but stare, momentarily dazed.
Sensing my gaze, she lifted her eyes. For one fleeting second, my greedy stare locked with hers, and the look nearly pierced straight through me.
She gave me a polite, official smile. "Xiao Zhang, sit down. You look spirited. Sister Ma, go arrange a dormitory for him. I'll have a word with our new recruit."
The fat woman nodded and hurried out.
The woman behind the desk rose, her movements smooth and composed. "Sit, Xiao Zhang. No need to be nervous. I'm Kang Xue, your instructor. You can call me Sister Kang. You've just arrived, so take time to get familiar with things. If you don't understand anything, you can always come to me."
I sat on the sofa, feeling almost flustered when she poured me a glass of water herself. For a leader to do such a thing—she seemed kind, gentle, almost like an elder sister.
"Thank you, Sister Kang," I said.
She raised an eyebrow, surprised at how quickly I'd skipped the formalities and called her that. For an instant, a flicker of something unreadable passed through her eyes. She sat back down at the computer, rolling the mouse wheel idly.
But then, in the reflection of her glasses, I caught a glimpse of the screen—and nearly choked on my breath. In broad daylight, in an open office where people came and went, she was looking at those kinds of pictures.
"Xiao Zhang," she said warmly, as if nothing were amiss. "From today on, you're part of this women's prison. I can see you're polite and thoughtful. Work hard, and I'll arrange both your office and dormitory soon."
Her words were proper and measured, but the faint gleam in her eyes told me another story. It wasn't hard to read between the lines—this woman was restless.
They say a woman at thirty blossoms into her prime, and looking at her now, I realized how true that was.
I cursed silently in my heart, but out loud I said with respectful humility, "Thank you, Sister Kang. I'm new here, and I'm sure I'll make mistakes. Please don't hesitate to correct me."
She went on to brief me about the prison: many female inmates suffered from psychological issues, and what they needed was counseling. That would be my role—providing psychological support.
Apparently, several female counselors had quit for various reasons, and so they had brought in a man.
Finally, she offered the official line: "Xiao Zhang, I trust you'll handle the pressure well and live up to the organization's expectations."
Pressure? At the time, I didn't feel any. Back then, I was far too naïve, too innocent to understand how treacherous the world here really was.
Just then, Sister Ma knocked and came back in. Kang Xue rose and walked over to me. I scrambled to my feet.
She patted my shoulder lightly. "Go with Sister Ma first, Xiao Zhang. Once your dorm is settled, come back and see me."
Her hand pressed down with a little extra weight.
I nodded quickly and followed the fat woman out.