Everyone looked at Gu'er. They could sense her sorrow, but they still didn't understand. Wasn't Gu'er Secretary Lin's daughter?
"When I left that home, I swore to myself that I would make money. I had to earn enough to buy my own house, so I would never be homeless again when someone bullied me. I had to make money, lots of it, so I would never again be cornered over fifty yuan like that one night. I had to earn money to take my destiny into my own hands. That's why I, a girl, went out to struggle and hustle alongside these men. Why can I earn money today? Because I have the spirit to fight for it. Because I've gambled with my own life, staking everything I have. I've paid my dues. Don't I deserve to earn some money?"
Gu'er questioned the crowd, her head held high. But she didn't come across as arrogant. Instead, she radiated an air of absolute fearlessness.
