Chapter 159: Chasing Fair People
"How can there be such a stupid thing - what does this have to do with whether you can do a good job!" Phoebe's face turned red, and she argued loudly, "Isn't it just letting those people in the town work and then settling their wages? As long as they can read and do accounts, it's fine. Why do you need to understand whether others are suffering or not as you said? Then who will understand my pain?"
"Calm down, Fei Bi, do you want to get an answer or just vent your emotions? If you don't care about the problem and just want to yell, get out." Mia's tone became harder.
Fei Bi knew how much Lord Rex valued Mia, and the undead were also respectful and polite to her. They did not dare to really anger the lady in front of them. They tried their best to control their anger and said, "Okay, ma'am, I swear I just want an answer that can convince everyone. I am like those other people who can read but cannot become clerks. We really don't understand why we can only stay in the shelter, repeating monotonous work over and over again, soaking our hands in water every day to wash clothes and potatoes... This is really unfair!"
Mia's expression eased, and after thinking for a while, she said, "Fei Bi, is fairness what you care about?"
"Yes!" Fei Bi insisted.
Mia said, "But I don't see how much you care about fairness in your daily life, Phoebe. Even if you don't count what happened today, you have humiliated many people. I have heard you laugh at others as 'old women' and 'ugly' more than once."
Fei Bi's face flushed again, and she said excitedly: "So that's how it is, I was envied, so I was targeted? How disgusting!"
"You see, you instinctively feel that you will be envied by those you despise. You care too much about your beauty and youth, and even refuse to see the advantages of others." Mia sighed and said, "I hope you can understand one thing, Fei Bi, injustice will always exist, just as you are born beautiful, and it is difficult for others to be as moving as you. And all those who do not agree with injustice should at least start with themselves and deny all injustice."
"If you think that you are younger and prettier than others, so you should get more benefits and preferential treatment than them, and they should be despised by you; then, when the standard for measuring people's value is not youth and beauty, but whether they are more kind and empathetic, you should accept the "unfair" treatment of you with a bad personality. Why do you have reason to be indignant?"
"If fairness is real and is something that everyone must pursue , how can it only exist when you need it and disappear when you don't? Does this make sense?"
Fei Bi's rage seemed to be poured over by cold water, and the blood color on her cheeks quickly faded and turned pale.
Mia's words are sharp, but her attitude is not harsh... People are visual animals, and Mia is no exception. If a beautiful woman like Fei Bi is pleasing to the eye, Mia is willing to appreciate her as long as it does not touch on principles.
Mia said softly, "I am from the Principality of Shiga. In my hometown, only noble women are qualified to work like men. Daughters of ordinary families have no chance to succeed. I heard that the Rhine Kingdom is similar. Have you ever wondered, Feifei, why Mr. Rex, Mr. Yang, and Mayor Jitang all insist on allowing women to enter the town hall?"
Fei Bi looked up in surprise and looked at Mia.
This question...she really hadn't thought about it. Her whole mind was occupied by the growing gap in status between herself and Sibel, whom she once looked down upon .
Mia said, "I'm not as educated as you. I only know a few simple words and can do simple calculations... In my hometown, girls from ordinary families like me have to work with looms since they are old enough to understand. We may not know our own names, but at least we have to know how to separate the threads and how much cloth we have woven each month and how much is left to be woven."
"When Mr. Rex wanted me to be in charge of the Logistics Department, to be honest, I didn't think I could do it well at all. Whether it was Mr. Pansy or Mr. Tuttle Joe, they both knew how to count and distribute supplies better than I did. But Mr. Rex still insisted on letting me do it. Do you know why?"
Without waiting for Phoebe's response, Mia answered on her own: "It's for fairness, to set a fair example for the people of Westram, to let the people here know that we, the people from Tarantan... and the undead, are all people who pursue and yearn for fairness. We never agree that people of noble status can be superior to ordinary people. Similarly, we must never condone discrimination and injustice against women. This is the fundamental reason why I can become an officer of the Logistics Department and the ladies here can become clerks."
Fei Bi was so shocked that she opened her mouth wide and even forgot to cover it with her hands: "This... this——"
"When everyone is indifferent to injustice, those who pursue fairness must start with themselves and take an attitude of pursuing fairness and opposing injustice. Only by doing this can others believe you." Mia's attitude became softer. "I know you are a very thoughtful person, Fei Bi. If you think you have encountered injustice, then I hope you can show me your persistence."
Phoebe didn't remember how she left Mia's room.
She was actually a frequent visitor to Mia's room... and she knew exactly why she was a "frequent visitor."
She hated those old, ugly and stupid women. She was very unhappy living in the same room with them, eating the same food every day, washing the same clothes and potatoes. Whenever she had the chance, she would humiliate them and make trouble for them - who told them to be so noisy, sometimes making a fuss, and sometimes crying for no reason.
Fei Bi never thought there was anything wrong with doing this... She had always been the most conspicuous and proud one in the crowd, and she was used to being superior to others.
When others angrily said to her, "You will grow old and ugly one day," she just thought it was the barking of a loser and never took it to heart.
Mia did not tell her that she would also grow old and ugly. Mia just told her that, in fact, the world is full of injustice, and in fact everyone is facing injustice. It was like a huge rock smashing her self-esteem and making her suddenly wake up from her long-term self-deception.
Phoebe trotted up to the third floor and ran to the room where she used to live - the luxurious bedroom she had as the top star when the shelter still hung the sign of "Elegant Dream" Club.
After a few months, this luxurious bedroom has changed beyond recognition... the extra furniture has been moved away, the carpets and curtains are gone, the usable space is divided by wooden boards, and simple wooden beds are built to transform it into three collective bedrooms for eight people.
When Fei Bi broke into the room, some of the people living in the three eight-person bedrooms were sitting on the bed doing needlework, some were standing on the semi-open balcony chatting, and some were struggling to recognize words by looking at the newspaper.
"Here we go again." A lady who had had many arguments with Fei Bi rolled her eyes, stood by the bed with her hands on her hips and cursed, "How many times do I have to tell you before you understand, Miss Fei Bi? This is not your bedroom anymore, and we don't want a roommate like you!"
Fei Bi ignored her and just stood at the door in a daze.
She had received many distinguished guests in this room.
The scene of Green, the former owner of "Elegant Dream", flirting with her on the balcony seems to have happened just yesterday.
Fei Bi had missed the days when she was the top star more than once. She felt that life was the fairest at that time - she could rely on her natural beauty to get the best treatment, wear the most expensive clothes, eat the most exquisite food, and trample all the women who were not as good as her under her feet.
But is that... really fair?
The exquisite and expensive food that she could only enjoy when she was trying to please and serve guests were just ordinary three meals for others.
The exquisite dresses she exchanged for her body were thrown away by other ladies of status after wearing them once.
She had heard the guests gossip more than once, about which noble daughter inherited such and such a manor, which lady was so wealthy that the earl wanted to propose to her, which lady was still popular after being married three times...
Those women, who she thought were definitely not as beautiful as her, were born with status and wealth that she would never be qualified to look up to in her entire life.
She had received guests who, in her opinion, were even meaner than street shoe shiners and uglier than pigs. She always had to be humble and flattering in front of such people... Even a contemptuous look could easily anger the distinguished guest who could easily crush her to death.
Is this really fair?
Fei Bi's face became paler and her body trembled slightly.
Someone noticed that something was wrong with her and whispered, "What's going on? Who has offended our Miss Fei Bi?"
Usually, Fei Bi regarded these sour words as the result of jealousy, which she not only did not mind but also was proud of, but suddenly pierced Fei Bi's heart like a needle.
What is she—a young lady!
Fei Bi turned around suddenly and ran away.
Mia was a little surprised by Fei Bi's return. Seeing this usually proud young girl like a peacock lose her composure and tear up, Mia was shocked. She quickly pulled Fei Bi into the room and closed the door to block the curious eyes in the corridor outside: "What's wrong, Fei Bi? Did I say too much just now?"
" Mia , is there really fairness? Can we really pursue fairness?" Fei Bi grabbed Mia's arm and cried very ugly, "Can someone like me... someone like me... also get fairness?"
Since the day she took over the job of settling the poor people on this street, Mia has seen too many women or men breaking down and crying like this.
The red-light district with its bright lights and nightlife is a haven for pleasure seekers.
But for the crowd that offers "gentleness"...it's hell.
Mayor Ji Tang once said to the clerks and her when he was giving lectures... It is something to be proud of if a person's ability can become a quantifiable and monetizable commodity. It is not shameful to make money based on one's ability. However, if a person himself becomes a commodity that can be quantified and monetized, that would be a tragedy. When there is an opportunity to resist, one must resist resolutely and climb out of the mud pit resolutely.
Mia took out a handkerchief to wipe away Fei Bi's tears, held the girl's hand, and said softly: "Yes, there is definitely fairness in this world, but too many people don't want to talk about fairness, and only want to take all the benefits for themselves, so there is so little fairness and so much injustice."
"We are working hard to change the atmosphere in Westham to create a place where everyone can get a minimum level of fairness."
