(Minghui.org) From 2001 to 2008, because I refused to give up my belief towards Falun Dafa, my workplace punished me by demoting me to a custodian and cook at a subordinate organization.
Most of the subordinate organizations dared not accept me because of the warning from my old supervisor. Only a female team leader accepted me because she used to work with me and knew that I was a good person.
In the subordinate organization, I had to live with other employees in a dorm inside the office building. All my benefits were canceled. I was only given 400 yuan per month, which was not enough to cover my basic living expenses.
Despite the low income, heavy labor, low position and misunderstandings from my co-workers, I validated Falun Dafa with my righteous thoughts and actions. I worked diligently, disciplined myself with the principles of Falun Dafa, and took good care of my colleagues. Eventually, I won their respect. Many of them got to know about Falun Dafa from me, and chose to quit the Chinese Communist Party.
Being a good cook and custodian
It was not easy to prepare food to fit everyone's tastes, so I often asked people what they wanted to eat. Based on their preferences, I varied the menu to try and meet the requirement of everyone. The food was prepared on time so that people could have hot meals right after work. After meals, when everyone else were resting, I washed dishes and cleaned up the kitchen.
In the winter, I was always the first one to get up so that I could boil enough hot water for everyone to use. In the summer, I also got up before anyone did to clean the hallways, stairs and office floors.
I got up very early to do these jobs, so that I would not interfere with their work schedule. After all the women went to work, I cleaned up their dorms. From time to time, I spent my own money to buy special detergent to remove tough stains from the bathrooms.
The building was very old, and the bathrooms were located right behind the building. During cold and dark winter nights, it was a scary experience for a woman to leave her warm bed and walk to the bathroom alone. I often volunteered to accompany my female colleagues to the bathroom, even when I was pregnant. They were very touched.
Being strict with money
The accountant here had worked with me for more than a year before I came to this subordinate organization. She knew that I was an honest person because of my beliefs, so she trusted me to do the grocery shopping alone and reimbursed whatever cost I spent.
I kept a clear record of every detail of my spending, and made sure not to get even one extra cent from the reimbursement. From time to time, I spent my own money to buy some extra cooking ingredients or cleaning supplies. I never asked for reimbursement for these expenses.
Most of the company's subordinate organizations offer gifts to their clients at the end of the year. Sometimes there were leftover gift items, and usually they are divided amongst the employees to take home. I never took any of these gifts home.
The workplace also organized subsidized annual trips to tourist spots; the company would foot 80% of the bill. I never joined this kind of trip, because this 80% came from a management account for clients from the countryside, who had been struggling to maintain their business.
The subordinate organization distributed year-end bonuses based on its annual income. Soon after I went there, some colleagues suggested that I should not get a share of the bonus since my benefits had been canceled because of my beliefs. During the following four and a half years, I did not get any bonus.
At the end of the first year, my supervisor offered me 500 yuan from the management account as a reward for my hard work. My husband had lost his job at that time, and I was about to give birth to our daughter, so the 500 yuan offer was very attractive to me. But I felt upset after getting the money, so I returned the money on the next day. I told my supervisor that it was against my belief to accept the money because it came under the table from the management account, instead of through normal channels.
Colleagues moved by my moral discipline
My supervisor was very touched by my behavior at work, and made an effort to have some in-depth conversations with me before I took maternity leave in 2003. She told me that she knew I was a good person, so she resisted the pressure from co-workers and her supervisors, and accepted me into this subordinate organization. After I worked there for more than a year, everyone was convinced that she had made the correct decision. I was often praised for my generosity and integrity.
She told me that the 610 office asked her to monitor me 24/7. She saw me getting up every night to do the Falun Dafa exercises, but she never reported anything to the 610 office; instead, she told them that I did really well at work.
“Whenever people were in a conflict, you always told them about the causes and consequences, and suggested that they take a step back. You told them that everything would be smooth if one had a compassionate heart. You are responsible in doing your job, and you never fight for personal gain. Everything you did here proved that you are a truly good person and never compromised in your principles. Personally, I admire you and your actions very much,” she said.
I told her a lot about Falun Dafa and the CCP's lies. From then on, she often used me as an example to defend Falun Dafa whenever others slandered the practice. Like many of my colleagues, she chose to quit the CCP.
Leaving the subordinate organization
At the end of 2008, I came back to my old workplace in the county and worked on consumer complaints. Whenever customers came to complain, I always let them take a seat and brought them some water. I often bought extra water and cups using my own money. Everyday I cleaned up the office and the hallway. Once a week, I cleaned up the stairs of the whole building.
I never took home anything from my workplace, never accepted any gifts from clients, and never worried about missed reimbursements after business trips. I was frequently nominated for employee of the year.
Of course, I never got the award because of my beliefs, but I smiled whenever I heard the result. When people joked that I should have won the prize, my colleagues always replied, “She has a good mind. She'll never fight for fame or profit!”
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