The Cost of Being “Slightly Plump“

At eight in the morning, Li Mei hurried to the mall, as was her daily routine as a luxury goods saleswoman. She skillfully turned on the counter lights, arranging the newly arrived bags as if preparing for a grand ceremony. Today, she was wearing a dark blue professional suit, trying to look more professional and refined. After all, in this glamorous battlefield, any imperfection would be magnified infinitely.

During a break, a few saleswomen gathered to chat. Their topics ranged from last night's TV dramas to celebrity gossip, and then to the bizarre incidents with customers that day. Suddenly, Xiao Li pointed to entertainment news on her phone, with a hint of disdain in her voice, "Look, isn't Liu Yifei a bit slightly plump lately?"

Li Mei casually replied, "It seems like it, but she still looks pretty good, after all, she has good genes."

This sentence, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirred up small ripples.

In the afternoon, the manager called Li Mei to the office. She had a bad feeling, because the manager rarely looked for her during working hours. The manager expressionlessly handed her a termination notice, stating the reason was "inappropriate words and actions, damaging the brand image."

Li Mei was stunned, she didn't understand what she had done wrong. Could it be because of a "slightly plump" comment? How could that be considered "damaging the brand image"? She tried to explain, but the manager just coldly repeated, "This is the company's decision, pack up your things and leave."

Li Mei was pushed out of the office, and a chill rose from her feet. She remembered that for this job, she stood for eight hours every day in high heels, recited those difficult brand stories, and had to smile at customers to meet performance targets, no matter how unreasonable they were. She felt like a delicate puppet, bound by all kinds of invisible ropes.

She silently packed her personal belongings on the desk, and her colleagues cast sympathetic glances, but no one dared to come forward to comfort her. Everyone knew very well that in this industry, any word could become the reason for being eliminated.

Li Mei walked out of the mall, the cold wind blowing on her face, and she felt an unprecedented clarity. She opened her mobile phone and casually browsed the web. Suddenly, a trending search caught her eye - "Liu Yifei endorses a well-known brand, netizens exclaimed: this is a true beauty!"

Li Mei looked at Liu Yifei on the screen, still so beautiful, radiant, and dazzling. She suddenly laughed, a laugh mixed with helplessness and sadness. She thought that perhaps, she should not have commented on anyone's figure, especially in this distorted world that values ​​thinness.

She felt as if she was in a huge, precisely operating machine, and she was just an insignificant part. This machine did not need to think, did not need emotions, and only needed to operate according to established rules. She tried to resist, but found that she had no power to change anything.

At night, Li Mei was alone in the empty room. She turned on her computer and typed "slightly plump" into the search bar. The search results flooded the screen, with various articles on "slightly plump outfits" and "slightly plump weight loss" appearing in front of her. She looked at those glamorous pictures, those seductive advertisements, and felt a wave of disgust.

She got up, walked to the window, and looked at the flashing lights in the city, they were like cold eyes, staring at this absurd world. She suddenly recalled the scene of organizing the counter this morning, she was like a commodity waiting to be selected, and those customers were like cold and ruthless judges.

She opened a shopping app and began browsing various clothes. Suddenly, she saw a loose hoodie with a big "fat" printed on it. She hesitated for a moment, and eventually clicked "Add to Cart".

She thought that perhaps she should start accepting herself, accepting this imperfect world. Perhaps she should learn to live freely like a real "fat person".

The next day, Li Mei did not look for a new job, but instead put on the hoodie with the word "fat" printed on it, and walked into the park near the community. She found that the sun was warm, the flowers and plants were lush, and the people were real. She took a deep breath, feeling as if she had been reborn.

She thought that perhaps, the price of being "slightly plump" was not losing a job, but rather making herself re-examine this absurd world, and the real herself.

She suddenly received a text message from a former colleague at the mall: "Mei-jie, after you resigned, the new saleswoman today commented that the boss was fat as soon as she started work, and she has already been fired."

Li Mei looked at the text message, stunned, then she laughed, laughing even more brilliantly and more unrestrainedly. She thought, this world is really too absurd.