He Qiutong is the female protagonist of the story. She comes from a working-class family where multiple siblings work in different state-run factories. Her mother Shen Lanxiang works at a food factory, her older sister He Suqin works at a textile factory, and her older brother works for the railway department. He Qiutong recently started working at the daily chemical factory as a quality inspector after passing an exam. She is practical, somewhat cautious, and has a good sense of self-preservation. In the early chapters, she accompanies Zhao Huai'an to a junkyard where they sell chicken feathers for 1.6 yuan. She is not fond of such errands and resolves never to do a junkyard check-in again. She is somewhat wary of Cui Meili, a fellow new employee, sensing something dangerous about her. She is paired with Lin Yuan as her work partner for final product inspection. He Qiutong is described as someone who values her dignity and is navigating the complexities of work and relationships in this era.
