Chapter 64 Jinjiang Exclusive Assessment

The truck arrived as scheduled, and the people who had come to help tidy up the factory area before also came to help move the machines, set up and clean the factory today.

Su Ruyi also called a truck to help transport tables from the furniture factory. The distance was short, and she could get an extra bonus, so the driver was very happy to do so.

Because there were enough people and the layout had been planned in advance, the factory was basically set up in one morning.

Although it looks rather simple, it has everything a small garment factory should have.

Su Ruyi designed the garment factory's workflow based on her experience from later generations. Because of her experience in this area, she avoided many detours.

"Team Leader Zhou, please try out these machines in a bit and mark which ones need repair or adjustment. We'll find someone to fix them all later."

Zhou Xiang was temporarily appointed by Su Ruyi as the leader of the garment production team. After the probationary period, if there are no problems, she can be officially hired and her salary will be higher than that of ordinary workers.

Zhou Xiang's craftsmanship is excellent. She didn't waste any of the fabric Su Ruyi had given her and made several sets of clothes.

She isn't very creative and can't design new styles of clothing herself, but she can replicate any style she's seen without taking it apart.

Unless it's a particularly complex design, the finished product will be very similar to the original.

Moreover, she has a keen eye for colors and patterns, is very good at matching, and has her own ingenuity. She makes corresponding adjustments in the details, so she can upgrade the original.

Su Ruyi was very satisfied with her, so she did not hesitate to hire her at a high salary.

While it's described as a high salary, it's actually not that much at the moment. The base salary is 150, and other bonuses and rewards are currently unpredictable.

According to Su Ruyi's idea, as long as her bodybuilding pants business develops smoothly, her base salary will definitely be far less than her other income. However, since the factory has not yet been opened, everyone is unaware of the extent of this compensation and therefore does not include it in their calculations.

However, for Zhou Xiang, the base salary of 150 yuan was already beyond her expectations. After all, many people's salaries are only around 100 yuan, and many earn less than 100 yuan.

Su Ruyi didn't deliberately make grand promises; she just mentioned it briefly as a prelude, saying it wasn't time to get all fired up yet.

Zhou Xiang never expected that she would still be receiving a salary at her age. Although it was a private company and things might change in the future, she was still very happy about it.

Her current salary is higher than her husband's, and the factory provides two meals a day.

So when she heard that there was work to be done, she felt excited.

"Okay, I'll start testing them one by one now."

"You should label each one with a number; that will make management easier."

"good."

At noon, Li Mei rode over on her tricycle, bringing lunch with her.

Everyone had learned from experience, so they all brought their own bowls and chopsticks.

On the first day, Li Mei brought lotus leaf-wrapped buns, which could be eaten with your hands without needing bowls or chopsticks. Then, on the second day, she asked everyone to bring their own bowls and chopsticks and changed the way she made them.

When Su Ruyi returned, she didn't even have time to ask Li Mei about her situation these past few days, so she asked while eating:

"Aunt Mei, have you started selling food outside these past few days?"

"We've started!" Li Mei said with a smile. "I was worried at first that no one would eat them because it was already late when I left here, but I didn't expect that they would all be sold out."

Li Guangqian said, "Aunt Mei's cooking is sure to sell well; it tastes amazing!"

Everyone else chimed in, and they all ate to their hearts' content.

Because there were no tables and chairs, and meals couldn't be eaten inside the factory, everyone lined up and squatted nearby to eat.

People in Qing Province are used to squatting, especially the men. They like to squat in corners whenever they have nothing to do, and they won't sit on a stool even if there is one. So no one thinks there's anything wrong with it.

Having made a good start, Li Mei is now much more confident than before.

"It's all thanks to everyone's support; otherwise, it wouldn't be selling so well."

In addition to cooking for everyone, Li Mei also makes extra food for sale. She has started selling braised dishes, and some of the people who come here to work patronize her stall after receiving their wages.

That's how it is with food vendors; once someone gets started, it's easy for others to join in.

Li Mei's braised food was indeed very fragrant, and it sold out early on the first day.

The next day, we made more, and by the time we closed the stall in the afternoon, we had sold out, and we started to have repeat customers.

Hearing the customer's praise gave Li Mei even more confidence.

Now she starts working before dawn, first going to the school gate to sell lotus leaf pancakes. She doesn't prepare a large quantity, and she can basically sell them all after classes and work begin.

Then I started preparing lunch non-stop, but starting today I won't make any extra food to sell, because the time is too tight and I won't be able to make the braised food in the afternoon.

The braised food business is doing better than Li Mei expected, and she wants to devote more energy to it.

Fortunately, once the braised dishes are seasoned, they can be placed in a pot to simmer slowly without any intervention. With Grandma Sun helping to keep an eye on them, she can manage the process without feeling overwhelmed.

After the meal, the eight security team members selected by Li Guangqian gathered at the Zhu family's place.

Two of them were women, the older sister-in-law in her early thirties.

Don't let their gender fool you; they're all big and strong, and they've been working harder than many young men these past few days.

They can carry a load of over 100 pounds and walk very fast.

Su Ruyi had mentioned to him before that she would give priority to suitable women, since there were mostly women in the textile factory and it would be more convenient to have female security guards, so he picked them out.

The two women were very happy. They thought that after these few days of work, there would be no more work. They were not capable of doing such delicate work in the garment factory, so they had not thought about coming in to make clothes.

They were overjoyed to be chosen as security guards.

Even though the wages aren't as high as they are for odd jobs now, looking at the whole Liulin County, there are a few odd jobs that pay ten yuan a day, and being a security guard is much easier.

The two men patted their chests and said, "Captain Li, don't worry, we're experts at fighting. Back in the village, even the men couldn't beat us."

"We can not only fight, but also scold. Sometimes we old women are more effective than you big men."

As for needing training, the two sisters-in-law didn't think it was a big deal.

They all come from rural backgrounds, so how hard could the training be compared to doing farm work during the busy farming season?

Moreover, they had participated in militia training before, and one of them was particularly accurate with a shot. When they were in the village, they would often take a shotgun to hunt birds for a treat.

The two of them stood out in the crowd without any awkwardness. The others were mostly young men, much younger than them, thin and not yet fully grown, and didn't look as fierce as they did.

Zhu Heng used to be a reconnaissance soldier in the army and had only been discharged for a short time. Therefore, Su Ruyi entrusted him with the patrol and security work in the factory, appointing him as the captain of the security team. She told him to just make the arrangements and submit reports to her.

Although Zhu Gui was the father, he was the kind of person who hoped his son would be more successful, so he didn't feel that he was being overshadowed.

He was the head instructor in charge of training everyone, and the two of them usually took turns on duty.

Su Ruyi approached Zhu Gui: "When do you usually train? I'd like to learn some legwork too."

Although she is very strong and has a great advantage in fighting, she is still at a disadvantage because she has no fighting techniques.

It's fine when you encounter ordinary people, but it's not so easy to deal with those who have a background in martial arts.

"Director Su, you are different from ordinary people. If you want to learn, I will teach you privately."

Zhu Gui had inquired about Su Ruyi in private, and thus knew that this girl was not as weak as she appeared; she was extremely strong and could take down a group of hooligans.

No wonder a girl like that dares to build her own factory; she's not afraid at all.

"Okay, then I'll come to you to learn once the factory is running smoothly."

At 1:30 p.m., people began to walk toward the garment factory.

They were all textile factory workers who wanted to come and see the situation as soon as possible to avoid being late.

As they walked, they felt increasingly disheartened. Although they knew beforehand that the new factory area was located in a remote area, they were worried that they would be assigned there when it was first built.

After so many years of operation, the textile factory and its surrounding area are very prosperous and convenient.

Unlike here, where there's nothing you need.

But when they saw the dilapidated factory area, they were overcome with an overwhelming sense of disappointment and even despair.

"This is so shabby!"

"Is this the place? Why isn't there even a sign?"

"This road is actually paved with gravel."

Hu Xiaojuan was also extremely uneasy at this moment. This factory looked like a makeshift operation. Could it really be successfully established?

"I...I have to go back." A young female worker said, tears welling up in her eyes, as she turned to leave.

"Oh dear, since we're already here, we should at least go in and take a look."

The girl shook her head repeatedly: "I don't want to work here. If I work here, my life is over!"

Then, ignoring everyone's advice, he turned and ran away.

The girl didn't want to sign up; her family forced her to.

Seeing such a dilapidated scene, I couldn't hold back any longer and ran away.

One person ran away, and the others wavered even more. Those who arrived a little later saw this and turned back before even reaching the door.

Everyone else looked conflicted, and their steps unconsciously stopped.

Zhao Fangfang said angrily, "What are you doing! You're giving up before you've even gone inside. This factory isn't going to eat you! You've come all this way, you should at least go in and take a look first."

After saying that, he ignored everyone else and walked straight inside. Hu Xiaojuan gritted her teeth and hurriedly followed.

The others looked at each other, and finally, thinking "since we're already here," they followed them inside.

As I approached, a man came out of the guardhouse.

This man was tall and burly, with a strong presence. He was wearing an old military uniform, and it was clear at a glance that he was a veteran.

"Are you textile factory workers here to take the assessment?"

Zhao Fangfang: "Yes, we all are."

"Come register with me, and you'll be able to go in."

Zhao Fangfang was surprised to find that this factory, which looked rather unreliable, was actually quite strictly managed, which made her a little more at ease.

After all, working in such a remote place, if management is not strict, anyone can enter the factory, and it would be somewhat dangerous for a group of women.

Therefore, everyone cooperated by registering, and then we saw the other party holding a list and matching names.

The other party checked each item against the criteria and only allowed the person in after confirming there were no problems.

The inside wasn't much better than the outside; there wasn't even a concrete floor.

Fortunately, there are still factory buildings and warehouses.

But this did not comfort the anxious group of people. Many of them had lived in the textile factory for many years and had always had good living conditions. Now that they had been demoted like this, it was hard for them to accept.

Since they were already there, everyone gritted their teeth and continued walking along the cobblestone path.

After walking for a short while, a young woman led them into the factory.

They felt a little more at ease when they saw the sewing machines and other equipment.

Although the factory building was simple, it had everything it needed.

Su Ruyi checked the time; it was 2:10. She then ordered Zhu Gui to close the gate and not let anyone else in for the assessment.

There were 36 people present, which was several fewer than the list provided by the textile factory.

Su Ruyi addressed everyone:

"Choose a seat for yourselves. The number on the sewing machine will be your number. You can choose to be assessed on what you are good at, such as sewing, cutting, or ironing. If you are not good at any of these, you can choose to pack. However, our wages will be closely related to the difficulty of the work. The more technical the job, the higher the wage will be."

Upon hearing this, everyone began to make their choices. Only one older female worker chose packing, while the others opted for jobs requiring a certain level of technical skill.

The textile factory's fabric hadn't arrived yet, but Su Ruyi was prepared and brought out some discarded fabric that she had previously purchased from the textile factory for everyone to practice with.

The assessment is very simple; you only need to complete the basic tasks.

Those who were initially nervous breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the exam content.

Before long, everyone had completed the task assigned by Su Ruyi.

These workers are all very quick and efficient; Zhou Xiang will be the one to judge how well they do their job.

Taking advantage of this break, Su Ruyi gave them the factory's rules and regulations, as well as information on salary assessment methods, to read.

"My factory is very different from a textile factory. I don't support idlers here. The more you work, the more you earn; the less you work, the less you earn. Those who don't perform well will be eliminated. Your wages are related to how much work you do, not to seniority or anything like that."

In my factory, everything must be done according to my rules. Any disputes will be resolved according to my factory's regulations. I won't listen to anyone who brings up issues about the textile factory, unless you can get the government to invest in my factory and turn it into a state-owned enterprise.

Su Ruyi warned in advance.

Hu Xiaojuan, Zhao Fangfang, and others began to carefully read the regulations. They saw many rules and regulations, but in reality, they were easy to follow if they worked diligently.

Textile factories actually have many rules, but people don't follow them as much these days.

In terms of compensation, it's much clearer here. It's based on how much you do, rather than relying on seniority to increase your salary.

Some people are worried about this calculation method, fearing that if they don't do a good job, they might not get paid.

But most people are reassured, because this way they won't be confused.

This factory has the backing of a textile factory, so as long as I work hard, they won't withhold my wages, right?

Although the clauses regarding wage deductions are clearly written, they are shocking to read, making it seem as if one's money could be emptied at any moment.

However, the last sentence reassured everyone: as long as you don't repeat the mistake for three consecutive months, the deducted salary will be returned.

Of course, this does not include cases where a person's personal mistake causes damage to the factory's property or reputation; in such cases, the person must compensate for the actual losses and be dismissed on the spot.

Su Ruyi's goal was clear: deducting wages was not the point; correcting mistakes was.

No one can guarantee they won't make any mistakes, but she's willing to give them a chance within reasonable limits.

She didn't make her fortune by withholding wages; she would return the money as long as the other party corrected their behavior and wouldn't make things difficult for working people.

But if she keeps making mistakes and doesn't admit them well, then I'm sorry, she should get out of here. She opened the factory to make a profit, not to be treated like a spoiled brat.

"Think it over carefully first, see if you can do it, and then consider whether you want to work in my factory. Once you start working here, I will sign a contract with you, in black and white, so no one can deny it. There will be a three-month probationary period, and those who perform well can be promoted to permanent positions earlier."

After Su Ruyi finished speaking, she ignored them and went to ask Zhou Xiang about the situation.

Zhou Xiang: "Their skills are all up to standard. Two of them are particularly meticulous; they even tidied up the table before leaving. They are very methodical. Several others are very fast; they finish when others are only halfway through."

These tasks are not difficult, and many people are used to doing them at home.

Textile factories used to offer good benefits, and workers lived comfortably. In the early days, many families could afford to own all three essential items: a sewing machine, a revolving door, a radio, and a watch.

Su Ruyi nodded: "Then it's up to them to make their own choice."

After leaving the factory, the female workers did not rush to leave, but waited for the results near the factory.

"If you were selected, would you come work here?" someone asked.

What are your thoughts?

Everyone probed each other, none daring to voice their true thoughts.

Zhao Fangfang: "Why wouldn't I go? My family is almost starving, and if there's any hope of making money, I'll give it a try."

"That's true, but is this factory reliable?"

"Yeah, I see they deduct wages all the time. I don't want to end up paying out of pocket to work."

"It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Didn't you see that you get penalized for being late or taking leave?"

"But it was also said later that as long as it doesn't happen again, it will be made up for later."

Zhao Fangfang: "Anyway, I don't know what you guys are thinking. If I pass the assessment, I'm going to take the job. Even if they deduct money, I'll just be working for free. But if they really pay me, I'll have an extra source of income."

Many people think the same way; those who volunteer are those whose family circumstances are really terrible, so they want to give it a try.

Anyone with a backup plan felt that as a state worker, how could they work for a private individual? It was too shameful. They thought it would be better to set up a stall on the street, at least they could run their own business.

Although the factory looks very rudimentary on the outside, it seems to be managed quite well so far.

Moreover, since it was the textile factory leaders who made the connection, it couldn't be too much of a scam, right? So they could go to the textile factory and cause trouble.

However, the factory has nothing, and it's unclear what it will produce or where it will sell the clothes, which inevitably causes concern among everyone.

Sales channels are hard to open up now. Everyone prefers goods from the south, and local products can't compete with those from other places.

"There are more than thirty of us here. We only need thirty. I'll be very happy if I get selected," a little girl whispered.

Those who were still hesitating about whether to stay immediately changed their expressions upon hearing this.

yes!

They have an extra number of people now, and if they get eliminated later, it will be a huge embarrassment!

Hu Xiaojuan's face was also very pale. She had been focused on her own work and hadn't paid attention to what was happening to others, so she didn't know if she had done a good job or not.

"I feel like I didn't iron it very well just now; it doesn't look smooth at all."

"When you put it that way, I feel like I forgot to turn off the switch?"

"I just cut it crooked! Oh no, I was just wondering whether to keep it or not, now I'm just hoping it will pass."

When Su Ruyi came out, everyone's eyes were filled with anticipation and trepidation.

"Everyone has passed today's assessment. Since the number of people is close to the thirty I need, there has been no ranking. Those who are unwilling to accept my factory rules can leave now and make room for others."

No one made a move. They glanced at each other, but no one was willing to step forward, so they all chose to remain silent.

"You'll officially start work tomorrow morning. I'll give you three days for a trial period so you can think things through. If there are no problems, we'll sign a contract. During these three days, no leave or lateness will be accepted; anyone who violates this rule will not be allowed to come back."

Just as everyone was about to leave, the fabric from the textile factory finally arrived.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Fangfang turned around and came back to help move the goods.

With someone taking the lead, the others also stopped and came over to help.

However, some people simply ignored it and left: "A bunch of show-offs."

Su Ruyi observed all of their behavior but did not say anything at the time.

After all the goods had been moved and stored, he said to those who remained:

"We still have time. If everyone has nothing else to do, why don't we try to make the first batch of goods?"

Zhao Fangfang and Hu Xiaojuan were stunned. They were already starting work?

“Okay, Director Su, you can make the arrangements,” Zhao Fangfang was the first to respond.

Su Ruyi mixed the white and black fabrics, assigned tasks to Zhou Xiang, and then began to work.

Zhou Xiang didn't show it on the surface, but she was very uneasy inside. She had made pants in the style of leggings before, but the fabric was different, so many details were also different.

But since Su Ruyi had spoken, and she was already familiar with these materials, she got right to work.

Thus, the first batch of goods was completed in a hurry.

Although we were cautious at the beginning, and since it was everyone's first time doing it, mistakes were inevitable and adjustments were needed, which made the process relatively slow. However, by the time we finished get off work, we still managed to make thirty pairs of white leggings and thirty pairs of black leggings.

Most importantly, the prototype of the assembly line operation has emerged, and by the time everyone has progressed to the later stages, they already know what they are supposed to do.

Looking at the two ruined pairs of pants, Zhou Xiang said with dissatisfaction, "There shouldn't be such a mistake."

"It's always better to know about a problem early and correct it sooner rather than later, make a big mistake, and then try to fix it," Su Ruyi comforted her.

"Everyone did a great job today, providing our factory with parameters for future operations and adjusting some unreasonable aspects to ensure the smooth running of the entire process. As a reward, I'm giving everyone here a pair of black leggings; you can choose whichever you like."

Everyone was stunned. They got pants as a reward for a day's work?!

Although a pair of pants doesn't cost much to produce, it's still worth a few dollars, but no boss will just give things away for free. Whether it's a state-owned enterprise or a private company, such good deals are rare.

They didn't do much work today, but they got extra pants. This boss is so generous!

One of the honest ones couldn't help but say, "We didn't do anything."

Su Ruyi laughed and said, "Take them all. Even if you don't wear them yourself, you'll have to give them to people who do, and that will be good advertising for our pants."

This batch of pants was just a prototype. Although they all passed the test, Su Ruyi still did not sell them to the public.

The workers were overjoyed; they hadn't expected such a good thing to happen while they stayed to help.

They didn't do much work, so getting a pair of pants for free was definitely a bargain.

A pair of pants like these would cost at least twenty yuan outside, and even if you got them directly from the factory, they'd still cost seven or eight yuan.

Moreover, the amount of pants that factories give to workers at cost price is often limited, let alone the fact that they are getting them for free.

Those who left early were filled with regret when they found out.

They've already come all this way, why don't they stay a little longer!

Zhu Gui then reported to Su Ruyi that after the door was closed, some people came in wanting to take the test, but he stopped them.

“There were three girls who were hesitant outside at first, their faces showing reluctance. But when they came over and asked if they could go in, they immediately panicked and begged me for a long time.”

Zhu Gui shook his head and said, "People don't cherish what's given away for free; they only realize its value when they can't have it anymore."

"Don't worry about them. Just make sure to keep a close eye on the gate from now on, and also pay attention to any unusual activity nearby," Su Ruyi instructed.

Zhu Gui answered seriously, "By the way, factory manager, what's our factory called? Just now, someone came over and asked what we do and what the factory is called, and I couldn't answer them."

Su Ruyi was slightly taken aback: "You didn't know?"

"I don't know."

"It's written in the contract."

Zhu Gui scratched his head, embarrassed, and said, "I didn't notice."

Su Ruyi was both amused and exasperated; she had been sold out without even knowing who had sold her out.

"Let's call it Ruyi Garment Factory."

Su Ruyi, who was terrible at naming things and very satisfied with her own name, simply and directly used her own name as the factory name.

May everything go as you wish.

Wearing Ruyipai clothing will bring you smooth sailing in everything; you won't even need to think of advertising slogans.

"Oh, thank goodness I just told someone this is Su Ruyi's factory, so I didn't miscalculate."

Su Ruyi suddenly realized something and slapped her thigh: "Oh dear, I forgot to have a signboard made!"