The warm sun of January dispelled the lingering chill of winter. In the courtyard of "Late Autumn Food Workshop," several red plum trees were in full bloom, their petals still glistening with morning dew, reflecting a crystalline light in the sunlight. Lin Wanqiu stood by the window, supporting her back, watching the busy figures of the workers in the workshop—some kneading dough, some wrapping pastries, and some packing them—a scene of perfect order. Her heart, which had been tense for so long, finally began to relax.

Shen Tingzhou came over with a bowl of freshly warmed milk, carefully supporting her arm and helping her lean against the soft chair by the window: "Watching the workshop again? I told you, with Brother Wang and Zhang Lan there, you can rest assured." He handed her the milk, his eyes full of tenderness, "You're pregnant now, you can't stand all the time, you need to rest properly."

Lin Wanqiu took the milk, the warm touch spreading from her fingertips to her heart. She took a sip and smiled, saying, "I'm just worried. After all, this workshop is something we built together, like our own child." Although Shen Tingzhou had assured her that everything was arranged for the workshop, she still couldn't help but worry, afraid that something might go wrong.

Shen Tingzhou sat down beside her, took her hand, and said firmly, "I know you're worried, but Brother Wang and Zhang Lan are people we trust. Brother Wang has been with us on business for so long, he knows the situation of the neighboring county branch like the back of his hand, and he's reliable. Letting him handle external communications will definitely be no problem. Zhang Lan has worked in the workshop for so long, she's familiar with every step of the process, from packaging to making pastries, so it's also suitable for her to be in charge of internal production. And Aunt Wang is very experienced, so what do we have to worry about if we let her be in charge of quality control?"

Lin Wanqiu thought about it and agreed. Brother Wang was an honest and reliable person, and he had never made a mistake when coordinating with the branch in the neighboring county. Although Zhang Lan used to be a bit lazy and greedy, she had become hardworking and capable after working together for so long and was very attentive to the workshop. Aunt Wang was even more warm-hearted and responsible. With her around, the quality of the pastries was definitely guaranteed.

"That's true, but I still want to explain things to them properly. After all, there are some details that need to be clarified in person to put my mind at ease." Lin Wanqiu looked at Shen Tingzhou, her eyes full of pleading.

Shen Tingzhou knew her temperament and didn't try to persuade her. He just smiled and nodded, "Okay, then let's call them over and have a good talk with them. But you can't get tired. Just sit here and talk, and I'll help you take notes."

Soon, Brother Wang, Zhang Lan, and Aunt Wang arrived at the Shen family's main room. Brother Wang was dressed in clean coarse cloth clothes, holding an account book in his hand, with a simple and honest smile on his face; Zhang Lan had her hair neatly styled in a bun, wearing a new cotton-padded jacket that Lin Wanqiu had made for her, and looked much more energetic; Aunt Wang carried a cloth bag containing several new pastries that she had just made, saying that she wanted Lin Wanqiu to try them.

"Wanqiu, did you call us here because you need something?" Brother Wang spoke first, his tone full of respect. He was very grateful to Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou. If it weren't for them, he would still be relying on the weather for a living, and he wouldn't have such a stable job that allowed him to supplement his family's income.

Lin Wanqiu looked at them, a gentle smile on her face: "Actually, it's nothing major. I just wanted to give you a proper explanation about the workshop. I'm pregnant now, and it's not convenient for me, so I'll have to rely on you to take care of things at the workshop from now on." She paused, then looked at Brother Wang, "Brother Wang, I'll leave the external liaison work to you. When you're liaising with the branch in the neighboring county, make sure you confirm the order quantity and delivery time with them. If there are any problems, let us know immediately. Also, if you encounter any new clients, don't rush to agree. Discuss it with us first, and then we'll make a decision."

Brother Wang nodded quickly and carefully wrote Lin Wanqiu's words down in the ledger: "Wanqiu, don't worry, I will definitely do my job well and never let you and Tingzhou down."

Lin Wanqiu then looked at Zhang Lan: "Zhang Lan, I'm leaving the internal production to you. You need to arrange the workers' work reasonably so that everyone can perform their duties and avoid any mistakes. Also, you need to care more about the workers' lives. If they have any difficulties, help them if you can. Our workshop is where it is today because of everyone's hard work."

Zhang Lan felt a warmth in her heart. She hadn't expected Lin Wanqiu to trust her so much and entrust her with such an important task. She quickly assured her, "Wanqiu, don't worry, I will manage production well and will never let you down. If the workers encounter any difficulties, I will let you know immediately, and we will work together to find a solution."

Finally, Lin Wanqiu looked at Aunt Wang and said, "Aunt Wang, I'm entrusting the quality control to you. You must carefully inspect every batch of pastries that are made. If there are any that are substandard, you must pick them out and not let them enter the market. Our workshop has such a good reputation because of its excellent quality. We can't let a moment of negligence ruin our reputation."

Aunt Wang smiled and nodded, handing the pastries from the cloth bag to Lin Wanqiu: "Wanqiu, try this. This is a new jujube paste cake that I came up with. It's made with the best red dates, so the taste is definitely guaranteed. Don't worry, I will definitely keep the quality control in mind and will never let a single substandard pastry leave our workshop."

Lin Wanqiu picked up a piece of jujube paste cake, put it in her mouth, and the soft, sweet taste spread on her tongue, with a rich jujube aroma. She couldn't help but praise, "Delicious, Aunt Wang, your cooking skills are getting better and better. With you here, I feel at ease."

Seeing their earnest expressions, Shen Tingzhou felt very gratified. He took out the rules and regulations he had prepared beforehand and handed them to them: "These are the workshop rules and regulations that Wanqiu and I formulated together. They list the responsibilities and reward/punishment measures for each position. Take them back and take a good look at them. From now on, manage the workshop according to these rules. If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, come to us anytime."

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