Chapter 125 Stranger

Xie Shiyu had walked up behind Gu Qiuyue at some point, put his arm around her waist, rested his chin on her shoulder, and said a little aggrievedly, "Wife, you've been giving me less energy lately."

Gu Qiuyue pushed him, but he didn't move her. She said unhappily, "Are you hot?"

"It's not hot!" Xie Shiyu took advantage of the situation and picked up Gu Qiuyue sideways. "Don't worry, I'll help you relax..."

The next morning, after seeing her husband and children off, Gu Qiuyue packed up the dishes and went out to find Zhang Xiumei.

In the early morning of late summer, the courtyard was already filled with the sounds of people. A few old ladies who had gotten up early were sitting in the shade of the trees downstairs picking vegetables. When they saw Gu Qiuyue, they smiled and greeted her, "Qiuyue, why are you out so early?"

"I'm going to talk to Sister Xiumei about something." Gu Qiuyue responded with a smile without stopping.

As she passed the bulletin board, she heard two military wives talking in low voices.

"...That's right. Aunt Zhao made such a fuss yesterday that my wife even grumbled at night, saying we were out all day and shouldn't really cause any gossip..."

"Alas, there's nothing we can do. Our family relies solely on that little allowance, and it's so tight..."

Their voices lowered as she passed by, and the two smiled at her a little embarrassedly. Gu Qiuyue nodded as usual and walked away, but she knew in her heart that although the storm yesterday seemed to have subsided, worries and discussions were still surging beneath the surface.

Zhang Xiumei's family now lives in the innermost building of the staff compound. As soon as Gu Qiuyue arrived at the entrance of the building, she saw Zhang Xiumei coming down with a trash basket.

"Sister Xiumei!" Gu Qiuyue called.

"Qiuyue? Why are you here?" Zhang Xiumei was a little surprised, then lowered her voice, "Is it about what happened yesterday?"

"Well, I have an idea to discuss with you." Gu Qiuyue took the trash basket from her hand, and the two walked together to the shade of the tree next to the building. Gu Qiuyue told her about Director Wang's suggestion to "strengthen internal management and cost accounting," and then said, "I've thought about it, and we need to establish a clearer system."

"How do we do it?" Zhang Xiumei immediately became excited.

"First, regarding quality control, can we divide the responsibilities into small groups? Each group leader will focus on a section of the process and assign responsibilities to individuals. Second, regarding cost accounting, we must calculate the cost of every stitch and every thread clearly. Once we have a clear idea in our minds, we will have confidence no matter who we talk to in the future." Gu Qiuyue said bit by bit.

Zhang Xiumei nodded repeatedly. "That's a great idea! I've been thinking about this for a while, but I just didn't have the nerve to bring it up."

Gu Qiuyue pondered for a moment and added, "One more thing... Next time we go shopping for fabric, we have to be extra careful. I heard that there are several new suppliers in the market. They're offering low prices, but the material might not be good enough. We'd rather spend a little more money and get the goods from our old suppliers. Quality is the most important thing."

"Don't worry, I understand. 'Nothing is good at all, nothing is cheap.'" Zhang Xiumei assured him, but then sighed. "But... Qiuyue, after you left yesterday, Aiying came to me privately and said her mother-in-law was nagging me again at dinner. She complained that she wasn't home all day, and when she heard we were making money, she hinted that she didn't bring home enough..."

Gu Qiuyue's heart sank. Li Aiying was the youngest, had a thin skin, and was under great pressure at home, making her the easiest link to be exploited.

After separating from Zhang Xiumei, Gu Qiuyue decided to go to the street office to see if there were any promotional materials on quality management that she could refer to while the school was still closed. She wanted to get Yongfang back on the right track.

The subdistrict office was just two blocks away from the compound. As soon as she walked out of the compound gate, the young soldier on duty called out to her, "Teacher Gu, are you going out?"

"I have something to do at the neighborhood office," Gu Qiuyue replied with a smile. The military compound was strictly managed, and outsiders were not allowed to enter or leave at will. Although family members were free to enter and leave, they were accustomed to greeting the guards.

Just as she crossed the street, Gu Qiuyue suddenly heard someone calling her: "Hey, isn't this Comrade Gu?"

She turned around and saw a white-haired master pushing a bicycle standing on the side of the road. He was a master whom she had met several times in the fabric market before. His surname was Hu. He used to work at the fabric counter of a state-owned department store. After retirement, he occasionally went to the market to help out. He was a very decent person.

"Hello, Master Hu." Gu Qiuyue greeted him hurriedly.

"Good," Master Hu said, setting up the cart with a smile. "It's a good thing I ran into you. As I get older, I tend to be a bit talkative... Comrade Gu, is your workshop going to need any more materials soon?"

"A new batch is about to arrive." Gu Qiuyue's heart moved.

Master Hu lowered his voice. "Well, I have to say something. There are a few new faces in the market recently. They have big stalls and low prices, but the material..." He shook his head. "I touched it and it might fool an amateur, but it's not durable at all. It will fade and deform after a few washes. You must look carefully when purchasing, don't just go for the cheap price."

Gu Qiuyue's heart skipped a beat: "Thank you for your reminder, we will definitely pay attention."

Master Hu nodded, as if remembering something, and added, "Oh, by the way, the day before yesterday I seemed to see a rather fat man talking to one of the new stall owners in a familiar manner..."

After Master Hu finished speaking, he got on his bike and left. Gu Qiuyue stood there, her heart in turmoil.

Master Hu may not have seen it clearly, but she was almost certain that the "fat man" was Wang Erzhu.

The news was confirmed, and the crisis was no longer just speculation. Gu Qiuyue immediately turned around and walked back - she had to find Zhang Xiumei immediately, and she had to immediately emphasize the importance of fabric quality, and remind her to pay more attention to the emotions of her sisters, especially those who were under great pressure like Li Aiying.

She walked quickly into the compound. The young soldier at the gate was a little surprised to see her coming back just after going out, but he didn't ask much.

Gu Qiuyue walked straight towards the building where Zhang Xiumei lived, thinking about how to make her point clear without causing panic.

As soon as she turned the corner of the building, Gu Qiuyue's footsteps suddenly stopped.

Not far away, next to the stairwell of Zhang Xiumei's house, Zhang Xiumei was talking to a man. The man looked to be in his thirties, wearing a printed shirt that was rare at the time, with slicked-back hair. He was pushing a brand new bicycle with several cloth samples tied on the back seat.

Zhang Xiumei had her back to Gu Qiuyue, so her expression couldn't be seen clearly, but her posture seemed a little hesitant. The man, on the other hand, was smiling and trying to say something. He even reached out to pat Zhang Xiumei's arm, but Zhang Xiumei dodged him by moving sideways.

Gu Qiuyue's heart sank suddenly - unfamiliar faces, brand new bicycles, fabric samples... and Zhang Xiumei's slightly embarrassed and hesitant attitude.

How did this man get into the compound? Was he the new vendor selling low-quality fabrics that Master Hu had mentioned? What did he want from Xiumei?

Countless question marks instantly flooded into Gu Qiuyue's mind.

She did not go forward immediately, but subconsciously stopped and stood in the shadow of the corner of the building, her palms slightly sweating.