Qin Xiaoyu was thinking about Zhou Yue, so she got up very early. Xiao Chen had already prepared breakfast, and she chose two items to put in her lunchbox.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw Sister-in-law Deng walking over and greeting me from afar, so I had to stop.

"Little Fish, I need to talk to you about something." Sister-in-law Deng's face was flushed, and she spoke hesitantly, clearly needing her help.

"Don't be shy, sister-in-law. Just let me know if you need anything," Qin Xiaoyu said warmly.

“Look, Lao Deng is the only one earning a salary. I have two kids, and I’m just sitting at home with nothing to do. Could you help me find a job? I’d be happy to be a nanny; I can do laundry and cook.”

"Sister-in-law, do you know how to use a sewing machine?"

"Yes, I make all the clothes in my house."

"That's good. Is everything arranged at home today? Come with me to the garment factory."

"Is this... I'm going to work right now?" Sister-in-law Deng was startled.

"Let's go to work." Qin Xiaoyu had already planned it out. Judging from yesterday's momentum, the clothing factory's sales channels were about to open up. The factory's current production capacity needed to be increased, and it would likely need to hire some skilled workers.

Zhou Yue fell asleep on the table in the technical room. When Qin Xiaoyu woke her up, two marks were left on her face.

"Eat it while it's hot." Qin Xiaoyu put the lunchbox on the other table and turned back to look at the blueprints.

"Not bad, not bad, it wasn't a waste of time. Sister-in-law Deng wants to work at our factory, I'll take her there and make the arrangements. You go and eat."

Qin Xiaoyu now holds absolute authority in the garment factory; her word is law. When she arrives, the workers greet her warmly. Sister-in-law Deng, who has never seen anything like this before, is too frightened to even look up.

"Director Zhang, this is my neighbor. She used to make clothes. Our factory is now training new talent, so let her do an internship in the workshop first. If she can work independently, we will pay her on a piece-rate basis."

After settling Sister-in-law Deng in, Xie Lanhua also came to work.

"Little Fish, you're up early."

"I heard it's payday soon, can I have the accountant come up here?" Qin Xiaoyu was thinking about her bonus.

"I'll send someone to call you, you sit down for a while. Yesterday, Zhou Yue brought the money back, and it shocked me. Are these people so rich they're crazy? They only buy clothes and don't need to eat?" Xie Lanhua, having tasted the sweetness of success, smiled broadly.

"This is just the beginning. There will probably be more of these in the future. We will open branches and gradually expand to the provincial capital, other provinces, and maybe even Beijing and Shanghai."

"Really? That would be wonderful!"

The accountant rushed in carrying the ledgers, spread them out on the table, and showed them to Qin Xiaoyu.

"Factory manager, our cash flow has just started to recover. We need to purchase goods, and buying fabrics, threads, and accessories will require a large expenditure. Should we postpone the bonuses until next month?" the accountant asked cautiously.

"That's fine. Explain it to the workers. They're all reasonable people and won't make a fuss over such a small amount of money. If the factory does well, everyone benefits." Xie Lanhua nodded.

"No, the bonuses will be paid in full. Not only the bonuses, but also the back wages will be paid. If the money is not enough, I will transfer funds from Hengchang."

"What? We have to make up for the wages we owe?" The accountant and Xie Lanhua were both taken aback.

Originally, three months' wages were owed. When Qin Xiaoyu first took over, she paid one month's wages, so there were still two months' wages owed. It all adds up to a considerable amount of money.

"Yes, we'll make up for it this month. This will give the workers confidence in the factory, which will allow it to develop better."

Qin Xiaoyu was well aware of Hengchang's business situation; her cousin-in-law had money.

I heard that not only will they be paying wages, but they will also be giving bonuses and paying back the wages they owe. The whole factory was in an uproar, and all the workers were all smiles.

Qin Xiaoyu took the cashier to withdraw money, but they were stopped by a thin old lady as soon as they went downstairs.

"Director Qin, cough cough!"

“Aunt Cui, your daughter has made a mistake. It’s no use begging Factory Director Qin.” The cashier frowned and came to Qin Xiaoyu’s rescue.

Qin Xiaoyu suddenly realized that this was Da Cui's mother, who had been suspended from her job. She had heard Xie Lanhua say that her family was struggling financially. She didn't want to help, but Da Cui's mother wouldn't leave her alone. After chasing after her for a few steps, she didn't see the pipe on the ground because of her poor eyesight and stepped on it. If Qin Xiaoyu hadn't caught her in time, she probably would have fallen hard.

"You're such a nuisance. Don't you know what kind of girl you have? You're always lying to your superiors and subordinates. Now look at you, stop making a scene! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" The little cashier is quite something; it seems she's suffered under Da Cui's thumb before.

"Auntie, I have something urgent to tell you. Why don't you get in the car and tell me?" Qin Xiaoyu got into the car and let Aunt Cui sit in the passenger seat.

As soon as the car door opened and started driving, she regretted it. The cashier in the back took out a small handkerchief sprayed with perfume, wishing she could stuff her nose in it.

Qin Xiaoyu knew that Cui Da smelled terrible; it was the smell of poverty.

When she was reborn, the room smelled like this, and Hanhan and her younger sister smelled like this too.

"Why don't you go find Director Xie?" Qin Xiaoyu sighed.

"You think I didn't look for her? She's so impartial, I could talk myself hoarse and she wouldn't listen. We're old friends, and now she's being so cruel." Aunt Cui raised her shiny sleeve to wipe her eyes.

"Your daughter is suspended from her job, but you'll still receive your retirement pension. Go back and get the money later, and then just focus on living your life properly. Don't cause any trouble," Qin Xiaoyu reassured her.

"I'm not worried about myself. I'm so old, I don't know when I'll get to tomorrow. I'm worried about that little bastard. She's wasting her good life and now she's caused trouble. What are we going to do?" Aunt Cui wiped her hands a few more times. Qin Xiaoyu couldn't bear to watch anymore and took out her handkerchief to hand it to her.

“Auntie, everyone knows about your daughter’s mistake. If we only let her come back on her own, others will definitely disagree. If we bring everyone back, what’s the point of punishing her? People will say that the cost of making mistakes is too low, and she can just keep making the same mistakes. Is there any hope for the factory then?”

"But we're desperate, please give us a way to survive," Aunt Cui sobbed, crying heartbrokenly.

"Here's what we'll do. The factory has a lot of orders lately, we're too busy, and we need manpower. Someone like Da Cui is much better than someone we just brought in and trained from outside. Let her come back first, starting as a temporary worker. If she performs outstandingly and makes special contributions, we'll consider restoring her to her original position." This was something Qin Xiaoyu and Xie Lanhua had already discussed, just waiting for them to come to them.

Aunt Cui got off the bus happily and went home to tell the news.

Qin Xiaoyu watched her retreating figure and smiled bitterly. If she had agreed to let her daughter go back to work at the factory from the beginning, she probably wouldn't be this happy.

"Director Qin, my mother used to be a worker in the garment factory. She's retired now, but she's still in good health. How about we let her come back and work as a temporary worker?" The cashier overheard the conversation.

"Okay, I'll inform them when I get back that all the veteran workers who can come back are welcome. We shouldn't let the profits go to outsiders; they should be the ones to earn the money." Qin Xiaoyu understood; this was much easier than hiring new workers from outside. Adding a few more machines would solve the problem.