"Let's eat together. Aunt Chen always cooks too much. It'll be more lively if we eat together." After saying that, Aunt picked up a handkerchief, covered her mouth, and yawned.

"Auntie, you must be tired after a long day. Please rest. We have our train tomorrow and some things to arrange, so we'll head back now. Thank you for your hospitality!" Qin Xiaoyu finally found an opportunity and hurriedly escaped with Tang Wenwen.

Once they reached the road, the two of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sister-in-law, you can rest assured now, and so can I," Tang Wenwen said abruptly.

"What?"

"That old woman? If I dared to make a move on her, I'd be asking for death." Tang Wenwen was still shaken.

"Okay, you're right, this woman is really scary, like she crawled out of a grave..." Qin Xiaoyu finished speaking and shrank her neck, spitting out her words, "Children say whatever comes to mind, what grave are you talking about so late at night?"

When Qin Xiaoyu got off the train, she went to find Qi Si as usual, but unexpectedly Zhou Yue had already run into the platform to pick her up.

"Xiaoyu, something's happened! I was afraid you'd be worried sick out there, so I didn't dare call you!" Zhou Yue's anxious expression startled Qin Xiaoyu.

"What's the rush?"

"Master Xu has suffered a stroke!"

Qin Xiaoyu's head throbbed, and she thought to herself, "It's over."

Master Xu himself was unaware of the importance of Riyue Clothing.

In fact, Zhou Yue's design was nothing special. If Master Xu hadn't turned her fantasy into reality with his years of practical experience, she would have just been dreaming.

She had only a superficial understanding of the properties of fabrics, relying solely on her imagination. Master Xu had to analyze her drawings to figure out what kind of decorations and fabrics would be suitable, adding or subtracting even the smallest detail, and only by adjusting these details could a sample garment be created.

Without Master Xu, Zhou Yue would have lost both her left and right arms.

Qin Xiaoyu had seen through this long ago, but she didn't say anything, fearing it would dampen Zhou Yue's enthusiasm. Now that Master Xu has appeared, Zhou Yue herself has realized the problem and is panicking.

Qin Xiaoyu went to the hospital first. Master Xu's condition was not too serious. It was discovered early and treated in time. He only had speech impairment and one hand was immobile.

"No matter what it is, just come to me."

After comforting the family and leaving them 1,000 yuan, Qin Xiaoyu left. Although this might make future cooperation difficult, the favor remained. Qin Xiaoyu wasn't the type to abandon someone after they'd served their purpose.

"What should I do, Xiaoyu? I'm so scared." Zhou Yue cried as soon as she got back to the car. She took out a crumpled sample garment and showed it to Qin Xiaoyu.

This is the design made by the technical department using her drawings; it can't compare to the result made by Master Xu.

"There's always a way out. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Don't be afraid." Qin Xiaoyu didn't have time to cry; she had to come up with a solution.

She's already figured out the old guard in the Little Sun Technology Room; no one else is capable of taking on the main responsibility. The newly promoted Wang Lingling and others are too inexperienced and need time to gain experience.

There is another garment factory in the city, but it produces labor protection products that are all the same. The technicians only use the patterns to adjust the size, so it's practically useless.

Xie Lanhua was also extremely anxious, and seeing Qin Xiaoyu was like grasping at a lifeline.

"Continue producing the clothes that have already been sampled. Keep things stable and don't let the news get out." Qin Xiaoyu assigned the tasks. They had already made a lot of summer sample clothes, enough to last for a while, so she made time for her.

Should we go to the provincial capital and recruit an old tailor? Qin Xiaoyu quickly rejected the idea. Even an old tailor might not be able to apply what they've learned. There are many tailors who have spent their entire lives as tailors, but very few can truly imbue clothes with soul.

Qin Xiaoyu came out of the garment factory alone; she needed some peace and quiet.

A woman's figure ahead caught her attention. The back view looked somewhat familiar; she was tall and strong. However, the clothes she was wearing were striking, concealing all her physical flaws.

"Director Fei?" Qin Xiaoyu blurted out.

"Hehe, what a coincidence, Director Qin!" Director Fei turned around and smiled.

After suspending Director Fei last time, she got so angry that she never came to work at the factory again. She also often didn't go home, and no one knew where she went.

Xie Lanhua shed many tears over this matter.

Qin Xiaoyu originally thought she was just sulking, but now, looking at her clothes, she suddenly realized that it wasn't as simple as her running away in anger.

"This coat is really nice. Did you buy it or have it made?" Qin Xiaoyu stepped forward enthusiastically and lifted the hem of the trench coat.

Factory Director Fei reached out and grabbed her wrist, preventing her from looking any further, and coldly sneered, "What's it to you?"

Qin Xiaoyu was left standing there, exposed to the cold, while Factory Director Fei swaggered away. Although she'd been rebuffed, Qin Xiaoyu saw an opportunity! It seemed there were still some experts out there; she needed to recruit them.

But where to dig is the problem.

She went back, drove her car out, and wandered around the city aimlessly, just like before. She searched carefully and found many clothing stores, and in many deep alleys, she found dilapidated signs. She went into each one she saw, and when she came out, she couldn't hide her disappointment.

A person who can create a garment with soul is not someone you can just grab anywhere.

Where exactly did Factory Director Fei find this treasure? And it can be inferred that she only recently found this person. If she already had this ability and taste, Little Sun wouldn't have fallen to such a state.

"Aunt Xie, what has Director Fei been busy with lately?" Qin Xiaoyu could only try to get information from him by coming back; it was easier to find clues here.

"I don't know! She doesn't come home for days on end, and when she does come back, she doesn't talk to me. She just looks at the children and leaves. Her clothes have changed..." Xie Lanhua stopped talking, realizing she had spoken out of turn. People were conservative in those days, and a daughter's reputation was important. Even though she was a widow without a husband, wouldn't that make people gossip even more?

"Does she have any friends in the clothing industry?" Qin Xiaoyu asked casually.

"Why are you asking this?" Xie Lanhua was a smart person; she understood immediately.

“I saw her outside. She was wearing a new trench coat, and she looked beautiful.”

"She's at the factory? Oh no!" Xie Lanhua turned and ran outside.

Qin Xiaoyu followed, and Xie Lanhua went straight into the technical room. She asked around and found out that Director Fei had indeed been there. He didn't say anything, just took a quick look around and left.

"Aunt Xie, what are you worried about?" Qin Xiaoyu was made nervous by her.

"We need to tighten management at our factory and prevent outsiders from coming and going freely. Oh, and there's an extra person at the warehouse; let him work as a gatekeeper tomorrow." Xie Lanhua was a pragmatist.

"Aunt Xie, to put it bluntly, we're in the same boat. Don't keep anything from me." Qin Xiaoyu was anxious. Xie Lanhua's tense demeanor was genuine.

"Sigh, I heard she's partnering with someone to open a garment factory; she's trying to poach people from me," Xie Lanhua sighed.

Sure enough, when I went to the workshop to take inventory, I found that the people Da Cui dealt with last time had all taken leave and left.