Upon hearing this, Auntie looked at Uncle with pleading eyes.

"Let's stay together. They're getting old, and we'll have to take good care of them in the future." Third Uncle made the decision, and the disappointment in Third Aunt's eyes made Qin Xiaoyu feel very sorry for her.

She secretly resolved to help her third aunt smooth things over with her maternal grandmother. During her difficult childhood, her third aunt had been one of the few people who had shown her warmth and support; she felt she had to repay that kindness.

“Little Fish, building this house will cost a lot of money. How about your uncle invests some?” Uncle said with a smile.

"Really?" Qin Xiaoyu understood immediately. Her third uncle could trade steel, and he must have made a lot of money from that.

“Actually, our family has enough money to buy an apartment, but your uncle said he wants to invest in a business, and also…” Auntie San didn’t dare to say anything bad about Grandma, and stole a glance at Uncle San.

"That's all, Uncle doesn't have much more, consider it an investment." Third Uncle took out his savings book, and Qin Xiaoyu's eyes widened. You can't judge a book by its cover, Third Uncle is the kind of person who makes a fortune quietly.

Seeing Qi Si dressed in designer clothes, driving his car, and swaggering around, he must have made a lot of money. But compared to his third uncle riding his beat-up old bicycle, that's just a drop in the ocean.

"Third Uncle, I think this isn't investing; you might as well just take over my business." Qin Xiaoyu conceded defeat.

"What's the point of me taking over yours? You just need to do a good job. I told you, it's an investment. You just need to help me make money hand over fist."

With her third uncle's strong financial backing, Qin Xiaoyu knew that the road ahead would be increasingly easier. When she left her maternal grandmother's house, her grandmother's cursing followed her all the way to the alley entrance, but Qin Xiaoyu pretended not to hear it.

The garment factory office was filled with laughter. Factory Director Xie and several workshop directors were there, laughing as they told jokes. When Qin Xiaoyu entered, they all stood up.

"There's good news, don't keep it from me," Qin Xiaoyu said with a smile.

"Let me tell you a joke. Director Feng really went out of her way to make things difficult for us. There was a relocation project on that street ahead, and a high-voltage power line was being moved. She somehow got the idea to invite a deputy director of the power bureau to dinner and demand that the relocated power line pass through our factory." The workshop director recounted the story with great enthusiasm.

Qin Xiaoyu could no longer laugh. This high-voltage power line passed through the garment factory, and they were expected to cooperate unconditionally. The restructuring would not only disrupt production but also cost a lot of money. And to have the power cut off so easily was outrageous.

"The deputy director actually agreed. But guess what?" The workshop director kept everyone in suspense.

"How so?"

"At the work meeting, he reported it to Director Zhang, the head of the power bureau. At first, he didn't say anything, but then he suddenly slammed his fist on the table and said it was nonsense. He scolded the deputy director, saying that he had changed the line without authorization, which was a big taboo. If he did it again, it would be treated as a major accident. The deputy director was so scared that he quickly made corrections. Director Feng didn't know the reason and invited him to dinner again. He treated him like he had seen a plague god and wouldn't even let him into his office."

"Haha, see? Those who act justly will find many helpers, while those who act unjustly will find few. The ancients were right." Director Xie laughed and nudged Qin Xiaoyu, "You have benefactors everywhere you go."

Qin Xiaoyu was perfectly clear-headed; she hadn't met any benefactors at all.

That Director Zhang is Xiaoli's father. How could he not care about the matter between their in-laws?

But next time might not be so lucky. Director Feng is a cunning person. All her tricks are underhanded. They may not seem illegal or wrong, but they are all deadly.

This is a skill that Director Feng has learned over many years in officialdom; we need to be wary of it.

She wasn't wrong; the first wave had barely passed when the second began. The fire safety rectification notice was issued suddenly, and it directly resulted in a three-day production halt.

Now is the most critical time for production, and the peak sales season for all department stores is just around the corner.

This year, the Lunar New Year was late, and it was already March after the holiday. For the south, it's already the time of seasonal change. Tang Wenwen's sales reports were breaking single-digit records every day, increasing exponentially. If they ran out of stock, it would be digging their own grave.

"Three days! This is terrible, what do we do?!"

Factory Director Xie was so anxious he was about to cry.

“This must be changed. I suspect Director Feng has already set a trap, and it won’t work to find someone else. Let’s think of another way. You call Director Fei and ask her to transfer the goods to Shanghai first. Tell them to work overtime and raise the bonus cap for everyone to ensure that the goods are delivered to Shanghai. Now, call all the employees to the canteen for a general meeting.”

Hearing about the shutdown and rectification, the workers were already panicking; they were calculating their bonuses. The garment factory was doing well, and they couldn't even bear to take time off—that wouldn't be taking time off, it would be burning money.

"Sisters, I don't want to say anything formal today. Let's lay the facts on the table." Qin Xiaoyu had made up her mind. If she didn't bring up Director Feng's matter, she was afraid that the chaos in the factory would cause unrest. Now was the time to rally everyone's spirits.

"Our factory may face many difficulties in the coming year; some people are going to make things difficult for us."

Qin Xiaoyu's words immediately caused a strong reaction. The female workers' discussions were like a nuclear bomb exploding, instantly filling the hall, just like stirring up a hornet's nest.

"Alright, quiet down, let's hear what Director Qin has to say!" Director Xie stood up and shouted, and the voices of the female workers receded like a receding tide.

"Everyone knows how our factory fared last year, right?" Qin Xiaoyu asked.

"Got it! We're making a fortune!" the female workers answered in unison.

"This year, I want to help everyone make more money, do you want to?"

"Yes!" This shout was earth-shattering, twice as loud as the previous one.

"Then you all listen to my arrangements. We'll get through this together. No matter who tries to cause trouble, don't let it stop us from making money!" Qin Xiaoyu slammed her hand on the table, and everyone burst into applause. These days, who has a grudge against money?

Making money is the bottom line.

"Now everyone is back at their posts. I'll go to each workshop and assign specific tasks." Qin Xiaoyu's words really worked. The female workers went from front to back, lining up to return to their respective posts.

Qin Xiaoyu's first stop was the workshop, the front line. If things get blocked here, no one can clear the blockages in the later stages.

"Raise your hand if you have a sewing machine at home," Qin Xiaoyu said, getting straight to the point. Every female worker raised her hand, just as Qin Xiaoyu had expected.

"For the next three days, you will take the work out and process it at home. In addition to your regular wages, you will receive a piece-rate bonus. Raise your hand if you agree."

Everyone raised their hands again. This meant that even if they worked from home, they would still get paid, plus an extra piece-rate bonus. It was like a windfall.

"I have one condition: everyone should act within their capabilities. Don't let the freedom of working at home lead you to work recklessly, day and night, and ruin your health. That won't do. We can't trade our health for money; we need a sustainable approach!" Qin Xiaoyu added.

"Director Qin, you're even more talkative than my mom!" a young female worker exclaimed, eliciting laughter from the crowd.