Gu Lingxiao watched the bicycle get further and further away until it disappeared from sight, then he hurriedly went to the bus stop to catch the bus. He wanted to see Gu Huailin and give the nanny next month's salary.
The child is too thin. After getting off the bus, go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some meat and have the nanny make braised pork for the child.
The child was unlucky; he was only two months old when his father, also a member of the team, was killed in action.
My comrade was an orphan who grew up relying on the kindness of others before joining the army. His mother was unwilling to raise him and secretly sent him to a place not far from the army base. By the time she found out, he was already gone.
He had gone to the countryside to look for her and learned that the woman had remarried.
He originally intended to send the child to an orphanage, but after seeing the environment there, he didn't want his comrade's orphan to grow up in such an environment.
So they hired a caregiver. At first, it was a very kind old lady who took care of them for five years. Later, she quit her job because her health deteriorated.
Several people were replaced in between.
The current nanny was found at the market. She stood up straight, and since we were in a hurry to complete a task, we decided to hire her.
It's been over a month since we last met. I wonder how the child is doing now?
————
When Lu Zhixia learned the truth, she was both shocked and saddened. She rode her bicycle all the way, and the wind blowing on her face made her more and more clear-headed.
She didn't know where her child was, but she firmly believed that since God had given her a second chance at life, they would be able to continue their mother-child bond!
All she can do now is make money quickly and build up her network of contacts.
Gold leaf can make even ghosts push the millstone, so money can also pry open the mouths of some people!
I rode my bicycle to the umbrella factory. A huge sign was hanging on the wall. Through the closed gate, I could see that the yard was overgrown with weeds.
This doesn't look like a factory at all; it looks like an abandoned factory compound.
The door was not locked, which means there was someone inside.
So he stood at the door and shouted, "Is anyone inside?"
After calling out four or five times, an old man in factory clothes came out. His hat was askew, and his clothes looked dirty and tattered.
"This must be the doorman," she said with a smile as the man approached.
"Sir, is your factory manager here?"
Factory Manager Niu sized up the girl in front of him. Was she a female worker assigned to work here? She looked quite old, but her appearance was not bad. Considering the current situation of the factory, he really couldn't accept new people.
"The factory isn't doing well right now. I don't know if you explained it to them clearly. They might not be able to pay wages next month. But once the factory clears out its inventory, they'll have the money to pay wages."
"If you think it's okay, then you can stay. We'll provide lunch, just some vegetables and potatoes, enough to fill you up."
Lu Zhixia instantly understood that the person in front of her was the factory manager, but he looked different and was slovenly.
He really doesn't act like a factory manager. "Well, I'm not here to work, I'm here to buy an umbrella."
Niu Changzi wondered if he had misheard. Sales had been declining steadily since the first half of the year.
Most importantly, some factories were built in the south, and their technology was better than theirs, and their prices were lower.
This resulted in the factory's inventory not being sold, making it impossible to pay workers' wages. Eventually, they had no choice but to give some workers an extended leave.
Let them find other ways to make a living, and then call them back when the factory starts operating.
He looked the girl up and down again and said, "Hey lady, I don't think you're seventeen or eighteen. What do you mean by that? Are you here to buy an umbrella?"
"Doesn't the supply and marketing cooperative sell umbrellas? Why go all this way?"
Lu Zhixia cleared her throat lightly and said,
"Here's the thing, I want to buy a large batch of umbrellas."
"Buy a large batch?" Factory Director Niu's eyes lit up.
Could you give me a specific amount?
"I'd like to see the quality of the umbrellas in your warehouse before making any plans."
Lu Zhixia didn't want to cause herself any trouble. She was initially confident about the deal, but after seeing the factory environment...
She wasn't sure; you can't take on a job you're not qualified for!
"Sure, of course you can take a look. To be honest, we didn't sell many umbrellas in the first half of the year; they're all stuck in the warehouse." Factory Manager Niu said with a big smile as he walked over. "But we've packed them carefully, and the umbrellas are all undamaged."
Lu Zhixia pushed her bicycle and followed the factory manager into the yard. Apart from the weeds on the ground, the entire factory area looked alright.
After turning a corner, I saw workers coming out of the factory. They looked quite old, with slightly gray hair, and were hunched over as they went in and out.
As she reached the door, she glanced inside and saw that everyone there was quite old and working.
Some people still have disabilities in their hands or feet.
"Factory manager, what's going on?"
"To be honest, the factory isn't doing well right now. I've kept a group of workers on the job, but they either have mobility issues or are too old to find other work. As for the younger workers, I've given them extended leave." Factory Manager Niu sighed heavily after saying this. "You don't know, our factory has been around for over 30 years, and we make umbrellas using the most traditional techniques."
"From a small, makeshift team of just a few people, we've grown to over a hundred, but we've faced many challenges along the way."
"After the reform and opening up, times changed. Southerners are smarter. They learn new techniques and make umbrellas that are indeed more durable than ours."
"But their prices are high, while ours are cheap. It only costs 65 cents when it leaves the factory, but the supply and marketing cooperative sells it for one yuan."
Lu Zhixia listened to the old man's rambling and soon arrived at the large warehouse, where she saw them use the keys to open the cabin door.
What comes into view are rows of cardboard boxes, of various sizes, numbering in the hundreds.
Factory Manager Niu looked around and went to a corner.
"A small portion of these umbrellas were produced last year, and the rest were produced in the first half of the year. They are all handmade."
Looking at the umbrellas, Lu Zhixia suddenly had an idea.
"If I wanted to add words to these umbrellas, could you do it now?"
"Sure, someone came to talk to us before, wanting to order umbrellas for the factory workers and have words printed on them."
"Oh, how much did he order?" Lu Zhixia immediately thought of that scumbag boyfriend, who was currently lying in the hospital.
He definitely won't be able to come anytime soon; by the time he leaves the hospital, the rainy season will have arrived.
Therefore, she had to seize this opportunity!
The old factory manager casually opened an umbrella, then closed it and patted the frame with a crisp sound, saying in an annoyed tone,
"He wanted to lower the price. He only offered me two cents for such good umbrellas. I really couldn't bear to part with them, especially since I was also doing embroidery on the edge of the steel factory's welfare work! I couldn't finish the work in a short period of time, and he wouldn't even pay me more."
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