Chapter 119 There Will Be a Chance
Gu Qiuyue walked briskly back to the family compound. Just as she was about to go find Zhang Xiumei to tell her the good news, she saw Zhang Xiumei running towards her in a hurry. Her face was filled with anger and mystery. She pulled her to a secluded place and said in a low voice:
"Sister Qiuyue, you asked me to pay more attention to our workshop and the surrounding situation.
Guess who I saw when I came back from shopping? I saw Li Caifeng! She was whispering to the guy who had come to report the loss last time at the corner of the street. I don’t know what they were talking about! When they saw me, they immediately separated, acting very sneaky!
The smile on Gu Qiuyue's face faded slightly, and her eyes looked into the distance, as if she was thinking about something.
Seeing this, Zhang Xiumei tugged at her sleeve even more anxiously: "Sister Qiuyue, please don't take it lightly!"
"Sister Xiumei, don't worry." Gu Qiuyue retracted her gaze, patted Zhang Xiumei's hand, and said calmly, "I know about this. Let's not make it public for now. Which street corner did you see them on?"
"It's the corner behind the supply and marketing cooperative, near the old locust tree." Zhang Xiumei lowered her voice. "I was originally going to buy needles and thread when I saw two figures dodging from a distance. I didn't pay much attention at first, but when I got closer I realized it was Li Caifeng and the clerk. They were talking intently, but when I approached, they immediately separated. Li Caifeng even deliberately greeted me loudly, pretending to be so convincing."
Gu Qiuyue nodded, and several thoughts flashed through her mind quickly. When this raw material crisis occurred, she behaved a little abnormally, but she was busy at the time and did not investigate it deeply. Now it seems that it is indeed necessary to pay attention.
"Sister Xiumei, thank you for being so thoughtful." Gu Qiuyue said sincerely, "I'll observe this matter secretly first. Please keep an eye on it. But don't alarm the enemy. After all, we don't have any real evidence. Rash questioning will only hurt feelings."
"I understand that," Zhang Xiumei nodded repeatedly. "I'm just so angry! Don't we all just want to earn more money to supplement our family income?"
Gu Qiuyue took Zhang Xiumei's arm and said as they walked home, "People's hearts are hard to predict. But I believe most sisters are good. Let's go home first. I just have good news to tell you."
"What good news?" Zhang Xiumei's attention was diverted and an expectant expression appeared on her face.
Gu Qiuyue smiled and recounted the negotiation process at the No. 1 Middle School factory. "But Principal Liu and Director Wang said they'd let us try it out first. If we can complete this task with guaranteed quality and quantity, they'll give us priority for outsourced work from the factory in the future."
"Really?" Zhang Xiumei practically jumped up in surprise. "That's great! I've heard that the No. 1 Middle School factory produces not only gloves but also clothing, shoes, hats, and bags. It would be great if we could make clothing as well in the future."
"Work hard," Gu Qiuyue said with a gleam in her eyes, "there will be opportunities."
Gu Qiuyue's expression remained calm. "But we need to make it clear in advance that the more you work, the more you earn. If you don't get paid due to slacking off, you can't blame anyone else. As for those who want to sabotage us, we really can't keep them."
Zhang Xiumei looked at Gu Qiuyue with admiration: "Sister Qiuyue, you are so thoughtful."
As they were talking, they had already arrived under the shade of a tree where the families' quarters were usually located. Several military wives were sitting there mending and chatting. When they saw Gu Qiuyue coming back, they all came forward to greet her.
Taking this opportunity, Gu Qiuyue announced the good news with a smile, which immediately caused cheers. Everyone asked about the details. Gu Qiuyue answered them one by one, but her eyes inadvertently swept over everyone present.
She noticed that Li Caifeng was not among the crowd.
"Sister Caifeng didn't come today?" Gu Qiuyue asked casually.
"She was here just now, but she said she had something to do at home and went back early." Zhao Xiaohong, who was quick-witted, continued, "I think she said her mother-in-law was coming."
Gu Qiuyue's heart moved, but she kept a straight face. "Is that so? Then I'll go to her house later to discuss the division of labor for the new job."
After chatting for a while, Gu Qiuyue said goodbye to everyone on the pretext of preparing for tomorrow's work arrangements.
After returning home and seeing that it was still early, Gu Qiuyue decided to go to Li Caifeng's house first to feel out the situation.
Li Caifeng lived at the east end of the yard. When Gu Qiuyue arrived, she was washing vegetables at the door.
"Sister Caifeng, are you busy?" Gu Qiuyue greeted with a smile.
Li Caifeng obviously didn't expect Gu Qiuyue to come. She paused for a moment before looking up and saying with a smile, "Qiuyue, why are you here? Come inside and sit down."
"No," Gu Qiuyue squatted down naturally and helped pick the vegetables. "I should go pick up Huahua and the others from school soon. I came here to tell you something." Then she told Li Caifeng about the task of receiving the gloves. "This task is quite urgent. I think Sister Caifeng may be busy for a while."
A complicated look flashed across Li Caifeng's face as she unconsciously rubbed a piece of vegetable in her hand. "Look at what you said. There are so many sisters-in-law in our workshop, and one more wouldn't be a big problem."
"But we are one." Gu Qiuyue observed her reaction. "We are all military families, so we should help each other. Director Wang said that if we complete this mission well, we will be given more tasks in the future."
Li Caifeng's eyes visibly brightened for a moment, but then dimmed again. "This... I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it. The children at home are naughty, and my mother-in-law is in poor health and wants to come here to recuperate. I'll have to spend more time taking care of her."
Gu Qiuyue's doubts deepened. She knew the situation of Li Caifeng's family. Although her mother-in-law was old, she was in good health. She had come several times before and could help take care of the children. Why did she say she was here to recuperate this time?
"It's okay. The time can be flexible." Gu Qiuyue said calmly, "As long as it is completed before the specified date."
After leaving Li Caifeng's house, Gu Qiuyue's doubts became even greater. Li Caifeng's behavior was indeed abnormal, but it was too early to conclude that she was in collusion with that guy.
As night fell, Gu Qiuyue was thinking about her next plan in her mind. She unconsciously quickened her pace towards the kindergarten, fearing that she would be late to pick up her child. When she passed the gate of the family compound, she heard the young soldier on duty in the guard room talking to someone.
"Comrade, this is the military dependents area. No entry without permission. You must register with the person you are looking for, and someone inside will come to pick you up."
"Ouch, little comrade, I, I took the wrong path, I'll leave now..."
A bowing figure hurriedly retreated from the guard room window, and when he turned around, he met Gu Qiuyue face to face.
Gu Qiuyue's heart sank suddenly. It seemed that Zhang Xiumei's suspicion was not groundless, but following her at this moment would definitely alert the enemy. She went to the kindergarten to pick up the two children, but did not go home. Instead, she walked towards the home of Sister Zhou who worked in the textile factory.
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