Chapter 124 Internal Unity
Grandma Wu Xiaohua's voice was sharp and bright, piercing the air of the summer afternoon like a needle.
Zhang Xiumei was so angry that she was about to rush forward, but was held back by Gu Qiuyue.
"Don't be impatient," Gu Qiuyue whispered, "We have to approach this matter gently."
She stepped forward steadily, nodded gently to Wu Xiaohua, then turned to Aunt Zhao, speaking in a neither servile nor overbearing tone: "Auntie, it's so hot out here, please calm down. You know Xiaohua very well. Look, she's such a good parent to Junjun. He even got a perfect score on the last exam."
Grandma Zhao was stunned. She didn't expect Gu Qiuyue to praise her grandson first, and her momentum suddenly weakened.
Gu Qiuyue struck while the iron was hot: "The sisters in our military family compound come out to work. First, we are responding to the country's call. Women can hold up half the sky. Second, we can add some income to our families, so that the men can work in the army without worrying about the family. Third, the sisters can take care of each other together, which is better than being bored at home. Don't you agree?"
Several older military families in the crowd nodded in agreement.
"Besides," Gu Qiuyue said softly but firmly, "Don't Xiaohua and the others spend every penny they earn on this family? I even saw her buy you a piece of new fabric the day before yesterday."
Aunt Zhao opened her mouth but was speechless for a moment.
At this time, Aunt Chen, an old neighbor of the Zhao family, also heard the noise and rushed over. She pulled Aunt Zhao aside and said, "Old sister, times have changed now. Young people have their own way of living. We should also keep up with the progress, right?"
Grandma Zhao muttered "outrageous", but she had lost all her courage and was half persuaded and half dragged back home by Aunt Chen.
Wu Xiaohua looked at Gu Qiuyue with red eyes: "Teacher Gu, thank you..."
"It's okay," Gu Qiuyue patted her shoulder, "Go wash your face first, and see you in the workshop later."
The military wives who were watching dispersed, but there was a hint of worry on each of their faces.
Gu Qiuyue and Zhang Xiumei looked at each other and walked towards the workshop tacitly. Several military wives were already waiting there, all looking uneasy.
"Teacher Gu, do you think that if we do this, will it really make our family unhappy?" the youngest, Li Aiying, asked timidly.
Gu Qiuyue sat down in front of the sewing machine, her eyes sweeping across the anxious faces. "Sisters, everyone saw what happened just now, but let me ask you, is it wrong for us to earn money with our own hands to supplement our family income?"
"That's right!" Zhang Xiumei was the first to respond. "My husband praised me for my ability yesterday!" She straightened her back and a proud glow on her face.
"That's right," Chen Cuifen continued, "Since I came to the workshop, I bought an electric fan at home, and my child can sleep well at night now."
Gu Qiuyue nodded: "Our products are of excellent quality and can withstand inspection. That is why we can gain a firm foothold in today's meeting."
She paused, her voice lowered: "Speaking of this, I have to mention Li Caifeng again."
The workshop suddenly became quiet. Li Caifeng was a name that no one wanted to mention.
"She sold inferior products as genuine ones, nearly ruining all of our reputations," Gu Qiuyue said in a serious tone. "But we discovered the problem promptly and resolutely removed her from the team, preserving the reputation of the Military Dependents Workshop. It's precisely because we handled it promptly and fairly that we can confidently face the questions raised by Yuanda Factory today!"
She stood up, her eyes sparkling. "The past is a lesson and a warning. As long as we work together, ensure quality, and unite as one, we won't be afraid of any rumors or malicious competition."
Zhang Xiumei excitedly responded, "Teacher Gu is right. You didn't see that today. Wang Erzhu and Factory Director Sun were left speechless by Teacher Gu's words, and in the end, they left in disgrace."
The emotions of the military wives were aroused, and they all expressed their willingness to work harder.
At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and the young soldier from the reception room came in: "Teacher Gu, there's a call for you. It's Director Wang from No. 1 Middle School."
Gu Qiuyue's heart moved, and she walked quickly towards the message room.
"Comrade Gu," Director Wang's voice on the other end of the line was relaxed. "We've held a meeting and decided to give you the order. However..." He paused. "We hope you can further refine your costing while ensuring quality. Also, you must strengthen internal management and avoid giving people any reason to criticize you."
Gu Qiuyue thanked him repeatedly, feeling relieved. Her hands holding the microphone were sweating slightly, and she casually wrote down a few key words in the registration book: cost accounting, internal management.
Director Wang lowered his voice, "But I must warn you, the people at Yuanda were very reluctant to leave, especially that Wang Erzhu, who said, 'We'll see.' You'd better be careful."
After hanging up the phone, Gu Qiuyue pondered for a moment. It seemed that this battle was far from over. She stood at the window of the communication room, looking at the figures training on the playground in the distance, and took a deep breath. As a soldier's wife, she couldn't show weakness.
Back at the workshop, she simply told everyone that the order was saved, which drew cheers. As for Wang Erzhu's threat, she put it aside for the time being, not wanting to affect everyone's enthusiasm, but she silently made a note in her heart that she had to find time to discuss countermeasures with Zhang Xiumei alone.
As the sun set, the military wives returned home one after another to prepare dinner. Gu Qiuyue and Zhang Xiumei checked the doors and windows one last time before locking the door and leaving.
When Gu Qiuyue returned home, she found that Xie Shiyu had already returned and was sitting at the table reading a newspaper. When the two children saw her come in, they rushed to her like little cannonballs, calling "Mom" softly.
She squatted down, hugged each child in her arms, and smelled the faint scent of soap on their bodies. Most of the fatigue of the day immediately dissipated.
Xie Shiyu put down the newspaper and smiled slightly: "I heard that we won a victory today?"
Gu Qiuyue comforted the two children while pouring water. Xie Shiyu took the kettle, poured a cup and handed it to her. She took a few sips of water and told her in detail what had happened that day.
The children sat quietly on small stools playing with building blocks, occasionally looking up at their mothers, and seemed to feel the importance of the adults' conversation.
Xie Shiyu listened attentively, then nodded, "Well handled." He casually flipped a page in the newspaper, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, I ran into Old Chen from the logistics department today. I heard the market for labor protection fabrics has been a bit volatile lately, with several new suppliers. Their prices are low, but the quality varies. Be careful when purchasing."
Gu Qiuyue's heart tightened, and she immediately thought of Director Wang's reminder and Wang Erzhu's threat. She remembered that she did see two new faces wandering around the fabric market when she was purchasing last time. She didn't pay attention to it at the time, but now she thinks it might not be that simple.
A storm was about to come. She looked at the darkening sky outside the window and frowned slightly. In the night sky, a few dark clouds were slowly gathering, covering the crescent moon that had just risen.
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