☆, Chapter 96: Can that little bit of money bribe the government?
The next day, after lunch, Zhou Mujiao gave the embroiderers a day off.
To ensure fairness and impartiality in the competition, the judges were Zhou Mujiao, Aunt Zhao, and three other embroiderers who did not participate. In addition, Zhou Mujiao also invited Registrar Du from the county government to serve as a notary, which was, of course, paid for.
In return, Clerk Du brought two constables into the village to cheer her on.
With the arrival of the government officials, the competition suddenly became even more prestigious. The contestants outside the embroidery workshop, who were initially worried that the shortlisted works might be predetermined, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the officials.
Zhou Mujiao can only earn a little money at the moment. Can that little money bribe the government?
Zhou Mujiao smiled but didn't say anything.
In modern times, even kindergarten competitions will hire someone to oversee the event. But large corporations like Shengshi Group don't need to hire anyone when they host a competition. Local officials will be present from the very beginning to ensure the smooth running of the event.
Registrar Du was a clever and shrewd man. He knew his role very well, so he immediately put on a stern face and said in a businesslike manner, "Miss Zhou, it's good that you're organizing this competition, and the magistrate is very pleased. However, you must ensure fairness and impartiality! I'd like to make it clear here that if any irregularities are found during the selection process, I will not hesitate to take them back to the county office immediately!"
The contestants were terrified. What if this official suddenly became unhappy and randomly arrested a few people?
Zhou Mujiao clapped her hands: "Please take a seat, Lord Du, and please have the other judges take their seats as well!"
Once everyone had arrived, Zhou Mujiao took out the box of works that had been sealed away the day before. First, she had Lord Du check it, then she had several judges look at it one by one, and finally she randomly asked three contestants to come up and check it to confirm that the box of works had not been tampered with.
"Okay, let's open the box then."
Everyone held their breath.
Aunt Zhao took a stack first and looked at them one by one very quickly. She passed the ones that passed directly to the next person, and if the next person thought they passed, she would pass them on. Finally, when they reached Zhou Mujiao, she would make the final decision.
The author's signature area for all works was covered with paper before they were submitted yesterday. During the blind selection stage, if the judges were not very familiar with the contestants' styles, they would not be able to identify the authors based on the works alone.
Moreover, Aunt Zhao is the first hurdle. No matter who drew it, if she judges it as failing, even if the contestant and the judge are very familiar with each other, there is nothing that can be done at that moment. As for appeals, that is a much later process.
Soon, all three hundred works were reviewed, but only fifty reached Zhou Mujiao, a rather high rejection rate, and she hadn't even looked at them yet.
Everyone was on edge.
The embroiderers all knew that Zhou Mujiao was a cheerful and generous person, but she had very high standards for her work and the quality of her products. When she was on duty, she would work hard, and when she was off duty, she would chat with you about anything. However, when it came to product issues, there was no room for leniency. She would criticize and deduct money as necessary, without hesitation.
When the new batch of embroiderers first arrived, their attitude was not proper, and they were always testing the limits of provocation. Zhou Mujiao did not disappoint them. She deducted three days' wages in the first week. Another person had a bad attitude, and Zhou Mujiao gave her a warning. When she did it a second time, Zhou Mujiao fired her directly, and no matter how much she apologized or begged, she did not change her mind.
Therefore, opinions about Zhou Mujiao are quite polarized. People who like her like her very much, while people who dislike her hate her more and more until they become her adversaries and are dismissed.
Fifty entries were placed in front of Zhou Mujiao. She wasn't in a hurry. She first looked around, and then, under the supervision of Chief Clerk Du, she looked at them one by one. Every time she picked one up, the contestants' hearts tightened a little. Soon she finished looking at them. The fifty entries were divided into two groups, and the number seemed about the same.
Another 50% elimination rate!
Unlike Hong Tao, who would keep viewers in suspense for a while before drinking water to create tension, Zhou Mujiao didn't care about ratings.
Looking around, Zhou Mujiao clapped her hands: "Alright, the preliminary results are in. Now, please welcome Registrar Du and Village Chief Chen to announce them."
Chen Li was there to watch the excitement, but he was surprised to find that he was involved. He was also quite pleased and quickly went up on stage.
Despite her daughter's constant trouble-making, Zhou Mujiao disregarded past grievances and entrusted him with the important task of forming a security team, even putting him in charge of the embroidery workshop's competition! Since she was so trusting, he had to do his best and not disappoint her!
Chen Lizheng and Du Zhubu took turns revealing names and announcing the results. In the end, 28 works passed the preliminary round. Among them, eight were works by people outside the embroidery workshop, and the remaining eighteen were designed by the embroiderers. The Luo sisters, Yang Xiaoya, Xiulan, Deng Sanya and Tian Erya all passed.
“Eight of these are works by people from our village! Is there anyone who questions whether this competition is unfair and only selects works by the embroiderers themselves?” Chen Lizheng shouted.
The eight villagers who made it to the finals were so excited they couldn't even speak.
Zhou Mujiao was quite surprised and delighted that so many people from outside the workshop were selected. The embroidery workshop will be expanded soon, and these eight villagers will definitely be given priority. Some people can do embroidery, and some people can't, but that doesn't mean they are bad in other aspects.
Everyone has their own strengths and advantages; only a very few people are truly lacking in any area.
She congratulated everyone and was about to proceed to the next step when the registrar, Du, suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, what's that man? Isn't Liang Gao a man?"
A man in his early twenties with an ordinary appearance stepped forward, blushing, and said, "Your Excellency, I am Liang Gao."
Registrar Du exclaimed in surprise: "Why are you participating in the competition? Embroiderers are all women!"
"But the embroidery workshop doesn't have a rule against men participating." Liang Gao scratched his head and asked Zhou Mujiao, "Miss Zhou, are men not allowed to participate?"
Zhou Mujiao nodded: "Of course, I only care about outstanding works. I don't care about the author's gender, as long as the work is original and completed independently by the author, it can go through the process normally. We also make menswear. Liang Gao is a man, and men know what men need better."
In the future, the embroidery workshop will be expanded to include menswear, womenswear, and childrenswear departments. Liang Gao, you are welcome to apply for a designer position at that time. Once hired, in addition to salary and benefits, I will also develop a suitable career plan for each designer. Talented and capable people should not be confined to Peach Blossom Village, much less to my small embroidery workshop!
The villagers were both envious and frustrated, and almost beat their chests in frustration.
Even though participating doesn't guarantee a spot, not even participating makes me feel like I've missed a great opportunity to make money.
Zhou Mujiao smiled and announced the time and theme of the semi-finals, followed by giving all the participants a reward for their hard work.
Having received the money, everyone was excited: "Liu Ya, will there be another competition at the embroidery workshop? When is it? We want to participate too!"
"The competition is held every year, so there's no need to rush. Our embroidery workshop welcomes everyone to participate. However, there is one type of person who is not eligible to participate. Do you remember which type of person we are?"
"Remember! Plagiarism! Stealing other people's work!"
“That’s right.” Zhou Mujiao’s face turned cold. “So I want to ask, Aunt Wang, Xu Qiuyun, why are your works so similar?”
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