Gu Mingyue finally managed to escape from the crowd and hurried home, clutching the malted milk powder and polyester fabric tightly in her hands, unable to hide the smile on her lips.
Pushing open the door, Lu Lin was in the kitchen, wearing an apron and preparing vegetables. Hearing the noise, he turned around and looked at her. His gaze fell on what she was holding, and a smile appeared in his eyes: "Is this the prize for winning the competition?"
Gu Mingyue immediately went over, spread the fabric out on the dining table, and then picked up the malted milk powder and shook it, like a child eager for praise.
"Look! The factory manager personally presented this award, and this piece of polyester is such a perfect color, it would definitely look great as a shirt!"
By the way, today Deputy Factory Director Wang deliberately made things difficult for me, giving me three days to refine the drawings and provide a quote. I managed to do it, and even the factory director praised me for it!
Lu Lin put down the vegetables in his hand, walked over and patted her head, his tone full of doting: "I knew you could do it."
He picked up the piece of polyester fabric, examined it against the light, and added, "Not only is he skilled, but he's also meticulous. Knowing that Master Zhang and the others helped, weren't you thinking of thanking them just now?"
Gu Mingyue was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "How did you know?"
Lu Lin chuckled and playfully pinched her nose: "When you were talking to Aunt Li just now, you glanced in the direction of Master Zhang's house three times."
Go wash your hands, dinner will be ready soon. I'm making your favorite braised pork today to celebrate our great designer's award.
Gu Mingyue smiled and agreed, then turned to wash her hands, feeling a warm glow in her heart.
She not only has the approval of everyone in the family compound, but also the understanding of those around her.
This victory brought not only honor, but also an overwhelming sense of happiness.
After the meal, Gu Mingyue picked up two pounds of apples and a bag of tea that she had prepared in advance, while Lu Lin casually grabbed a bottle of liquor issued by the factory. The two walked side by side toward Master Zhang's house.
After finishing their meal, Gu Mingyue held a flashlight in her hand, and they rode their bicycles to Master Zhang's house.
Mr. Zhang lives between the garment factory and the staff quarters, a ten-minute bike ride away.
Before coming, Gu Mingyue had already inquired about the location of Master Zhang's house.
When they knocked on Master Zhang's door, Master Zhang was sitting on a small stool wiping a wrench. Upon seeing them, he immediately stood up with a smile and said, "Comrade Gu has arrived. Please come in and sit down."
Mrs. Zhang also came out from the inner room, holding the newly sewn insoles in her hand. "I heard from Old Zhang that you got past Deputy Factory Director Wang today. Impressive."
Gu Mingyue placed the items on the table, somewhat embarrassed, "Master Zhang, thank you so much this time. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have been able to finish. This is just a small token of my appreciation; please don't mind it."
Master Zhang waved his hand, unscrewed the baijiu, and poured two glasses: "No need to thank me, we're just happy that your design can help the workers."
He picked up his glass and took a sip, then started talking, "By the way, there's something I wanted to tell you about the mass production of the workwear. Old Zhou from Workshop 3 said that the drawstring at the cuffs of the trousers is a bit loose and tends to slip down when bending over. Do you think we could replace the Velcro with snaps, which would be more secure?"
Lu Lin, who was refilling the tea, added, "Snap fasteners are indeed more durable than Velcro, especially since workers often get machine oil on them, and Velcro is prone to getting dust and becoming ineffective."
Gu Mingyue immediately took out her notebook and wrote it down, nodding and saying, "You're right, changing the drawstring design to a snap closure, are there any other issues?"
After thinking for a moment, Mr. Zhang said, "There's also the place for the tool bag. It's on the right side now, but many workers are used to holding wrenches with their left hand. Do you think we could add a small pocket on the left side to put some commonly used small parts?"
Gu Mingyue wrote down all the suggestions, and when she looked up, her eyes were full of gratitude: "Thank you, Master Zhang. I really hadn't considered these details before. With your help in overseeing things, everyone will definitely be more satisfied with the new work clothes."
Master Zhang said with a smile, "Our needs as veteran workers are more practical. It's inconvenient for you to be pregnant now. If you're not worried, I'll go to the factory tomorrow and talk to the factory manager. We'll just get these little things sorted out."
"Okay, thank you so much."
The tooling was put into production faster than expected; in just half a month, the first batch of brand-new tooling was shipped out of the workshop assembly line.
The workers crowded around the warehouse entrance, eager to try on the clothes. Master Zhang specially asked the warehouse worker to keep one set and personally delivered it to the family compound.
"Xiao Gu, try it on! This is your own design, we're all waiting to see if it fits."
Gu Mingyue unpacked the package and ran her fingertips over the fabric.
The navy blue canvas is thick and durable, yet not stiff, and feels soft and warm to the touch, like cotton.
The elastic lining at the back waist was thickened according to the old worker's advice, making it soft yet supportive to the touch.
The snap buttons at the cuffs close smoothly and are more durable than the original Velcro design.
She immediately changed into the clothes, raised her hand and bent over in front of the mirror. The reflective strips on the cuffs shone just right under the light, and she could easily reach the small tool bag on her left side without having to turn to the side.
All the details that were meticulously refined in the workshop became the perfect fit when worn.
"It fits perfectly!"
Gu Mingyue twirled around, her skirt sweeping the ground, her eyes full of smiles, "It's even better than the design drawings."
Master Zhang stood to the side, smiling and nodding: "That's right! When Old Wang tried it on just now, he touched his lower back and kept praising it, saying that he would no longer have to hold his back while working to repair machines."
The factory quickly signed a formal patent transfer contract with Gu Mingyue. At the end of the month, when she received her salary, in addition to her basic salary, she also received the first bonus for the mass production of the tooling.
A thick wad of money, wrapped in a kraft paper envelope, was heavy.
Gu Mingyue held the envelope and immediately wanted to share it with Lu Lin, but as soon as she got home, she received a call from Lu Wanwan.
Upon receiving the message, she quickly answered the phone, and Lu Wanwan's joyful voice immediately came through the receiver, as if she were about to jump out.
"Sister-in-law, I'm getting married to He Xiao! And there's some amazing news: He Xiao's unit has been transferred to an island."
Gu Mingyue's eyes widened in surprise, "Really? That's wonderful!"
“That’s right.” Lu Wanwan’s voice was full of laughter.
"I was worried before that he was in the north and it would be difficult for us to meet. Now that he has been transferred to the island, we can meet. When I go there with the army, I will bring him some good food from Beijing."
Gu Mingyue leaned against the table, listening to her rambling on about the wedding preparations and her expectations for island life, and the smile on her lips never stopped.
She waved the envelope in her hand and said with a smile, "I just received my first bonus from the work uniform company today. I'll prepare a big gift for you when you get married."
"Wow! Sister-in-law, you're so great!" Lu Wanwan cheered on the other end of the phone.
"Then I'll be waiting! By the way, does my brother know about this? I'll call him later, and we can celebrate together next time."
Gu Mingyue agreed, and after hanging up the phone, she looked at the dividend envelope in her hand.
This stack of money is not only an affirmation of her design, but also a testament to the happiness of those around her, making her feel more at ease than ever before.
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