"That's your friend. Forget it. The factory's doing well now, so it doesn't matter. It's just a favor, and it makes you look good, doesn't it?" Xie Lanhua tried to smooth things over.
“No, my friends can’t be an exception either. Rules are rules. As our factory grows and our workforce expands, we need rules to keep things running smoothly. Sister Fei, I’m leaving this to you. Please revise the rules and regulations, making sure rewards and punishments are clear. Otherwise, how will we manage such a large business in the future?” Qin Xiaoyu spoke eloquently, and Xie Lanhua could only nod in agreement.
"Xiaoyu, do you think we should expand production and get another batch of machines?" Xie Lanhua always needed to consult her before she felt at ease.
"Not for now. By the way, let's clear out the fifth floor and convert it into a few dormitories for the female workers. They always have to work overtime now, and the workers are working too hard. I think it would be better to have two shifts so that the machines can be used more efficiently."
I don't know who had the brain fart to turn the fifth floor into a warehouse. Every time goods are shipped out or received, they have to carry them up and down, which is exhausting and only increases the difficulty of the work.
"That's a great idea!" Xie Lanhua's eyes lit up. Female workers get off work too late, and there are also safety issues on their way home. This is killing two birds with one stone.
"Also, we'll take back the storefronts outside when their leases expire; we'll use them for a lot. The warehouse in the yard is finished, so we'll move the new goods in. We don't need to clear out the fifth floor all at once; we'll do it in stages, clearing out parts as we have time." Qin Xiaoyu wrote as she spoke, listing out points one, two, and three on the paper, marking the details as well.
"The day before yesterday, Minister Hong from the Publicity Department came and brought two college graduates, both with relevant majors, who said they wanted to work at our factory," Factory Manager Fei said, her tone full of amusement. She probably thought it was too rare for college graduates to work in a garment factory.
"It's nothing. I also plan to recruit some fashion design students. Young people have a broader perspective and can absorb new things, which is good for our factory. Aunt Xie can arrange this." Qin Xiaoyu can't handle everything herself; that would be too tiring.
She handed the paper to Xie Lanhua, glanced at the time, and realized it was almost noon.
Qin Xiaoyu rarely goes to the workshop; when she does, it causes a commotion and disrupts the workers' work. Today, she plans to take a look.
Pushing open the door, you're greeted by a deafening roar. There aren't any electric sewing machines yet; they just attach motors to existing sewing machines, which makes a lot of noise.
The female workers in the front row greeted Qin Xiaoyu excitedly when they saw her.
Qin Xiaoyu gestured for them to sit down and continue working, then slowly walked over to the sewing machines. Some of the female workers were so focused on their work that they didn't even notice her.
Suddenly, a female worker in the corner caught Qin Xiaoyu's attention. She seemed to sense someone approaching and quickly stuffed something into a bag next to her.
Qin Xiaoyu walked past casually, as if she hadn't seen anything. When she reached the end of the line, she didn't leave immediately, but instead changed lanes and walked back. This time, she happened to pass by the female worker she had just seen.
The female worker's sewing machine spun rapidly, its feet moving in rapid succession. Qin Xiaoyu showed no sign of stopping; however, just as she was about to walk past her, she swiftly turned around, pulled the bag with its open end next to her, reached inside, and took out a red garment.
The female worker was pale, looked up at her, and remained silent.
When Director Zhang of the workshop heard that Qin Xiaoyu had come, he also walked into the workshop from his office. Seeing that something was wrong, he quickly walked over.
The machines in the workshop were quieter, and many female workers stopped what they were doing.
"Let them keep working. You come to my office with me." Qin Xiaoyu's first sentence was directed at Director Zhang, and the second sentence was addressed to the female workers.
"Keep working!" Director Zhang was known for his loud voice.
The roar resumed, even louder than before.
"Director Qin, I was wrong, please don't fire me!" The female worker blushed, her head almost touching the ground, and she was still secretly wiping away tears.
"Director Zhang, you will be punished for this as well." Qin Xiaoyu turned the clothes over and looked at them. It was a red rainproof jacket with batwing sleeves, with only white polyester trim on the collar and cuffs. It was a very simple style, but it had a stunning feel to it.
What's your name?
"Xu Xiaoqing," the female worker said timidly.
"Did you cut and make this yourself?"
"Yes."
"I'll fine you three months' salary," Qin Xiaoyu said decisively. Xu Xiaoqing suddenly looked up and froze.
"Okay, I understand."
"Go to the accounting office and report this. You'll be fined a month's salary, and so will Factory Manager Fei, who's in charge of production," Qin Xiaoyu instructed.
"Director Qin, no! A three-month fine? My family will starve! My parents are both in poor health and depend on me for support. I was out of my mind. I didn't have money to buy clothes, but I was envious of other people's clothes and wanted to make one for myself!" Xu Xiaoqing cried, tears streaming down her face. Director Zhang knew that three months' salary was a bit harsh, but he also knew he was at fault, so he didn't dare to plead for her and just stood there without moving.
"There's something wrong with your clothes." Qin Xiaoyu ignored how badly she was crying, took the red jacket, pointed to the collar and said, "First, white polyester is prone to yellowing, and second, the fabric isn't crisp and will soften after a few washes. You might as well use nylon."
"I didn't," Xu Xiaoqing muttered, sobbing.
"These are minor matters. Pack up and hand over the machine. Also, hand over your work." Qin Xiaoyu crumpled up the red jacket and stuffed it into her hands.
"Are you going to fire me? No way! Just deduct three months' salary, I won't cry anymore!" Xu Xiaoqing was really panicked.
"I won't fire you. You can work in the technical department. I'll find you a mentor there." Qin Xiaoyu said, standing up. It was lunchtime, and she had to hurry, or the Mapo Tofu would be sold out.
"Director Qin, should I go to the technical department?" Xu Xiaoqing was still in a daze, unable to believe what she was hearing.
"Yes, you made a mistake and should be severely punished, but you are really not suitable to be a female worker. Go to the technical department and develop your skills there. Don't let me catch you doing side jobs again next time." After Qin Xiaoyu finished speaking, she opened the door and walked out, squeezing into the flowing crowd of female workers.
"Oh, I won't do it again!" Xu Xiaoqing wiped away her tears and laughed.
When the canteen first opened, there weren't many people, and many female workers still chose to bring their own lunch. Later, as the factory's profits improved and wages and bonuses were paid in full, they started to be less frugal, and more and more of them started eating in the canteen.
The cafeteria has been expanded twice, and now there are five food serving windows, with long queues behind them.
Whenever Qin Xiaoyu came down to eat, she wouldn't have any special meals prepared for her, nor would she cut in line. She would move quietly among the crowd, chatting with the female workers and learning about the factory's situation.
She made two portions and took them directly to the technical room to find Zhou Yue; she needed to interrogate her about something.
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