Two-in-one
Qin Yao was busy with the publication of the first issue and was very busy throughout May. She was the general manager and editor-in-chief, and everything needed her review. Although Zhang Feng was a good manager, it was his first time to start a business and he had no experience. He would go to Qin Yao for help whenever he couldn't make up his mind.
Qin Yao was so tired that her legs were cramping. She thought that this kind of managerial job would have to be passed on to others in the future, and she would just be the helmsman to steer the direction, while the specific matters would be handed over to the people below.
But now everything is lacking, including staff. One person has to do the work of three people... I'm so busy that I'm dizzy.
Seeing his wife getting thinner, Gu Cheng sighed with heartache, "Your personnel management is too chaotic and inefficient."
"I know. There's nothing we can do about it. We all have no experience. The entire editorial department is like a sieve, leaking everywhere. When we fix something here, there will be problems there again... When everyone has more experience and comes here more often, there won't be so many problems."
Gu Cheng couldn't bear to see this, so he helped her plan the personnel changes and called in two clerks to help train employees. Only then did Qin Yao's burden become lighter and everything became normal again.
If nothing goes wrong, their journal will be published as scheduled.
After a short while at work, Qin Yao found a break to take a vacation. She also had to stay at home to write a serial novel about educated youth taking the college entrance exam. There was no other way. Their little-known magazine could not invite big writers to write articles, so she had to do it herself.
Serialized novels can keep people suspenseful and increase magazine sales. Qin Yao doesn't trust others, so she has to do it herself.
Qin Yao was writing a book at home. Outside, Zhang Shihong came knocking on the door like a fly smelling blood. "Xiao Qin, I finally caught you. I looked for you several times but you were nowhere to be found. What are you busy with? Could you be busier than a busy man like me?"
"Since I became the building manager, I have become a big housekeeper, a very busy person. I have to take care of all the affairs of the neighbors and all kinds of burdens are on me, but I never complain or get tired. Everything I do is for the convenience and comfort of the family members. No matter how tired or hard it is, it is worth it."
Zhang Shihong supported his waist with one hand and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the other hand. He kept saying that he was willing to contribute to the families of the entire building and was not afraid of hardship or fatigue...
Qin Yao had seen through this person clearly. After putting in some effort, she had to give ten times the effort.
After becoming the building manager, Zhang Shihong did a lot of things, but she also got a lot of benefits. She got an easy job in school logistics, with a monthly salary of fifty or sixty yuan, plus corresponding subsidies.
As for Zhang Shihong, she was always busy in the family building, saying that she was mediating in one family, and visiting relatives in another... She delayed her logistical work, but people couldn't say anything to her. Her work was not serious, but she still got paid. People even praised her for "serving the public and not fearing hardship or fatigue."
She is just an old-timer and an old-timer, and it is this kind of old-timer and old-timer who is the most successful. She finds excuses to avoid work and throws it to others, and she takes the credit for it. She keeps saying how hard and tired she is, but in fact she is just wandering around and slacking off. In the end, she doesn't do much, but she gets both fame and fortune.
Even if others have complaints about her, they cannot blame her.
"Xiao Qin, you've been here for a while, why don't you fit in? It's fate that we met. We live in the same building, our husbands are all comrades-in-arms, and we are all as close as a family."
"We are all family, so we should keep in touch and get together, and participate in more activities. The picnic we organized last time was great, and everyone had a great time, but you just didn't go."
Qin Yao said, "I've been busy with work these past two months."
"Busy? No matter how busy you are, can you be as busy as me? Don't shirk your responsibilities. You can't be passive and take the initiative to participate in the organization's activities. Look, Qiao Jie went, but you didn't."
"We are going to prepare for another cultural performance soon. I have signed you up, so you must come up with a show!"
"Cultural performance?" Qin Yao felt like cursing in her heart. If it was an event for Women's Day, it would be fine, but it was Children's Day on June 1st soon, and even if it was July 1st, it was too early to prepare now. What kind of cultural performance was this?
Sometimes there's a spring outing, sometimes a picnic, and sometimes a cultural performance. Can't Zhang Shihong just calm down a bit and insist on getting every family member to participate? Isn't this just looking for trouble?
“I don’t have time to prepare a show.”
Zhang Shihong said quickly: "Practice some time when you have some free time. You are so beautiful, if you don't go on stage, who will? Everyone is waiting for you to show off your skills."
“You have to come up with a show!”
Qin Yao was pestered by her several times and had to agree to one show. Qin Yao planned to make do with a solo show.
"I'm singing solo, so I won't go to the rehearsal. I'll rehearse on my own. Sister Zhang, I'm busy here. I also have something to write. I need some quiet time. I'm going to get busy now."
Qin Yao closed the door and refused to let Zhang Shihong in. Zhang Shihong snorted a few times and cursed in a low voice: "I don't know what you are busy with. You don't know how to enjoy your blessings."
Zhang Shihong didn't mind visiting Qin Yao a few more times. To her, Qin Yao was a very useful "tool". She had visited Qin Yao several times but came back empty-handed, which gave her an excuse to "escape work".
The problem was that Qin Yao's family member did not cooperate with the work, so she tried every means to persuade Qin Yao to cooperate and promote unity among the family members.
Qin Yao's reputation as a loner was also spread by her.
Qin Yao had no time to take care of Zhang Shihong. The most important thing now was the publication of the first issue. As long as the journal became regular, her burden would be eased. Qin Yao had no idea how much the journal could sell.
Gu Cheng would help her review manuscripts at night. Now that Qin Yao is busy, the burden of the family falls on Gu Cheng. Gu Cheng is responsible for three meals a day and picking up and dropping off the two children to kindergarten.
In the team of picking up and dropping off children from kindergarten, the father Gu Cheng stood out. He stood among the group of family members, with a cold expression and the look of a lofty beauty who kept people at a distance. However, no one came forward to joke with him.
Gu Cheng sends the children to kindergarten early in the morning and picks them up in the evening. Ruirui and Mingming are used to their father picking them up.
Although my dad is not as fragrant as my mom, he has the advantage of being very strong. When we get tired of walking, we just hang on him and turn into two little salted fish and go home.
Gu Cheng sometimes walked to take them there, and sometimes rode his bike. He usually walked in the evening, took the two kids for a run, played football on the grass for a while before going home.
"Xiao Gu, you are a really competent father."
"He picks me up and drops me off every day. He's a good father."
"Both children are well raised..."
…
Because of this, Gu Cheng has a good reputation in school and is regarded by his family members as a "rare" good father.
Gu Cheng took his two children to the obstacle training ground to play in the sand, and then went to the grocery store to buy firewood, rice, oil and salt. When the father and his two sons returned home, Qin Yao had already returned and was busy organizing manuscripts in the room. Gu Cheng put down his things and began to put on an apron to cook.
The door of the house was open, and the two children were playing outside. Mingming shouted, "Dad, I want eggs for dinner!"
Gu Cheng stood at the door and said calmly: "Come and help dad wash the vegetables and beat the eggs, and I'll make it for you."
Mingming: “…”
After weighing the pros and cons again and again with a gloomy face, he decided to go to the kitchen to help out as a little helper, washing and picking vegetables.
Seeing the little guy running to the kitchen happily, Gu Cheng's originally cold and handsome face now had a hint of smile at the corners of his eyes.
Gu Cheng called his eldest son back home and closed the door of his house, "Mom is busy, don't bother her."
Ruirui nodded obediently, "Dad, I want to eat steamed buns."
"Come in together."
The door of 301 was closed, and the door of 304 was open. Qiao Jie's house was just opposite, and she could see the gate of Gu's house from afar. At that moment, she saw Gu Cheng wearing a kitchen apron.
Is it Qin Yao's husband who cooks for her family?
I heard that Gu Cheng picks up the child from kindergarten in the morning and evening... Thinking of the stories and background about Gu Cheng that I heard from Meng Xian, with such looks, such family background, and such abilities, he actually helps with housework.
With four older brothers and being the only daughter in the family, Qiao Jie was really envious of Qin Yao.
*
On the last night of May, almost everyone in the magazine editorial department couldn't sleep. Tomorrow, June 1st, the inaugural issue of their magazine will be published. So far, a total of 60,000 copies have been printed. Can they sell them?
Everyone was anxious, fearing that not a single copy would be sold and the book would end up in failure. This was the result of everyone's hard work over the past few days.
Zhang Feng: "I will go to the train station tomorrow to sell it. I have already made an appointment with the people at Yangcheng Railway Station. I have also found a few train attendants to find a way to sell it on long-distance trains..."
Mao Lina: "I have also contacted the newsstand, Manager Qin, and I also made an advertisement as you said... um, a billboard."
Qin Yao took a deep breath and said, "Okay, everything is ready. We'll just wait for the inspection tomorrow. If we sell 100,000 copies next month, we'll be qualified."
Mao Lina blurted out: "One hundred thousand copies?! That means we need to print more copies!"
Qin Yao nodded: "I have already told the printing department that we are ready to print more at any time, it depends on tomorrow's sales."
Zhang Feng smiled bitterly: "Well, it's always good to prepare in advance..."
He felt that Qin Yao was too optimistic. In fact, selling 50,000 copies was already very good, so why print more? This is not impossible...but this type of journal has never been on the market, and it is still unknown whether anyone will buy it.
Qin Yao smiled and said, "Everyone, please have more confidence. If 100,000 copies are sold, everyone will get a prize."
Mao Lina asked in a low voice: "Manager, it's not an enamel cup, is it? Shouldn't we order it in advance and print the name of our editorial department on it so that we can keep it as a souvenir in the future?"
Mao Lina also has several relatives working in the factory, and most of the prizes in the factory are enamel cups.
Enamel cups are good things, but if you can print the name of your organization on them, you can show them off when you take them out.
Qin Yao: "...Don't think your company is so stingy. It's so shabby to only give you an enamel mug after selling 100,000 copies."
If 100,000 copies are sold, there will be a lot of retained funds, and the cost Qin Yao has spent will be recovered quickly. It will be easy to give prizes to the employees.
Directly giving out money does not comply with regulations, but having everyone in the unit eat at a state-owned restaurant and giving out some material prizes are in compliance with regulations.
"Is that a bicycle ticket?" Mao Lina's eyes lit up. If she wanted to buy a bicycle, she needed a ticket. A bicycle without a ticket would cost an extra 100 or 200 yuan.
Qin Yao laughed: "So you want a bicycle? If you sell 100,000 copies, your company will reward you with a bicycle."
"Ah!" A bicycle! If she has a bicycle, then she is considered to have a "private car".
Mao Lina is still very young. She failed to get into college last year and has been doing nothing at home. Her family helped her find a temporary job, but Mao Lina was not very happy about it because it was a dishwasher. At her age, she didn't want to wash dishes all her life while also preparing for the college entrance examination.
Later, I got the news from Zhang Feng and had the opportunity to come to the editorial department as a "temporary worker". Now the entire editorial department, except for the manager Qin Yao, are all temporary workers.
If the journal cannot be sold, these temporary workers will all have their jobs aborted, but if the journal can continue to operate, they will have the opportunity to become full-time employees.
Whether the magazine can be sold tomorrow and how much it can sell is a matter of life and death for them.
Mao Lina doesn't want to go back to being a dishwasher.
Mao Lina's eyes were full of anticipation, and Qin Yao's heart was also full of anticipation. She hoped to sell at least 100,000 copies. On the night of May 31st, she tossed and turned and couldn't sleep, and was pulled by the man next to her to exercise.
But this time her endurance was very long. She didn't fall asleep after finishing, and she lay on Gu Cheng's chest in a daze.
Qin Yao thought that one must have a big heart to start a business. This kind of expectation was like facing the college entrance examination. Her heart was hanging in the air and she couldn't fall asleep even when lying in bed.
Qin Yao managed to hold on until six in the morning of June 1st. It was already daybreak, but she fell asleep from exhaustion. Gu Cheng looked at the woman lying beside him, feeling both amused and helpless, with a hint of heartache in his eyes.
He leaned over and kissed her eyelids. He listened to her humming twice, but he didn't want to wake her up, so he got up and got food for the two little guys.
"Shh, get dressed and don't make any noise. Mom is still sleeping. Dad will take you out to eat today."
When Mingming heard that they were going out to eat, he was about to jump up and cheer. But just as he jumped, his father pulled him into his arms and covered his mouth. The three of them changed their clothes and went out for breakfast. After eating, he brought a basket of steamed buns and six shrimp dumplings for Qin Yao.
Qin Yao slept until noon and got up. She heated up the steamed buns and shrimp dumplings she brought back in the morning and made them into lunch. The steamed buns did not taste good when they were cold, but the shrimp dumplings were still delicious after being re-steamed for a few minutes.
Qin Yao likes to eat wontons or dumplings wrapped with shrimp. The combination of shrimp and pork is more delicious than simple shrimp dumplings or pork dumplings.
After finishing her meal and drinking a big bowl of seaweed egg drop soup, Qin Yao sighed. She was both excited and worried about whether she should call to inquire about the sales volume.
She deliberately slept until now. If her physical condition did not allow it, she really wanted to sleep until three days later so that she could know the answer directly.
"Let's go out together later." Gu Cheng knew what she was thinking. "Today is Children's Day, the kindergarten is closed, let's take the children out to play."
"Where are you going?"
"To the train station."
Qin Yao silently complained: Taking the children to the train station on Children's Day is really heartbreaking.
Before going out, Qin Yao opened the lower shelf of the refrigerator and took out the cream ice cream that she had prepared for the children. Even though she was busy, she did not forget to celebrate Children's Day for the two little ones.
The family of four ate ice cream and went to the train station. When they arrived at the train station, Gu Cheng asked Qin Yao to look after the children while he went to buy magazines.
“Give me a copy of Southern Living Journal.”
"Sorry comrade, it's sold out."
Gu Cheng was stunned for a moment: "Sold out."
Seeing Gu Cheng coming over empty-handed, Qin Yao quickly asked, "What did you do just now?"
"I tried to buy you a magazine, but unfortunately I didn't buy it." Gu Cheng's face was expressionless, and one couldn't tell whether he was happy or angry just from his tone.
"I didn't buy it. How come I didn't buy it?"
Gu Cheng couldn't help but laugh: "Of course it's because they're sold out. Go call Zhang Feng and ask how many were sold."
"You don't have to worry about it now. Everything at the train station is sold out!"
Qin Yao was overjoyed and immediately called Zhang Feng, "How much did you sell?"
"Manager, do you even need to ask? I'm urging for more printing. Now I've found another printer... Yes, I think we need to print more than 50,000 copies, at least 100,000!" Zhang Feng held the phone and let out a long breath. If 100,000 copies were sold, their editorial department would be saved, the magazine would be saved, and their jobs would be saved.
This temporary unit will not be disbanded.
Qin Yao said, "Don't print 100,000 copies, just print 200,000 more."
Seeing that the sales were so hot, Qin Yao directly decided to print an additional 200,000 copies. The Yangcheng Railway Station has a huge flow of people, and selling the books at the Yangcheng Railway Station is a perfect opportunity. Moreover, their theme article is about long-distance trains. If not seize the opportunity, when?
Sixty thousand copies were sold on the first day. Qin Yao didn’t believe that three hundred thousand copies wouldn’t be sold in a month, so she directly printed another two hundred thousand copies!
"Two hundred thousand!" Zhang Feng's eyes almost popped out.
Oh my god, that number is mind-blowing.
After hanging up the phone with Zhang Feng, Qin Yao went home feeling ecstatic. This meant that she had succeeded in her first venture. Even though she had a lot of experience, it was still hard for Qin Yao, who was starting a business for the first time, to believe it. She was so excited! My god, success feels so good!
After returning home and closing the door, Qin Yao felt that she could punch Zhen Guanxi and kick Lu Tixia. She jumped easily and hugged Gu Cheng's neck directly, just like a koala, and hung on Gu Cheng's body, "Great, great, great! My business is successful!"
Gu Cheng stood there motionless with a doting smile in his eyes.
The two children on the side followed suit and pounced on both sides. Qin Yao jumped in the middle, and the two little guys attacked from both sides, one hugged Gu Cheng's left waist, and the other hugged their father's right waist.
“That’s great, that’s great, that’s great!”
Gu Cheng's body swayed and then he stood firm, with his wife and children hanging on him, feeling both troubled and happy.
A wife is happiness, a child is trouble.
Gu Cheng mercilessly shook off the two "little lice" called "sons", hugged his wife to the corner, bent down and kissed her lips, and the couple kissed with their backs to the two children.
Qin Yao pushed his face, feeling that it was inappropriate, but she was so happy that she let him kiss her, "Let's go to the room."
Qin Yao felt uncomfortable with being intimate in front of children. In the past, they would at most kiss each other on the cheek in front of children.
Gu Cheng had a smile in his eyes and was just thinking about carrying his wife into the bedroom when the two little brats over there started screaming.
It turned out that the younger brother Mingming imitated his brother and kissed him on the lips. He kissed his brother Ruirui and he started crying, "Wow..."
Qin Yao was stunned by her eldest son's crying, and hurried over to hug him and comfort him, "Good boy, Ruirui, what's wrong?"
Ruirui cried and hiccuped: "Mom, I'm having a baby..."
Qin Yao had a lot of question marks on her head. After asking carefully, she found out that the two little guys had recently learned a distorted truth in kindergarten and thought that kissing would lead to pregnancy and having a baby.
Ruirui also thought that if her brother kissed her, she would have a baby.
Qin Yao thought helplessly, this is too outrageous.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, don't worry, there won't be a baby, only boys and girls together can have children, just like dad and mom, two boys won't have children, kissing won't have children, but from now on Mingming can't kiss brother's mouth, you can kiss the cheek, like this..."
Qin Yao grabbed the two children and gave them a lecture on physical education. Even though there was thunder and lightning rolling down her head, she still had to be a good mother. She was really exhausted.
Mingming said regretfully: "I thought I was going to be a father."
Gu Cheng sat cross-legged on the ground, stretched out his hand to rub the kid's face, and said unhappily: "How dare you say that."
How could he give birth to such a thing, his own son, and he looks like him?
"Did you kiss other kids in kindergarten?"
Mingming shook his head and said honestly: "Not yet."
But he was originally planning it. He thought it was great to be a father and wanted a bunch of sons.
Gu Cheng raised his eyebrows: "No?"
"No, I'm still preparing. Dad, you said it should be thick and steady." Little Mingming said in a baby voice. He is only four years old, but already very arrogant.
Gu Cheng: “…”
"Dad! I want to be a dad like you!"
There were "井" characters on Gu Cheng's forehead, and he tried hard to resist the urge to hit his child. In the past, he was a supporter of new-style education, and believed that children should not be beaten and should be reasoned with.
But he's just a brat, why would you try to reason with him?
"You think being a father is good? Then come and experience being a father for a day. You will be the father. You will go to the kitchen to cook and wash the clothes. Dad will be your son and I will supervise you!"
"Don't eat your snacks in the future. I'm your son and I'll eat them!" Gu Cheng said with a cold face. With a cold face, he took out Mingming's ice cream from the refrigerator and finished one in two or three bites.
Mingming: “…”
Qin Yao: “…”
Ruirui: “…”
Just as Gu Cheng was about to open the can of sugar water, Mingming quickly hugged his father's thigh and said in a sweet and cute tone: "Dad, I am your good son. Mingming loves you the most."
"That's good enough." Gu Cheng opened the can of sugar water and continued to eat. Normally he didn't like to eat these things, but in order to amuse the little guy, he ate happily.
After eating the canned sugar water, he continued to eat ice cream, which made the two children so distressed that they wanted to cry.
"Mom, please take care of him, he's almost finished eating!"
Qin Yao couldn't help laughing: "Now you know how difficult it is to raise a son, do you still want to be a father?"
Rarity: "Then I should find a few more fathers?"
Gu Cheng just thought his youngest son was difficult to deal with, but now he found that his eldest son was also a tough guy. "Don't be so stupid. How could I, your biological father, be so smart and give birth to two stupid kids like you?"
"Come to the room and stand there while I, your dear father, give you an education lesson."
…
What was originally a couple going back to their room to be intimate turned into a father-son education class, with Qin Yao listening to the class with melon seeds in her hand.
*
The extra 200,000 copies were sold out in less than a week. The editorial staff became numb from printing more copies. The magazine sales were so good that they had already started receiving letters from readers, many of whom requested that their pen pal information be published.
The number of letters we receive every day is as numerous as snowflakes. Many of them are from the same city and province and are delivered quickly. There are also more and more envelopes from other places, and some are directly brought to the editorial department by others.
Opening readers' letters every day is also a great pleasure for the editorial department. Mao Lina and others go to work and do field work as usual during the day. They do not go home in the evening but sleep directly in the office. They stay in the office at night, open readers' letters, and write replies to various readers.
This 996 model of unpaid overtime work makes Qin Yao feel scared.
"Go back, go back and have a good rest. If you need more people, we can recruit new ones. There's no need to ruin your health."
"It's okay, Manager Qin. Everyone is so excited that we can't sleep if we go back home. We might as well write letters to readers here at night."
"Yes, Manager Qin, it's so interesting to read the letters from readers!"
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