Others completed a similar amount, either twenty-three or twenty-four, but only her count was twenty.
Chen Lishu immediately understood why Lin Qi had done this.
He was being considerate, so it wasn't convenient to speak up.
Chen Lishu stared at the page for a while. She didn't reply immediately, mainly because replying would take too much time, and it was unclear how long it would delay things. So, she got up, dressed, and went directly to the city to call Lin Qi.
After taking a bus to the city, Chen Lishu first found a phone booth and called Lin Qi's village. The person there said Lin Qi wasn't in. Chen Lishu hesitated for a moment, then called the phone booth at the entrance of the alley where the courtyard was located.
"Hello, please could you call someone from Courtyard Six to the phone?"
After waiting for a long time, she called again, only to be told that no one was home.
Although she felt a little disappointed, this was the reality of the situation. Communication was not well-developed, and finding someone could only be a matter of luck.
"Then please call Ding Chen from Courtyard Seven for me." Ding Chen should be home at this time.
Ding Chen was indeed at home. He was packing his things. In two days, the reporting period would begin, and he wanted to arrive early to adjust to the environment.
Hearing someone call him to the phone, Ding Chen was a bit confused at first. When he heard Chen Lishu's voice, he happily exclaimed, "Sister Chen, how are you doing in the provincial capital?"
"I'm doing well. How are you and Uncle Ding?"
Ding Chen nodded, "We're good. I have good news for you: my dad got promoted. He's now the dean of studies. This year, the results from No. 1 High School were outstanding. In the study group we were in, two students even got into Tsinghua and Peking University."
Chen Lishu was surprised to hear such good news and sincerely congratulated Ding Yongfeng.
"When are you going to report? Our schools aren't far from each other, so we can get together when we have time."
Ding Chen was admitted to the Civil Engineering department of the Provincial Engineering University, which was not far from the normal college where Chen Lishu was studying. It was only four bus stops away.
After a few more words, Chen Lishu's expression turned serious. "It's inconvenient for me to make calls here. I have a few things I'd like you to relay to Lin Qi."
"Sister Chen, just tell me. I'll definitely relay it for you."
Chen Lishu glanced around and noticed that everyone at the adjacent phone booths was concentrating on their calls. She cupped the receiver and quickly said what she wanted to convey.
"I understand, Sister Chen. I'll be sure to tell him when he comes over."
After hanging up, Chen Lishu thought for a moment and then called Xu Ning.
They had been communicating by letter during this time, and this was their first phone call.
After a long while, Chen Lishu finally heard Xu Ning's voice on the other end of the line, "Hello?"
"It's me, Chen Lishu."
Xu Ning was very happy to hear Chen Lishu's voice. They spoke for a few minutes and agreed to meet up after the semester started before reluctantly hanging up.
"Seat number three, that'll be three yuan and fifty cents."
The attendant at the phone booth told her the cost as she emerged.
Chen Lishu felt a pang of regret that such a short call had cost so much. She thought that once conditions allowed, she would definitely install a phone at home.
As soon as Ding Chen hung up and walked out of the phone booth, he looked up and saw a tall, thin figure turn the corner ahead. He quickly called out, "Lin Qi! Sister Chen called just now, but you weren't here. She said she had a few words she wanted me to pass on to you."
After Lin Qi heard Chen Lishu's message, his eyes lit up. He didn't even go to the courtyard and turned to head directly to Qingshan Village.
"Sister Chen said that by entrusting the business to you entirely, she trusts you, and you must live up to that trust."
Lin Qi's heart was still filled with excitement, echoing Ding Chen's words.
...
"Honey, look at what I have!" At the Gu family's home, Liu Yuemin waved several "Da Da Tuan Jie" bills proudly in front of Gu Xingmin.
Gu Xingmin sat up from the kang. "Did you sell them all?"
"Of course. This batch of fabric is rare, and the style is beautiful. They're selling like hotcakes outside. Several people have already pre-ordered from me. Look, they've even paid the deposits."
Each piece of clothing was twenty yuan. Besides the two she had sold, she had also received deposits from five other people, totaling fifty yuan.
"Wife, you're really capable. You've earned ninety yuan in such a short time."
Before the Chinese New Year, he hadn't dared to make big moves when selling grain, only taking out less than forty yuan.
"Who would have thought that just by wearing a new outfit and visiting my family, I'd get so much work? You should have seen how Zhao Xiaoju's jealous eyes were about to pop out."
As they were talking, Li Xiulan suddenly called Liu Yuemin out from the outer room. Liu Yuemin went out as requested and saw Lin Qi arriving. She smiled and said, "Brother Lin, are you here to deliver fabric again?"
The more he delivered, the more she could skim off the top. Otherwise, how would she fulfill the promise of five outfits? Lin Qi smiled and called her "Second Sister-in-law" when she came out. Seeing that everyone had arrived, Lin Qi began, "Sister Chen called today and proposed a 'assembly line' method of operation to speed up progress. From now on, we'll divide the work and cooperate, which will definitely improve efficiency."
"Xiao Lin, what is 'assembly line' operation?" Zhang Qin asked curiously.
"It means one person will be solely responsible for cutting the fabric. The sleeves and the body of the garment will be made separately, and then someone will sew them together. This will not only improve efficiency but also ensure quality."
"A dog growing horns won't turn into a sheep. Haven't things been fine all along? I don't agree."
Upon hearing this arrangement, Liu Yuemin immediately objected. If it were divided up, she wouldn't get the fabric and how could she continue to take private jobs to earn money?
"Sister Chen said that anyone who has objections and doesn't want to do it can withdraw."
Regardless of whether Liu Yuemin had secretly taken fabric before, Chen Lishu chose to turn a blind eye this time.
After all, it was her oversight that allowed Liu Yuemin to take advantage. However, she had also reflected on this incident. It was no longer feasible to work in a scattered manner like before; things needed to become more standardized gradually. But since it was her first time dealing with management, she still had to explore and improve slowly.
"Don't act so high and mighty, acting like you're in charge. You keep mentioning Sister Chen, but we don't even know her. Who knows if you're just making things up?"
"Sister Chen said she trusts me with business matters and has authorized me to be fully in charge. If you have any questions, Second Sister-in-law, you can go and ask Sister Chen, but I advise you not to do that."
"Why?"
"Sister Chen said that if you dare to disobey, the few pieces of fabric you stole will be deducted directly from your share this month."
Liu Yuemin was so angry she felt like spitting blood. Chen Lishu, that shameless woman, dared to threaten her with that!
"Then I'll be responsible for cutting." Seeing that the matter was settled, Liu Yuemin spoke up first. After all, it was just a change of name for the same process. As long as she could get the fabric, it was fine.
"Sister Chen said that you are a key person to monitor, and the cutting of fabric will be handled by Eldest Sister-in-law. From now on, if even one piece is lost from what is allocated to you, you will be deducted for two."
Liu Yuemin was furious, "Sister Chen, Sister Chen, where does Chen Lishu get off with so much nonsense? Don't you have any opinions of your own?"