Chapter 891: That's Exactly Right
The group of women applying at the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory all shared the surname Hou.
They hailed from Houjia Village, the very place where Zhang Fengyi had almost perished in battle. These were the women Li Daoxuan had protected, shielding them with his divine form.
Among them was a striking young woman, surnamed Hou, with the given name Lan.
She was the same woman who, not long ago, had been knocked to the ground by a graduate student during the hot air balloon incident.
At this moment, she was encircled by the women from Houjia Village, who chuckled merrily at her. "Xiao Lan," one teased, "why are *you* applying at the textile factory too? The rest of us didn't marry advantageously, so we must fend for ourselves, but your new husband is a graduate student from Gao Family Village! Are you truly coming out to work?"
Hou Lan's cheeks tinged pink, and she laughed softly. "Though my husband is a graduate student, our household isn't exactly thriving," she explained. "He hasn't officially begun working yet; he's still immersed in his research. We'll only have money to spend once he devises a noteworthy invention. For now, I must also take up some work to help support the household."
The women from Houjia Village burst into amused chatter. "Such nonsense! How could a graduate student be short on funds? He assisted with the hot air balloon research; surely he received a generous bonus?"
Hou Lan protested, "Oh, how can you speak like that? My husband helped the village research the hot air balloon for our village's future, to aid the militia in reconnaissance, not for money! My husband's aspirations soar far higher than that..."
The women chortled, "Hahaha, look how flustered you are!"
At her earnest words, the women from Houjia Village ceased their teasing.
When they had first arrived at Gao Family Village with Zhuge Wangchan's logistics team, their sole ambition had been to find a husband to marry in order to ensure their survival.
But upon reaching Gao Family Village, they had swiftly found employment and established their own incomes. Many among them had yet to remarry, and one woman, in particular, was remarkably capable, working and raising her child entirely by herself.
Their current applications to the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory weren't due to unemployment; they simply sought a position with higher wages.
"Xiao Lan is right," one affirmed.
"Haha, what's wrong with a graduate student husband?" another chimed in. "His earnings are his affair. We can earn our own money and support ourselves!"
"Exactly!" another agreed.
"With our own money, there's no need to panic," declared a third. "If a husband treats us poorly, we can just divorce him!"
"Hahahaha!"
A joyful group of women arrived at the entrance of the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory.
This textile factory, which had once been minuscule, had undergone three phases of expansion and was now truly enormous. It covered a vast area, with factory buildings and dormitories neatly arranged, creating an impression of grandeur and sophistication.
As the women from Houjia Village stepped inside, they couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "This textile factory is incredible! It's far superior to the one we used to work at!"
Hou Lan smiled. "A newly built factory is naturally better than an old one," she remarked. "However... with this new establishment, the managers of the old textile factory are sure to feel the pressure. They'll have to revitalize their own operations soon, won't they? After all, the old factory is almost eight years old."
Gao Family Village's old textile factory had been established in the early Chongzhen era, when Li Daoxuan, in Chengcheng County, had acquired four courtesans at a low price to serve as secretaries for Gao Yiye. Later, under the leadership of head secretary Chun Hong, the textile factory had slowly begun its operations.
Years had passed, and the old factory had become somewhat dilapidated and disorganized, its management growing increasingly lax. Without the stimulus of the new factory, it might very well have continued to decay.
However, the emergence of the new factory had undeniably put the old one on the defensive. Experienced female workers were flocking to apply at the new facility, leaving the old factory in quite a predicament.
As the women from Houjia Village approached the factory gate, they spotted a recruitment desk where a middle-aged Mongolian woman was seated.
Everyone in Gao Family Village now recognized this woman: An Jile, the Mongolian. Her appearance, distinct from that of Han Chinese, made her easy to identify. Furthermore, having arrived in Gao Family Village as a "hostage," she was a frequent topic of conversation over tea.
An Jile had recently been learning Chinese, but she hadn't quite mastered it yet. She greeted them with halting, awkward phrases: "You... come... apply-ing?"
"Yes, yes, we're here to apply," they affirmed.
"Apply... ing..." An Jile struggled.
"Auntie, this character is pronounced 'pin', 'pin'," they corrected her gently.
An Jile uttered with great difficulty, "Apply..."
"That's right this time!" the women from Houjia Village laughed in unison. "If the tone is wrong, it becomes a different character!"
Learning a new Chinese pronunciation brought a small smile to An Jile's face. She felt proud to be learning Han culture, for the Han people were strong! Whatever those stronger than her did was right, and everything was worth learning. Even the Han people's moon was rounder than the one over the Mongolian grasslands, she believed.
An Jile continued, "I... want to see your hand... craft."
"It's 'shou-yi', for skill!" the women clarified, correcting her pronunciation while simultaneously detailing their work experience: how many years they'd spent at the old textile factory, their previous positions, and examples of their craft.
It didn't take long for all the women from Houjia Village to successfully apply and be hired by the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory.
Some of these women were already married, managing small households with their husbands.
Others, however, were still unmarried and living in the old textile factory's dormitories. Now that they had successfully switched jobs, they naturally had to return to the old factory's dorms to move their belongings.
So, the group of women grandly made their way back to the old factory to retrieve their luggage.
They had just finished bundling their belongings into large packs and were carrying them on their backs toward the factory gate.
There, they saw Chun Hong, the old factory manager, standing in the distance, gazing at them with a look of deep resentment.
The women from Houjia Village felt a pang of guilt. Someone nudged a companion beside her and whispered, "What do we do now? The old factory manager is standing there, watching us."
"My heart's pounding!"
"Oh no, I feel like I can't face her."
The women immediately grew flustered...
Meanwhile, Chun Hong was inwardly brewing a tirade.
Just then, the embroidered cotton Heavenly Lord on Chun Hong's chest parted its lips and chuckled. "Chun Hong," it asked, "are you planning to go over there and scold them for being ungrateful?"
Chun Hong jumped in surprise. "Oh, Heavenly Lord! You saw right through me."
The cotton Heavenly Lord smiled. "There's no need to do that!" it advised. "As a manager, when you encounter difficulties, you shouldn't just vent your emotions like an ordinary person. Instead, you should reflect thoroughly and analyze the situation. Why did they abandon you and go to another factory?"
"Finding the problem and solving it—that is the true path of a manager. If you only know how to vent your frustrations, you'll never achieve greatness."
Chun Hong's spirits lifted, and she suddenly understood. "I get it, Heavenly Lord!" she declared. "I'll go raise funds immediately to renovate the old factory, provide a cleaner, tidier, and more comfortable working environment for the workers, and tighten up management. We'll also match the new factory's wages!"
The cotton Heavenly Lord smiled. "That's exactly right," it affirmed.
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