“Silly Zhu, are you the one serving the food?”
Qin Huai Ru didn't expect to run into someone from the courtyard so coincidentally.
“Hey, I’m the cook. I’m helping out at the window today. Qin Jie, why are you wearing your factory uniform?”
Silly Zhu took the lunchbox, but didn't rush to serve food.
“Oh, my husband is on medical leave, so I’m filling in for him as a mechanic in the second workshop.”
Qin Huai Ru explained. It wasn't a secret anymore.
“What? Qin Jie, you’re taking over Li Wu Wei's position.”
Silly Zhu was baffled. What was this operation? He couldn't figure it out.
“Hey, He Shifu, are you going to serve the food or not? There are people waiting behind me.”
One of the workers in line shouted. Even if it was a familiar face, they couldn't just chat like this.
Silly Zhu directly retorted, "If you want to eat, wait. If you don't want to eat, leave.”
Though he said that, Silly Zhu still picked up his scoop and went straight to the bottom of the pot, scooping a full ladle of cabbage into the lunchbox. He even added half a scoop of broth, which was the good stuff.
Then he handed Qin Huai Ru two steamed bread buns.
Silly Zhu still couldn’t help but ask, "Qin Jie, you should at least eat white bread for lunch."
“It’s okay. I'm used to it. I’ll save the money to buy white bread for my husband.”
Qin Huai Ru, holding a steamed bread bun in one hand and a lunchbox in the other, walked away with a cheerful smile.
“Sigh! Qin Jie is such a good person. That Li Wu Wei is no good. He eats white bread himself, how could he let Qin Jie eat steamed bread?”
Silly Zhu was furious. When the next worker in line handed him a lunchbox, he only gave them half a scoop of food.
“He Shifu, this isn't right. Why is there so little food? You gave that woman a full scoop just now.”
The worker was speechless. You can't treat people differently like this.
“If you want to eat, eat this!”
Silly Zhu thought, he couldn't do anything to Li Wu Wei, but couldn't he punish a simple worker?
“You...”
The worker had no choice but to tragically leave with his lunchbox.
...
Qin Huai Ru quickly found her group with her lunchbox. She was led to the workshop by her master, Chen Yun, where there was a long table and stools specially placed in a corner.
The active female workers in the factory ate here, but joining this circle was not easy. It required someone to introduce you.
“Aunt Chen, who is this? She’s so pretty.”
Hua Jie, with her slightly round face, blurted out.
Chen Yun replied, "This is my newly recruited apprentice. She’s the wife of that young Li in our workshop.”
“Who’s Young Li?”
Some of the female workers asked. They couldn't place the name.
“The one who stole Jia Dong Xu’s girlfriend, Li Wu Wei. Look, her name is Qin Huai Ru. She's the pretty wife that Li Wu Wei stole from Jia Dong Xu.”
Chen Yun beckoned Qin Huai Ru to sit next to her. Everyone in this factory called each other by titles like “Shifu” (Master), but true master-apprentice relationships weren’t common.
Since she had officially taken Qin Huai Ru as an apprentice, their relationship was special.
“Ah! She’s the one who was stolen from? But how did she come to work at the factory? It’s not easy to get into our factory, right?”
Hua Jie carefully examined Qin Huai Ru. She was truly beautiful. Among all the female workers in the factory, none could compare.
Seeing the two steamed bread buns in her hand, three cents each, white bread was five cents, two cents cheaper. Usually, everyone ate white bread and got two dishes.
Because dishes were cheaper, typically only three cents each.
In the outside market, a pound of cabbage costs two cents, a pound of cornmeal eight cents, ordinary white bread seventeen cents a pound, high-gluten flour twenty-five cents a pound, and sweet potatoes three and a half cents a pound.
“She’s filling in for Young Li’s position. Young Li has a stomach problem and retired today..."
After Chen Yun explained the situation, all the female workers were stunned. This couldn't be right, could it?
“Qin Huai Ru, you wouldn't have been tricked, would you? Maybe your husband wanted to slack off and pretended to be sick to have you fill in for him?”
“I think what Hua Jie said makes sense. She’s so young, where did she get a stomach problem? Even if she did, it wouldn't affect work, right?”
Qin Huai Ru quickly said, “He’s really sick. He went to the big hospital for a check-up. My husband will stay home and recuperate for a few years. Once he's better, he’ll find a job. We’ll be dual-income earners then.”
Everyone looked at the steamed bread buns in Qin Huai Ru's hand. Could this be the treatment for a new wife?
Especially since Qin Huai Ru was so beautiful. Any man who married her would cherish her, how could he be willing to send her to the factory?
“Qin Huai Ru, how much is your salary for filling in?”
One of the female workers asked the key question. This was actually very important.
“Twenty-seven and a half yuan, that's a lot.”
Qin Huai Ru used to live in the village and never had much money on her.
“That's not bad. I’m telling you, you have to keep your salary. Don't let your husband trick you out of it...”
Some women offered advice. Women don’t make life hard for other women.
But then Qin Huai Ru said, “My husband collects my salary. I don’t manage the money at home. He gives me three yuan a month for expenses.”
As soon as these words came out, all the women gasped. Even Chen Yun was stunned.
“Qin Huai Ru, you can't do this. How can you work and he collect the salary, then only give you three yuan? What can you do with three yuan? You have to eat lunch at the factory for twenty-six days a month. Are you planning on eating steamed bread every day?”
“Sister, listen to me. You have to collect your salary. At most, you give your husband five yuan a month. He doesn’t work, it’s enough.”
All the women tried to persuade her, but Qin Huai Ru shook her head, insisting that Li Wu Wei collect her salary.
This made all the women distressed. How could there be such a silly girl in the world?
Suddenly, Chen Yun asked the key question, “Qin Huai Ru, does your husband have any strengths, any special talents? Otherwise, how can you be so obedient?”
Hua Jie, who loved to stir things up, added, "Yeah, how’s Li Wu Wei’s physique? Is he very energetic?”
It took a while for Qin Huai Ru to understand what they were asking, and she blushed, whispering, “He is quite energetic. Sometimes even in the middle of the day, he asks me to close the door. The water on the stove has already boiled, and he still doesn’t let me leave.”
“Sss!”
Hua Jie, the three other women, looked at each other, and after a while, they exclaimed, “Qin Huai Ru, well, at least you’re not completely losing out.”
After Qin Huai Ru finished eating and went to wash the dishes, Hua Jie gathered her sisters together and whispered, “How about next time Li Wu Wei comes to the factory, we find an excuse to have him watch the melons?”
“We have to watch the melons. We have to see what kind of amazing skills he has.”
Chen Yun shook her head, Qin Huai Ru was her apprentice, Li Wu Wei was Qin Huai Ru’s husband. This melon watching business, she was not in a good position to participate. It was a pity though.