Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

Qin Huairu greeted Sister Hua, then followed Qin Jingru to a corner, smiling as she asked:

"Jingru, I was just about to look for you. What's up? Tell me."

Qin Jingru frowned and said directly, "Qin Huairu, Wang Feng and I are going back to Qin Family Village this Sunday. When we went back last time, your aunt kept thinking about you. Now that it's almost Chinese New Year, I wanted to ask you if you have anything for me to bring to your parents."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu shook her head with a wry smile.

"Jingru, you know what our family's situation is right now. Dongxu is gone, and things will only get harder for us. We really don't have anything to offer, so please say hello to my parents for me and tell them that I'll visit them when I have time."

Qin Jingru scoffed, "Qin Huairu, stop pretending. Jia Dongxu's compensation should be three hundred, right? And now you have a job. You, Banggeng, and Xiaodang can all transfer to city residency, so you won't have to buy expensive grain anymore. You still say life will be harder in the future? You're kidding me!"

"I only came to ask you because your aunt has been thinking about you. If I had known you were such an ingrate, I wouldn't have bothered talking to you."

"Jingru, you've misunderstood me."

Qin Huairu smiled bitterly: "Do you think I'll get a single penny of that compensation? My mother-in-law has already hidden it away as her retirement money. I just started work today, where am I going to get the money to buy gifts for my parents? How about this, Jingru, you lend me ten yuan first, I'll pay you back when I get my salary."

"Alright, alright, I knew I shouldn't have asked you. Every time I talk to you, it's either to borrow money or something. Do you really think I owe you something?" Qin Jingru waved her hand impatiently and turned to leave.

Qin Huairu grabbed Qin Jingru and said, "Jingru, wait."

Qin Jingru turned around, frowned, and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Qin Huairu smiled and said, "Jingru, look, I'm working at the factory now. Could you please cook more meals for me in the future? That way, I can save a lot of money every month. When I have money in the future, I can buy some gifts and go back to Qin Family Village to see my parents."

Qin Jingru rolled her eyes: "Qin Huairu, you wish! At most, I won't stir-fry for you, you should be secretly happy. Alright, I'm too lazy to talk to an ingrate like you. It's really a pity that your aunt has been thinking about you all this time."

After saying that, Qin Jingru left without looking back, leaving Qin Huairu standing there dumbfounded with a wronged expression.

Qin Jingru originally wanted to ask about Qin Huairu's oath, but seeing Qin Huairu's attitude towards her parents, she lost interest in even knowing. Just like Wang Feng said, it's none of her business anyway.

Qin Huairu watched Qin Jingru's retreating figure. She never expected that Jingru wouldn't help her with such a small matter. What had she done to offend Jingru? All she did was ask to borrow meat a few times, and she didn't even get any. Was it really necessary to act like this?

......

Forging workshop.

With his hands behind his back, a large belly sticking out, and his nostrils pointing to the sky, Liu Haizhong was inspecting the group he managed, looking every bit the big boss.

He walked up to one of the workers, picked up a workpiece, looked at it, and arrogantly reprimanded him:

"How many times have I told you? When you strike, you need to be quick, accurate, and steady. Look at what you're doing! What kind of crap are you hitting?"

"Team Leader Liu, didn't you say that for this type of workpiece, we only need to flatten the back? You didn't say we need to pay attention to the sides either?" the worker said, looking aggrieved.

Liu Haizhong pointed at the worker's head and shouted sternly, "You dare to talk back? Are you the team leader or am I? You processed the workpiece like this, and later a whole group of us will have to rework it for you. Your work attitude will drag down the efficiency of our entire team. This time you will be fined one yuan. If you make the workpiece like this again, I will transfer you to another team."

When the worker heard that he would be fined one yuan, he glared angrily at Liu Haizhong. As for being transferred to another group, he would be more than happy to do so. Working under such an incompetent person, who was always pointing fingers at them, was extremely unpleasant.

Just as they were about to argue with Liu Haizhong, they saw Director Zhu of the workshop walking towards them angrily with a report in his hand.

"Hello, Director Zhu." Liu Haizhong greeted him with a bow and a smile.

Director Zhu angrily threw the report at Liu Haizhong's face and roared:

"Liu Haizhong, what kind of team leader are you? Ever since I put you in charge of a team, look at what your team has become. Production is not up to par, and you've produced a huge number of defective products. I warned you last time your team scrapped a batch of parts, and yesterday you produced another bunch of scrap. From now on, you're done being the acting team leader. Go back to your workstation immediately and continue swinging the sledgehammer."

"Director Zhu, let me explain!"

When Liu Haizhong heard that he was going to lose his position as team leader, he immediately panicked.

"What's the point of explaining? Liu Haizhong, you're just a good-for-nothing. Go back to your old ways and swing a sledgehammer, or I'll dock your pay."

Just as Liu Haizhong was about to stop Director Zhu to explain, he heard Director Zhu storm off without even giving him a chance to explain.

The workers who had just been fined by Liu Haizhong burst into laughter upon hearing that Liu Haizhong had stepped down.

"Haha, Liu Haizhong, you're not the acting team leader anymore, let's see how you're going to fine me now."

"That's right, Liu Haizhong, we've been incredibly unlucky to be assigned to your group. You're always ordering us to produce defective products, which makes us get off work so late every day. You're also constantly filing reports and fining us. You fined me a dollar before, and if you don't pay me back that dollar today, I'm not done with you."

"And me, Liu Haizhong, I scrapped more than a dozen parts as you instructed, and you fined me two yuan. You have to pay me back that money."

"It's over, it's over!"

Liu Haizhong muttered to himself, looking completely lost. This was the team leader position he had bought for 500 yuan, and after less than a month, all 500 yuan had gone down the drain.

"Liu Haizhong, you're losing money."

"Pay us money. We were just following your instructions to process it. If there's a problem, it's your responsibility."

Liu Haizhong's group has a total of twelve people. Six of them had been fined by him. Now that he has stepped down, all six of them have come to him, demanding that he pay them back.

Upon seeing this, Liu Haizhong's eldest apprentice, Lan Xiang, quickly came over to inquire.

When Lanxiang learned that Liu Haizhong had stepped down and that his former team members were demanding compensation from him, he was speechless.

Left with no other choice, he had to take out ten yuan and give it to the six people.

Seeing Liu Haizhong's dejected appearance, Lan Xiang pulled Liu Haizhong aside, sighed, and said:

"Master, I warned you before that there was something wrong with their processing order, but you just wouldn't believe me."

Liu Haizhong snapped out of his daze, wiped the fine sweat from his face, and hurriedly said, "No, no, I have to go and ask Director Li why he won't let me be the team leader anymore. I spent five hundred yuan on this. If Director Li won't let me be the team leader, he has to give me back the five hundred yuan."