Free Web NovelChapter 124: Chapter 124: City Top Scorer
Mrs. Tang was afraid Su Li would delay sending Little Tang Mo back, and she also wanted to check if Su Li was behaving herself in the county seat. So, she paid a surprise visit without any warning.
She went straight to the factory. Su Li had given her the address before, so once she arrived in the county seat, she just had to ask for directions to find it.
Mrs. Tang had heard from the villagers that Su Li’s clothing factory was huge, so she thought she was prepared. But when she actually arrived, she was still stunned.
Perhaps it was because Su Li was always around, just the daughter-in-law her son had married. Even though everyone kept saying how capable Su Li was, Mrs. Tang had always thought, ’It’s nothing special.’
It wasn’t until she was standing in front of the clothing factory that she began to feel intimidated.
’Su Li is actually this capable... To have such a huge factory...’
Mrs. Tang tentatively asked the two gate guards if the boss was Su Li. Only after they confirmed it did she identify herself as Su Li’s mother-in-law, saying she was there to see her grandson.
The two guards, who of course knew their boss, Su Li, and also knew of Little Tang Mo, didn’t dare to keep her waiting. They immediately invited her in and personally led the way.
As they walked, they couldn’t help but size up Mrs. Tang with curiosity. Little did they know, she was sizing them up as well, and her gaze was not friendly.
She thought the guards were too young.
"Are there many young men like you in this factory?" Mrs. Tang probed.
"No, it’s just the two of us men in the whole factory. Everyone else is a female worker," the guard replied, slightly taken aback.
Mrs. Tang’s expression eased somewhat, but she remained suspicious. She scanned her surroundings carefully as they walked, only relaxing after confirming for herself that there really were no other men among the workers.
When she finally saw Su Li, Mrs. Tang still hadn’t given up on the idea of making Su Li come back with her.
Of course, she couldn’t do anything to change Su Li’s mind. She didn’t trust Su Li and wanted to stay to keep an eye on her, but she was also worried about things at home. In the end, she left the very next day.
Little Tang Mo was heartbroken to leave Su Li, but he obediently went back with Mrs. Tang, his reluctance clear on his face. freēwēbnovel.com
"If you miss me, just send word, and I’ll come pick you up." Su Li handed Little Tang Mo’s luggage to Mrs. Tang.
"If Little Mo misses me, send word to me, or bring him here."
Mrs. Tang took the luggage and, noticing it was filled with new things she knew Su Li had bought, felt a sense of pleasure. Though reluctant, she agreed.
"Fine. You should come back when you have time. It’s not proper for you to be out here all the time."
Su Li ignored such remarks, but Mrs. Tang couldn’t resist nagging a bit more.
"And another thing—when people from our village come looking for work, you should just hire them. You turn them all away, and now everyone’s got a big problem with you. I’m the one who has to put up with their dirty looks."
Su Li retorted impatiently, "You don’t depend on their approval for your meals. Instead of worrying about them, you should be more concerned with Tang Yuanxiao and Little Mo."
Mrs. Tang left, looking thoroughly wronged, but Su Li couldn’t feel any sense of victory.
’I’ll miss Little Tang Mo so much.’
As for Mrs. Tang’s claim that she didn’t hire people from Xinghua Village, it was true. The factory recruited from the entire county and even provided dormitories for those who lived in distant villages.
People from Xinghua Village had applied, but their skills weren’t up to par, and some had character issues. Naturally, Su Li rejected them.
Plenty of people from Su Family Village came as well, all of them invoking Su Li’s name. A whole flock of distant relatives, aunts, and cousins showed up, putting on the airs of family. They assumed Su Li would be the same obedient girl she once was and hire them, allowing them to lord it over others while making easy money. Unfortunately for them, every last one was turned away.
Needless to say, the people of Xinghua and Su Family Villages were thoroughly dejected. Meanwhile, the factory was running smoothly, with the female workers buzzing with enthusiastic energy.
They worked six days a week, with one day off, and the principle was "the more you work, the more you earn." Compared to farming, earning money without being battered by the wind and sun felt like paradise.
The nearly twenty female workers were all filled with immense drive.
Li Hongqin and Yin Cuihua were also walking on air. Yin Cuihua’s standing at the fabric mill was a world away from what it used to be; though technically an employee, she was one in name only.
Li Hongqin shuttled between the county seat and Li Family Village, where the operation had become a branch factory specializing in school uniforms. She had promoted a trusted individual to act as a supervisor there.
At the end of July, the first batch of children’s clothing rolled out of the factory and into the market.
Clothing boutiques and children’s wear shops in Fengcheng County and the neighboring counties simultaneously began stocking a new line of stylish, eye-catching children’s clothes, all with standardized pricing.
At the same time, another line of children’s clothing appeared at the various market days in Fengcheng County and its neighbors. These were different from the boutique versions—the quality was a notch lower, and the price was cheaper, but they were just as stylish.
As soon as the new line was launched, it captured the attention of countless adults and children alike. Kids would plant their feet and wail for the clothes, and even the adults found them completely charming.
The collection was an instant hit, selling out rapidly.
Pinjun Children’s Wear quickly cornered the market. Stores everywhere were desperately short on stock, so the factory rapidly hired more workers and went into a frenzy of overtime production.
Amidst this frenzy, Pinjun Clothing raked in a fortune.
Su Li paid off her loan ahead of schedule and then went to the city for two days to negotiate more business deals.
"In mid-August, we’ll ship a batch of summer clothes to the city. Then, in September, we’ll launch the autumn collection simultaneously in the city and here in the county..."
Su Li handed the contract to Li Hongqin and Yin Cuihua. As they looked at the order quantities, they both drew in a sharp breath. They were getting used to big numbers, but this was still staggering.
"I’ll leave on a business trip tomorrow," Yin Cuihua said. "I’ll have to visit the city and then the provincial capital."
’The amount of fabric at my mill is nowhere near enough. I’ll have to visit several others.’
"I appreciate you taking this on, Sister Cuihua," Su Li said with a smile.
"I don’t think I’ll go back to Li Family Village this month," Li Hongqin added. "I’ll hold a few more training sessions—both to teach and to learn. The two designers are very good."
"If I come across any more promising talent, I’ll poach them for you."
Su Li smiled. "You two go get busy. I won’t be at the factory tomorrow or the day after."
Tomorrow, she had to go to Fengcheng First Middle School.
Back then, the college entrance exam was a unified national test. The cutoff scores for university admission had been announced on the news the previous night, and Su Li had heard them on the radio.
Once the cutoff scores were announced, it meant the individual results were out as well.
According to her homeroom teacher, students could now go to the school to pick up their score reports.
Su Li arrived at Fengcheng First Middle School bright and early, only to be turned away at the gate and told to go back and change into her school uniform.
And why did she have to wear her uniform?
Because this year, Fengcheng First Middle School had pulled off an incredible feat. In an unprecedented turn of events, it had crushed the top-ranked high schools in the city by producing the city’s top scorer on the college entrance exam.
The city’s top scorer had come from Fengcheng First Middle School. Reporters from the city newspaper were on their way for an interview, along with officials from both the city and county education bureaus.
"The newspaper reporters are coming for interviews and photos! All students have to attend the commendation ceremony, so hurry up and get into your uniforms."
The guard at the gate dutifully explained this to the students. Amid their gasps of astonishment, he couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride and honor himself.
"Make yourselves presentable! These pictures are going to be in the newspaper!"
In those days, getting your picture in the newspaper was a major event.
’For such a momentous occasion, the school is clearly pulling out all the stops!’
When Su Li returned in her school uniform, everyone’s focus was, unsurprisingly, on a single question: "Who is the top scorer?"
While everyone was busy guessing, the notoriously clever and sharp-eyed Qin Shanshan spotted Principal Zhang and a young man heading toward the school’s conference room.
Qin Shanshan’s eyes darted. ’They must be talking about the top scorer,’ she thought, and she furtively tailed them.
