Chapter 23: Tingting 21

He didn't touch gambling or drinking at all, and he stayed far away from anything that required spending money. Coming along with Tan You and her grandfather, Tan Deming, Han Cunming was, aside from being a bit stingy, practically the best old man in the entire village.

Therefore, Tan You wasn't worried at all about keeping her money with Han Cunming. Thinking about going to work at the garment factory where Auntie Yang worked tomorrow, Tan You felt a surge of excitement in her heart.

She was merely a girl who had just finished her high school entrance exams and had never earned money on her own. Even if she was only going to help out at the factory and might not earn much, Tan You was still full of anticipation.

At seven o'clock the next morning, Tan You arrived at the garment factory with Auntie Yang, a fellow villager. After Han Tingting had dropped out of school, she had worked at the garment factory near the village, handling almost every position from cutting and sewing to final ironing.

However, Tan You had never seen these processes before, so after entering the factory, she had to compare what she saw with Han Tingting's memories. After walking a full circuit, Tan You gained a general understanding of the entire garment factory.

Auntie Yang was in charge of attendance at the front-end department. Since she had suddenly brought someone along who clearly looked like a student, many people couldn't help but stare at Tan You.

Initially, Tan You felt a bit uneasy, but remembering how she was often stared at at school, she pushed those feelings to the back of her mind.

A woman who looked like a leader pulled Auntie Yang aside. "Guihua, who is this young girl?"

Auntie Yang smiled. "Director, this is Han Tingting from my village. She just finished her entrance exams and wants to find some work during the summer break, so I brought her to meet you."

"Han Tingting? The one from your village who is exceptionally good at studying? The top student in the whole city?" The Director thought for a moment and matched the name to the person. "So she's such a pretty girl, and with such good grades. Is she sixteen yet?"

"She's sixteen," Tan You said with a very polite smile. "Director, I can do any kind of work."

"Sixteen is fine then," the Director smiled back. "The factory has some orders to fulfill recently, and the front-end cutting department needs someone to help spread the fabric. How about you go there?"

Auntie Yang hurriedly nudged Tan You's lower back. Tan You knew that the job of spreading fabric was quite sought after, so she smiled and said, "Thank you for looking out for me, Director. Since I'm new, I'll need everyone to teach me a lot."

In the past, she had been quite dull and slow, but after interacting with various teachers for over a year, Tan You had learned a lot from them. She had learned much about how to treat people, how to conduct herself, and how to navigate social situations; thus, she was quite capable of saying a few pleasant words.

Sure enough, Tan You's flattery left the Director feeling immensely satisfied. "Then Guihua, take Tingting to the front end. As for the wages, it'll be eight hundred for the first month, and if you do well later on, I'll give you a raise."

Tan You's smile widened significantly. "Okay, thank you, Director. I won't let you down."

What level was eight hundred? Having never earned money before, Tan You felt a bit dizzy. In an era where the average monthly wage was less than 2,000 yuan, she, Tan You, a middle school graduate, had secured a monthly wage of 800!

Forcing herself to suppress this excitement deep in her heart, Tan You walked with a very light step. On the way, she didn't forget to talk to Auntie Yang: "Auntie Yang, once I get my wages, I must find a way to properly thank you."

Auntie Yang was in a good mood as well. "Alright, then I'll be waiting."

Everyone likes a child with a sweet tongue, and if they are also honest and socially savvy, even better. After over a year of "cultivation," Tan You had already given outsiders the impression of being sweet-talking and socially adept.

After speaking with the front-end director, Auntie Yang went back to her office to busy herself; she was very busy too. Garment factories were crowded and had many tasks to perform; the difficulty wasn't extreme, but it required a lot of time.

And so, Tan You began her internship life as a little garment worker. She was the youngest in the entire factory, and since everyone in the surrounding area knew about Han Tingting's background—especially knowing she was trying to earn extra living expenses during the summer—the aunts and older women all took great care of her.

Tan You cherished this good fortune. She did not take others' kindness for granted but instead did her best to reciprocate. Consequently, everyone's impression of her grew even better.

"Master Hu, morning! I brewed some tea for you." After arriving in the morning and setting down her bag, Tan You smiled at the pattern maker, Hu Qingshi. She had been a favorite among the elderly since she was a child.

Despite Master Hu's stern appearance, Tan You felt that she was actually a very good person.

Hu Qingshi paused her steps. "Morning, Little Han. You're here early?"

Tan You: "Everyone looks out for me normally, so I came early to do some cleaning. I can't do much else yet."

Hu Qingshi smiled. "I went home late last night. Regarding the clothes you mentioned to me the other day, I tried making a few sample garments. Come and see how the finished products turned out."

Tan You was excited. "Really? Let me wipe the table first. I'm sure the clothes you made will be beautiful, Master Hu!"

A few days ago, while Master Hu was drawing patterns, Tan You had chattered a bit. Although Tan You didn't know how to draw, she had seen so many beautiful clothes in Han Tingting's "future" memories that she had simply spoken up, and unexpectedly, she had hit it off with Master Hu.

When the Director and Auntie Yang came to work, they heard the front-end department was particularly noisy, sounding just like a vegetable market.

The Director frowned and pushed through the crowd. "What are you all doing? Why are you making such a racket first thing in the morning instead of working? This is unseemly!"

An auntie in the cutting department laughed. "We're looking at the sample garments Master Hu and Tingting made. They've been huddled together talking for the past two days, and we didn't expect to see the samples today. Why don't you come take a look, Director?"

The Director was somewhat skeptical, but upon seeing the six sets of sample garments displayed in the office, she couldn't help but be stunned. "Is... is this made by Master Hu?"

"The craftsmanship is mine, but many of the ideas were proposed by Tingting. Young people really do have quick wits." Master Hu also smiled. "What do you think?"

"I think they're excellent!" The factory manager appeared out of nowhere. "Is it true that people who study well also have quick minds? Tingting is truly outstanding."

"No, no, no, how would I know about such things?" Tan You waved her hands hurriedly. "I just said a few words. It's Master Hu's skill. The drawing and pattern making were all done by Master Hu; I really didn't do much."

To be capable yet humble—one would be liked anywhere. Everyone found Han Tingting's words very pleasing to the ear.

The factory manager walked around the samples once. "Arrange for more people to produce these as finished goods. Tomorrow, we'll go out to seek business! I'll lead the team myself!"

Garment factories mainly relied on orders to survive, so it would be even better if the factory could produce its own good designs. The factory manager's mind was already racing with calculations, clearly envisioning a period of rolling in wealth.

Master Hu frowned. "My craftsmanship is good, but design relies mainly on inspiration. Factory Manager, you mustn't mistreat Tingting."