Ruling the Historical Romance Novel as the Female Supporting Character-Chapter 368: The Factory is Thriving
Due to the limited six positions available on each island, everyone was concerned that poor selections would affect future job opportunities for the villagers. So, apart from two men with leg disabilities, all the other candidates were young, agile women.
The two men were in their early twenties, likely pushed by their families to secure stable jobs to eventually marry and support a family. Zhu Zirui pushed out some of those who had just been clamoring for bonuses and replaced them with men who seemed bolder than the others. In total, nine positions were filled by nine men. After all, even if the men could fish at sea, he couldn’t have women serving as security guards at the factory.
Naturally, the women protested fiercely. However, they didn’t have to wait for Zhu Zirui and Su Yijia to argue with them; the village captain promptly pulled them back, fearing they might say something inappropriate. If it weren’t for the leadership’s reminder that factory work was more suitable for women, they would have insisted on bringing in more men from the islands.
The older aunties, already grandmothers, and the men who had married but frequently went to sea were worried that if their wives moved to the city, they might become dissatisfied with their lives and look down on their humble origins. Plus, they relied on their wives to care for the pigs, chickens, vegetable plots, and children at home. Yet, no one dared to openly oppose the leadership’s directives. So, when nine new positions were suddenly available, the village captain was overjoyed to agree.
After handling all the arrangements, they went to check on the factory space. It wasn’t exactly a factory; it was half of a warehouse borrowed from a local fruit canning factory. Pang Jingling had initially thought of borrowing money from the bank to construct a single-story building as a factory, but Zhu Zirui argued that building something that large would cost six to seven thousand yuan, which was too much. Instead, he suggested using his position to find another factory willing to lend them space for eighty workers. They ordered some wooden fences to partition off two areas, and that was that.
One factory space would accommodate eighty workers’ wages for three months, significantly alleviating the city’s pressure. As long as Zhu Zirui, the factory director, was on board, they were even happier. After the eighty employees got settled and dispersed, Pang Jingling treated the factory’s supervisor to a lunch at the State-Owned Restaurant.
With fewer people, there were fewer responsibilities, so they only sent a secretary to assist Zhu Zirui in his work. Su Yijia remained silent throughout the meal, eating her food quietly, while Qin Kaize leisurely peeled shrimp and cracked crab. To those around them, it appeared as if they were merely there to enjoy the meal.
Yet, every time they reached a decision, they instinctively glanced at Su Yijia. Only when they saw she wasn’t opposed did they continue discussing further. The meal lasted a full two hours, filled with conversation and laughter. Afterward, Qin Kaize and Su Yijia returned to their small building to pack up before heading back to the island.
Zhu Zirui reluctantly saw them off at the dock, wanting to say something but hesitating as Qin Kaize shot him a cold glance. "You’re the factory director now; don’t keep bothering your sister-in-law. She has to prepare for the National College Entrance Examination and is busy studying every day."
Did she even study? Su Yijia silently rebutted in her mind but didn’t want to undermine her husband in front of Zhu Zirui. Instead, she nodded in agreement. "From now on, the factory is your responsibility. If there’s nothing major, make your own decisions without fear of failure. Every business has its ups and downs; just find the reasons for any failures quickly, learn from them, and adjust your plans."
The factory was set up to provide stable income for the islanders, but if the products weren’t accepted, there was little they could do. However, if Zhu Zirui made poor decisions, he would be held accountable by the leaders in Fu Province. Whether he was fired or lost money didn’t matter, as he was the one she had recommended—she could just chalk it up to a misjudgment on her part.
"I won’t let you down, sister-in-law!" Zhu Zirui promised eagerly, patting his chest. After chatting a bit longer, it was time for the boat to depart. Qin Kaize took Su Yijia’s hand and left the dock without looking back, clearly unhappy with Zhu Zirui’s persistent chatter.
The next month and a half passed quickly, and Qin Kaize was already on his ninth Detoxification Pill. They had stayed at home and hadn’t returned to the island, which piqued the curiosity of many in his team. They expected him to return soon for training, but he hadn’t even started his recovery exercises.
Some speculated that he was enjoying his honeymoon phase after just getting married. A few even visited to bring it up, but none dared speak to Su Yijia about it. Qin Kaize maintained the same explanation: he hadn’t finished his treatment and couldn’t engage in strenuous activities yet. Despite the remarkable feats he’d accomplished recently, like jumping from the fifth floor and easily overpowering Xue Qianhao, this excuse surprisingly satisfied everyone.
After all, a man once declared beyond recovery by the best doctors was now not only alive but stronger than before. Who would believe such a transformation? It was as if he had become a monster in their minds.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zirui was busy running the factory. What used to be annoying shells littering the sand now felt scarce. Workers, fearful of being laid off, not only refrained from slacking off but also sought overtime to produce more. Zhu Zirui divided the work more efficiently: half the staff focused on drilling and sorting colors while the other half crafted the shapes. This way, each worker could produce four accessories per hour, totaling thirty-two a day. With forty workers, they created 1,300 pieces in just one day.
After quality checks the next morning, those accessories were shipped straight to Hu City. By the fourth day, Pang Jingling received a call from the supply and marketing cooperative, reporting exceptional sales. Almost every young woman at the counters showed interest in their products, which were also well-received locally.
