Reborn in 1977, I will no longer be my brother's blood bag.

The next morning, just as Lin Xiuhe laid out the sketches, a commotion broke out at the workshop entrance.

"This job can't be done anymore!"

The man had a loud voice; everyone in half the workshop could hear him.

Xiao Zheng, who was sent to the health center yesterday, stood next to him, his right hand wrapped in thick gauze, his face pale.

Her husband ripped off the work apron hanging on her shoulder.

"The doctor said if you touch that machine again, do you want to keep your hand?"

Xiao Zheng was both anxious and embarrassed, and reached out to grab it.

"Keep your voice down."

"Why should I speak softly? It's not like anyone else is getting hurt in the factory!"

Factory Director Zhou rushed over, looking grim.

"The factory will cover your medical expenses. Your basic salary will not be reduced during your recovery period."

Ignoring her husband, Xiao Zheng frantically pressed for answers:

"Is the injury healed?"

Factory Director Zhou didn't understand.

"What?"

"Is my seat still available?"

Several female workers near the door stopped what they were doing and looked over.

Xiao Zheng's eyes reddened, but he spoke quickly and harshly.

"Both of my children are in school. If I take one less day of piecework, my family will have one less day of money."

Her husband, his anger simmering inside, clutched the apron, unable to move his feet.

The female worker near the door couldn't hold back any longer.

"Factory manager, are we still going to deliver that batch of goods at the end of the month?"

Xiao He from the repair team squeezed through the crowd, looking uneasy.

"I heard from the supply and marketing department this morning that Yong'an Factory has already inquired about this batch of orders."

More workers put down their work and crowded around the workshop entrance.

Factory Director Zhou, clutching his budget book, was stuck in the middle, looking anxious.

"Who said the order was lost?"

"Go back to work, and don't spread rumors based on half a sentence you hear."

Xiao He gestured towards the factory gate with his lip.

"If it's not lost, what are the people from the supply and marketing company doing here?"

A truck was parked outside the gate.

A man in a gray Zhongshan suit walked in carrying a briefcase, followed by two people carrying sample boxes.

Factory Director Zhou's expression changed slightly, and he quickly went to greet him.

"Comrade Liang, please grant us one more day."

The purchasing agent, Liang, looked embarrassed but did not follow him into the office.

"Yesterday was already lenient."

"The store counter is empty; we can't keep waiting for you."

He opened the sample box and took out a palm-sized piece of iron.

The metal part has a square hole punched in the middle and is installed on the door frame. When the door is closed, the latch must precisely engage with that hole.

These are lock catch plates that the lock factory is rushing to produce.

Purchasing agent Liang held up the sample for factory manager Zhou to see.

"If we can't produce another 500 qualified locks before 4 p.m., the rest of the orders will be handed over to Yong'an Factory."

Cursing immediately erupted from the back of the workshop.

"Why doesn't Yong'an Factory come at other times? Why choose this moment to make a move!"

Several female workers near the door were even more anxious, surrounding Factory Manager Zhou and pressing him for answers:

"If the order is really transferred, will I still get my bonus this month?"

Xiao Zheng's face turned pale, and he turned to walk towards the machine.

"I can do it this afternoon."

Her husband was so angry that he grabbed her.

"You think your hand isn't injured enough?"

"Then you'll earn my money this month?"

The man blushed as he was questioned, but his grip on the apron loosened slightly.

As everyone stared at him, Director Zhou quickly broke out in a sweat.

He suddenly turned to Lin Xiuhe.

"Comrade Lin, you said last night that you could find a way."

"Can we try it today?"

Officer Fang frowned.

"Director Zhou, the bureau only approved a temporary verification."

"The research institute cannot take on the delivery task for you."

Factory Director Zhou suppressed his anger and slammed the budget book on the table.

"I don't want you to deliver the goods for me."

"I just want the workers' hands to be removed so that work can continue in the factory!"

The discussions in the workshop gradually subsided.

Lin Xiuhe looked at Xiao Zheng's bandaged hand, and then at the uneasy workers.

She asked the purchasing agent, Liang:

"If we replenish the 500 pieces, will the order not be processed?"

Purchasing agent Liang sized her up.

"Are you a technician from Beijing?"

"Yes."

"Five hundred pieces by 4 p.m., the position and size of the square holes must all meet the requirements."

He put the transfer order document back into his briefcase.

"Not even one piece is missing."

Lin Xiuhe nodded.

"Then let's check the goods at four o'clock."

Factory Director Zhou's expression finally relaxed, and he hurriedly called over the repair and assembly team.

Xiao He looked at the sketch Lin Xiuhe had drawn last night, but was stumped.

"This image cannot be completed today."

Factory Director Zhou's face, which had just calmed down, darkened again.

"Didn't you say last night that it could be done?"

Xiao He also got anxious.

"I said the simple ones can be done. There's one item on this that the factory can't process; it would take at least three days to send it to the county machinery factory."

After reading it, Old Xu nodded solemnly.

"The drawing is correct, but we can't finish it today."

Factory Director Zhou was so angry that he spun around in place.

"Three days later, they had already taken all the orders!"

Lin Xiuhe stared at the sketch in surprise.

The part that was crossed out with a red pencil last night has already taken up most of the space. Xiao He pointed to the remaining part and shook his head.

"This factory really can't do it."

Lin Xiuhe did not argue.

What can we do today?

"Weld the frame and modify the old parts."

"What else?"

"If you only allow the latch plate to be inserted from the outside, you can try it."

Old Xu pushed the blueprints towards her.

"Don't think about how long it will last."

He pointed at Xiao Zheng.

"Let her hand leave that place today."

Lin Xiuhe picked up a red pencil and crossed out several places on the original drawing.

Factory Director Zhou felt sorry for him.

"Didn't you draw this last night?"

"If we can't finish it today, we can't deliver it even if we keep it."

She handed the remaining half of the picture to Xiao He.

"Try this."

The backyard quickly became busy.

Xiao He led the repair team to sift through old materials, while Lao Xu stood by and watched the work.

Holding the approval slip from the bureau, Officer Fang looked troubled and repeatedly explained that they could only try it out first and could not start full-scale production directly.

Factory Director Zhou postponed other tasks and stayed in the workshop to keep an eye on his watch.

Purchasing agent Liang sat at the office door, letting a cup of tea cool down from hot to cold.

At 2 p.m., a makeshift feeding rack was installed next to the machine.

Xiao Zheng tried to step forward, but Lin Xiuhe stopped him.

"You stand there."

She had a skilled female worker try it out first.

The first lock piece fell into the basket.

Purchasing agent Liang picked it up and compared it to the sample.

The square hole in the middle is slightly off-center.

When this is installed on the door frame, the latch can't be engaged at all.

Purchasing agent Liang looked disappointed.

"We can't accept this."

After he finished speaking, he stood up and reached for his briefcase.

"Director Zhou, I have to rush to Yong'an Factory."

Factory Director Zhou's expression froze, and the budget book he had been clutching tightly just moments before slowly drooped down.

Xiao Zheng stood at the back of the crowd, his face full of guilt.

"If I hadn't been injured..."

Lin Xiuhe turned to look at her.

"It's none of your business."

With a slightly somber expression, she picked up the defective latch piece.

The plan I drew up last night was revised once, but it was cut down by more than half again when I got to the site, and in the end, it still went wrong.

Old Xu noticed her anxiety and reminded her:

Don't just focus on the latch plate.

"Let's see how people usually deliver things."

Lin Xiuhe called out to the female worker who had just tried it.

"How did you push it just now? Do it again."

The female worker imitated it once with her hands empty.

She used force with her wrist when feeding the material, and her movements were much heavier than Xiao Zheng's usual.

Even with the same piece of material, everyone puts in different amounts of force.

Lin Xiuhe immediately called Xiao He over.

"Let's add another restriction here: we can't let it rely entirely on human strength."

Purchasing agent Liang glanced at the watch.

"I'll wait another half hour at most."

The second test began shortly before 3 p.m.

The first piece has the square hole positioned correctly.

The second one is also acceptable.

Purchasing agent Liang still refused to budge.

"One or two pieces don't prove anything."

Factory Director Zhou gritted his teeth.

"Then five hundred pieces."

Everyone in the workshop sprang into action.

Xiao He stood by the machine and called out the numbers.

Two female workers took away the finished lock pieces, basket by basket.

Old Xu sat at the table and checked the items randomly. If the square hole was not in the correct position, he would throw it directly into the empty basket next to him.

The canteen delivered the food to the workshop, but the lunchboxes were left against the wall, and no one bothered to eat them.

Xiao Zheng's husband, who was originally going to take her home, ended up rolling up his sleeves and helping to carry the baskets out.

Xiao Zheng stood in a safe position, and for the first time, he didn't have to put his hand under the stamping port.

Three hundred pieces.

Four hundred pieces.

Ten minutes before four o'clock, the basket was already filled with 499 pieces.

The last piece was sent in.

The machine fell.

Old Xu picked it up, compared it to the template, and then measured the position of the square hole.

Factory Director Zhou was so anxious that his throat tightened.

"Will it work?"

Old Xu threw the fastener piece into the qualified basket.

"The 500th piece."

A burst of cheers suddenly erupted in the workshop.

Xiao He excitedly slapped the table, and several female workers laughed along with him.

The people who were just asking about the bonus are now chasing after Director Zhou for a definite answer.

"Factory manager, the order wasn't lost, so the bonus should still be paid, right?"

Factory Director Zhou, his forehead still damp with sweat, sternly scolded:

"You won't be left out."

He turned to look at Xiao Zheng.

"You are not allowed to touch the machine until your injury has fully healed."

Xiao Zheng's lips moved, but he still looked uneasy.

Factory Director Zhou added:

"We'll keep the position for you."

"During your recovery period, you'll be paid your basic salary for now."

Her husband slowly loosened his grip on the apron.

Xiao Zheng covered his face with his uninjured hand, tears streaming down his face through his fingers.

After checking the documents, purchasing agent Liang stuffed the transfer order back into her briefcase.

He didn't rush to leave, but picked up a locking piece and looked at the makeshift feeding rack next to the machine.

"Is this device only suitable for one unit?"

Lin Xiuhe's tense shoulders and back, which had been tense all afternoon, finally relaxed.

"The machines are different; we need to go to the site to see for ourselves."

Purchasing agent Liang nodded.

"Yongan Factory also has two old machines."

Factory Director Zhou immediately became alert.

"What do you mean?"

Purchasing agent Liang smiled.

"Don't worry. I won't steal your order."

He took a piece of paper with an address written on it from his pocket and placed it on the basket of qualified lock pieces.

"Once you're done here, go check out the Yong'an factory."

"It really works; they'll cover the costs of materials and trial production."

He looked around at the old machines in the factory.

"There are more than just a few of these devices in Linzhou."