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

The supply station staff arrived at 1 p.m.

Section Chief Guo parked his bicycle at the entrance of the lock factory and pulled out a delivery note from his black leather bag.

"The steel was reserved for you until today. It's 276 yuan. Pay upfront, and it can be picked up this afternoon."

Accountant Xu stood on the steps, holding the ledger.

"The factory only has seventy-six pieces now."

"That's still two hundred short."

Factory Director Liang handed him a cigarette.

"Old Guo, please give us two more days. We'll deliver the goods in five days, and we'll pay you back as soon as the payment arrives."

Section Chief Guo did not answer.

"You also said two days last time."

"Wasn't it settled later?"

"I made seven trips."

Section Chief Guo put the delivery note back into his bag.

"I also have to go back and report. If I don't see the money by four o'clock this afternoon, I'll give this batch of steel to that factory up north. They're waiting with cash on hand."

The bicycles quickly left the factory gate.

The workers in the yard were still standing in the same spot.

Master Qian touched the lock tongue blank in his pocket.

"If the material can't get in, no matter how shiny you polish the machine, it's useless."

Factory Director Liang walked around the yard twice, then suddenly asked Accountant Xu:

"How much is your total salary this month?"

Accountant Xu looked up.

"You want to touch your salary?"

"Slow down for now."

Factory Director Liang pointed to the workshop.

"Each person will be paid ten yuan later. The steel will be brought back first, and the payment will be made up after this batch of goods is delivered."

Chaos immediately broke out in the courtyard.

"It was already five days late last month!"

"My family still owes money to the grain store."

"Ten yuan can be delayed just like that?"

A female worker wearing a white headscarf came out of the workshop, her hands still covered in oily gloves.

"Are office workers also getting their payouts late?"

"It's the same all over the factory."

"You and your spouse both receive salaries. If you are paid 20 yuan late, there will still be some money left at home."

The female worker walked down the steps.

"My family depends on me alone. If I don't even get ten yuan, how will we buy coal this month?"

Factory Director Liang was somewhat embarrassed.

"We'll make it up in a few days, it's not like we won't give it to you."

When should I get it done?

"We'll pay you back as soon as we receive payment."

When will the payment be received?

Factory Director Liang was furious with her pursuit.

"How can I say for sure?"

"You yourself aren't sure, yet you dare to deduct our money first?"

The female worker's eyes were red, but her back was straight.

"We've finished this month's work."

Accountant Xu turned and went into the office, took out a deferred payroll form from the drawer, and placed the pen in front of Factory Director Liang.

"If you really want to send it later, please write down the date clearly."

Factory Director Liang picked up a pen.

The pen tip hovered over the paper, hesitant to fall.

More than twenty pairs of eyes were fixed on him.

Lin Xiuhe opened the logbook.

"Don't touch your salary yet."

Factory Director Liang put the pen back on the table.

"Without a salary, where will this two hundred yuan come from?"

"Have you received the final payment for those box buckles from the daily necessities factory last year?"

Accountant Xu quickly turned to last year's page.

"I still owe 186 yuan."

"Why weren't you given it?"

"The buckles on those boxes couldn't support the weight. After the wooden boxes were full, they would come loose after a few trips. The consumer goods factory asked us to redo them, but they haven't been able to spare any manpower."

"Is that batch of goods still in their factory?"

"exist."

Lin Xiuhe closed the ledger.

"Let's go take a look."

Factory Director Liang frowned.

"It's too late to ask for the final payment now. Even if they're willing to pay, we'll have to go through the procedures all over again."

"We're not going to ask for money."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Let's see if their factory has any materials that we can use."

Engineer Sun had already picked up the document bag.

"There are still three hours until four o'clock. Let's go and see."

When the group arrived at the daily necessities factory, Director Shen was checking materials in the warehouse.

She saw Director Liang, who hadn't even put down the registration board in his hand.

"Haven't seen you in six months, why are you suddenly thinking about our factory today?"

Factory Director Liang's face felt hot.

"We will replace those box buckles."

"When?"

"These past two days."

Director Shen twitched the corner of his mouth.

"You also said two days last time."

She opened the return registration form.

"After the buckles were installed, the purchasing unit returned the goods on the spot, and these boxes are still sitting in the warehouse."

Factory Director Liang touched his nose.

"Let's redo it this time."

"Your own orders are due in five days, where will you find someone to do them for us?"

Factory Director Liang couldn't answer for a moment.

At the very back of the warehouse were several rolls of steel strips, covered in dust.

Lin Xiuhe walked over.

"These steel strips aren't needed for the time being?"

"These were originally made for thermos bottle casings. Later, that order was cancelled, so they've been sitting here ever since."

Master Qian touched the edge of the steel strip.

"This material can be used to make lock cases."

Factory Director Liang's eyes lit up.

"Director Shen, please lend us this batch of steel strips first. We'll wait until the payment arrives—"

"Waiting for payment again."

Director Shen interrupted him.

"You owe us three hundred sets of box buckles, and you haven't repaid them for six months. Now you want to take the steel straps away too? Why should I trust you?"

Master Qian weighed the steel belt in his hand.

"After the lock case is finished, the remaining material can be used to make box buckles. Three hundred sets in two days."

"When you delivered it last time, you also said there was no problem."

Director Shen slapped the return slip onto the steel belt.

"As a result, the wooden crates came loose after only a few trips. The goods had to be returned, which not only took up warehouse space, but we also had to find someone to repair them again."

"Make twenty sets today."

Lin Xiuhe picked up the return slip.

"Let's try it tonight with two wooden crates full of goods."

"It's usable. You can lend this batch of steel strips to the lock factory."

"It'll be loose again like last time, so let's just leave it at that. The lock factory took the twenty sets back, but they didn't touch a single roll of steel strap."

These words were clearly stated, and Director Shen understood them.

She stared at Lin Xiuhe.

"If twenty sets are ruined, it will waste our time."

"So let's try it tonight."

Lin Xiuhe put the return slip back on the registration board.

"We've waited half a year, what's a few more hours?"

Director Shen turned to the custodian and instructed:

"At eight o'clock in the evening, fill two wooden crates."

She then looked at Director Liang.

"If you can't pass the test with twenty sets, don't come back for steel belts tomorrow."

"OK."

Several people rushed back to the lock factory.

The female worker in the white headscarf was still guarding the office door.

The list of delayed payrolls is still on the table.

She asked first:

"Did you write down the date for the back pay?"

"Salaries will not be paid late."

Factory Director Liang rolled up his sleeves.

"Make twenty sets of box buckles tonight. After we test them, the daily necessities factory will lend us the steel straps."

"What if you haven't tried it?"

Factory Director Liang stopped in his tracks.

The female worker stared at him.

"Or will it be taken from our salaries?"

Everyone in the courtyard was waiting for his reply.

Factory Director Liang took the deferred pay slip, crumpled it up, and threw it into the wastepaper basket.

"Send it out as usual on the 28th."

Accountant Xu opened the payroll.

"I'll remember that."

The female worker's shoulders relaxed a bit, and she put her gloves back on.

Which one should we do?

Master Qian has already headed towards the workshop.

"Cut the material, drill holes, and install the shafts. Two hours, twenty sets."

The machine started running very quickly.

Before nightfall, twenty sets of box buckles were packed into wooden trays and delivered to the daily necessities factory.

Inside the warehouse, two wooden crates were already filled with goods.

The workers replaced the box buckles, lifted the wooden box, and put it back on the ground.

After the first pass, the hinges of the two sets of box buckles got stuck.

Director Shen reached out and tried to pry it open, but the buckle on the box didn't budge.

"These two sets won't work."

Factory Director Liang's face tightened.

Master Qian picked it up and touched it.

"There are burrs on the edge of the shaft hole."

He took the file and squatted at the warehouse entrance for about ten minutes to work on it.

The two sets of box buckles were reinstalled.

The wooden crate was lifted up again.

They walked out of the warehouse, around the yard, and then carried it back.

The worker tried several times.

The lid of the box was always fastened tightly.

Director Shen personally checked it to make sure it wasn't loose before handing the registration board to the custodian.

"Issue a temporary loan slip."

She wrote on the paper:

The lock factory borrowed steel straps, and three hundred sets of lock buckles were to be supplied within two days.

After finishing writing, Director Shen stamped the daily necessities factory's seal and pushed the inkpad to Factory Manager Liang.

"We'll reconcile the accounts at the end of the month. If there's a set of box buckles missing, I'll put it on your factory's tab."

Factory Director Liang read the order from beginning to end, confirmed that it was correct, and solemnly stamped it.

Several rolls of steel strapping were loaded onto a flatbed truck that evening.

When I returned to the lock factory, the workshop lights were still on.

The workers are all waiting.

As soon as the steel belt was brought in, Master Qian urged someone to start the machine.

Accountant Xu locked the temporary loan slip in the drawer and put the payroll on top.

The machine started running again.

The worker's ten yuan was saved.

The next morning, as soon as Lin Xiuhe entered the research institute, Engineer Sun placed a notice on her desk.

"The lock factory only started operating last night, and the institute received a call first thing this morning."

Lin Xiuhe turned to the first page.

The notice clearly states:

Materials must be transferred between local factories before approval from the research institute can be obtained.

Lin Xiuhe has suspended her collaborative work with several factories in Linzhou.

At the very bottom, there is the research institute's official seal.