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

Early Sunday morning, Lin Xiuhe went to Linzhou.

No one notified her, and the research institute had no assignments.

She came by herself.

Qian, the purchasing agent, was checking the goods in the warehouse when he heard someone shout, "Engineer Lin is here!" He grabbed his ledger and headed out.

"Why did you come today?"

"I'm looking for you."

Qian Caigou paused in his steps.

"Looking for me?"

"Um."

Lin Xiuhe glanced at the account book in his arms.

"You said the other day that there are quite a few orders for these small commodities in the provincial capital."

Qian Caigou stared at her for a while, his eyebrows slowly rising.

"Professor Lin, the question you're asking today... doesn't seem like you're asking on behalf of the research institute."

"That's not true to begin with."

"Then you are—"

"Don't guess yet."

Lin Xiuhe laughed first.

"Let's go inside and talk."

Qian, the purchasing agent, closed the office door and pulled out a few sheets of paper from the drawer.

"All the things that have been piling up lately are here."

He drew one card.

"The big factories think the quantity is too small."

I flipped to another page.

"The timeframe is too tight; I asked two companies, but neither dared to agree."

He didn't put the last one down immediately.

Lin Xiuhe reached out her hand.

"What about this one?"

The money for purchasing was handed to her.

One hundred and eighty sets, seven days. The buyer has already placed the order; only the production unit is missing.

"Why is it still being suppressed?"

"An old problem."

Qian Caigou sat down.

"There are factories that really know how to make it, but the volume is neither high nor low, and nobody is willing to make a special trip just for it."

Lin Xiuhe read it from beginning to end.

"Are the buyers still waiting?"

"wait."

"When?"

Qian Caigou glanced at the date.

"Tuesday noon."

Today is Sunday.

Lin Xiuhe looked at the form again.

"What if I could find the factory?"

Qian Caigou leaned back in her chair, not continuing the conversation.

"Forest worker."

"Um?"

"What exactly do you want to ask today?"

Lin Xiuhe placed the order on the table.

"I just want to know."

"If I ever manage to take on orders myself, would you dare to let me manufacture the goods?"

The joking expression on Qian's face disappeared.

"Are you serious?"

"Um."

"What about the research institute?"

"It hasn't been moved yet."

"The deputy team leader just came down too, right?"

"Just came down."

Qian Caigou took a breath.

"You have such nerve..."

He waved his hand halfway through his sentence.

"Forget it, I won't try to persuade you."

He picked up the order form again.

I'll only talk about what's in front of me.

"If you really go out and do it, there are companies that can sign contracts with you, have official seals, can process the money, and you can find someone to help you if there are any problems—"

He pushed the order towards Lin Xiuhe.

"I'll let you try this one first."

Lin Xiuhe looked up.

Qian Caigou clicked on the date above.

"Tuesday noon."

"If you can really get this done, I won't send it anywhere else."

"If you still haven't heard from me by noon, I'll just give it to someone else."

"I can't delay the buyer's shipment just to wait for you."

Lin Xiuhe nodded.

"Of course."

"There's one more unpleasant thing to say."

"you say."

"If we really start doing business together, I'll prioritize the product, not personal relationships."

"Refunds that should be refunded should be refunded, and urging those that need to be urged should be urged."

"Don't complain later that I'm quick to turn my back on you."

Lin Xiuhe smiled.

"You've been urging me quite a bit lately."

"That's true."

The money for procurement was also a relief.

He picked up the order form.

Lin Xiuhe thought he was going to hand it over.

As a result, Qian Caigou turned around, opened the drawer, and put it back.

"Don't take it yet."

Lin Xiuhe looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You're still working at the research institute."

Qian Caigou pushed the drawer shut.

"Why did I give you the bill?"

He patted the drawer.

"You're qualified to come and get it before Tuesday; it's right here."

"Since you didn't come, I'll pretend I never said that."

Lin Xiuhe's gaze lingered on that drawer for a moment.

Qian Caigou had already picked up the ledger and was heading out.

"Stop looking."

"The paper won't roll away on its own."

He walked to the door, then turned back and added another sentence.

"People will."

After leaving the department store, Lin Xiuhe did not return to Beijing.

She went to the factory in Chengnan Street.

They were rushing to finish the goods in the yard.

Xiao Mei was squatting by the door sorting through a bundle of newly delivered iron parts when she looked up and saw her; her eyes lit up immediately.

"Forest worker!"

This shout brought Director Ye out from inside.

"Why are you here again?"

She first looked behind Lin Xiuhe.

"New order?"

"no."

Director Ye looked at her suspiciously.

"Then what were you doing here on Sunday?"

"I have something to ask you."

"Go ahead and ask."

"What if I don't stay at the research institute anymore—"

Director Ye stopped reading the ledger in his hand.

"etc."

She looked up.

"What did you just say?"

Xiaomei, who was next to her, also turned her face away.

Lin Xiuhe repeated it.

"If I take orders myself in the future."

"Are you willing to work with me?"

Director Ye stared at her for a long time.

The first sentence, however, was:

"You don't want that deputy team leader position anymore?"

Lin Xiuhe smiled.

I haven't said no yet.

"Then why are you asking this?"

"I need to know first whether there will be anyone willing to work with me once I actually go out into the world."

Director Ye frowned even more deeply.

"Forest worker."

"Um?"

"That's the Beijing Research Institute."

"Still the deputy team leader."

She spoke a little faster.

"Many people want to get in but can't."

"Don't act impulsively just because someone took your order a couple of days ago—"

"It wasn't an impulse."

Lin Xiuhe looked at her.

"I just want to know the answer."

"If I were to actually come out, would you be willing to take my orders?"

Director Ye's lips moved slightly.

This time, I didn't try to persuade them again.

She turned and glanced into the factory.

There were more than a dozen female workers inside, all busy.

Xiaomei was still standing there, holding the metal piece in her hand for a long time.

Director Ye glared at her.

"Have you finished your work?"

"immediately."

"Then let's get started."

Xiaomei agreed verbally, but didn't move very far.

Director Ye was too lazy to chase her away anymore.

She looked at Lin Xiuhe again.

"Then I'll tell you the truth."

"You have an order, and the price is right. We'll do it."

"Pay the wages as they should be, and make all the necessary requests."

"You helped us before, but that's in the past."

"If we're really doing business, I can't afford to use personal relationships to influence the decisions of the dozen or so people in my factory."

Lin Xiuhe nodded.

"I don't need you to show me any favors."

"That's fine then."

Director Ye's expression relaxed a little.

"I've actually gotten the first one, I'm willing to try with you."

She paused, then asked:

"What if we lose money?"

"Whoever made the mistake should take responsibility."

"What about your side where you lost money?"

"I'll carry it myself."

Director Ye looked at her for a few seconds.

Finally, he reached out and patted the ledger.

"Then I have nothing to say."

"When that day comes, come find me."

Xiaomei finally couldn't hold back anymore.

"Director, will Engineer Lin be the one finding us work from now on?"

Director Ye turned his head.

Why are you talking so much today?

Xiao Mei chuckled.

"I just think it's great."

"What's so great about it? The deputy team leader hasn't even had a chance to warm up yet."

Director Ye was cursing, but when he turned back, he asked Lin Xiuhe:

"Are you really willing to do that?"

Lin Xiuhe didn't rush to give an answer this time.

"I'm still thinking about it."

Director Ye nodded.

"Then take your time to think about it."

"This is something we need to think through."

She paused for a moment.

"But if you really come out, don't expect us to agree to anything just because we knew you before."

Lin Xiuhe smiled.

"I know."

"Good to know."

Director Ye gestured with his chin toward the factory.

"What they care about is whether there is work to do and whether they can get their wages."

"If you can bring these two items, everything else is negotiable."

"That's fair."

When she came out of the factory, Xiaomei saw her all the way to the gate of the courtyard.

"Forest worker."

"Um?"

Xiao Mei looked around, as if afraid that Director Ye would hear her.

"I think you're really capable."

Lin Xiuhe was amused by her.

"How did you know?"

"I don't know."

Xiaomei spoke with conviction.

"You came when we were almost out of work."

"Later, those two hundred were actually made."

She quickly added after she finished speaking:

"However, Director Ye is right."

"You should think this through, the research institute is such a great place."

Lin Xiuhe nodded.

"Know."

She pushed her bicycle out of the alley.

After riding for a while, I remembered the drawer containing the money for purchasing.

Tuesday noon.

That bill is still there.

Someone actually did save one for her.

Thinking of this, she smiled to herself again.

Back in Beijing that evening, Zhou Zhiyuan was still squatting downstairs in his dormitory repairing that old bicycle.

The bike chain was half disassembled, and my hands were covered in black oil.

Lin Xiuhe walked over and stopped beside her.

Zhou Zhiyuan looked up.

Seeing her expression, he smiled first.

"Something good?"

Lin Xiuhe touched her face.

"That obvious?"

"Um."

"Then I'll tell you."

She squatted down beside her, her joy evident in her voice.

"Someone actually left me a form."

The wrench in Zhou Zhiyuan's hand stopped in mid-air.

"Did you go ask today?"

"Um."

"The purchasing manager said that if I can pick it up before noon on Tuesday, I can keep that order for myself."

"You really want some?"

"Really stay."

After Lin Xiuhe finished speaking, she couldn't help but laugh again.

"I was thinking that once I got out, no one might recognize me."

"As it turned out, he really did put the order form in the drawer."

Zhou Zhiyuan looked at her.

"Anything else?"

"I went to see Director Ye again."

"What did she say?"

"She asked me if I didn't even want the deputy team leader position anymore."

Zhou Zhiyuan smiled.

"That's definitely a question that should be asked."

"I know that too."

Lin Xiuhe pursed her lips.

"Later she said that I really had orders, and the price was right, so she was willing to try the first batch with me."

Zhou Zhiyuan put the wrench aside.

"Happy?"

"Happy."

Are you scared?

Lin Xiuhe thought for a while.

"Afraid."

"That's normal."

"Aren't you going to ask me what I'm going to do?"

Zhou Zhiyuan looked at her.

"You went to Linzhou on Sunday."

"If I were to ask you if you even had that thought, wouldn't all this time of knowing you be for nothing?"

Lin Xiuhe smiled and kicked the old cloth next to his feet.

"Then what did you ask?"

"I'm asking you when you'll have thought it through."

The image of the drawer containing the money for purchasing popped into her head again.

Lin Xiuhe looked up.

"Tuesday."

Zhou Zhiyuan looked at her.

"Just two days?"

"Um."

She stood up.

"That bill will only be available to me until noon."