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

"Tell me clearly about your salary, what you'll be doing, and whether you'll have a job in the future."

He Qiuyan is still the same as before.

Lin Xiuhe laughed after hearing this.

During her university years, while others joined project teams by asking if they could win awards, He Qiuyan asked about weekend commitments and subsidies. Later, even after she got a job, she never put her serious work aside just because of the word "old classmate."

"I can't say for sure that we're officially hiring yet."

Lin Xiuhe pushed open the door to the business department.

The 12-square-meter room was so messy after a morning that there was barely room to move. Samples brought by customers were leaning against the wall, lunch boxes and baskets that hadn't been delivered yet were on the corner of the table, and two borrowed chairs were squeezed together behind the door, so that you had to turn sideways to make room for them.

He Qiuyan stood at the door and looked around.

"This place is even smaller than our project room at university."

"The rent is more expensive than the project office."

"Then I need to ask about the salary first."

She had to go to the training center to register in the afternoon, leaving her with only two hours.

Just as Lin Xiuhe was about to suggest calculating it as half a day, the gatekeeper shouted through the window.

"Comrade Lin, those two ladies from yesterday are here again!"

Yesterday, two customers almost left because they couldn't wait. This time, not only two people came, but a middle-aged man in a gray work uniform followed behind them.

As soon as the older woman entered the courtyard, she said, "Our director is here too. You need to give us a definite answer today about whether you're going to accept those items from yesterday or not."

He Qiuyan stepped aside to clear the doorway.

Just as the group went inside, another tricycle stopped outside the courtyard gate.

The money was quickly spent on purchasing.

"Xiuhe, we need to finalize the new design for the 320 in Linzhou as soon as possible. The logistics department in the west of the city wants to see the revised one this afternoon."

Lin Xiuhe had originally planned to go to Linzhou in the morning.

The customers are already seated in the operations department, but the purchasing department is blocking the door.

Lin Xiuhe lifted the bed railing and quickly noticed the problem.

The real problem with the iron pieces the customer brought wasn't their design, but rather how they were fixed.

The food storage racks in the cafeteria tend to slip outwards, and the dormitory hanging racks are not secure against bed rails of different thicknesses. One type of iron hook even starts to droop after a few months of use.

The gatekeeper leaned out of the window with a lunchbox in his hand.

"Those people said they would come back at four o'clock in the afternoon when they left."

"They even praised your classmate for asking such detailed questions. It turns out they hadn't even thought of taking the old things apart and bringing them over."

Lin Xiuhe put the bed rail back on the table, a smile already appearing on her lips.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the three people indeed came again.

The older woman's first question upon entering was, "Where's your classmate?"

"I went to training."

"I thought she worked for you."

"Not at the moment."

It's a pity about the woman.

"After she asked us in the morning, we went back and found that the broken parts of the items were indeed different. Originally, we just thought of replacing them with the same batch as before, but now it seems that doing it the same way will still result in them breaking."

This time, neither side focused on the original sample.

The other party's company has two canteens and three staff dormitories. The old iron parts need to be replaced one after another, but they don't want to stock up on too much stock at once.

Lin Xiuhe suggested conducting a trial run first.

"Make ten of each type first, and distribute them to different places. If there are still any problems, we'll discuss the quantity later after we've fixed them."

The middle-aged man was somewhat surprised.

"You accept small batches too?"

"Xinghe is just starting out, and they rely on this kind of work to make a living."

"We asked one store yesterday. We heard they only accept a few dozen samples, and they wouldn't even quote a price."

Lin Xiuhe smiled.

"That's perfect, I'll keep it for myself."

This remark amused everyone.

Three types of small iron parts, ten of each.

I'll see the sample in five days.

This trial order wasn't large, but it represented a new customer that Xinghe itself had brought in.

Not long after the guests left, the bicycle bell rang again outside the courtyard gate.

He Qiuyan is back.

She had changed into the blue work uniform issued by the training unit, with a temporary certificate pinned to her chest, and two freshly bought sesame seed cakes hanging on the handlebars.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

She handed one to Lin Xiuhe.

"Why are you back again?"

"The training center is only two subway stops away from here."

He Qiuyan leaned against the bicycle, took a bite of her own sesame seed cake, and asked, "Did those people from this morning come back?"

"I'm back."

"Is it settled?"

"Three types, ten of each type."

After listening, He Qiuyan first asked, "How much can you earn?"

"It's not over yet."

"Then don't be so quick to be happy."

The way she eats is no different from when she was in college, and her words are just as realistic.

"I spent half the morning asking around for you, I can't let it turn out that you're losing money the more you do it."

Lin Xiuhe suppressed a laugh.

"I wasn't prepared to lie to you."

"It's best not to lie."

He Qiuyan finished eating the sesame seed cake before starting to talk about her own affairs.

She's in Beijing for a two-week training program, attending classes every afternoon and having free time in the mornings. She's still employed and won't immediately quit her job because of Xinghe.

"If you really need more people for the next two weeks, I can come over in the morning."

"You pay me by the day, and I work by the day."

Lin Xiuhe asked her, "What about in half a month?"

He Qiuyan steadied the bicycle, her expression becoming more serious.

We'll see when the time comes.

"I need to see if Xinghe can actually support people, and you need to see if I'm worth your salary."

This is the real He Qiuyan.

Lin Xiuhe didn't hold back from being a college classmate and didn't treat her with any politeness.

"Then come at eight o'clock tomorrow."

"Tell me how much it costs per day."

Lin Xiuhe gave a number.

He Qiuyan did a quick mental calculation and nodded.

"OK."

She got on her bike and was about to leave, but after only two steps, she stopped.

"I almost forgot."

Someone else was looking for you this morning.

"Who?"

"From Ningzhou, didn't leave a name."

He Qiuyan turned around and pointed to the open door.

"He said he came once yesterday, and when he saw that there were finally people here today, he said he would come again tomorrow."

After saying that, she rode her bicycle out of the yard.

The next day, before eight o'clock, Lin Xiuhe had just opened the door of the business department.

He Qiuyan had already pushed her bicycle in.

Behind her was the man from Ningzhou from yesterday.