Reborn in 78, I made my fortune by working in the mountains, supporting three families on my own.

The next morning, someone knocked on the gate of the Zhao family compound.

The person who arrived was a clerk from Jinxiu Textile Factory, who stood at the gate of the courtyard on a slightly worn-out old bicycle.

They verbally notified Jiang Xinyue directly at the gate to come to the factory as soon as possible for further investigation.

Upon hearing the news from the clerk, Zhao Lei's heart sank.

After the others rode away, only the two of them remained in the yard.

Zhao Lei frowned and looked at Jiang Xinyue: "Xinyue, do you want me to go with you?"

Jiang Xinyue gently shook her head: "No need, I can handle it myself."

"But Xinyue, what if they deliberately make things difficult for you?" Zhao Lei was still worried.

Jiang Xinyue said calmly, "This is a society that values ​​reason; they won't act recklessly."

"I'm still worried, I'll go with you." Zhao Lei's attitude was firm.

Jiang Xinyue paused, then asked, "What about the child?"

It's already September, and Qin Yuchan has already started working at Tuanjie Township Primary School, while Zhao Yupei has also started first grade.

The family still has two young siblings, Zhao Yuyuan and Zhao Yufeng, who are not yet of school age.

Jiang Xinyue was going out, and Zhao Lei wanted to go with her. It was inconvenient to take the two children to town, so they had to entrust them to the care of Granny Zhang next door.

Zhao Lei turned around and walked to the neighboring courtyard, where Granny Zhang was sitting under the eaves picking vegetables.

"Third Aunt, we're leaving the two children with you. We might be back a little late."

Granny Zhang stopped what she was doing, looked up at Zhao Lei and his wife with curiosity, and asked, "Don't worry, Lei. Where are you two headed?"

"It's just something related to Xinyue's work," Zhao Lei said calmly.

Granny Zhang raised an eyebrow: "Did those two factory workers from yesterday come to cause you trouble again?"

"Third Aunt, don't listen to those gossips outside. We are upright and honest."

Grandma Zhang nodded, her gossipy expression fading. "Alright, you can rest assured leaving the children with me. If you come back too late, I'll just have the two kids sleep at my house."

"Thank you very much, Auntie. We'll be going now."

"Okay, be careful on the road."

After handing the two children over to Granny Zhang, Zhao Lei hopped onto his old bicycle, while Jiang Xinyue sat sideways on the back seat, gently tugging at the hem of Zhao Lei's clothes with both hands.

The wheels rolled over the country dirt road, heading towards the Jinxiu Textile Factory in town.

Upon arriving at the factory gate, they explained their purpose to the security guard, registered, and then went straight to the finance department.

Section Chief Zheng's office was located inside the finance department, with the door half-open.

Hearing footsteps, Section Chief Zheng inside looked up, saw Zhao Lei and Jiang Xinyue, and gestured for them to come inside.

"Please sit down."

Section Chief Zheng pushed his reading glasses up his nose, opened the file on the table, and held his pen on the paper.

The atmosphere in the office was somber, with the windows open, letting in the humming of machinery.

Section Chief Zheng's gaze fell on Jiang Xinyue, and he asked, "Jiang Xinyue, after our last visit to verify the situation, the factory received quite a few complaints. I called you here today because I need to ask you some questions in more detail."

Jiang Xinyue sat up straight: "Section Chief Zheng, please ask."

"Your father is Jiang Dingtian, the founder of Dingtian International Trade. Why didn't you truthfully state this when you filled out the interview form?" Section Chief Zheng looked down at his notebook.

"After I came to the Heping Brigade, I have been earning work points to make a living. My father's problem is his personal problem, and I don't think it has anything to do with this finance position, so I didn't fill it out," Jiang Xinyue answered calmly.

"The finance department manages the factory's public accounts; it's a crucial position. Your father is a capitalist who has been dealt with and is currently undergoing labor reform. This is no small matter. From childhood to adulthood, have you ever received any financial assistance from your family's old assets?"

"Since I was sent down to the production team, I have not received a single penny of financial assistance from my family. The food rations and clothes I have are all earned by working points."

Section Chief Zheng pressed further: "There are rumors circulating that the Zhao family built that two-story red brick house with the money they obtained by selling off valuables that your family had previously hoarded. Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lei, who was standing to the side, said, "Section Chief Zheng, the money for building the house was accumulated little by little by me from hunting and collecting wild game in the mountains over the years. Many people in the village have eaten the game I hunted, and you can visit them at any time to verify. The source of every penny is crystal clear."

Section Chief Zheng glanced at Zhao Lei, but didn't respond to his question. He then looked back at Jiang Xinyue: "Was your transfer to the Heping Brigade due to your father's case?"

"Yes." Jiang Xinyue did not evade the question and readily agreed.

"So, you and Zhao Lei have already gone through divorce proceedings, why are you still living in the same courtyard?" Section Chief Zheng asked the next question.

"Although the formalities have been completed, we still have feelings for each other and need to take care of the child together, so we still live together," Jiang Xinyue answered truthfully.

Section Chief Zheng reviewed the notes over and over again, then closed the notebook with a serious expression.

"Jiang Xinyue, we need to review the situation you described. From now on, you don't need to come to work for the time being. Just stay home and wait for further notice from the factory."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lei immediately became anxious and took a step forward.

"It's not that Section Chief Zheng is wrong, my Xinyue's abilities are not a problem! She went through layers of selection during the interview, defeating so many competitors to get this position. Moreover, Xinyue is down-to-earth, reliable, and meticulous in her work. Although she comes from a capitalist family, she herself is not wrong. Section Chief Zheng, what you are doing is unfair."

Section Chief Zheng frowned deeply.

"Zhao Lei, I'm talking to Jiang Xinyue right now. You have absolutely no connection to our factory. Recruitment is a mutual agreement; how can we force it? Now that the factory has discovered issues with her, we must conduct a thorough investigation and eliminate all potential safety hazards. If something goes wrong later, who can bear the responsibility?"

"Section Chief Zheng, but..."

"No buts." Section Chief Zheng raised his hand to interrupt Zhao Lei. "I've personally witnessed Jiang Xinyue's abilities, and she's highly educated. I've also received a letter of recommendation from the Heping Brigade, which praised her highly. But I don't have the final say in the factory. If there are any risks or hidden dangers, we have to investigate them according to the rules. I hope you, as a family member, can understand."

Zhao Lei was speechless.

Section Chief Zheng spoke succinctly, without explicitly rejecting Jiang Xinyue, but his meaning was clear: it would be extremely difficult for Jiang Xinyue to enter Jinxiu Textile Factory at present.

Zhao Lei was about to argue a few more times when Jiang Xinyue gently stopped him.

"Sanshi, stop talking."