When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 23: Tingting 21

He didn’t gamble, drink, or anything of the sort, and he steered clear of anything that cost money. Compared to Tan You’s own grandfather, Tan Deming, Han Cunming was practically the best old man in the village, aside from being a bit stingy.

So, Tan You wasn’t worried at all about leaving her money with Han Cunming. A thrill of excitement went through her at the thought of going to work at the clothing factory where Aunt Yang was employed tomorrow.

She was just a girl who had recently finished her middle school exams and had never earned her own money before. Even though she would only be helping out at the factory and probably wouldn’t make much, Tan You was full of anticipation.

「The next morning at seven.」

Tan You arrived at the clothing factory with Aunt Yang, who was from the same village. After dropping out of school, the original Han Tingting had worked at a clothing factory near the village. From cutting and sewing to the final ironing, Han Tingting had worked in almost every position.

But Tan You had never seen any of this, so after entering the factory, she had to compare what she saw with Han Tingting’s memories. After a quick tour, however, Tan You had a general understanding of the entire factory.

Aunt Yang was in charge of attendance for the factory’s pre-production department. When she suddenly brought someone over, who was clearly a student at a glance, countless eyes turned to stare at Tan You.

Tan You felt a little awkward at first, but then she remembered how often people stared at her at school, and she pushed the feeling to the back of her mind.

A woman who looked like a director pulled Aunt Yang aside. "Guihua, who’s this young lady?"

Aunt Yang smiled. "Director, this is Han Tingting from my village. She just finished her middle school exams and wants to find some work during the summer break, so I brought her to see you."

"Han Tingting? The one from your village who’s exceptionally good at her studies? First in the whole city?" The Director thought for a moment and put the name to the face. "So you’re that pretty young lady. Good grades, too. Are you sixteen yet?"

"I’m sixteen," Tan You said with a well-behaved smile. "Director, I can do any kind of work."

"As long as you’re sixteen, that’s fine," the Director smiled back. "We have an order to fill recently, and the pre-production cutting department needs help spreading fabric. How about you go there?"

Aunt Yang quickly nudged the small of Tan You’s back. Tan You knew that the fabric spreading job was highly sought after, so she also smiled and said, "Thank you for looking out for me, Director. Since I’m new, I’ll need everyone to teach me a lot."

She used to be quite awkward and slow-witted, but over the past year or so, she had interacted frequently with her teachers and learned a lot from them. She had picked up quite a bit about how to deal with people and handle social situations, so saying a few pleasant things was well within her abilities.

Sure enough, Tan You’s flattery left the Director feeling thoroughly pleased. "Alright, Guihua, take Tingting to the pre-production department. As for her salary, it’ll be eight hundred for the first month. If you do a good job, I’ll give you a raise."

Tan You’s smile widened considerably. "Okay, thank you, Director! I won’t let you down."

Tan You, who had never earned money before, felt a little light-headed. ’In an era where the average monthly salary was less than 2,000 yuan, I, Tan You, a middle school graduate, have landed a job paying 800 a month!’

Forcibly suppressing the excitement in her heart, Tan You’s steps were light and brisk. On the way, she didn’t forget to speak to Aunt Yang. "Aunt Yang, once I get my first paycheck, I’m definitely going to thank you properly."

Aunt Yang was in a good mood too. "Alright, I’ll be waiting then."

Everyone likes a sweet-talker, and if that person was also honest and savvy, that was even better. After more than a year of training, Tan You now gave outsiders the impression that she was a sweet-talker who knew how to handle things.

After a quick word with the pre-production supervisor, Aunt Yang went to her own office to get busy. She was very busy too. The clothing factory was full of people, which meant there was a lot to do. It wasn’t necessarily difficult work; it just took time.

And so, Tan You began her internship as a young factory worker. She was the youngest in the entire factory. On top of that, everyone in the surrounding area knew about Han Tingting’s family background. Especially when they learned she was using her summer break to earn some living expenses, all the aunties looked out for her.

Tan You cherished her good fortune. She didn’t take others’ kindness for granted but did her best to repay it. As a result, everyone’s impression of Tan You grew even better.

"Master Hu, good morning. I made you some tea." Arriving in the morning, Tan You put down her shoulder bag and smiled at the pattern maker, Hu Qingshi. She had always been the type of person that older people liked.

Master Hu might look serious, but Tan You thought he was a pretty good person.

Hu Qingshi paused in his tracks. "Morning, Little Han. You’re here early?"

Tan You replied, "Everyone is always looking out for me, so I came in early to do some cleaning. It’s the least I can do."

Hu Qingshi smiled. "I went home late last night. I tried making a few samples of the clothes you mentioned the other day. Want to see how the finished products turned out?"

Tan You got excited. "Really? Let me wipe down the table. I’m sure the clothes you made are amazing, Master Hu!"

It had all started a few days ago when she’d made an offhand comment while Master Hu was sketching. Although Tan You couldn’t draw, she had seen countless beautiful clothes from the future. By simply voicing her ideas, she had surprisingly found common ground with Master Hu.

When the Director and Aunt Yang arrived for work, they heard a ruckus coming from the pre-production department, which sounded like a noisy market.

The Director frowned, pushed through the crowd, and went inside. "What’s all this? It’s the morning, aren’t you supposed to be working? What’s with all this noise?"

An auntie from the cutting section laughed. "We’re looking at the sample garments Master Hu and Tingting made! They were huddled together talking for the past two days, and we didn’t expect to see samples today. Director, come take a look!"

The Director was skeptical, but when she saw the six sets of sample garments displayed in the office, she couldn’t help but be stunned. "This... Master Hu made these?"

"The craftsmanship is mine, but many of the ideas came from Tingting. Young people really are quick-witted." Master Hu smiled. "What do you think?"

"I think they’re fantastic!" The Factory Manager popped out of nowhere. "Is it true that people who are good at studying also have sharp minds? Tingting is just too outstanding."

"No, no, no, what do I know about this?" Tan You quickly waved her hands in dismissal. "I just said a few words. It’s Master Hu who has the great skill. He did all the sketching and pattern making. I really didn’t do much."

Capable yet humble—a combination that would make someone liked anywhere. Everyone found Han Tingting’s words pleasing to the ear.

The Factory Manager circled the sample garments, inspecting them. "Get some people to make more finished products. Tomorrow, we’re going out to drum up business! I’ll lead the team myself!"

The clothing factory primarily survived on orders. If the factory could produce its own good designs, that would be even better. The Factory Manager’s mind was already running the numbers; he was clearly already imagining the money that would be rolling in for some time to come.

Master Hu frowned. "My skills are good, but design relies mainly on inspiration. Factory Manager, you can’t treat Tingting unfairly."