Chapter 19 Work Team

Chapter 19: The Workshop Team

"Don't move. There's something in your hair."

Xie Xinyi watched in disbelief as the man plucked a small leaf from her hair, her toes curling in mortification. Clearly, she—a strong female protagonist—was utterly unsuited for playing the innocent romantic.

Blushing to the tips of her ears, she smoothed her hair, grabbed her bicycle, and strode toward the compound gate, silently vowing never to give him another chance to tease her.

The girl’s flushed face and decisive movements amused him. Watching her pout as she walked away, the man couldn’t suppress a faint, lingering smile.

Arriving at the Guohui Food Factory, Xie Xinyi locked her bicycle in the shed and headed to the office to report.

Aside from one slightly older coworker, the others joining the factory with her were all ambitious youths around her age.

"As the largest food factory in Beijing, our plant has always balanced pressure with capability," said the HR staff member standing on the steps, delivering a routine ideological pep talk before assignments.

"...Go all out, strive for excellence."

"...Time is money, efficiency is life..."

The impassioned speech stirred Xie Xinyi’s blood, giving her the illusion of having stumbled into some kind of mobilization rally. Clapping her hands enthusiastically, she stood ramrod straight until the HR staff member finished and led them on a tour of the factory.

"Our factory has three main workshops: the Nonstaple Food Workshop, the Frozen Products Workshop, and the Sauce and Rice Workshop."

The staff member led the way, and just beyond the office stood a large workshop. "...Under these large workshops, there are smaller teams." He pointed. "This is the packaging team under the Nonstaple Food Workshop. All non-staple foods are brought here for packing and boxing."

Snacks weren’t very developed at this time; most products were practical items like canned goods. The cans were filled at canning factories and then transported here for collective boxing.

Looking at the vast workshop and mountains of packaging boxes, Xie Xinyi felt this work was entirely unsuited for someone as slight and delicate as her.

After introducing the packaging team, the group moved on. "This is the Sauce and Rice Workshop, the backbone of our food factory. It mainly supplies major supply and marketing cooperatives in Beijing. The soy sauce, pickles, and other things you eat daily all come from here."

Speaking of the Sauce and Rice Workshop, the staff member held his head high, his face brimming with pride.

Off-season vegetables weren’t yet available, so people who wanted to enjoy their favorite veggies out of season usually preserved them during peak season.

Beijing was a large city with little space for growing vegetables, so most people had to buy pickled goods from supply and marketing cooperatives. Thus, the Guohui Food Factory was largely sustained by the Sauce and Rice Workshop.

As the factory’s flagship workshop, its capabilities were undeniable—and with capability came greater demands. In her past life, Xie Xinyi had been brainwashed by an unscrupulous boss into believing that working harder proved one’s competence, until she literally worked herself to death.

She wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. So while others marveled, she silently prayed not to be assigned to the Sauce and Rice Workshop.

A little further on, the staff member pointed to a shabby, old workshop and briefly explained, "This is the Frozen Products Workshop, where we produce sweet rice balls, ice pops, and the like."

Compared to his introduction of the Sauce and Rice Workshop, his tone was noticeably cooler when discussing the Frozen Products Workshop.

Not that she blamed him—the dreary, lifeless appearance of this workshop paled in comparison to the renowned Sauce and Rice Workshop.

"So this workshop must be pretty laid-back, right?" someone in the crowd whispered. The staff member didn’t take offense and casually replied, "Yes, it is," before leading them back to the assembly point for work assignments.

In truth, the assignments for the new employees had already been decided before they were notified. After learning this from Gu Yu, Xie Xinyi had started praying. Her goal became even clearer after the tour.

"Wang Chunhua, Shen Changqing..."

The staff member read from the list, and Xie Xinyi pricked up her ears, waiting for her name.

"Sauce and Rice Workshop, Soy Sauce Team."

A soft cheer rose from beside her.

"Cai Hongguang, Li Shufen... Nonstaple Food Workshop, Canning Team."

Another wave of excitement followed.

"Xie Xinyi, Frozen Products Workshop, Ice Pop Team..."

Hearing her name and the assigned workshop, Xie Xinyi’s anxious heart finally settled.

She happily took the assignment form from the staff member, her large, clear eyes curving into joyful crescents, her satisfaction written all over her face.

The others looked at her curiously, wondering if this pretty girl had lost her mind.

Out of everyone, she was assigned to the least desirable Frozen Products Workshop. Even if she wasn’t going to complain, there was no need to be so thrilled.

And didn’t her family pull any strings?

Though everyone was new and would receive the same pay, some jobs were easier or carried more prestige than others.

Simply put, their assignments were decided by people, and where there were people, there was room for manipulation.

Their families had started making inquiries and pulling strings right after submitting their applications—otherwise, they wouldn’t have been assigned to the prestigious Sauce and Rice Workshop.

If even the men had to resort to such measures, surely a delicate young woman would need even more support.

After speculating about Xie Xinyi’s background, the others cast pitying glances her way. Yet the person in question seemed completely unbothered.

Xie Xinyi grinned foolishly at her assignment form, never expecting that heaven had actually answered her prayers.

After her application was submitted, Aunt Wen had worried incessantly about her assignment, asking her and Grandma Gu at least three times if she should privately ask the factory director to show some favor. Each time, Xie Xinyi refused, citing that "favors create debts."

She adhered strictly to the principle of not causing unnecessary trouble for the Gu family, never imagining that heaven would smile upon her and grant her entry into this "retirement home" of a workshop.

The Frozen Products Workshop had light workloads, low pressure, few employees, and no competition—wasn’t this the workplace of her dreams?

Internally rejoicing, Xie Xinyi followed the staff member toward the Frozen Products Workshop with a beaming smile.

"The Frozen Products Workshop doesn’t have much work usually, so the factory hasn’t assigned many workers there."

Along the way, the staff member gave her a detailed overview of the workshop. Nearing the entrance, he seemed to remember something and turned to ask, "Did you fill out your application form yourself? I noticed two different handwriting styles."

Two handwriting styles?

Seeing Xie Xinyi’s puzzled silence, he explained, "You wrote 'married' for marital status, but someone else filled in 'military' for your husband’s occupation. The handwriting is different, so the section chief asked me to check..."

He didn’t elaborate further, but Xie Xinyi understood his implication.

Two handwriting styles—was the information in the husband’s occupation field accurate?

The section chief had asked him to inquire, likely because he, like the others, assumed she had no family support or that her husband was merely a figurehead. He probably felt sorry for her but was also curious about the truth.

People are naturally curious, and Xie Xinyi knew this well. As a former career woman, she understood how difficult it was for a girl with no backing or resources to carve out a place in a competitive workplace.

This iron rule applied both in her previous life and in this era.

Though Xie Xinyi had no ambitions of making a name for herself at the food factory, she knew she still needed to master the basic rules of survival in the workplace.

For instance, even an HR clerk who has no competitive relationship with you would try to dig into your background.

If you say nothing, they will assume you have no backing. Later, if any issue arises, they might push you around to show others that you are an easy target.

So, when faced with such probing, you should own it. You don’t need to go into great detail, but you must say something—keep it vague and ambiguous—so that others can’t easily figure you out. That way, they will think twice before messing with you.

Xie Xinyi guessed that Gu Yu had the same idea when he noticed she hadn’t filled in her husband’s occupation.

She hadn’t expected him to be so sharp. Xie Xinyi didn’t want to take advantage of her husband, yet he stepped in himself to overrule her, leaving it mysterious by writing only "military personnel" without specifying his rank.

He didn’t mention his position, just vaguely stated "military personnel."

Being a military family member assigned to their food factory meant she’d moved to Beijing to be with her husband, meaning he was stationed in Beijing.

Stationed in Beijing, qualified for military family relocation, yet no rank mentioned—anyone with half a clue would understand what that implied.

Sure enough, after Xie Xinyi mentioned that her husband had submitted the form for her, the clerk immediately understood. His expression shifted from shock to confusion, and finally, without hesitation, he laid on the friendly concern thick: "...I’m in the office on the second floor. If you ever run into any trouble, feel free to come find me anytime."

He laid it on nice and thick; whether he would actually help was another matter.

Xie Xinyi smiled and thanked him. The clerk led her to the Frozen Products Workshop, yelled "We got a live one!" into the workshop, and then left to report back.

Hearing the call, someone inside came out. Xie Xinyi saw it was a bearded man around forty years old.

"Where’s your registration form?" the man asked. Xie Xinyi handed it over with both hands.

"Ah, the Ice Pop Team."

After a glance at the form, the bearded man turned and shouted into the workshop, "Cui Mama, come get the new arrival!"

Xie Xinyi was still puzzled about why someone would have such a name in this day and age when she looked up and saw a man in his thirties swaying over with a waist limper than a woman’s.

"...Why are you shouting so loud? You scared me," he complained to the bearded man with an eye-roll before slowly turning to Xie Xinyi. "New here?"

His flamboyant gestures and squeaky voice reminded Xie Xinyi of a "madam" from a certain kind of place.

*New girl?*

*Any special talents?*

*Can you sing?*

*Come on, give us a smile, darling?*

Xie Xinyi got goosebumps and instinctively shook her head. Only when she heard his questioning "Hmm...???" did she realize she had misunderstood.

She quickly corrected herself and nodded solemnly at his not-so-pretty face.

"Follow me."

The Ice Pop Team was located in the last building of the Frozen Products Workshop. The area Xie Xinyi had just entered was the workshop for making yuanxiao.

The Frozen Products Workshop wasn’t large and clearly used older factory buildings. It consisted of only three structures—two occupied by the Sweet Rice Ball Team and one by the Ice Pop Team.

As Xie Xinyi followed Cui Mama inside, she ran into an older lady holding a ball of yarn, leisurely walking over from the neighboring workshop.

"What are you up to? I told you not to goof off with your yarn during work hours. If the supervisor sees you, it’s me who’ll catch hell."

Cui Mama, leaving Xie Xinyi behind, stepped forward and snatched the yarn ball from the woman’s hands.

Her tone was complaining, and she rolled her eyes dramatically—but the woman whose yarn had been confiscated wasn’t the least bit annoyed. Instead, she mimicked Cui Mama’s mannerism and pouted, “If the supervisor sees this later, he’ll come after me again.”

After the imitation, she snapped back to her usual self and snatched the yarn ball back from Cui Mama. “He dares to bother you? If he dares to bother you, I’ll knock his teeth out!”

As she spoke, she waved her hands to show off her fighting prowess.

Cui Mama rolled her eyes, too lazy to engage, and lifted a hand to brush past the woman blocking her path. Then she called the team to assemble.

“Let me introduce you—this is our new colleague, named…”

Cui Mama paused and turned to look at Xie Xinyi standing behind her. Xie Xinyi quickly whispered a reminder: “Xie Xinyi.”

“Oh—Xie Xinyi. Everyone, welcome…”

Scattered applause echoed through the workshop. Clearly, they weren’t very welcoming to this newcomer—especially Sister Mantou at the front, whose face had darkened like Judge Bao’s (a famously stern figure in Chinese folklore).

Seeing Xie Xinyi warmly greeting everyone, Sister Mantou—whose nickname literally meant “Sister Steamed Bun”—raised an eyebrow, curled her lip, and said with biting sarcasm, “The factory really isn’t picky about hiring these days. They’ll let anyone in—not even worried about slowing down production.”

She was calling Xie Xinyi a *huaping*—a “vase”: pretty but useless, a hindrance to others.

From the very start, she aimed to intimidate the newcomer—whether out of fear, jealousy, or some grudge.

Xie Xinyi was certain she’d never met this woman before, so there couldn’t be a grudge; they weren’t even in the same age group, making jealousy unlikely. That left only fear.

Based on workplace experience, older employees often feel an inexplicable sense of threat upon seeing new, young hires. Xie Xinyi herself had never experienced this—and thus didn’t quite grasp where that feeling of threat originated.

As for Cui Mama, her expression instantly hardened after Sister Mantou’s jab. “She was assigned by higher-ups. If you have a problem, take it up with them.”

“Don’t shut your trap here,” Cui Mama muttered under her breath.

Sister Mantou seemed to realize she’d gone too far. “I’m just thinking about everyone’s interests!”

“More like your own interests,” someone in the crowd retorted—and Sister Mantou’s face fell even further.

She fell silent. Cui Mama played no favorites, and since it was Xie Xinyi’s first day—and she wasn’t yet familiar with the situation—it wasn’t appropriate to confront anyone head-on. Xie Xinyi pretended not to hear the remark, finished greeting everyone, and then walked deeper into the workshop while taking in her new surroundings.

The Popsicle Unit wasn’t large. In the center stood a production line; against the left wall rose a two-story small building, evidently used for observing the machinery below.

In the right corner sat two old desks, topped with lunchboxes and water bottles—clearly where colleagues ate and rested at noon, functioning as a makeshift break room.

It differed somewhat from the old-fashioned ice pop workshops Xie Xinyi had seen on TV. There weren’t many complex machines: the entire production line consisted of just four stages—a mixer for blending ingredients, a basic freezer, a molding tank, and finally a packaging conveyor belt.

At this time, ice cream wasn’t yet popular. Most of what they produced were simple ice pops—similar to the classic varieties or the bagged frozen treats that would appear in later years.

The process wasn’t overly complicated, yet still required manual assistance—which explained why Sister Mantou had earlier complained about insufficient manpower slowing down production.

The busiest period for the Popsicle Unit was actually summer; winter was their slow season. Aside from clearing out the storage room during monthly raw material inventory reporting, the rest of the time was spent cleaning—or slipping away to chat with colleagues from other departments.

“You—familiarize yourself with the equipment today,” Cui Mama said, pointing emphatically with her finger. She then scanned the room and assigned the yarn-ball woman, who was idly sweeping: “Ms. Liu, show her the ropes.”

Since no ice pops were being produced at the moment, the newcomer had plenty of time to get acquainted with the equipment.

Supervisor Cui wasn’t in a rush—but since the newcomer had just arrived, she needed something to do. Though he couldn’t fathom why such a strikingly beautiful girl had been assigned to their backwater department, she was here now—and it wasn’t as if he could march up to leadership and say, “She’s too pretty to make ice pops.”

Cui Jun liked beautiful things, but that didn't mean he would compromise his principles.

Ms. Liu had been with the Ice Pop Team since she joined the factory and knew the team’s operations and machinery inside out. Having her train the newcomer was the most appropriate choice.

After making the arrangements, Cui Jun headed to the office to brag about his decision. Ms. Liu, however, continued dawdling with her broom and made no move to call Xie Xinyi over.

She didn’t openly defy the team leader’s instructions, but she clearly had no intention of wasting her time teaching someone else.

Xie Xinyi had expected as much and didn't take it personally. Since it would be a while before the machines were needed, she figured she could learn gradually even if Ms. Liu refused to teach her.

With nothing else to do, she curiously began examining the production line. But before she could familiarize herself with all the equipment, a stern voice called out from behind her, "What are you doing?"

Xie Xinyi’s hand, which had been hovering mid-air, froze. She turned to see a man in his forties striding toward her.

"The freezer machine isn’t fixed yet—don’t touch anything!"

The man’s stern expression and loud voice got the whole team's attention.

"So, Eldest Brother Chen, what did Master Ma say? When is he coming?"

The question came from a girl who had been sitting in the corner. She appeared to be around Xie Xinyi’s age, dressed in loose work clothes, her face etched with worry as she looked at the man.

Xie Xinyi recognized the voice—it was likely the same girl who had shut down Sister Mantou earlier in the crowd.

The girl seemed anxious about whether someone would come to repair the machine. When the man didn’t answer immediately, she pressed again, "Eldest Brother Chen, what exactly did Master Ma say?"

"Master Ma said it’ll be a few more days," the man replied, shooting Xie Xinyi a glare. "He insisted no one should touch the machine before he arrives."

So when he saw Xie Xinyi raising her hand earlier, he assumed she was about to mess with the equipment.

Xie Xinyi felt exasperated. She hadn’t expected such a simple, unintentional gesture to cause such a misunderstanding. Just as she was about to defend herself, Sister Mantou seized the opportunity to stir trouble again. "See? I told you a pretty face is useless—all she does is hold people back."

It was clear who she was targeting.

It was only Xie Xinyi’s first day, and she hadn’t even done anything yet. Why was Sister Mantou so hostile toward her?

Xie Xinyi couldn’t understand it, and the girl had no desire to engage with Sister Mantou over trivial matters. Hearing that Master Ma would take several more days to arrive, her eyes welled up with tears. "Last time we asked him, he said to wait a few days. Now he’s saying the same thing again... I... I..."

The girl was so distraught she could barely speak, on the verge of breaking down. But Sister Mantou only added fuel to the fire, accusing her of meddling and claiming that Master Ma was holding a grudge because the girl had insisted she could fix the machine herself.

That pushed the girl over the edge, and she burst into tears, covering her face with her hands.

The entire team was thrown into chaos. Ms. Liu set down her broom and rushed to comfort the girl, while Big Chen, who had failed to bring Master Ma back, glared furiously at Sister Mantou, his frustration boiling over.

The atmosphere in the workshop grew heavy and tense. Xie Xinyi, unfamiliar with the situation, hesitated to step in and offer comfort.

The day ended amid the girl’s sobs and the team’s bickering. That evening, when Xie Xinyi returned to the compound, Grandma Gu asked about her first day at the factory. Too embarrassed to tell the whole truth, Xie Xinyi simply mentioned which workshop she’d been assigned to, what it produced, and the machinery there—omitting all the drama.

Xie Xinyi’s account sounded plausible, and neither Grandma Gu nor Wen Shuhua suspected a thing. However, when Gu Yu returned home late and saw her lying motionless in bed, he frowned but said nothing.

That was just like him—always causing misunderstandings. Xie Xinyi suddenly recalled what had happened that morning.

Annoyed, she turned over and turned off the light, ignoring the man who was still washing up.

The room plunged into darkness, and Gu Yu’s expression darkened further. He finished washing in the dark and lay down in bed. Neither of them spoke.

The weather had been growing colder lately, especially at night. The one quilt she had was no longer enough to keep her warm. Xie Xinyi curled up under the covers, hugging her knees, but still felt chilled. Eventually, she put on a coat and fumbled in the dark, searching the tall cabinet for an extra quilt.

Hearing the noise, Gu Yu sat up. Seeing her rummaging fruitlessly, he reminded her, "Mom said two quilts would be enough when we got married."

So the quilt they were using was their only one.

To avoid raising suspicion that they had been sleeping separately since their wedding, Gu Yu made a habit of folding his quilt and hiding it in the tall cabinet every morning. If they asked Wen Shuhua for another quilt now, it would inevitably cause an uproar.

After weighing her options, Xie Xinyi reluctantly returned to bed empty-handed.

She expected to be woken by the cold, but to her surprise, she slept soundly through the night. Not only did she sleep until morning, but she also dreamed again of the pregnancy pillow that had traveled through time with her.

In her dream, she hugged the pregnancy pillow tightly, curling around it again and again, feeling incredibly warm.

Well-rested, she was in high spirits the next morning. While eating breakfast downstairs, Gu Ying teased her about always being so energetic.

Gu Yu, who had been quietly eating, once again became the center of awkward attention. He hurriedly finished his meal and went to the entryway to wait for Xie Xinyi.

Wen Shuhua and Grandma Gu couldn’t help but sigh. Unaware of the tension she’d caused, Gu Ying called out to her brother, "I’m going to the munitions factory today to interview Technician Gao He. Can you introduce me?"

"Aren’t you going to the newspaper office today?" Wen Shuhua interjected.

"No, I’ve been assigned an interview," Gu Ying replied vaguely, not waiting for her brother’s approval before grabbing Xie Xinyi and heading out.

On the way to the compound’s gate, Gu Ying asked Gu Yu what Gao He was like, but he avoided the question, only urging her to return to the newspaper office right after the interview.

Gu Ying brushed it off, but Xie Xinyi found it puzzling.

Interviewing was part of Gu Ying’s job, so why did Gu Yu emphasize returning to the newspaper office immediately? Moreover, Gu Ying was going to a munitions factory to interview a technician there.

Munitions factories were strictly managed, so safety shouldn’t be an issue.

That left the interview subject...

What was his name again?

Gao He.

Something suddenly clicked in Xie Xinyi’s mind...