Chapter 319: Chapter 317: Working for Capitalists? No, We’re Working for Fat Chickens!

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

The Gu Family yard was full of people.

Lin Wan Yi brought a chair and sat at the doorway.

She held a roster in her hand, which was actually just a sketchpad used by Gu An for drawing.

In front of her stood a dozen sisters-in-law from the yard, each rubbing their hands and looking at her eagerly.

“Sister-in-law Liu, you come in.”

Lin Wan Yi read a name.

A middle-aged woman, dressed in a blue cloth jacket with meticulously combed hair, stepped forward.

“Hey! Coming!”

Sister-in-law Liu usually spoke the least and was the fastest at making shoe soles.

“Zhang Family’s Sister, you come in too.”

Another one went in.

Finally, Lin Wan Yi pointed to a thin woman in the corner.

“Little Chen, your eyesight is good, and you’re quick at threading needles, you come too.”

Three in total.

The remaining seven to eight people became anxious.

“Wanyi, what about me?”

“Yeah, I can work too, all my husband’s torn socks are mended by me!”

Especially Aunt Wang.

She pushed to the front with a defiant look on her face.

“You Gu Family wife, aren’t you looking down on people a bit? In terms of work, who in this yard is faster than me?”

Lin Wan Yi closed the notebook.

“Aunt Wang, indeed, you are fast.”

She moved the chair back a little.

“But your mouth is too fast, the needle can’t keep up.”

The crowd erupted in laughter.

Aunt Wang’s face turned beet red.

“Alright, the selected ones stay, the rest disperse.”

Lin Wan Yi no longer looked at Aunt Wang, turned around, and led the three into the yard.

The door slammed shut with a “bang”.

Aunt Wang stood at the door and spat viciously.

“Bah! What a joke!”

“Isn’t it just making a few old clothes? Acting like an empress selection!”

She didn’t leave.

She peered through the crack in the door.

Inside the yard.

Sister-in-law Liu and the other two, even though they came in, felt uneasy.

These days, working for private individuals was taboo.

If it weren’t for the fact that everyone was neighbors, no one would dare to touch this hot potato.

“Wanyi, let’s make it clear.”

Sister-in-law Liu awkwardly rubbed the corner of her clothes.

“We can help with the work, but if the security division finds out…”

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t count as employment.”

Lin Wan Yi turned and went inside.

When she came out again, she was carrying a bamboo basket covered with cloth.

She placed the basket on the stone table.

“I’m not offering money.”

The three faces immediately fell.

No money?

Wouldn’t that be working for free?

Who has the spare effort to work for nothing?

Sister-in-law Liu turned to leave.

“I have porridge cooking on the stove at home…”

“Clatter.”

Lin Wan Yi quickly lifted the blue cloth covering the basket.

In the sunlight.

A full basket of red eggs, each one large.

Among the eggs, a few brightly colored tickets were tucked.

Those were meat tickets.

Pork tickets valid nationwide.

Sister-in-law Liu’s foot, which had stepped out, seemed nailed to the ground.

She turned her head sharply.

A “gulp” sounded in her throat.

This was the sound of swallowing.

These days, who doesn’t lack lard?

In this yard, each household only had a quota of two pounds of meat per month, and it was a struggle to get even that.

“For each piece of clothing made, five eggs.”

Lin Wan Yi tossed an egg in her hand.

“Make five pieces, and I’ll add a half-pound meat ticket.”

“Make ten pieces, and you get a chicken.”

It was deathly silent… no, the breathing grew heavier.

Zhang Family’s Sister’s eyes turned green.

“Wanyi… you’re, you’re not joking?”

“The stuff is all here.”

Lin Wan Yi pointed at the table.

“Are you in or not?”

“In!”

The three shouted in unison.

Their voices were loud enough to startle Little Grey who was napping inside.

As long as there was meat to eat, never mind making clothes, they would even dare to pluck a tiger’s whiskers.

Outside the door.

Aunt Wang heard everything clearly.

She scratched at the door crack so hard her nails almost broke.

Eggs!

Meat tickets!

And a chicken!

This spendthrift woman, giving away so many good things just for work?

Jealousy gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake.

“This is exploitation!”

Aunt Wang shouted from the doorway.

“This is capitalist behavior! This is making us poor peasants work like long-term tenants for landlords!”

“Sister-in-law Liu! Don’t be foolish! This will lead to mistakes!”

“Come out quickly! Let’s report her to the security division!”

This shout alarmed the three in the yard.

Sister-in-law Liu pulled her hand back.

Who could bear this kind of accusation?

If they were truly caught as an example, they would be paraded through the streets.

“Wanyi, this…”

Sister in law Liu hesitated.

“Maybe we should just forget it, we can’t afford this meat…”

Lin Wan Yi said nothing.

She stood up and walked back into the house.

Less than half a minute passed.

She came out.

Holding a plucked, glisteningly fatty old hen.

The chicken’s skin was a golden yellow, clearly grain-fed.

Lin Wan Yi walked to the gate.

The door swung open suddenly.

Aunt Wang, who had her ear against the door, nearly fell flat on her face.

She looked up.

The plump chicken dangled right in front of her nose.

The meaty aroma hit her square in the face.

Aunt Wang’s mouth hung open, the word “exploitation” she was about to utter was choked back by the smell of meat.

Drool dribbled down uncontrollably.

Lin Wan Yi didn’t even glance at her.

She shoved the chicken into Sister in law Liu’s arms.

“Sister in law Liu, this is a down payment.”

“Didn’t your husband hurt his leg a few days ago? Take it home and make some soup to nourish him.”

Sister in law Liu was stunned, holding the heavy chicken.

Is this a dream?

The work hasn’t started, yet the chicken’s already in hand?

“This… is really for me?”

“Take it.”

Lin Wan Yi wiped her hands of the grease.

“This is community assistance. I provide the goods, and you provide the skills. Who dares to gossip?”

With that, she shot a sidelong glance at Aunt Wang by the door.

“Some people wish to be exploited but aren’t even qualified for it.”

“Bang!”

The door closed again.

Aunt Wang stood there in disarray.

She looked at the closed door and thought about the chicken from earlier.

She raised her hand and slapped herself hard twice.

“That’s what you get for having a loose tongue! Serves you right!”

In the courtyard.

The atmosphere completely changed.

If earlier was about profit, now it’s about life.

The impact of the plump chicken was undeniable.

“Wanyi, just tell us what to do! I’ll do whatever you say!”

Sister in law Liu carefully placed the chicken in a basket, rolled up her sleeves, looking ready for battle.

Lin Wan Yi pushed the tables together.

“We won’t follow the old routines.”

She took out a pair of scissors.

“Sister in law Liu, you only handle cutting the fabric. Cut according to this template, not a fraction more or less.”

“Little Chen, you’re in charge of stitching. Only sew straight lines and join the pieces together.”

“Zhang Family’s Sister, you’re responsible for stuffing the padding. Stuff by sections, one handful per section, no more, no less.”

The three were completely taken aback.

“Isn’t one person supposed to finish an entire piece of clothing?”

“Nope, not this time.”

Lin Wan Yi laid out the template.

“Each person handles one step, and don’t stop unless I say so.”

This was the most primitive assembly line.

Although they didn’t understand what industrialization meant, they understood one thing:

If done like this, it’s quick.

“Dada dada dada!”

The sewing machine buzzed.

Scissors snipped crisply.

No one spoke.

The three women who usually gossiped whenever gathered were now silent with tightly shut mouths.

Talking wastes time.

Wasting time means wasting opportunities to earn eggs.

That’s real meat!

Anyone who dares gossip now would be going against their family’s hunger.

“Stop!”

Lin Wan Yi suddenly shouted.

Little Chen’s hand shook from fright, and the sewing machine halted.

Lin Wan Yi walked over and picked up the recently stitched piece of fabric.

“Undo it.”

Little Chen turned pale.

“Wanyi, it’s just a slight misalignment…”

“You call this slight?”

Lin Wan Yi pointed at the stitch slightly deviating from the straight line.

“If the line isn’t straight, the padding will shift. If the padding shifts, this clothing is scrap.”

She picked up the scissors and snipped the thread directly.

“Resew it.”

“In my place, it’s either perfect, or don’t do it at all.”

“If this piece isn’t up to par, you’ll lose an egg today.”

Lose an egg?

That’s crucial!

Cold sweat broke out on Little Chen immediately.

“No no no! I’ll undo it! I’ll resew it perfectly straight!”

She no longer dared to rush and deceive.

This Lin Family’s Sister may look delicate, but when she’s strict, she truly is!

An entire day passed.

In the Gu Family courtyard, apart from the sound of machines, there were only occasional sips of water.

Even trips to the bathroom were made at a run.

Gu Lan watched from the side, stunned.

She was initially worried these sister-in-laws would cause a ruckus again when gathered.

But instead?

Their discipline was better than military rookies!

Everyone was diligently working head down, not raising their heads a bit.

Is this the power of the fat chicken?

As the sun was setting.

Lin Wan Yi clapped her hands.

“That’s a wrap.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep