in2ebook Chapter 365 Roll Call
Chapter 365 Roll Call
Whether it's recruiting workers or purchasing down, everything is proceeding in an orderly manner, and everything seems so calm and efficient.
Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, the female workers who had signed up for the job arrived at the registration point one after another. Some of them had smiles on their faces, while others looked slightly nervous, but without exception, they were all full of anticipation for the job.
After roll call, Li Desheng stood at the front of the line and shouted loudly, "Everyone, come with me."
So, the female workers followed Li Desheng in twos and threes, heading towards the two-courtyard house they had rented earlier.
Meanwhile, Su Nuannuan, Tingxue, and the others had been waiting in the courtyard for quite some time. Su Nuannuan sat quietly in the room, watching the commotion outside through the window. Jinse stayed by her side, ready to serve at any time.
Tingxue and Zhixiang, along with several other maids, carried the fabric needed to make the down jackets out of the warehouse. The fabrics were only two colors: navy blue and khaki.
Down jackets differ in style from regular clothing, prioritizing warmth and practicality. However, for female workers with good needlework skills, mastering this new production method was not difficult, and they quickly got the hang of it.
Since it doesn't require complicated techniques like embroidery, making a set of outer and inner garments for a down jacket in a day is a piece of cake for them. Moreover, if they are skilled, making two or three sets a day is not a problem.
Tingxue was extremely busy, directing a group of people to move various items. At the same time, Li Desheng was also leading a group of female workers, walking briskly towards the courtyard.
Li Desheng didn't care whether anyone slipped away midway. He knew that once they reached their destination, he would call roll again from the roster. Those whose names were called but no one answered would be unhesitatingly crossed off the roster.
Some might ask: What if someone answers for you?
However, such worries are actually unnecessary. After all, nobody's a fool; why would anyone do something that's detrimental to themselves? Perhaps there are those who are too shy to refuse others, but Li Desheng has a clever arrangement when taking attendance. He has those who aren't called stand on the right, while those whose names are called stand on the left.
In this way, there's no need to worry about someone answering for you. Because if it's discovered, both the person who answered and the person who didn't show up will face dismissal.
Just then, Yu Wei suddenly appeared. She knelt on one knee and bowed to Su Nuannuan, saying, "Master, the down has arrived."
Su Nuannuan nodded slightly, put down her teacup, and said softly, "I understand. Go and tell the leader of the caravan to deliver the down to the down collection station next to Jiyaotang."
"Yes." Yu Wei responded, then vanished in a flash.
"Jinse, go and call Zhixiang in," Su Nuannuan whispered to Jinse.
Upon hearing this, Jinse quickly turned and left. A moment later, Zhixiang followed Jinse into the room.
"Your Highness, did you call me?" Zhixiang asked Su Nuannuan immediately after entering the room.
Su Nuannuan nodded slightly and smiled as she said to Zhixiang, "Zhixiang, there's something I need you to do. Go to the down purchasing station and tell the manager there that someone will be delivering down soon. Make sure he carefully records the weight and puts it into storage properly."
Zhi Xiang listened attentively to Su Nuannuan's words, nodding occasionally to show that she understood.
Su Nuannuan continued to instruct, "Also, you must arrange for someone to be on duty in the warehouse. The person on duty must be especially careful with fire. Down is highly flammable. Once it is ignited, the consequences will be unimaginable. It's not something that can be solved by simply paying money."
Knowing the implications, Zhixiang quickly replied, "Zhixiang understands. This servant will go and convey Your Highness's instructions immediately." After saying this, she bowed to Su Nuannuan again, then turned and quickly walked out of the room.
Watching Zhixiang's departing figure, Su Nuannuan felt a little relieved and turned to Jinse, saying, "Jinse, you should go and get busy too."
Jinse smiled and responded, then turned and left the room.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside, followed by Li Desheng's voice in the courtyard: "Miss Tingxue, the female workers have arrived."
Li Desheng led his men into the courtyard and immediately spotted Tingxue busy at work. He quickly went up to greet her.
Tingxue stopped what she was doing, looked up at Li Desheng, smiled and nodded, then instructed the others to continue working, while she walked over to Li Desheng.
"Everyone, stand in line! We're going to start calling roll. If your name is called, stand on the left. If your name isn't called, stand on the right and wait. Anyone who tries to be clever and sneaks to stand on the left will be permanently banned from the workforce," Li Desheng shouted in his hoarse voice.
He stood before the crowd, holding a roster in his hand, his sharp eyes sweeping over each person. Everyone stood quietly, not daring to make the slightest move, fearing that Li Desheng might seize upon any incriminating evidence against them.
Li Desheng nodded in satisfaction, then flipped through the roster and began calling out names.
"Xu Pinglan".
"Here." Xu Pinglan's voice was clear and loud. She walked to the left with a smile on her face and stood up straight.
"Wang Erya".
"Here." A slightly timid voice came, and everyone's eyes were focused on Wang Erya. She lowered her head shyly and slowly walked to the left, standing next to Xu Pinglan.
……
The roll call continued, with one name after another being called out, and the corresponding people moving to the left.
After all the roll calls were completed, Li Desheng discovered that three people were absent, having likely slipped away on the way.
The roster listed fifty-five people, but there were only fifty-two people present.
He looked around carefully, and after making sure no one else was there, he picked up a charcoal pencil and crossed out the names of the three people who had slipped away from the roster.
This charcoal pencil is actually made by tightly wrapping thin strips of charcoal inside paper.
The main reason for choosing charcoal pencils is their great convenience. After all, carrying traditional writing tools such as brushes, ink sticks, and inkstones would not only increase the weight of luggage but also be quite inconvenient when traveling. In contrast, charcoal pencils are much lighter and more portable; you can simply put them in your bag and write anytime, anywhere.
The invention of the charcoal pencil is thanks to Su Nuannuan. She was deeply annoyed by the cumbersome traditional writing implements, so she devoted herself to research and eventually created this simple and easy-to-use charcoal pencil.
For cultured individuals, even without the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper), their speech and demeanor naturally exude an elegant air. However, for those lacking cultural refinement, even equipping them with a complete set of the Four Treasures of the Study would likely fail to conceal their inherent vulgarity and shallowness, and might even backfire, making them a laughingstock.
Just then, Li Desheng said softly, "Miss Tingxue, after counting, there are a total of fifty-two female workers this time." After saying that, he slowly closed the roster in his hand and then turned his gaze to Tingxue, who was standing to the side.