Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 268 - 267: The First Brief Meeting

A large stove was set up in the canteen, equipped with long tables and benches. Once construction officially begins, workers can gather there for meals.

Right now, He can’t manage all the kitchen work on her own.

Last year, Mrs. Qiu couldn’t join the first batch of workers because she was pregnant. She has yearned for this for a long time, and now that there’s a vacancy, she insists on helping with the cooking, even with her child on her back.

So now the two sisters-in-law share the work of preparing breakfast and lunch. Since the canteen isn’t finished yet, three stoves were set up on the original site to operate three pots at the same time.

One for soup, one for rice, and one for stir-frying. He and Mrs. Qiu are quick and efficient, managing just fine.

Qin Yao walked over to glance at her two sisters-in-law who were preparing for lunch, seeing their hands so quick they almost left afterimages. She shook her head immediately; cooking really takes some skill!

Qin Yao wasn’t sure exactly how many workers there were in the factory now, but at a glance, there were at least fifty or sixty busy people.

Among them, some must have been brought in by Uncle Jiu to help build the plant.

Almost no one was idle in the factory. As Qin Yao walked amidst them, deeply focused on their work, no one noticed her arrival.

Qin Yao took a look around the stationery factory from front to back, left to right, getting a general idea. Only then did she find Liu the carpenter, who was arguing with Yun Niang, and asked him to notify several veterans for a brief meeting at the empty field by the lumber stacks.

"What meeting?" Liu the carpenter was in the middle of an argument, and this new term Qin Yao used left him a little confused and agitated, sounding almost like he was going to explode.

Qin Yao swallowed quietly, knowing that for most of the last month, the factory had been supported by him alone. The man was on the edge of breaking down, so she softened her tone, explaining gently:

"It’s just calling everyone together so we can talk about our respective responsibilities now. If there are any problems, we’ll raise them, and everyone can come up with solutions together."

Got it. Liu the carpenter nodded and waved at Yun Niang: "Just do as you said. Anyway, the painting task is left to you; if there’s any problem, you solve it yourself!"

After saying this, he pointed towards the empty field by the lumber stacks, signaling her to go and wait for Qin Yao to hold the meeting.

Qin Yao had already informed Liu Bai and his two brothers, and Liu the carpenter then went to call Liu Qi, Shunzi, and Uncle Jiu.

"Oh, and call the village head and the clan leader!" Qin Yao suddenly remembered and quickly instructed.

Liu the carpenter agreed and immediately tasked Liu Qi with calling his grandpa and the clan leader.

"What’s going on?" the village head was monitoring the water in the fields when his grandson called him out of the blue, saying they were having a short meeting, leaving him baffled.

Liu Qi didn’t know either and just stretched his neck and shouted: "Grandpa, hurry up, Miss Qin is waiting for you over there!"

He quickly explained and then ran excitedly to the clan leader’s house.

The village head was both amused and helpless, "This kid, so rash..."

Seeing the suddenly appearing Liu Qi, the clan leader was also bewildered, but after Liu Qi’s explanation, he found it quite interesting, "Let’s go and see what Miss Qin is up to now."

Meanwhile, Qin Yao called Yun Niang over to help set up the venue.

Halfway through, she asked why she was quarreling with Liu the carpenter. Yun Niang laughed, saying, "It’s nothing major. I just thought the painting process we were using was too slow, and I wanted to speed it up."

Liu the carpenter doesn’t like his things being changed, so he was a bit unhappy.

But judging by Liu the carpenter’s stance just now, it seemed he agreed. Yun Niang beamed, "I’ll make a sample for him to see first. After all, Liu the carpenter has more experience than me, and once he approves, I’ll teach everyone else the new way."

Qin Yao tilted her head, looking at the beaming Yun Niang, feeling her contentment and happiness, and couldn’t help but smile too.

"Yun Niang, having young talents like you in the factory makes me very happy," Qin Yao said sincerely.

Yun Niang was taken aback, her face suddenly turning red, and a bit embarrassed she said, "Actually, I dreamed of becoming a carpenter when I was little. Seeing those bits of wood transform into something completely different in my hands, it makes me feel happy and fulfilled."

Qin Yao taught her a new term, "That’s a sense of achievement."

"A sense of old rods?" Yun Niang was puzzled, finding it a weird term.

Qin Yao chuckled helplessly, "Seems like I need to organize a literacy class to educate everyone."

"Huh?" Yun Niang panicked a bit, "We’re not blind; there’s no one blind here."

If she wasn’t worried that Yun Niang might get embarrassed and angry, Qin Yao would have burst into laughter.

Suppressing her urge to laugh, she comfortingly patted the young woman on the shoulder, "I mean illiterate."

Only then did Yun Niang realize what Qin Yao meant – that they were unlettered!

But people who know how to read sure talk differently. Illiterate, illiterate, it’s just like being metaphorically blind! Quite fitting.

Seeing Yun Niang’s sudden understanding dazed expression, Qin Yao patted her, telling her to move tables and benches.

One table and four long benches, if there’s not enough seating, people can sit on lumber piles.

Qin Yao pulled out a small piece of tea cake from the cloth bag at her waist and handed it to her elder sister-in-law He, asking her to brew a pot of tea.

This was something Liu Ji insisted on buying from the prefecture, saying it would be too rude to always serve guests plain water at home.

Moreover, it could be gifted during festivals.

Qin Yao thought about it and agreed, allocating funds for tea purchases.

He looked at the tea cake with curiosity, finding it the same as the tea Qin Yao gave them last night, remembering the happiness at that time, she was all smiles.

The tea was quickly brewed; rural people don’t steep in rituals about such things; it’s all about the taste.

Qin Yao asked her second sister-in-law to get her a stack of bowls to pour tea later.

Afraid Qin Yao couldn’t carry them, Mrs. Qiu pulled out a vegetable basket for her, putting the bowls and tea in the basket for easier carrying.

Everyone watching Qin Yao’s whole set-up found it intriguing.

Yun Niang secretly noted these and considered preparing for the next short meeting in the same manner.

With everything ready and the personnel all present.

Qin Yao signaled Yun Niang to pour tea for everyone, then stood up and clapped her hands to draw everyone’s attention.

"I’m very honored that the village head and clan leader could take time out of their busy schedules to join us. Now I announce that the first short meeting of Liu Family Village’s stationery factory’s core members is officially starting!"

"Next, let’s invite our Deputy General Manager Liu Jinhe to stand up and introduce the attendees. Everyone, please give a round of applause to welcome him!"

Qin Yao clapped, and the present people, intrigued, exchanged glances and clapped along, welcoming Liu the carpenter to stand and introduce.

Very well, they adapted quickly. Even though they found her actions a bit strange, they were very cooperative.

The team was easy to lead. Qin Yao was very pleased, sitting down on her seat—a lumber pile—and nodded encouragingly at Liu the carpenter, signaling him to speak boldly.

"Ahem!" Liu the carpenter cleared his throat twice to warm up his voice, but it felt even drier, so Yun Niang hurried over with a bowl of tea.

After drinking half the tea, seeing the array of familiar faces in front of him, Liu the carpenter suddenly felt at ease. With one hand on his hip, he pointed to the eldest, Uncle Jiu, and began introducing them to everyone.