“You want to take the exam? There’s a recruitment exam. The first batch has twenty spots, with a 4:1 male-to-female ratio. If you study a bit, you can pass.”
Lin Su didn’t ask anything else—like how Qin Zhoucheng had suddenly become the person in charge of Hui Steel’s land acquisition and recruitment, or what his real background was.
“I don’t want to take it.”
“Why? Getting into the factory is an iron rice bowl. It’s stable. Everyone thinks it’s better than being self-employed.”
Qin Zhoucheng frowned. “If you don’t want to take it, I can find someone…”
Lin Su interrupted him. “Don’t pull strings for me. I don’t need that.”
Seeing him frown, she quickly explained, “I know you’re doing it for my good, thinking of me first when there’s something good. But this is your job. If I get in without taking the exam, it could affect you. And I don’t want to work in a factory.”
Working in a factory was stable and secure, but Lin Su didn’t just want stability. In the era of reform and opening up in the 1980s and 1990s, opportunities were everywhere.
In her past life in the 21st century, she had fought her way up building her own brand. In the early days, she had swallowed her pride to secure investment, begging influencers and minor celebrities to wear her designs. If she could endure that, why couldn’t she succeed in this era?
Why waste years inside a factory?
“I’d rather save up some money and take the college entrance exam. Being self-employed isn’t shameful. Maybe one day I can even open a clothing factory.”
She smiled with curved eyes—completely sincere, not just polite words.
“You really want to take the college entrance exam?” Qin Zhoucheng remembered she didn’t even have a primary school diploma.
Lin Su nodded. “Mm. I’ll save money for two years first, enough for tuition. I want to study fashion design.”
She already had a goal—Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts, her alma mater in her previous life. The only problem was that so much time had passed that she had forgotten most of the exam knowledge. She would have to start from scratch.
Qin Zhoucheng sighed. “Not going into the factory… you’re missing what others see as a great opportunity.”
“Just because everyone thinks it’s good, does it mean it is good?”
Lin Su knew state-owned enterprises looked good now, but in the 1990s there would be layoffs on a large scale. Without competitiveness, layoffs were inevitable. People who spent ten or more years just doing repetitive factory work would eventually lose their skills and still end up turning to self-employment.
“Comrade Qin, thank you for thinking about me, but I really won’t consider it. Just wait—I’ll create domestic Chanel and Valentino, and then you’ll believe I wasn’t exaggerating.”
Qin Zhoucheng narrowed his eyes slightly. How would a rural woman who grew up farming know international luxury brands like Chanel and Valentino? And her pronunciation of “Valentino” was extremely standard—without any typical Chinese English accent.
“You didn’t even ask me why I’m in charge of Hui Steel’s land acquisition and recruitment?”
“The village director said you’re from Hui Steel in Haicheng, right?” Lin Su smiled sweetly. “I don’t care who you are or what your past is. If you want to say it, you can. If you don’t, I won’t ask. I just know you mean no harm. You saved me and helped me—I trust you.”
Qin Zhoucheng raised an eyebrow.
Lin Su was busy making dresses for the supply cooperative saleswoman surnamed Zhou. She had come the day before with Wu Jianguo and Shanshan. At first, they were hesitant when they saw the small, shabby courtyard—but once they saw the sample dresses she had already made, they were instantly convinced.
She measured the girl’s size, and Wu Jianguo quickly paid the deposit, agreeing to deliver fabric and a simple wedding dress material first. Half a month later, Lin Su would go with them to pick woolen fabric.
Wool fabric had to be carefully selected—it was only available in Haicheng, not in the county. Wu Jianguo was generous to his fiancée, but even he had to source ration coupons for it; it couldn’t be rushed.
Dacron fabric was popular in this era. Lin Su didn’t particularly like it—it wasn’t breathable and built up static—but it had one advantage: it held shape well. She added a thin lining inside to make it more comfortable.
The sewing machine clattered loudly as she worked with a serious, focused expression.
“If there’s extra fabric, I’ll make you a Zhongshan suit too. You’re a big enterprise director now—you can’t keep wearing that faded navy military-style jacket. It’s already worn thin. Stand up, I’ll take your measurements.”
“You bought fabric for me too?”
Lin Su smiled. “Your clothes are pretty old, and you didn’t bring much luggage. Think of it as a wedding gift?”
Wedding gift?
Did she even realize what she was saying?
Qin Zhoucheng fell silent, then stood up and let her measure him with a soft tape.
Shoulder width, chest, sleeve length. When measuring his waist, he raised his arms slightly, and Lin Su wrapped the tape around him from behind—
It looked almost like she was hugging him.
Sometimes she really had no sense of boundaries, almost a bit bold. In the county, she had even hugged him just because he said he would help her find textbooks. Afterwards, she acted as if nothing had happened, humming all the way back, completely unaware of how much he had been thinking about it.
Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, falling on her profile. Her fair skin glowed like milk under the warm golden light, as if mixed with honey. Not even the finest fuzz of hair could be seen; her eyelashes were long and slightly trembling, casting faint shadows on her cheeks.
So focused—like a proper little wife.
Almost unconsciously, Qin Zhoucheng raised his hand.
Lin Su finished measuring and looked up, startled. “What are you doing?”
He coughed and quickly lowered his hand, even hiding it behind his back. “There… there was a thread on your head. I was going to help you remove it.”
Lin Su looked confused, turning her head and even patting her hair, but didn’t find anything.
“It must have fallen off.”
She shrugged and went back to the sewing machine.
Qin Zhoucheng let out a breath and clenched his hidden hand behind his back.
Damn it.
Just now, he had actually wanted to touch her face.
If he really did that… wouldn’t that make him no different from a rogue?
They had agreed it was just a partnership for convenience, just a fake marriage to avoid Old Madam Sun’s harassment. How could he take advantage of it?
He exhaled deeply. Seeing that she wasn’t paying attention to him, he felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment.
He went out to the kitchen to cook, so he wouldn’t keep looking at her and start thinking nonsense he couldn’t even understand himself.
The courtyard gate suddenly pushed open, and a middle-aged woman walked in, looking around. Her eyes met Qin Zhoucheng’s.
“My heavens—where did this man come from? Who are you?”