CHAPTER 263: CHAPTER 263: SENIOR YEAR (THIRD UPDATE)

With the end of summer vacation, the TV commercial had also completed a phase. The factory workers were no longer making summer clothes; instead, they had shifted to autumn and winter outerwear.

The wave of commercials had cost quite a bit of money, not only for airing them on television stations but also hiring Zhou Zhiming to shoot them, hiring models, and filming on location—all added up to nearly ten thousand dollars. However, the money was well spent.

In just three months, all the stockpiled goods in the factory were sold, and many orders were received. The workers took only one day off per month, even working overtime at night.

By the time school started on September 1, the factory had a holiday and even paid their salaries in advance. With the overtime pay included, wages reached one hundred dollars a month.

A hundred dollars a month!

Nowadays, the average wage was around sixty to seventy dollars, so earning a hundred dollars was considered very high.

Those who had previously doubted the clothing factory were now envious when they heard that people were making two hundred dollars a month, and they eagerly inquired if the factory was hiring.

Behind the workshop, new buildings started going up. Thanks to Tang Yue’s efforts, the land had been purchased with the intent of building a large facility, which was undoubtedly achievable.

Tang Zhengde and Zhang Hualian also worked hard day by day to earn money.

Tang Jun moved up to the ninth grade, and Tang Yue to the twelfth; their workload had become much heavier.

Despite her heavy workload, Tang Yue managed to squeeze time out like squeezing water from a sponge, not only for the factory but also for Jing City Xingyao Studio’s drafts.

Only a month into the twelfth grade, Tang Yue had already lost about five pounds. Her face, once a bit chubby, was now slim, making her small face look even more delicate.

Zhang Hualian, feeling sorry for her daughter, brought meals to school for Tang Yue every day, whether at noon or in the evening.

Tang Zhengde devised a variety of delicious meals for his daughter, making sure there was meat at every meal.

Zhang Tingyu and Zhang Minmin’s lunches and dinners also improved as a result.

Under her father’s meat-enriched diet, Tang Yue’s weight, which had dropped, began to stabilize and even subtly increased. Once accustomed to her daily busyness, she was able to manage her schoolwork and clothes designing well.

Being in the twelfth grade and only a few months away from the final exams, Tang Yue immersed herself in various test papers every day. Despite already having good grades, she and Zhang Tingyu both aimed to achieve even better results in the final exams, to conclude their high school years perfectly.

Several times, she happened to bump into Wu Xinming, who for some reason wasn’t focusing on his studies like the others but instead created opportunities to encounter Tang Yue.

Tang Yue was so disgusted that she felt like vomiting; she hadn’t even dealt with Wu Xinming, yet he had presented himself to her.

Zhang Minmin was ruthless with her words, leaving Wu Xinming unable to lift his head in public. Once, she publicly ridiculed him in the cafeteria for being shameless, which led Wu Xinming to no longer show up in front of Tang Yue.

Tang Yue could focus on her work at ease.

By the end of the year, the new workshop was completed. It was a two-story building made of brick and concrete, with precast concrete floor slabs, which was not as safe as the reinforced concrete used in later years, hence limited to two stories. However, it was very spacious. Extending from the old workshop to the new one, the new workshop was three times larger.

Taking advantage of the New Year not having yet arrived, and the factory halting operations, Tang Mingli invested more money for new sewing machines and stuff, all of which were crammed into the new workshop. The brand new workshop could accommodate even more workers, indicating that the factory’s productivity had significantly increased.

Previously, there was a shortage of workers; now, people were using all sorts of connections to get a job at Mingyue Clothing Factory.

Because Mingyue Clothing Factory had driven the local economy, county leaders had visited many times.

In six months, Tang Mingli’s worth had skyrocketed several times, and Wei Jiajia had given birth to a son, bringing joy and increased motivation for Tang Mingli to earn money.

The clothing factory’s orders were always in excess demand; as long as the production could keep up, the goods would sell.

Jing City’s Star Bright Clothing Store was slowly gaining fame. Qin Anyu managed it well and opened another branch. Each item was limited to only ten sets, making many people prefer to shop there, as the clothes were not only beautiful but also exclusive, reducing the chance of outfit collisions.

Xingyao Studio had a fixed supply of ten outfits per month, and even though they were exorbitantly priced, every month’s quota was filled without fail.

With the photos sent by Qin Anyu, Tang Yue drew drafts for clients, then mailed them back to Jing City once a month, which wasn’t too strenuous.

Originally, Qin Anyu wanted to establish a studio in Wangjiang County, but Tang Yue declined. She already had sufficient prototype workshop space in the factory, and felt the money would be better invested in another exclusive store elsewhere.

As the New Year approached, Tang Yue and Mo Siyu had only met once due to their respective commitments. Given Mo Siyu’s job nature, their time together was minimal.

Mo Xiaolin knew Tang Yue was in her final year of high school and occasionally sent her some treats.

The Tang Family was no longer what it used to be; Granny Tang was now very proud in the village. Both her sons had succeeded, and even Tang Zhengyuan, who worked at the factory, was earning more each month, bringing Granny Tang great anticipation for the future.

During the New Year, the whole family sat together happily; Wei Jiajia’s addition of a son to the Tang Family made Granny Tang increasingly fond of her.

Tang Yue turned nineteen, stepping into the year 1989.

Only a hundred or so days remained until the college entrance exam.

Tang Yue’s study schedule became tighter; during the New Year, she distributed all her designs for the upcoming half-year to Mingyue Clothing Factory and Jing City Star Bright.

Qin Anyu even called Tang Yue to reassure her to focus on her studies, saying the clothing store’s business could wait until after her exams.

During the New Year festivities, Mo Siyu didn’t return; they communicated only a few times by phone while Tang Yue dedicated herself completely to the intense studies.

On April 5, Tomb-Sweeping Festival.

Tang Yue followed her family to the village to pay respects to their ancestors and left Wangjiang County early. Tang Mingli took Wei Jiajia to visit the Wei Family in Jiang City.

Tang Zhengde, Zhang Hualian, and Tang Jun would return to the county later that evening because Granny Tang had fallen ill.