“Old Zhang, this is Song Suisui. She’ll be part of your procurement department from now on.”  

Zhong Zhengmin brought Song Suisui to Director Zhang of the procurement department, exchanged a few words, and then left.  

Director Zhang looked about the same age as Song Jianjun. When he saw Song Suisui, he smiled warmly, appearing quite amiable. After asking her a few questions, he took her to the procurement office.  

At that moment, there were already three people in the office—all men. None of them were young, and when Director Zhang introduced Song Suisui as the new hire, they were visibly surprised.  

After all, the procurement department of the machinery factory had never had a female employee before.  

Procurement work often involved traveling, and given how chaotic the world was these days, it was considered somewhat unsafe for women.  

As for Song Suisui’s arrival, they weren’t exactly welcoming, but they didn’t intend to make things difficult for her either.  

Picking on a young girl like her would just make them the laughingstock of the town.  

Song Suisui, for her part, had no plans to get too close to them. These men were clearly married, and keeping her distance was necessary.  

The procurement department wasn’t large—with Song Suisui, there were exactly five people.  

Since there were no recent business trips scheduled, she met all her colleagues on her very first day.  

Assigned a desk, Song Suisui noticed the other three either chatting or reading newspapers. She couldn’t help but marvel at how leisurely the job seemed.  

Lunch was in the cafeteria. Carrying her own aluminum lunchbox, Song Suisui followed the crowd inside.  

It had to be said—the machinery factory’s reputation as a major enterprise in Xinghai City was well-deserved. The food was genuinely good.  

At the very least, there were both meat and vegetable dishes, which was considered top-tier for a cafeteria in this era.  

After getting one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and a serving of rice, Song Suisui found an empty seat and sat down.  

A short while later, a round-faced young woman with two braids took the seat across from her.  

“I’m Yu Fengyuan, from the publicity department. You’re new here, right?”  

“I’m Song Suisui, from procurement. Today’s my first day.”  

“Oh—” Yu Fengyuan nodded, then asked, “Are your family members also working at the machinery factory? I’ve never seen you in the residential compound.”  

“My parents are both at the textile factory,” Song Suisui replied without hiding it. After all, this was something anyone could easily find out.  

“I see! Since it’s your first day, you probably haven’t had a chance to look around the factory yet, have you?”  

Song Suisui nodded. “Not yet.”  

“I knew it! Those guys in procurement wouldn’t bother showing you around.”

Yu Fengyuan said with a knowing look.  

Then she added, “How about after lunch, I show you around?”  

Song Suisui nodded. If someone was willing to be her guide, she was more than happy to accept.  

So after lunch, Yu Fengyuan took Song Suisui on a tour of the factory.  

By the time they finished, the two had grown much closer.  

Yu Fengyuan was well-connected and loved gossip. Though Song Suisui ended up hearing a lot of rumors, she also picked up plenty of useful information from her.  

By the time they parted ways, the two had become casual friends. Whether they’d grow into close confidantes would depend on how their relationship developed.  

At the very least, Yu Fengyuan seemed like a decent person for now.  

The procurement department was either frantically busy—with everyone running around—or completely idle, with employees lounging in the office.  

So for the entire day, aside from reviewing materials about the factory’s machinery and parts, Song Suisui didn’t have much to do.  

She might not need deep mechanical knowledge, but she had to understand the performance of the factory’s equipment. Otherwise, if someone asked and she had no clue, it’d be embarrassing.  

Thus, she spent the whole afternoon poring over documents.  

By the time her shift ended, Song Suisui had gotten through most of the materials and had a clearer understanding of what procurement work entailed.  

Whenever she didn’t understand something, she’d ask the other three procurement staff in the office.  

Though they weren’t particularly warm toward her, they still answered her questions when she asked.  

It was just that the three older men and Song Suisui, a young woman, didn’t have much in common to chat about.  

After work, Song Suisui rushed to catch the last bus home. Sitting on the bus, she realized she’d need to find a place closer to the factory for convenience.  

More importantly, Boss Tan’s black market was in this area. If she wanted to do business with him, she’d have to move nearby.  

The machinery factory did offer dormitories, but the conditions were so poor that Song Suisui would rather rent or buy a small place of her own.  

Thinking this, she mused that she’d probably have to pay Boss Tan another visit soon.  

Right now, the only goods she could offer were those 100 bolts of fabric.  

But she might as well wait and see what she could draw from the system tonight before making a decision.  

Lost in thought, she soon arrived at her stop.  

When she got home, Ma Xiumei eagerly pulled Song Suisui and Song Niannian aside to ask about their first day at work.

Both of them said it went well.  

Still not entirely reassured, Ma Xiumei pulled them aside to lecture them on workplace dynamics—how to get along with colleagues, how to interact with superiors, and all sorts of “social etiquette.”  

It came from a mother’s deep love, so neither of them complained as they listened patiently.  

At nine o’clock, Song Suisui opened three more blind boxes, and this time, she was even more thrilled than before!  

Because one of the boxes contained ten boxes of sanitary pads.  

For a girl, sanitary pads were an absolute necessity. She had nothing but disdain for the old-fashioned menstrual belts.  

The other two boxes also contained great items. With these, she felt securing her own place was within reach.  

Satisfied, she drifted off to sleep.  

Meanwhile, in Song Niannian’s room, she was also contemplating moving out. Now that she had her space, she needed to raise enough capital before the economic reforms to start her own business.  

Besides, her home was quite far from her workplace, so moving out would be a reasonable excuse.  

More importantly, if word got out that both she and Suisui had landed jobs, the neighbors in the residential compound would undoubtedly start paying extra attention to their family.  

If someone decided to report them, it could spell trouble.  

If she and Suisui distanced themselves from these people, the gossip might die down without them around as the main subjects.  

She decided to discuss her plans with Suisui tomorrow.  

If Suisui wasn’t willing to move out, she’d talk to their eldest brother about it.  

Once she had everything figured out, Song Niannian stopped worrying and vanished into her space to tend to the crops she had painstakingly planted.  

…

When Song Suisui walked into the office, she was the only one there.  

The other three men arrived right on the dot.  

Once everyone was present, Director Zhang called Song Suisui over.  

“The machinery factory is running low on some steel materials. You’ll need to go to the steel plant in the capital the day after tomorrow to procure a batch. The factory will arrange your train ticket. When you get there…”  

Song Suisui listened carefully. She knew this was Director Zhang’s test for her.  

If she did well, she’d secure her place in the procurement department. If not… well, things might not go so smoothly in the future.  

“That’s all. Comrade Song, make sure you do a good job! Remember to come see me tomorrow afternoon for the introduction letter and your train ticket.”  

“Understood, Director Zhang. I’ll do my best.”  

Back in the office, the others were still slacking off as usual, but Song Suisui was buzzing with excitement.  

The capital in 1973 might not be as bustling as in later years, but she was still thrilled.  

The capital in this era was home to several of the greatest idols in the hearts of all Chinese people!!! 

Song Suisui was internally screaming with excitement!!!