Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 520: Chapter 271: Confrontation

Li Gengtian was already furious with his Third Uncle and had nowhere to vent. When he heard that Xiaonian’s wife was the one who had caused all this trouble, his pent-up rage finally found an outlet. He remained impassive on the surface, but inwardly he cursed Zhou Baozhu. ’What a blind fool, letting his son marry such a troublemaker. Even Granny Hua is better than her.’

People can’t help but make comparisons. When put next to Xiaonian’s wife, Granny Hua was immediately forgiven by everyone. Yes, she loved to gossip, but she would never intentionally harm someone; she just had a loose tongue and spoke without considering the consequences. Xiaonian’s wife, on the other hand, deliberately stirred up trouble. How could the two possibly be the same?

Li Gengtian didn’t think he was being biased or gullible. The matter was as plain as day. Although there was no concrete evidence, anyone with a discerning eye knew what was what.

He asked Qingmu in a grave voice, ”What are you planning to do?”

As the village chief, he managed the village’s affairs, but he had left the workshop’s business for the youngsters to handle on their own. He trusted them; plus, he intended for this to be a way to train them.

Qingmu said solemnly, ”Tomorrow, I’ll have the women who left last confront each other and find the troublemaker. She’ll be dismissed from the workshop. That’s the first thing. Second, the night watch has been too lax; we need to tighten up management. It’s fortunate this commotion exposed the problem now. If something truly major had happened, we’d be in real trouble. This matter can’t be let go. I’ll start by docking my own pay for two months—for poor management. Li Changliang, Huang Xiaodun, and Uncle Lin will each be docked one month’s pay for their negligence on duty. They were shouting so loudly, and yet they heard nothing? What kind of watch is that? If something like this happens again, they’ll be sent home for good.”

Li Gengtian was surprised. ”This wasn’t your fault,” he said. ”Why dock your own pay? And even if you do, one month should be enough. Why two?”

Qingmu said to him seriously, ”Uncle Li, if a manager isn’t held accountable when things go wrong, the job is far too easy. It doesn’t matter whose fault it is; since I’m in charge, it’s my duty to manage things properly. Unsuitable people must be weeded out, and capable people should be promoted. Otherwise, if every time there’s a problem, we just find the person who made the mistake and throw them out, what’s the point of having a manager at all?”

This was something Juhua had told him: ’When subordinates make a mistake, their leader can’t escape responsibility for inadequate supervision. A leader’s job is to evaluate their subordinates’ performance and place them in suitable roles. How you manage the lazy, the cunning, and the dishonest is your problem. People only care about the results; they won’t listen to your excuses.’

Li Gengtian nodded in approval. ”Ah! You’re absolutely right. We’ll handle it that way. It’ll also keep people from gossiping. But Xiaonian’s wife won’t be easy to deal with—she’s sure to deny everything, right? After all, no one actually saw her lock the door.”

Qingmu said coldly, ”It’s not her choice. I have a plan.”

He exuded a menacing aura. After a year as manager, he was no longer that quiet, awkward boy, but a man with an imposing presence.

Li Gengtian was gratified to see this. ’If these youngsters can shoulder their responsibilities, my own burden will be much lighter.’ So he said, ”Then it’s settled. I’ll come over tomorrow, too. And Qingmu, you might be in for some trouble. My Third Uncle is demanding you give Jinling an ’explanation.’ I gave him a piece of my mind, but it was no use. I’m going to have my father give him a good talking-to tomorrow, but you should still be prepared.”

Qingmu nodded. ”I know. Let him make a scene. My conscience is clear, so I have nothing to fear. His antics will only end up hurting Jinling, and there’s no way I’m agreeing to anything—I’m getting married soon.”

Li Gengtian nodded, and Qingmu took his leave, disappearing into the night.

The next day, Qingmu gathered everyone from the workshop for a meeting in the main workroom. Everyone brought over the stools they usually sat on while working, arranging them in several neat rows and sitting upright. Qingmu sat before them, expressionless, facing the crowd. The scene had the distinct feel of a tribunal.

The women watched the stern-faced Qingmu, wondering to themselves, ’What in the world happened? Why does Steward Zheng look so awful?’

Since most people had left early the previous night, they had no idea what had transpired. Only Xiaonian’s wife, who had a guilty conscience, forced herself to remain outwardly calm.

Qingmu began by recounting the events of the previous night and then announced the penalties for himself, Li Changliang, and the others. His words immediately sent a wave of chatter through the crowd.

When Li Changliang and the others heard that Qingmu had first docked his own pay for two months, they were left speechless. Besides, their own negligence was undeniable.

But while their own fault was undeniable, what about the one who started it all? One by one, they turned, their eyes shooting daggers at Xiaonian’s wife.

Xiaonian’s wife was stunned. She lowered her head guiltily, thinking, ’No one saw me lock the door. Why is everyone staring at me?’

Spurred by her resentment and seeing a convenient opportunity, she had acted on a reckless impulse and locked Qingmu and Jinling in the workroom. It was the simple, foolish act of a village woman, who assumed that if no one saw her, her secret would be safe. She never would have carefully considered the flaws and holes in her plan.

Qingmu coldly raised a hand to silence them, then asked, ”Uncle Lin, who left the workshop after I arrived yesterday?”

Pouting with anger—he had been docked a month’s pay, so he was naturally in no mood to be cheerful—Uncle Lin stood up and pointed out five people: Xiaonian’s wife, Sister-in-law Qiang, and three others.

Qingmu stared at the five women and said in a grave tone, ”After I arrived yesterday, you were the only ones still here. Jinling and I were locked in the workroom, so we obviously couldn’t have locked the door. The person who did it must be among you. Now, including Brother Changliang, Dun, and Uncle Lin, all of you tell me: What were you doing at that time, and who can vouch for you?”

Sister-in-law Qiang and the other women were dumbfounded. ’Who knew a simple trip to the latrine could lead to so much trouble?’ They scrambled to vouch for one another, insisting that the four of them had left immediately after and hadn’t gone anywhere near the workroom. The latrine was located a short distance away to keep any unpleasant smells from the workshop, which, after all, was a place where food was made.

Li Changliang and Huang Xiaodun had even less of a chance to be the culprits. They could both confirm that neither had come over to that area. Furthermore, they explained that a large batch of sausages had just been put into storage, and they were busy counting, recording, and organizing them. When would they have had the time to idly run over and lock a door?

Thus, only Xiaonian’s wife and Uncle Lin remained. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to qidian.com to vote for it with recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)