In the Seventy Courtyard, She Made Her Life Fit

[Group portraits of the era·Awakening of female workers·Factory headwinds·Growth of two strong people·Fireworks] 1978, Lanjiang Machinery Factory. The drill press twisted the sleeves of the female workers, and blood soaked the work clothes. The handover officer slapped the acceptance form in front of Shen Zhimian: "Write 'fits correctly' and this batch of goods is settled." She put down her pencil: "I can't write these words." Forty-seven sets have been issued, and the miscarriage will be recovered and the entire group's bonus will be deducted for rework. The injured were afraid of losing their jobs, the masters were afraid of losing their skills, and the factory blamed "individual carelessness". Everyone told her to just endure it. Shen Zhimian didn't. She was just a little tailor who knew how to take measurements and alter clothes, but she took notes one by one and measured each piece. She uncovered the measurements that women dared not report and the old factory rules that made people tolerate them, so that they could be seen, recognized, and corrected. The mechanical engineering student dismantled her machine the first time. He slapped the worn pressure plate on the table: "The sleeves shouldn't be so big, and the hands shouldn't be inserted into the rotating parts." Shen Zhimian raised his eyes: "Then don't rush to punish just one person." He thought she didn't know how to advance or retreat. It was only later that I discovered that this woman who refused to put pen to paper wanted to change more than just a cuff. From 1978 to 1992, an accident led to the reform of the first factory, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law at the dinner table went to the enterprise for restructuring. She grew up from a little tailor who kept an eye on stitches to being able to build a system and lead apprentices, and finally learned to let go. And the man who always opposed her became the only one who understood why she couldn't finish writing during the repeated downtimes and reworks. A pair of scissors changes a piece of clothing. She changed it inch by inch, stitch by stitch, and finally made the factory, rules, and life suitable for herself.