These days, Marlena hides at home and doesn't dare to go out.

There are many reasons, one is that the father does not recognize her as a daughter, and the other is that she spent all the money Russell gave her.

Every time she enjoyed the food brought by Russell, her mind unconsciously conjured up his handsome face.

Marlena felt that she was a bad woman, she was obviously married, but it was because of the letter left by her husband, and Russell's kindness to her, that she had a terrible and unrealistic idea.

She felt that she was greedy, Marlena was 27 years old, Russell was two years younger than her, and if it was not calculated according to the institutional hierarchy of the army, Russell was her husband's brother and her own brother-in-law.

"He should call me sister-in-law."

A few days ago, after falling asleep at night, I had a very bold dream.

In the dream, she wore a silk nightdress and a pair of skin-colored suspenders, and danced in front of Russell's eyes.

This made her wake up and immediately change the sheets.

When she saw Russell appear at her doorstep today to rectify the men who had intentions for her, Marlena's heart was full, she felt caring, and an inextricable emotion burst out from her heart.

There is sadness, there is joy, there is excitement and anticipation.

So, she hid in the door and waited for Russell to knock on the door.

I saw him with great anticipation, but I blushed when I thought that I had not been able to complete the work that Russell had given her.

It was her first job.

But it didn't finish on time, which would definitely disappoint Russell.

When Russell entered, Marlena blurted out the words, and when she came back to her senses, she realized that she had said the wrong thing, and she stared down at her toes and slowly moved towards the coffee machine.

Russell turned his head to look at Marlena, and also heard the inappropriateness of this sentence, but did not say anything.

No matter what she said, she would be ashamed and eager to find a crack in the ground to get into.

Russell did not choose to sit in a chair, but sat casually on a comfortable sofa like a friend.

Even though the couch was piled up with Marlena's clothes and stockings, he didn't move.

Russell leaned back on the couch and leisurely looked at Marlena's back.

She is wearing a black dress today, with black stockings wrapped around her legs, and her black and shiny hair coiled up, which makes her facial features look particularly clear.

Suddenly, Russell asked.

"How's it going? I heard Sivena say that you haven't been out all these days, are you in any trouble? ”

Marlena brewed the coffee and brought it to Russell.

Then she looked up and saw Russell sitting next to the stockings she had taken off, and she felt a little ashamed.

Naturally, however, she stepped forward and threw her stockings and clothes into the dirty laundry basket.

"No trouble, Mr. Corleone."

Marlena and Russell kept a little distance and sat on the couch on one side, legs together, sitting elegantly upright.

"I want to apologize to you, I'm sorry... I spent all the money you paid. No one wanted to sell me fabric, so I had to use the money to buy some food on the black market..."

Food on the black market is quite expensive, and a coarse loaf of bread costs thirty lira.

"I should have thought that it would be terrible for the townspeople to do such a thing. As for the cloth, I'll ask Sivena to send it back, and you continue to design clothes for me. ”

Marlena nodded slowly.

She was reluctant to show her weak side in front of Russell, but the current environment she was facing made her have to bow her head and beg...

Doesn't you owe a favor to whom?

At least Russell wouldn't want her to do anything, she's a widow now anyway, and Russell is a bachelor.

If Lang has a concubine, then what are you waiting for?

It's just that Marlena is not sure, she is afraid that she will climb high, and she is afraid that Russell will dislike her as a widow.

Women in this period will have more or less this idea of inferiority after being hurt.

"Those people out there, all these days?"

Marlena bit her lip and nodded, "Yes, they come during the day and won't leave until curfew." ”

"I'll take care of it, Marlena, you don't have to worry."

"Thank you, Mr. Corleone."

Russell drank the coffee in his cup and got up to take his leave.

Marlena sent him to the door, and when he left, Marlena wanted to say something, but she stopped because of her low self-esteem.

Back to the sea view room.

When Russell saw Syvina, he asked her to buy cloth and send it to Marlena.

Sylvana knew why he cared so much for Marlena, and it wasn't because of her husband who had died in battle.

In the evening, Oriyatu returned.

Reported to Russell: "Two ships of fifty tons are ready, and all the food in the nearby town has been looted, but the price has not been negotiated with the black market merchant, and the brother who went to negotiate the price has a dispute with the black market merchant. ”

Russell put down the black tea, raised his eyes and asked, "How many black markets are there in a few nearby towns?" ”

"Thirteen."

"Give them the normal price, and if I don't want to, I'll go and talk to him personally."

"Okay. One more thing I would like to report to you, there are many people who see us getting better and want to follow us..."

Russell said, "Let them start at the bottom, and don't let them touch the core things." When there are many people, it is difficult to manage, and in troubled times, we must use heavy codes. If someone disobeys the order or violates the Seven Commandments, let them jump into the sea by themselves, and do not disturb their wives and children. ”

The seven commandments are to keep one's mouth shut, to put the community above the individual, not to disobey the orders of the superiors, not to defect and turn themselves in, to keep the family secret, not to kidnap without authorization, and to prohibit fights between brothers.

Oriatu responded: "Understood! ”

--

The formalities for the cigarette factory have been completed, and Nivino is busy with the sanitation and refurbishment machines in the yard.

Two days later, the cigarette factory was officially put into production, and 200 workers were in full swing.

They are very grateful to Russell for giving them a job, which allows them to survive the troubled times and feed their families.

When they saw Russell, they rushed up and kissed Russell's shoes.

Soon, half-grown children appeared on the streets of the town, selling people cigarettes produced in Sicily.

Russell was also an old smoker, so he asked Nivino to mix food flavors into the flue-cured tobacco machine and soak the cigarette holder in mint liquid.

A high-end mint flavored cigarette has been developed, which sells for 5 lira in a pack!

Sicilian cigarettes became famous on the island, and in only five or six days they were sold to other towns, even in Catania City and Palermo.

In the past, people were very reluctant to produce locally produced cigarettes, because the smell was very unpleasant, there was a sour smell, like the smell of the feet of a down-and-out beggar in his forties and fifties...

Now, there is finally a local cigarette that tastes good and is very affordable, so I definitely want to support it.

"Boss, in a week, we sold 26,000 packs! Sales reached 100,000 lira, net profit of 80,000! ”

Nevino was thrilled.

He didn't expect the cigarette to be so popular and quickly sold to the surrounding towns.

The capital is only 20,000 lira, but he earns back 80,000 pure profits, which is a huge profit!

Russell was used to this, and he already knew how lucrative the industry was.

That's why I thought about building a cigarette factory.

He understands the truth that no profit can be made sooner, and he understands it better than anyone else.

"It's good, remember to let the workers get their bonuses, they work overtime these days, and we can't be stingy."

Nevino nodded and asked, "Boss, how much should we reward?" ”

"Ordinary workers are rewarded with four times the daily wage, five times for mechanics, and six times for supervisors."

The six-fold prize is only 120 lira.

At the current rate of inflation and the depreciation of the lira, this is only enough money for three days for a family.

"Okay, boss."

As soon as she returned to the sea view room, Sylvina told Russell that Marlena had delivered the news that the suit had been made.

Yes, Marlena didn't send the suit to Russell's house.

Instead, he asked a child to hand over a note.

The implications are self-evident.