Chapter 33 Exclusive on Jinjiang Literature City

Su Ruyi originally planned to go back immediately after the hula hoop sample was completed.

But her business in the provincial capital was so good that she and Wang Huiting could earn over a hundred yuan a day, so they were reluctant to go back so soon.

Although they felt that business was good in the county, it was still uncertain, and their capital was limited, so they could only purchase a limited quantity of goods at a time.

If you order too little stock, you'll have to pay extra for shipping once it's sold out, which increases your overall cost.

So Su Ruyi decided to stay a few more days, sell all the goods she currently had, and then buy a new batch of goods before going back.

Wang Huiting was overjoyed to learn of this decision.

Business in the provincial capital is so good that she simply doesn't want to leave; the county definitely wouldn't have such a high volume of customers.

However, the people in the provincial capital were quick-witted, and soon someone else was also selling jewelry nearby, and the styles were similar to theirs.

"That person is so annoying! They're copying everything we do."

Wang Huiting was very angry. It wasn't that she wouldn't sell the same things as them, but there was no need to completely copy them.

The woman selling jewelry had made a similar box, set up a similar stall, and deliberately occupied the spot where they usually sat, while also lowering her prices.

If you didn't know better, you'd think the woman's stall belonged to the two of them. Some people who came to buy from her after being recommended by friends got tricked like that.

This situation is extremely easy to occur at this time. As soon as they see a business doing well, everyone will rush to learn it, and this will be difficult to avoid even decades later.

Su Ruyi was helpless about this matter. The territory wasn't theirs, and they couldn't control what others wanted to sell.

The woman clearly knew them; when she saw the two of them, she smiled smugly.

Wang Huiting was so angry that her eyes turned red. Although the vendors in the vicinity were not friendly to them either, they were not this arrogant.

"Don't worry about her, let's just focus on our own things."

However, Su Ruyi still bought paper and pen and wrote on it: "Spend over ten yuan and get a free hair braid."

When business was good, Su Ruyi would pick and choose who to design hair for. She even bought scissors for this purpose. She would trim hair as needed, but she wouldn't do it more than a few times a day because she was too busy.

Although Su Ruyi is skilled, she is not fast and takes a long time to finish a single task.

Sometimes, I can't stand it and I'll even help the other person fix their eyebrows, which takes a lot of time and effort.

Previously, some people wanted to pay her to help with designs, but Su Ruyi refused. She could fool people if it was free, but she would have to take paid people seriously. That little bit of money wasn't worth it; she would rather sell more products.

Now Su Ruyi is directly using this as a perk to attract customers.

Because they arrived late, the two were squeezed into a corner, a more secluded spot than before, and could only attract customers with this big sign.

Although the location is a bit remote, the space is also larger, so there's no fear of it taking up space when people come to get their hair cut.

The lack of space in the past was also the reason why Su Ruyi rarely helped others with hairstyling.

Thanks to the Chinese people's love of joining in the fun, even though their location was a bit out of the way, quite a few people were still attracted by the scene of Su Ruyi braiding people's hair and came over to watch.

As more people see it, more people will notice this corner.

Although business was worse than before, each person could still earn eighty or ninety yuan a day, which was an astonishing amount.

In the evening, it was time to count the money again.

The group shared their unpleasant experiences of the day while counting their money.

No business is ever smooth sailing; you're bound to encounter a few oddball customers.

"Today, an older woman thought we didn't see it and tried to deliberately remove the beads from her hair clip," Zhang Sisi said angrily.

In a large bag of goods, some hair clips may not be glued securely and may fall off during transportation.

I even bought silicone sealant specifically for this purpose, so I could glue back on any pieces that came off. There were also defective products that were difficult to repair, which I would sell at a discount; if I couldn't sell them, I'd keep them for myself.

Jiang Xiaotao: "I also encountered this. The other party tried to renege on the debt, but luckily I saw my cousin. He's tall and strong, so the woman didn't dare to bully me."

"Sister Xiaotao, you're really lucky. My sister almost got scratched by that woman today. She kept cursing and swearing, so we had to change locations, which is why we didn't sell as much as usual today."

Zhang Qiaoqiao was also a little frustrated: "I'm never going there again. It's too chaotic there. We even got robbed today."

At the time, a large number of people came to choose, and they were busy, so they didn't pay much attention.

Once the group left, they discovered that a pair of earrings and a hair clip had been stolen.

Fortunately, they didn't display all their goods, only samples. There weren't many items on display, and the stolen earrings and hair clips were all inexpensive, so the amount stolen wasn't significant.

Although the two girls were heartbroken, they could still manage to cope with the financial burden compared to their income.

The girls chattered away, but it didn't stop them from counting the money.

If you stack ten identical banknotes together, it's easy to count them all at the end.

"Huh?" Su Ruyi touched a ten-yuan note and felt something was off. She picked it up and looked at it. "Tingting, take a look at this ten-yuan note."

Wang Huiting took the ten-yuan note, her brows gradually furrowing. She then held it up to her eyes and examined it carefully for a while, using the light to look at it closely.

"Here's the price!"

Jiang Xiaotao's face froze. She was the one who had collected this stack of money!

She quickly took the money and looked at it carefully. She noticed that the colors printed in some places were indeed a little off, but it was only noticeable upon close inspection.

Jiang Xiaotao burst into tears, crying out, "Ten yuan! It's all fake!"

She works herself to the bone all day and that's all she earns. And that's only because Wang Huiting and Su Ruyi are generous and give her a high percentage of the earnings.

As it turned out, a single bill made her work for nothing all day! Today's earnings were only average, and she might even have to pay more later.

The others didn't know how to comfort her. It wasn't the first time they'd encountered something like this, but they recognized her in time and turned back.

It's not surprising that Jiang Xiaotao, being all alone, is too busy to notice everything.

The gun in her hand was also of a relatively high quality; it was not easy to distinguish without careful examination.

Jiang Xiaotao suddenly remembered something, stopped crying, and exclaimed, "Oh dear!"

"Someone tried to give me a hundred yuan today! But I didn't have that much change, so I refused. Then she gave me ten yuan instead. It seems like that ten yuan was from her! Thank goodness I didn't have any money, otherwise I would have been in big trouble! That person definitely tricked me on purpose!"

Although losing ten yuan is not a small amount, I can grit my teeth and bear it.

If she lost a hundred yuan, it would be like the sky had fallen. Not only would she lose all the money she had earned in the past few days, but she would also have to ask her family for money to help her out!

Their family is considered relatively wealthy in the village, but if they suddenly lose a hundred yuan, they will feel the pain for a long time.

The others were also shaken by what they heard; these days, sleight of hand is not uncommon.

"We can't accept such large sums of money in the future." Wang Huiting felt her heart pounding wildly.

She almost accepted a hundred-yuan note today, but Su Ruyi stopped her, giving the excuse that she didn't have enough change.

Actually, they had enough money. Wang Huiting found it strange at the time, but thinking that if she accepted the hundred yuan, she wouldn't have any loose change on hand, so she didn't say anything.

She had forgotten that there was such a thing as money in this world, since she usually didn't have much money on her hands, and if she did, it was only a small amount; she had rarely taken ten yuan.

Su Ruyi had almost forgotten about this, as she was used to electronic payments and wasn't worried about being cheated. However, she was experienced; she had received plenty of cheating money in her past business dealings, and those money had piled up in stacks, which she had all collected. So, she was still cautious.

Jiang Xiaotao: "How can they issue such a large amount of money? It's really terrifying. If I accidentally lost one of them, I wouldn't be able to sleep for a long time."

When the 100-yuan note was about to be issued, it sparked a lot of discussion, with many feeling that the face value was too high.

If the money is lost, half a month's work will be for nothing.

Of course, some people find it convenient. Many people have more money now, and prices have risen in the last two years. Withdrawing 100,000 yuan from the bank would take up a huge bag, which is very inconvenient.

Jiang Xiaotao's father thought it was a good idea. When he usually settled project payments, carrying a large stack of money was too conspicuous, so turning it into hundred-yuan bills would be much more convenient.

In comparison, Jiang Xiaotao wasn't so upset anymore. Luckily, it was only ten yuan. It was better to work for free than to lose money.

The others were thankful that they hadn't all mixed up the money when they were counting it, otherwise things would have been unclear.

While I sympathize with Jiang Xiaotao's situation, I can't hold anyone else responsible for this kind of thing; I can only accept my bad luck.

However, when it came time to settle accounts, Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting still gave Jiang Xiaotao some compensation, since they couldn't let her work for a day go to waste.

Jiang Xiaotao was very happy. She didn't take any money, but instead took two silk scarves.

The silk scarves were a new addition to the shipment. Su Ruyi felt that silk scarves could be used not only as headbands, but also as scarves and various other decorations.

Decades later, the "old aunties" of this era will love colorful silk scarves the most.

This kind of aesthetic sense isn't something that develops with age; it's something that people crave when they're young. When life gets better, they go crazy trying to satisfy themselves, buying all sorts of colorful pieces.

The aunties and grandmothers that Su Ruyi knew were embarrassed to go out with their girlfriends if they didn't have a few silk scarves.

“I’ll take it back and give it to my mom; she’ll definitely be happy.”

Jiang Xiaotao hasn't told her mother how much money she's earned in the past few days, which has made Aunt Liu quite unhappy. Aunt Liu feels that keeping secrets from her means that Aunt Liu doesn't trust her and isn't close to her.

However, neither of the Zhang sisters mentioned it, so Aunt Liu held back from asking. But every day, the way she looked at Jiang Xiaotao was filled with resentment.

After the first batch of goods sold out, Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting prepared to leave; they couldn't delay any longer.

Su Ruyi still needed to go back and confirm the warehouse matter. Although Li Mei said it had already been rented, Su Ruyi still wanted to confirm it herself.

She also needs to look for a suitable storefront; it doesn't have to be a good street-facing location, just any place will do.

Once this product becomes popular, there will be no shortage of people coming to buy it.

Wang Huiting: "Sister, I really can't bear to part with it."

There are so many people in the provincial capital, and they're all rich. They're incredibly generous; you definitely couldn't earn that much back in the county.

"You're not going to stay here alone." Su Ruyi could tell what she was thinking at a glance.

Wang Huiting sighed deeply, knowing that Su Ruyi wouldn't budge.

After all, the journey from the village to the plastic factory was quite long, and the area in between was desolate, and the area where the stalls were set up was not a safe place.

In just a few days, they witnessed at least three or four people having their belongings stolen.

Their stall was always quite lively, and thieves also came to rob them, but because most of the customers at their stall were girls, the thieves were more noticeable and were unable to take advantage of them.

Su Ruyi also reminded everyone to be careful with their wallets, which is why nothing happened.

As a result, the two women were targeted by two thieves, who glared at them menacingly.

I initially thought I would be targeted, just like before, but I later discovered that the thieves didn't dare to do anything.

This is, after all, the most bustling area in the city center, a landmark of Qing Province, so while there are many petty thieves, they don't dare to cause trouble openly.

“We can make money even if we go back to the county! It’s just that after we sell this batch of goods, it won’t be easy to come back to the provincial capital.”

"That's not necessarily true."

Su Ruyi paused, sat up in bed, and checked on the Zhang sisters in the next bed.

The two little girls were already asleep, but Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting were still discussing things, so they hadn't lay down yet. Normally, they would have gone to bed even earlier.

However, Su Ruyi still whispered in Wang Huiting's ear, "How about we take Auntie and Qiaoqiao to buy some goods tomorrow?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Huiting immediately understood what Su Ruyi meant.

"Sister, do you want to let Aunt and the others run this business?"

Even though the wholesale market is right there, you might not be able to get the right goods or a good price. You still need to figure things out yourself.

Su Ruyi nodded: "We don't have any conflict with them in the county, and they can help us get the goods and then have a car or someone take them back, so we don't have to travel all this way here."

“That’s a good idea. Once Qiaoqiao and the others go to school, Auntie can continue this business.”

Wang Huiting had no objection to the suggestion, only saying:

"But does Auntie know how to judge these things? These things are constantly changing, one minute this is popular and the next minute that is popular. Auntie doesn't understand these things."

Su Ruyi also knew that this was a big problem, directly determining whether the business could continue.

Tong Dahua lived a frugal life and knew nothing about dressing up.

Zhang Qiaoqiao wasn't much better; she knew less about fashion and matching than Zhang Sisi.

Su Ruyi had also taught the two of them how to braid hair, but while they were incredibly quick and efficient at other things, they were clumsy when it came to learning this.

"If new items come out, have them send them along with the styles we selected before, and then we can decide on the quantity to order after we've made our selections."

The winds of change don't blow as fast in small towns, so many of the styles they choose are classic and less likely to go out of fashion.

So this method, although a bit slow and troublesome, is currently the most suitable one.

Unless business in the small county is exceptionally good, allowing her to keep coming back to restock, this is the only way she can manage.

“That’s good. Then she can just follow us to choose the products. At worst, it’ll be a bit slower, but at least it’ll be safer. I just don’t know if my aunt has the guts to go to the provincial capital to sell them.”

The Zhang sisters and Jiang Xiaotao's business in the town was far less successful than their business in the provincial capital; their market was very limited.

Although they were already quite satisfied with the money they earned in a day, Wang Huiting felt it was still far from enough.

Not everyone dares to venture into the provincial capital. Although Xinghua Village is relatively close to the provincial capital, the people there are much more resourceful than those in remote rural areas.

Most people just work for others; few dare to set up their own stalls, and at most they sell some vegetables.

"Anyway, we'll tell her that it's up to her to decide whether she wants to go or not."

Su Ruyi wouldn't mind giving them a hand, but the other party had to be proactive; she didn't have time to do ideological work.

The next day, Su Ruyi brought it up with Tong Dahua.

Zhang Qiaoqiao and Zhang Sisi's eyes lit up. They were very reluctant to see Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting leave, as the business deal would fall through if they did.

Although the wholesale market was right there, their parents definitely wouldn't let them go into the city on their own.

Not to mention them, even adding Wang Huiting wouldn't work; only Su Ruyi is a special case.

Tong Dahua initially disagreed, feeling that this was a way to make money off Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting for nothing.

But when she heard that she was asked to help, Tong Dahua immediately agreed.

Zhang Sisi knew that Tong Dahua and Zhang Qiaoqiao were going to the provincial capital, and she insisted on going with them.

Despite Xinghua Village being so close to the provincial capital, Zhang Sisi had never been there even once in her life.

There are many people in the village like her; it's mostly the men who go out, while the women and girls stay at home.

Tong Dahua: "We're on business, we can't possibly have time for you."

"I won't wander off, and I can even help carry things."

"No, if you want to go, I'll take you another time, but not today."

Zhang Sisi muttered, "You've said this so many times, but you've never taken me to the provincial capital even once."

Su Ruyi didn't speak up for them; the wholesale market was indeed very chaotic and extremely crowded.

Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting were separated in the crowd before. If they were to bring a child, they might really lose the person.

Even if Zhang Sisi is obedient, she is still a child, and she is very small. Once she is squeezed, she will quickly be buried in the crowd. In this day and age, without a mobile phone, it is very inconvenient to contact her. The process of looking for someone can be terrifying.

Zhang Qiaoqiao: "I'll buy you a new schoolbag."

Zhang Sisi wasn't a willful child, so although she was disappointed, she didn't persist.

"I don't want a schoolbag, just buy me more pencils, my pencils are all worn down to the tip."

"Okay, I'll also buy you a fountain pen. You'll probably start learning how to use a fountain pen next semester."

Zhang Sisi perked up immediately, but quickly added, "Sister, I'll just use your pen. Here, take the new one."

Zhang Sisi's clothes, shoes, textbooks, bags, and so on were basically passed down from her older sister.

She didn't feel that her parents were biased because the clothes Zhang Qiaoqiao wore were also gifts from others. She was always happy to receive second-hand items from her sister, and they were all new to her.

Tong Dahua's eyes stung as she watched, regretting that she had spoken too harshly earlier.

"I'll buy you a new pair of shoes, and Mom will definitely take you to the provincial capital in a while."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shitou jumped up and down anxiously, drawing Tong Dahua's attention.

Tong Dahua laughed and said, "I'll take you with me too."

Zhang Shitou immediately cheered happily, picked up Zhang Sisi, and spun her around.

Watching from the side, Zhang Dagui couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips into a smile.

I was quite unhappy before because Tong Dahua would go back to her parents' home from time to time, and each time she would bring a lot of things back, but they didn't show any appreciation.

Looking at it now, at least my second brother's family is doing well, so it's all worth it.

In the future, the children can help each other out, especially with their niece Su Ruyi around. They won't have to worry about their daughter being bullied after she gets married, and their son will have someone to look after him when he gets old.

Tong Dahua and Zhang Qiaoqiao had heard of the wholesale market before, but this was their first time here, and they were both shocked by the scene.

"You guys are really brave. I'm completely lost in a place like this."

Zhang Qiaoqiao pursed her lips and kept observing her surroundings, memorizing every road and every sign.

She will be coming to the provincial capital with her mother to buy goods in the future. Her mother is illiterate, which is inconvenient for her in many situations, so she will have to remember the items. Otherwise, the place is so big and there are so many people, if she doesn't remember them, she might not be able to find them next time.

Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting took the mother and daughter to several familiar stores to purchase goods, and introduced them to the owners, saying that they would come to buy goods often in the future.

Although Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting only came to pick up goods twice, these business people are shrewd and remembered everything.

I noticed that they were taking more and more goods each time, and their attitude had improved a lot. They even took the time to greet Tong Dahua and praise her children for being capable.

Tong Dahua was very happy, and her nervousness had lessened considerably.

After purchasing the goods, the group went to a nearby restaurant for a meal.

This shop was discovered by Wang Huiting through trial and error; the prices are fair, the food is delicious, and the portions are generous.

Tong Dahua was initially reluctant, but she insisted on dragging her in, and only then did she cautiously enter the restaurant.

Although it was just a tiny, run-down restaurant with a rather terrible environment, she still felt unworthy to eat in such a place. What a waste! She could have eaten so many meals with that money.

"You guys really know how to spend money!" Tong Dahua couldn't help but say.

Wang Huiting is now full of confidence; she's quite wealthy now.

"Auntie, isn't the point of making money to spend it? When I make a lot of money, I'll make you eat one plate and throw the rest away, and then give one plate away for free."

"Oh dear, oh dear, this won't do, this is too wasteful, how can we squander food like this?"

Just imagining that scene made Tong Dahua feel like she was going to be punished by heaven.

Everyone burst into laughter, and the matter was dropped.

While waiting for the food, Wang Huiting divided up some of the goods she had just received, which was also why they needed to find a restaurant to eat at.

They bought all the goods together to try and lower the price.

Zhang Qiaoqiao used all the money she had earned in the past few days to buy more goods, hoping to make a fortune before the start of the school year so that Zhang Sisi wouldn't have to worry about her tuition from elementary to junior high school.

She can buy some study materials from time to time. Although her tuition is completely free, there are still places where she needs to spend money.

For example, you have to prepare your own ink and notebooks for drafts, because the ones provided by the school are not enough.

Zhang Qiaoqiao wasn't burdened by this. Even if she couldn't sell them, she wouldn't suffer any loss, and she even earned back a fountain pen, which was something to be happy about for her family. Her fountain pens were all issued by the school. She should have been using fountain pens long ago, but her family couldn't afford to buy them, so she always used pencils, and she had to be very careful with her use.

"Sister Tingting, you gave me too much."

Zhang Qiaoqiao noticed something was wrong when she saw Wang Huiting's actions.

She remembered the prices very clearly and knew exactly how much stock she could buy.

The goods that Wang Huiting sorted out were almost double what she received.

Wang Huiting ignored her and continued stuffing things in according to her own ideas, then handed them to her once they were packed.

That's all.

Su Ruyi and Wang Huiting finally decided not to keep any money. Their aunt would definitely return it to them when she went to the county, so they might as well give her more goods.

Those that are sold are theirs, and even my aunt isn't entirely sure.

Wang Huiting gave her a warning look, as if to say, "If you keep nagging, I'm not going to be friends with you anymore."

Zhang Qiaoqiao pursed her lips and ultimately remained silent, remembering this kindness in her heart.

After dinner, Su Ruyi didn't let Tong Dahua and Zhang Qiaoqiao take them to the station. The two places were at opposite ends, which would be a waste of time, and the area was also very chaotic.

"Auntie, Qiaoqiao, come visit me sometime."

Wang Huiting waved to them, and Tong Dahua and the others got on the bus first because their bus arrived quickly.

After seeing the two off, Su Ruyi said, "Tingting, let's go find something else to eat."

She wasn't actually hungry, but she kept the food to avoid her aunt overthinking things.

Su Ruyi always controlled her food intake at the Zhang family's house, eating a little outside before going back. Otherwise, she could have finished all the white rice and flour at her aunt's house in the past few days.

Su Ruyi was also helpless about her good appetite. Her stomach was like a black hole. If it weren't for her strength, she would have thought that her stomach was full of worms. No matter how much she ate, she was never full.

"But if it gets any later, I'm afraid I won't make it back in time."

Su Ruyi said nonchalantly, "It's alright, we can just stay another night. We can sell more goods in the provincial capital. I heard the night market in the provincial capital is very lively now, and we might even sell better than during the day."

“That works!” Wang Huiting immediately relaxed upon hearing this, as she had been worried about missing the train.

She didn't want to go back in the first place, and she would be even happier to stay one more night.

She's different now than before; she doesn't feel as bad about spending money on guesthouses anymore.

Since there was no rush, Wang Huiting wanted to take Su Ruyi out for a nice meal. "Sis, I'll treat you to a big meal! I couldn't manage to treat you last time."

She had previously said she would treat Su Ruyi to KFC, but ended up buying the seasonings and making it herself. Her aunt even bought the two chickens, and refused to accept the money offered to her.

Wang Huiting would feel guilty if she didn't treat Su Ruyi to this meal; she wouldn't have been able to make money so easily if it weren't for Su Ruyi.

Unexpectedly, I saw an acquaintance as soon as I arrived at the restaurant.

Lu Ting was also surprised to see the two of them: "What a coincidence, I didn't expect to run into you here."