Chapter 47 New Policy Introduced [First Update]

Jiang's mother and Jiang Fengnian settled into a tile-roofed house in Coconut Grove Village. The small courtyard was tidied up and had a lively atmosphere of daily life.

Jiang Fengnian worked hard at the construction company and was a reliable person, so he quickly gained the foreman's appreciation.

Liu Hong visited more and more frequently, and everyone who saw them would say that the two were a perfect match.

That day, Lu Ye brought back a copy of the People's Daily from the army, his expression showing a rare excitement. After dinner, he handed the newspaper to Jiang Suining, who was reading under the lamp: "Suining, take a look at this. It seems the policy is about to be relaxed, allowing individual businesses."

Jiang Suining's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly took the paper. The more she read it, the faster her heart beat, and her fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the paper, her fingertips turning slightly white.

The individual economy! It was like a clap of thunder in spring! This meant that the long-suppressed economic system had finally cracked open!

An overwhelming excitement surged through her heart. She was overjoyed. After waiting for so long, she had finally gotten this opportunity!

Her mind raced, countless thoughts flashing through her mind. She knew this was just the beginning, but she had to ride this wave!

"Lu Ye, this is fantastic news!" She looked up, her eyes shining brightly.

Lu Ye had never seen her like this before. Her eyes revealed undisguised ambition, excitement, and impatience. He was startled but somewhat puzzled.

Jiang Suining put down the newspaper and paced around the room. Her surging emotions gradually calmed down. She told herself not to rush, to be steady and methodical, not to try to achieve everything at once, and to be down-to-earth. Especially at this time, she could not afford to make any mistakes.

"What's wrong with you?" Lu Ye walked over and hugged her from behind.

"I'm fine, I was just too excited." Jiang Suining turned around and put her arm around Lu Ye's neck. "My mother is a skilled seamstress, she's famous in the village for her craftsmanship."

"Could it be that you want your mother to start a business, like making clothes?" Lu Ye guessed.

“You’re such a clever little devil,” Jiang Suining kissed him on the cheek and let him walk around the living room. “Back in our hometown, which daughter didn’t ask her mother to tailor a dress for her when she got married? My mother is not even fifty yet, her eyesight is still good, her hands and feet are still nimble, and she has this skill. It would be a waste not to open a shop.”

Lu Ye was somewhat surprised, but did not object. He simply pondered and said, "Now everyone buys clothes from the supply and marketing cooperative. Who still goes to ready-made clothing stores?"

"As long as the clothes are beautiful, I don't care if no one comes. Trust me, my aesthetic sense is definitely ahead of its time." Jiang Suining thought to herself that she would draw out the beautiful clothes from later generations and have her mother make them, which would surely amaze everyone.

"Would Mother agree?" Lu Ye was skeptical.

“I’ll talk to Mother about it. The current policy allows us to earn a living with our skills, which is honorable!” Jiang Suining said firmly. “Besides, it can also help my brother. Although Mother doesn’t say it, she can’t wait for my brother to marry Liu Hong. Weddings need money.” She paused and then added, “Furthermore, with me in charge, we can’t go wrong.”

"You're in charge?" Lu Ye pulled Jiang Suining into his arms and playfully pinched her nose. "I think you're pretty ambitious. You probably have more than just this clothing store on your mind, right?"

“We’re really on the same wavelength,” Jiang Suining said, gently tugging at Lu Ye’s ears and shaking his head slightly. “Opening a clothing store would not only increase my mother’s and older brother’s income, but also serve as a stepping stone for me to accumulate capital. Actually, I’ve got my eye on another path.”

Her gaze was intense: "Lu Ye, think about it, what is the one thing this island has the most of? Fish! Seafood! All kinds of fruits. But now, the fish caught and the abundant fruits, apart from those sold nearby, are mostly sold cheaply because they can't be preserved, or they can only be dried into fish jerky and canned, greatly reducing their value. What if we had a cold storage?"

"A cold storage?" Lu Ye was taken aback. This was a huge project, requiring a large investment and complex technology.

“Yes, cold storage!” Jiang Suining said decisively. “We don’t need to start on a large scale. We can start small, renting out or buying fresh fish that fishermen catch that day that they can’t sell immediately, as well as fruits and vegetables, freezing them, and then contacting companies or individuals in other places to do wholesale business! We can’t let the island’s resources go to waste!”

The more she spoke, the clearer her thoughts became. This was a plan she had long ago devised, but she had been hampered by a lack of policy support. Now that the opportunity had arrived, how could she not be excited?

“Of course, this can’t be rushed; we have to take it one step at a time. We need to do preliminary research, we need funding, we need to find people with technical expertise, and we need to find suitable land,” she walked to Lu Ye’s side, took his hand, and looked at him earnestly and with great strength. “Lu Ye, I know this sounds a bit far-fetched, but the policy allows it, and that’s the biggest guarantee! I want to give it a try! For our family, and to live up to the opportunities this era has given us!”

Looking at the burning fighting spirit and clear plans in his wife's eyes, Lu Ye inexplicably found his doubts gradually replaced by trust and support. He grasped her hand in return and nodded: "If you want to do it, then do it. I know a few logistics comrades in the army; perhaps I can inquire about the cold storage equipment and technology. However, you'll have to talk to Mother first."

"Yes!" Jiang Suining nodded vigorously, a bright smile spreading across her face. She actually understood the technology of cold storage, but she still needed to find technical personnel.

Over the weekend, Lu Ye was on duty, so Jiang Suining rode her bicycle to Coconut Grove Village alone. She had spent the last few days sketching several clothing designs to try and convince her mother.

When they arrived at the courtyard, Jiang's mother was feeding the chickens, while her brother Jiang Fengnian had gone to work at the construction company early in the morning.

The sun was shining brightly on the tidy courtyard, where freshly washed clothes were drying under the papaya tree, creating a peaceful and serene scene.

"Mom!" Jiang Suining parked the car, her face beaming with an uncontainable smile.

Jiang's mother was somewhat surprised to see her arrive so early: "Sui Sui, why is it just you? Where's Xiao Lu?"

“He’s on duty today.” Jiang Suining took her mother’s arm and pulled her into the house to sit down. She poured a glass of water from the thermos and then mysteriously took out the sketches and spread them on the table. “Mom, take a look at these.”

Jiang's mother looked down in confusion. The paper contained sketches of women's clothing, simple lines that outlined styles she had never seen before: a fitted t-shirt dress with a unique faux scarf at the neckline; a crisp shirt with subtle pleats at the waist that made her figure appear upright; and a pair of trousers that, unlike the currently popular loose fit, emphasized a tailored look, making her legs appear straight and long.

"This is..." Jiang's mother's eyes lit up. This was so much more stylish than the gray-blue uniform, and even more eye-catching than the clothes hanging in the supply and marketing cooperative. "Where did you see this in the magazine? It looks quite nice. Do you want me to make it for you?"

“I really wanted Mother to make it for me to wear, but this isn’t a magazine cover; it’s something I came up with myself.” Jiang Suining suppressed her excitement and got to the point. “Mother, the country now allows individuals to do business; it’s been reported in the People’s Daily.” She took out the newspaper and read it to her mother.

The smile on Jiang's mother's face vanished, replaced by surprise and uncertainty: "Running your own business? How shameful!" In her mind, "self-employed" was almost synonymous with "not doing proper work" and "speculation," which was extremely disgraceful.

Jiang Suining knew that getting past her mother would be the hardest hurdle, so she wasn't in a hurry. She held her mother's hand and said in a light but strong tone, "Mother! Times have changed! The country encourages it now! Earning a living with your own skills is upright and honorable. What's shameful about that?"

Pointing to the drawings, she said in a seductive voice, "Mom, I'm thinking of opening a clothing store and doing 'custom-made' clothing! We'll make clothes according to these designs I drew, or whatever the customer wants, we'll make it! We'll use the best materials and the workmanship will be even more exquisite! We'll sell each garment for two or three times the price of a ready-made garment from the supply and marketing cooperative!"

"Two or three times the price?" Jiang's mother gasped, shaking her head instinctively. "Who can afford that? Nonsense!"

“Why can’t we afford it?” Jiang Suining argued. “Mom, there are more and more female family members and working women on the island! Who doesn’t want to look stylish? The clothing at the supply and marketing cooperative only has a few styles and the colors are so old-fashioned. They can’t find anything different to wear! Let’s do this unique business!”

Seeing her mother's hesitant look, she threw out another bombshell: "Mom, think about my brother. If he gets engaged to Liu Hong, what about the dowry, the wedding, and having children? Doesn't that cost money? He'll have to work so hard on his meager wages from the construction company and the rent he owes me and Lu Ye. If our clothing shop opens, it'll be a steady stream of income. Later, we can even contact clothing factories for mass production, which will greatly reduce my brother's burden. Don't you want my brother to get married soon?"

Jiang's mother was deeply worried about her son getting married. When Jiang Suining mentioned this, her expression visibly softened.

She remained silent, her gaze returning to the patterns, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edges of the drawings as if caressing an imagined fabric.

“The designs you drew… aren’t difficult to make, and they’d definitely look smart.” After a long silence, Jiang’s mother let out a long sigh of relief. She looked up, her eyes still showing a hint of unease, but more so a resolute determination born from being persuaded. “If the policy really allows it, then it’s not impossible.” She paused, looking at her daughter, “It’s just the capital required to open a shop…”

“Mom, don’t worry! I’ll provide the initial capital, consider it an investment! We’ll split the profits fifty-fifty,” Jiang Suining immediately chimed in. “I’ll find the materials, I’ll definitely find the best and most affordable ones! You just need to contribute your skillful hands. The sewing machine you bought me is sitting at home, I don’t know how to use it, I’m just about to move it to the shop for you to use!”

Looking at her daughter's confident and sparkling eyes, and thinking about the responsibilities her son would bear in the future, Jiang's mother finally broke through the traditional constraints in her heart with her love for her children and her anticipation for a new life. She nodded vigorously, as if to encourage herself, or as if to solemnly promise: "Okay! I'll listen to you! Let's give this 'custom-made' service a try!"