In addition to the one or two hundred yuan she already had saved up, her father gave her another two hundred yuan before she left.

She had about a thousand yuan on her.

However, she couldn't use all 1,000 yuan to buy goods. At most, she could buy 500 yuan worth here and keep some to get some daily necessities from her father's own factory.

Selling a mix of trendy and local products is the only way to make money.

If the store is full of "trendy and high-end goods", then ordinary consumers can't afford them, and they won't even dare to ask the price when they walk into the store, which won't work either.

It's still suitable for all ages and tastes, after all, it's a small county town, and people's acceptance is limited.

Ji Wanmei was very confident in her market and business experience; she could even say that she knew more about it than her father.

Ji Xingguo thought this was just her first test, but only Ji Wanmei herself knew that this time, she was determined to win.

The taxi ride took about half an hour to reach the outside of Zhejiang's largest wholesale market.

The fare was paid by Officer Li, and he can get reimbursed when he returns home by presenting the receipt.

The fare was a little over 50 cents. Luo Chunyan clicked her tongue in amazement. In her hometown, a tricycle would only cost 10 cents to take you through the entire county.

Officer Li said, "Let's go find a guesthouse first, then put our luggage down so you can relax and select goods later. I can't accompany you to the wholesale market; I have a meeting with the distributors here this afternoon. I'll pick you up for dinner tonight."

Ji Wanmei smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Officer Li!"

"No trouble at all, it's all within my duties." Li, the clerk, couldn't be happier to take on this job. He could do the factory director a favor and also get paid to go on a business trip. Why not?

After searching for a while outside the wholesale market, we found a guesthouse that looked relatively clean and proper.

The three of them went in and booked two rooms. Ji Wanmei and Luo Chunyan stayed in one room, while Officer Li stayed in the other.

The receptionist asked them to show their ID cards for registration. Seeing that there were two women and one man, she also asked them to show a letter of introduction from their company.

That's right. Back in the 1980s, you still needed a certificate from your work unit to stay in a guesthouse when you were on a business trip.

Since Officer Li is often away on business trips, he naturally had all the necessary documents prepared long ago, and showed the receptionist the letter of certification from his employer.

After checking them in, the guesthouse staff handed them the keys, saying, "Your rooms are on the third floor, 305 and 309."

Unless it's a married couple, male and female roommates cannot be in the same row, so their room numbers are separated.

Ji Wanmei and Luo Chunyan took their luggage and went upstairs to see.

Upon entering the room, Luo Chunyan sighed again, looking at the pristine white sheets and duvet cover, the crystal chandelier, and the vase filled with fresh flowers on the bedside table. The disposable toiletries were also provided free of charge.

"This place is really nice," Luo Chunyan said, touching the bedspread.

She felt like a country bumpkin visiting the city, finding everything new and exciting.

Ji Wanmei found the guesthouse to be fairly clean, and the windows provided decent lighting. Pushing open the window, she saw the guesthouse's courtyard right below.

Since it's on the third floor, there's not much to worry about in terms of safety and theft prevention.

"Let's put our luggage down and go out. We don't have much time to shop at the mall, only two days."

Luo Chunyan quickly emptied some cheap items from her bag, leaving it empty, and said, "Okay, I can set off like this."

Ji Wanmei also had a handbag in her small suitcase, which she used to carry her documents and important items. She didn't feel comfortable leaving these in the guesthouse. Although she had a key to lock the door, it was always better to be careful when traveling.

After they finished packing and went outside, Officer Li was already waiting for them in the hallway.

Ji Wanmei said, "Officer Li, we can go by ourselves, you don't need to see us off."

"It's okay, it's only a few hundred meters away. I'll just walk there and be able to hail a taxi later."

Before they reached the entrance to the wholesale market, Officer Li parted ways with them. Before leaving, he made a point of leaving the phone number of the distributor there, telling Ji Wanmei to call him if she needed anything.

Ji Wanmei and Luo Chunyan walked hand in hand, each carrying a small bag, happily heading towards the wholesale market.

The market had three or four buildings, selling wholesale clothing, leather goods and bags, children's clothes and toys, daily necessities, and everything in between—it was dazzling.