Chapter 73 End of the Year

Time always passes quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was New Year's Day of 1994.

The arrival of New Year’s Day means that the Chinese New Year is not far away.

Even though it is not yet the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, train stations and ticket sales outlets are already packed every day. Even the news has reported on the spectacular scene of people queuing up to buy tickets at the station.

Lin Qiu's family had decided long ago not to go home for the New Year, but Lin Ping had to go back, so everyone had been worrying about her train tickets recently. She had to go to work, and Lin Qiu and Wang Xiuren didn't have time to queue up during the day, so buying the tickets was a hassle. It was thanks to Yang Guiman that they were able to buy a seat ticket.

The money for the tickets plus the things to take home, all added up, is at least three or four hundred yuan, which is a month's salary.

Lin Ping had always been missing home, after all, he had been away for almost a year, but with all these things happening at once, he didn't want to go back home anymore.

But Lin Ting called her early and repeatedly told her to go home for the New Year, so Lin Ping could only pedal the sewing machine angrily, hoping to earn more money to make up for the loss of going home.

Soon after the train tickets were booked, the garment factory began to close for the holiday. Lin Ping packed his luggage and lived in Lin Qiu's house. He accompanied Lin Qiu to the newsstand every day, and together with Zhang Guixiang who couldn't stay in the rented house, the three of them gathered at the newsstand every day to eat melon seeds.

"Sister Lin, are you still going to do the Spring Festival couplets business this year?" Zhang Guixiang asked Lin Qiu directly while spitting out melon seed shells and thinking about selling Spring Festival couplets last year.

Lin Qiu finally reacted.

Ever since he paid back his brother's 30,000 yuan, Lin Qiu felt that life had become extremely easy.

The house has been bought, the debt has been repaid, the newsstand earns a lot of money every month, Wang Xiuren also works hard, and even his daughter is well-behaved and cute, so he doesn't have to worry about her.

So, Lin Qiu almost forgot about selling Spring Festival couplets.

As soon as Zhang Guixiang mentioned this matter, Lin Qiu immediately became aware of it.

He stopped cracking the melon seeds in his hand and put them directly on the counter. "Sell, of course I have to sell them. If you hadn't told me, sister-in-law, I would have almost forgotten about it!"

"Then will you still take me with you?" The straightforward Zhang Guixiang spoke directly.

"We will bring them, of course! Not only you, but also Lin Ping." Lin Qiu assured vigorously.

"You must not forget me when such a good thing happens!" Lin Ping picked up the teacup and drank a glass of water. His mouth was very dry because he had cracked too many melon seeds.

"Then when do we start?" Zhang Guixiang looked at Lin Qiu eagerly.

Lin Qiu was a little overwhelmed by the direct gaze.

"Of course the sooner the better! I'll go back and think about it today."

"It's settled then."

Zhang Guixiang and Lin Ping smiled at each other. They could make money again. It turned out that there was meat to eat if they followed Lin Qiu!

Lin Qiu has been thinking about this matter after dinner. Spring Festival couplets need to be sold, but since three people are going to do this seriously, it can't be like last year.

Last year, I got the goods myself, and then Zhang Guixiang got them from me. I took as much as I sold, and there was no middleman to make a profit from the difference.

Since the two of them want to get involved this year, then let's be brothers, settle the accounts clearly, and officially start the Spring Festival couplet business.

Actually, I am not willing to do business in partnership. It is said that there are three things that you should not do in life, and one of them is not doing business in partnership. But one is her own sister, and the other is Sister Guixiang who has helped her a lot since she met her. Her family has already bought a house and settled down, and she also hopes that they can take root in this city.

Lin Qiu sat on the sofa with a notebook, writing and drawing, frowning from time to time.

"What are you planning to do now?" Wang Xiuren sat down next to him and stretched his neck to look at the notebook.

Lin Qiu moved a little to the side and told Sister Guixiang that she and Lin Ping wanted to sell Spring Festival couplets together.

"This is a good thing! Why are you frowning?" Wang Xiuren was a little confused.

"Last year it was just a small business. If we want to sell it this year, it won't be so easy with three people involved. I'm afraid that our relationship will fade as we do business together!" Lin Qiu told Wang Xiuren about his concerns.

"Not really, right? It's not a big deal! Besides, you have such a good relationship." Wang Xiuren felt that Lin Qiu was worrying too much.

"What's the size of a business? As long as there's profit, disputes are likely to arise." Lin Qiu glared at him. Although the Spring Festival couplet business is small, the profit is not small.

"Don't be so anxious to glare at me." Wang Xiuren leaned back on the sofa, "I think your problem is actually very easy to handle!"

"What do you mean?" Lin Qiu looked at Wang Xiuren with burning eyes.

Wang Xiuren rubbed his beardless chin with a smug look on his face. "Either the three of you contribute money and buy the goods together, and no matter who sells more or less, you can split the profits equally."

"Either you go and buy the goods, and then sell them to them at wholesale prices, and you make a little profit from the difference. As for how much they can earn, it depends on their own abilities."

Yes! Lin Qiu suddenly realized and knocked his head with the notebook. He could be an agent, even though there were only two people who bought the goods under him.

"There is another way. Do you want to hear it?" Wang Xiuren deliberately kept the question in suspense.

"If you want to say something, hurry up!" Lin Qiu pushed Wang Xiuren's arm anxiously.

"Don't worry!" Wang Xiuren looked at his anxious wife with amusement, "The third option is to hire them to help you sell the goods, pay them wages, and give them rewards if they sell more!"

"That's great, Wang Xiuren!" Lin Qiu praised loudly, "I didn't expect you to have such a good business sense. I never noticed it before. This is the legendary true person who never shows his true colors!"

Lin Qiu's straightforward flattery made Wang Xiuren feel comfortable. He had hoped to take the opportunity to ask his wife for some sweet favors, but Lin Qiu lay on the coffee table and wrote furiously without even raising his head.

The next day, Lin Qiu explained the three options proposed by Wang Xiuren to the two of them in detail and asked them what they thought.

The two of them got together to discuss it, and finally decided to take the goods from Lin Qiu and sell them themselves, and how much they sold depended on their own ability.

Afterwards, Lin Qiu asked Lin Ping why he chose the second option.

"First, we don't have much capital and are afraid of losing money, and we don't know the source of the goods. Second, I've tasted the sweetness of selling popsicles and I'm not willing to just take a fixed salary!" Lin Ping said what he and Sister Guixiang were thinking.

There was one thing she didn't tell her sister, which was that she and Sister-in-law Guixiang agreed that they had already taken advantage of her sister a lot, and it would be inappropriate to share the profits in the name of partnership. Although they want to make money, they still have to have principles and bottom lines.

The business of selling Spring Festival couplets was launched in this way.

Lin Qiu continued to go to the Guangshi Debao Trading Market to wholesale Spring Festival decorations, and still looked for the kind-looking old lady.

This time, no matter the categories, styles or quantities, the purchase amount is more than last year, so the old lady gave a little more profit and took the initiative to lower the purchase price a little.

Lin Qiu also exchanged phone numbers with her and agreed that if Pengcheng ran out of goods, she could call. Once Lin Qiu transferred the money, the old lady would send a bus to take the goods over.

On that day, Lin Qiu called the newsstand, rented a tricycle, and loaded four large bags of Spring Festival decorations onto the bus.

When I got off the bus, Lin Ping was already waiting at the bus station.

The two sisters didn't call the tricycle to transport the goods. Instead, they each carried two large bags and squeezed onto the bus.

That afternoon, the newsstands were put up with Spring Festival decorations.

Zhang Guixiang and Lin Ping each bought a batch of goods from Lin Qiu, and one set up a stall at the entrance of each community, and the other set up a stall at the entrance of the vegetable market.

Spring Festival decorations are indispensable for the locals during the Chinese New Year, so the three of them have good business. Especially as it gets closer to the end of the year, the decorations sell better. Even Wang Xiuren and Zhao Dalong help to set up a stall at the intersection of the pedestrian street to sell Spring Festival couplets. They have to call the old lady and transfer money every two days.

It was not until December 25th that Zhang Guixiang and Lin Ping ended their business.

This time, Lin Qiu didn't even need to ask to know how much they had earned. After all, every purchase was recorded. Although the two of them did not make a fortune, they at least made a decent amount of money.

Lin Ping generously bought Wang Shan equipment for the New Year and a large amount of snacks and toys, which made Wang Shan so happy that she wanted to stick to her aunt 24 hours a day.

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, Zhao Guixiang invited her two families to Shanghai Seafood City for a sumptuous reunion dinner.

On the 26th, with Wang Shan in tears, Lin Ping and Zhao Dalong and his wife embarked on their journey home.

Lin Qiu and his daughter continued to work at the newsstand, while Wang Xiuren continued to set up a stall on the pedestrian street to sell Spring Festival couplets. It was holiday anyway and it would be boring to stay at home, so he might as well go out and make some money.

After all, who would complain about having too much money!