Xia Ruzheng also knew that Wen Zhichao had spent a lot of time just to inquire about the storefront, and he had also inquired about this storefront for a long time before deciding on it.
After clearing the table and letting Haichao go back to sleep, Xia Ruzheng and Wen Zhichao cleaned up the store before closing the door and going home.
Wen Zhichao was riding a bicycle and Xia Ruzheng was sitting on the back seat. The sparse street lights were trying to light up, but the yellowish light could not reach very far, which made people anxious.
Xia Ruzheng kicked his legs, thinking about how to teach Wen Zhichao a lesson later. This guy dared to insult him in front of outsiders. He was really getting too arrogant.
Wen Zhichao felt a chill on his back and couldn't help but ask, "It's only early autumn, why do I feel a little cold?"
Xia Ruzheng said: "I still feel hot!"
When they got home, Xia Ruzheng pressed Wen Zhichao down on a chair, as if to torture him into confessing, and asked, "Why did you say that to me today?"
"What did you say?" Whether he really didn't react or was pretending, it looked like that was the case.
Xia Ruzheng said, "You said I was going to claim to be a Cantonese chef. Who said I was going to do that?!"
Wen Zhichao reacted and smiled brightly, saying, "I think it's okay for you to hang that sign. After all, you're a real chef. I just realized how good your cooking skills are!"
"Just one table is enough for me to handle, and you dare to use a banner. I'll just die of exhaustion."
"Well, money is not as important as a wife. We are not in a hurry to find a wife. We can earn money slowly. I only have one wife. I am exhausted. But there is no other wife as good as her."
Sweet words were quite useful to Xia Ruzheng, so she decisively forgave her husband for his irresponsible talk.
"You plan to open it early next year?"
"Yes, the bookstore owner plans to stay until the end of the year and then go open a restaurant with his brother, so he's going to give up renting this shop. Since you're here tonight, the landlord's attitude is pretty much set. When next year comes, we'll renovate the shop. Don't worry about getting the goods, there are several clothing factories nearby."
"I'm afraid we can't get in from the state-owned factories. They wouldn't even consider such a small order like ours!"
This wasn't just Xia Ruzheng's random guess. Many people have experienced this awkward situation: someone went to a state-owned flour mill to buy flour, hoping to make their own pancakes and sell them, only to be told the order was too small and refused. Everyone knows that state-owned mills are becoming increasingly inefficient. If they refuse to take business that's rightfully theirs, who else will?
Wen Zhichao had already thought of this and said, "Aren't there private processing factories nearby? I know them all, so we can just go and place an order. The clothes made by these small private factories are much more open and beautiful than those made by state-owned factories. I think women will prefer clothes made by those small factories."
Indeed, as absolute supporters of the planned economy, state-owned factories find it more difficult to accept change than ordinary people. They have long been accustomed to the days when they did not have to worry about funds or sales. If they were to say that the future would be dominated by private enterprises and self-employed individuals, they would think it was a huge joke.
Xia Ruzheng felt that this idea made sense. There were indeed several small factories nearby that were struggling to survive. Their biggest problem now was not the lack of resources, but the difficulty in purchasing goods. State-owned factories occupied most of the resources, and it was still difficult for small private factories to obtain raw materials and power.
However, these are not the issues that Wen Zhichao and Xia Ruzheng should worry about. What they should worry about is how to open the store, how to attract attention to their store and how to do good business.
In fact, Xia Ruzheng thinks that the styles of Grandma Liu's clothes are all very good. The old lady is an artist. She used to have to pay some attention to what she wore, but now she has become more open-minded and doesn't have to worry so much. Instead, she looks more elegant and beautiful.
Grandma Liu herself said with a smile: "I am old now, so I have to live life to the fullest. When my face is full of wrinkles and my hair is full of white, I want to dress up, but people will still say I am an old witch."
Xia Ruzheng said, "As people age, their faces change and their hair turns white, but their temperament gets better with age, just like brewing wine. Even if you have white hair in the future, you will still be an elegant old lady."
Xia Ruzheng's words made Grandma Liu very happy. She said, "I love hearing what you say the most!"
When she heard that Xia Ruzheng wanted to learn how to make clothes using these styles, Grandma Liu didn't mind. She picked out a number of clothes for Xia Ruzheng and said, "I can't wear these anymore. I'm thinner than before, and my skin isn't as good as it used to be. If you take them and have them altered, I can wear them."
Many girls of this era know how to sew, so sewing machines are one of the three major items for a wedding. Altering clothes or making clothes is not a difficult task for them.
Xia Ruzheng was no longer so polite to Grandma Liu and said, "That's perfect. I can still study it and draw some more fashionable and beautiful clothes."
Grandma Liu asked, "You're so busy at the restaurant now, do you still have time to do this?"
Xia Ruzheng said: "There is always time to squeeze in!"
In fact, I come back quite early every night. People nowadays don’t seem to have the habit of eating supper outside, so there is not much nightlife after dark.
Grandma Liu smiled with her lips pursed. She could see that Xia Ruzheng was helping Wen Zhichao. The young couple had a great relationship. As an elder, she was really happy for them.
When Wen Zhichao heard that Xia Ruzheng was thinking about clothes, he was worried that she was exhausted, so he hurriedly told her to rest more, saying that the clothing store would open next year after all! Xia Ruzheng didn't think so. After all, she was really free when she had nothing to do.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
