In September, Qian Qing finally received the autumn clothing photos and pictorials sent by Ding Jie, as well as a batch of samples. Qian Qing took the samples to Song's Tailor Shop, which she often visited. Boss Song was still wearing a cheongsam, and his hair had grown from the small curls he had before the New Year to long straight hair, which was scattered behind him, making Boss Song look a little younger.
Qian Qing was so sweet: "Sister Song, you are getting younger and younger."
When Boss Song saw her coming, he glared at her in a reproachful manner: "Except for the one visit before the New Year, I haven't seen you in the past six months. You are so busy making money that you have forgotten about us old friends, right?"
Qian Qing quickly excused herself: "Of course not. Aren't you busy? Besides, every time I come here, it's to bring you business."
That's true. Boss Song walked over with a twisted waist and asked, "Do you still want me to help you alter your clothes this time?"
"right."
Qian Qing spread out the samples in her hand and said, "Please shorten this coat for me. It's so short..."
"Also, this skirt has a bad fit and needs a new waist."
"And this one..."
Qian Qing gestured and showed the samples to Boss Song, who readily agreed. Qian Qing was very generous in paying for alterations as long as the quality met the requirements. And she would not be restricted from making the same style of clothes again...
Just as I was thinking about it, I heard Qian Qing suddenly say, "Sister Song, I have a request for the clothes this time."
"All the designs of the clothes made in this batch cannot be leaked."
This was also what Qian Qing had thought of in advance. She wanted to run a clothing business. If this style was unpopular when she was making the pattern, what clothes would she sell in the future?
Boss Song was just thinking that Qian Qing would not restrict her, but Qian Qing immediately said that she couldn't do it. Before she could figure out how to treat Qian Qing, she heard Qian Qing continue to say: "I can sign a contract with you. Let's go for a monthly package price. I'll charge you two hundred per month."
Qian Qing had considered this price carefully. Any more would not be very cost-effective for her. Two hundred was not a low price. Qian Qing could even hire a tailor with this money. But Qian Qing had worked at Song's for the longest time, and Boss Song was the one who was closest to her ideas. However, the other party had his own tailor shop, so it was not easy for Qian Qing to hire someone. So, it was easier for her to sign a long-term cooperation agreement.
Sure enough, as soon as this was said, Boss Song agreed immediately. Two hundred a month, just to alter the clothes, where can you find such a good thing!
Qian Qing took the opportunity to take out the contract that she had prepared long ago. It stated that the contract period was one year and the total number of styles was not to exceed 400. In addition to the modification, each piece of clothing had to be matched with the size of the pattern, with at least three sizes. At the same time, it was also stipulated that the relevant styles could not be leaked. Once leaked, Boss Song would have to compensate Qingyue Clothing for the loss.
This rule is strict, but it is not difficult to comply with. First of all, Qian Qing is in charge of the design, and all changes are up to her. Boss Song does not need to think about how to change, but only needs her to make some minor modifications. Moreover, this clause is written in detail, and the essence is actually one thing, that is, the relevant styles cannot be leaked from her. This is also easy to say. Boss Song used Qian Qing's design before to learn some details, and she would not do such a thing as giving the style to others.
After the two parties signed the contract, Qian Qing took out the documents that Wen Lan had prepared for her before she left, and gave them to Boss Song, asking her to go to the accounting office in Xiaodongmen to collect the money every month.
Qian Qing repeatedly modified and innovated new styles of clothes, and finally went to the provincial capital with a suitcase full of samples.
The train rumbled, Qian Qing turned her head and looked at Zhou Hao who was sitting next to her.
Originally, she was going to the provincial capital alone this time. Zhou Hao was now the deputy captain, so he was very busy at work and had schoolwork to do. Who knew that last night Zhou Hao suddenly told her that there was nothing important at work recently, and that they had not gone out together since they got married, but he actually packed up his things and followed her.
"…Is there really nothing going on with the maintenance team?"
Zhou Hao didn't think much of it: "The quarterly overhaul has just passed, and now is a free time. Besides, the school has just finished a phase, so there is no need to go."
Qian Qing finally felt relieved. Zhou Hao's companionship this time not only delayed her work, but also made her feel much more relaxed in many other ways.
First of all, she basically didn't have to squeeze in with her suitcase when getting on and off the bus. Zhou Hao's height could separate the crowd directly. He carried the suitcase in one hand and pulled her with the other hand. She was also much more relaxed on the bus, no longer as nervous as before, always craning her head to stare at her luggage.
Zhou Hao basically took care of all the chores on the road, making Qian Qing's trip seem extremely easy.
When I went to the provincial capital, the outside of the station was very different from last year. There were many more fixed stalls around the train station, and it was no longer as messy as before. It was obvious that the provincial capital had already taken control of the area around the train station in the middle of this year.
Qian Qing made some adjustments to her original plan when she brought Zhou Hao with her this time. Zhou Hao was right. They had rarely gone out before and after their marriage. This time, they were able to go out together, so apart from work, they naturally had to set aside time to go shopping together.
Zhou Hao and Qian Qing didn't inform Lao Ding in advance when they came to the provincial capital this time. They just randomly found a hotel to stay in. There are more and more hotels in the provincial capital in recent years, and the decoration is getting more and more luxurious. The one Qian Qing chose looks very new. There is hot water and TV in the room, and two small beds in the standard suite.
At night, Qian Qing lay on the bed and flipped through the small notebook she had prepared before coming. She had already inquired before coming and called several garment factories in the provincial capital in advance to communicate in advance.
Most of the garment factories she selected were not very large and had seen declining performance in recent years. It was not difficult to find such state-owned factories, after all, they had been hit hard in the past two years. Many factories had not changed their thinking and were still using the same old methods, with the styles of clothes not changing for more than 20 years.
You have to know that everyone's life has improved a lot in recent years, especially the farmers in the countryside. Since the household contract responsibility system was implemented, there are very few families that cannot afford to eat.
In the past, people regarded those old coarse cloth clothes as treasures, but now many people will not even look at the clothes if they find they are made of coarse cloth.
A few years ago, everyone was pursuing a pair of urea pants, thinking that they were rare and durable. But now every household has more money, and no longer expects a pair of pants to be worn for more than 20 years as before.
Qian Qing wrote down the meeting times she had arranged with several factories in her notebook. She was looking for a contract manufacturer now, and she was attracted by the ready-made equipment and labor of state-owned factories. However, she still needed to investigate more details, such as the style of the factory leaders, the ideas of the factory workers, and the types of fabrics the factory could get...
Every single pile must be taken into consideration.
Zhou Hao came over, wiping his hair, and saw that his wife's notebook had four or five dates written on it, usually half a day for each place. There were still several days left, so he immediately became interested.
"Wife, where should we go for the rest of our time?"
Qian Qing's thoughts were interrupted by Zhou Hao, and she remembered that she did have to consider a few other things before going out this time.
"People's Park, Zoo... You decide the location and time."
We should find something for Zhou Hao to do. Even though she has been out for several times, she is really unfamiliar with these places for eating, drinking and having fun. It would be better to let Zhou Hao take over.
Most importantly…
"Let's go find Lao Ding tomorrow and ask him to help me. I want to buy a few stores in the provincial capital."
When the OEM factory is finalized, we will have to establish a contact point here. There are also Xu Ahua and Fang Ru. Now the supply channels for sanitary napkins are almost established in Y City and several surrounding cities. Naturally, the provincial capital cannot be left behind. We need to establish a sales point here.
Seeing that she was talking about work again, Zhou Hao simply took the small notebook from her hand and hugged her tightly.
"There's no such thing as a temporary solution. We'll know tomorrow when we go visit one of the stores."
Why are you still studying like you did in school, holding onto books and studying like crazy before the exam? There are only four or five factories in the provincial capital that meet the requirements, and you can visit one in half a day, and the job will be done in two or three days. Is it worth it to think about it like this?
Yes, Qian Qing obediently let go of the small notebook in her hand. It was also the first time for her to come into contact with these state-owned factories in the name of a company owner, so she couldn't help but be a little too nervous.
You will know what the factory is like when you go there tomorrow, right?
The next day, the couple slept until they woke up naturally, and found a stall downstairs to eat a bowl of chicken soup. The old man with wrinkles on his face had two large soup pots wrapped in insulation. On the other side were two earthenware jars with greasy chicken cubes.
A bowl of hot tofu pudding is poured out of the jar, drizzled with broth and sprinkled with diced chicken. A few slices of burnt rice noodles are broken off and a few drops of sesame oil are added.
Served with a broken white steamed bun, it immediately drove away the sleepiness in the early morning, and the whole person was awakened by this bowl of delicious tofu pudding.
After breakfast, Zhou Hao followed Qian Qing to the factory where they had agreed to meet today.
The first factory they were going to visit was the one Qian Qing was most optimistic about. After all, this factory had been in business for a long time, and had been in operation for more than 20 years in the provincial capital. It had hundreds of workers and was well-known.
Even if you want to find a contract manufacturer, it is definitely better to find a large factory than a small one. Apart from other things, the fabrics obtained by a large factory are more complete than those of a small factory.
The two arrived at the garment factory named Hongxing. Qian Qing was well prepared this time. She not only brought the latest business card, but also a letter of introduction with Qingyue's official seal.
When they arrived at the Hongxing Garment Factory, the security guard stopped them outside.
Qian Qing was a little puzzled, and took out the introduction letter and business card in her hand to show him: "Master, look carefully, I am from Qingyue Clothing, and I have an appointment with Director Li of your factory. I called you the morning before yesterday, and we agreed to come to visit at 10 o'clock this morning."
The guard waved his hands impatiently: "What appointment time? I haven't heard of this! Just go find whoever you made the appointment with. Director Li is not here!"
Qian Qing saw that he was wearing the factory work clothes, but he was sitting crookedly and had no posture. He moved a chair and sat at the gate with his feet raised high, and there were cigarette butts scattered all over the floor.
Qian Qing had no choice but to take out a pack of Hongtashan cigarettes from her bag and pass it over.
It was Zhou Hao who reminded her to bring some cigarettes and candies before she came. Zhou Hao worked in the factory himself, and although he was usually quiet, he knew a lot about the interpersonal relationships in the state-owned factory.
King Yan is easy to deal with, but the little devil is hard to deal with.
Especially in a state-owned factory like this where operations are difficult, the workers below will not care much about the factory.
Sure enough, after I gave him a pack of Hongtashan, the guard's attitude became much better. Although he still didn't let me in, his tone was noticeably softer.
"Director Li is really not here. If you want to see him, come back the day after tomorrow."
Qian Qing took out a pack of cigarettes. Of course, she would not be satisfied with such an answer. She asked, "Then you have to give me an explanation of where Director Li went. Otherwise, how can I go back if I came all the way here and didn't even see a shadow of him?"
The guard held the Hongtashan in his pocket, but he couldn't ask for it directly. If it was just this young woman, he wouldn't be so scared, but the tall and strong man next to her really put a lot of pressure on him. If he didn't make things clear today, the other party might even take back his cigarette.
"... Director Li went to a meeting and said that a trade fair will be held next month and that all factories are being mobilized to attend."
This news is not fake, and it is not a secret. After all, the factory has already hung a banner about the trade show, and it is obvious that they are preparing to participate next month.
Trade show? Qian Qing's eyes sparkled, and she keenly sensed the business opportunities here.
When we asked the security guard about the trade show, he couldn't tell us anything. He just said that the factory was busy preparing the designs for the trade show and the leaders were in meetings and not there.
Although she didn't meet him, she got the news about the trade fair. Qian Qing didn't seem to be in a bad mood when she dragged Zhou Hao away. Although she still didn't have a good impression of Director Li, even if he was away at a meeting, how difficult would it be to leave a message?
It's because you think her company is not big enough, so you are so disrespectful.
Qian Qing didn't think being looked down upon was a big deal. The fact was that her company, Qingyue, had just started, and many things were not formal enough. Even the accounting and company structure were only just figured out with the help of Wen Lan.
But Qian Qing finds this situation very challenging.
In the afternoon, Qian Qing went to visit the second factory. The leader of this factory was there and took Qian Qing to see the production workshop, the fabric storage location, as well as the canteen and dormitory in the factory.
"We currently have more than 80 workers. Excluding some workers in the logistics department, there are more than 60 workers who are on the front line for a long time."
"Most of the fabrics came from Beijing, and some were imported as foreign exchange. These are the fabrics we have now."
Yin Qin introduced Qian Qing to a deputy director of the factory, whose surname was Xing.
When talking about the inventory of fabrics, his brows furrowed. If it weren't for the inventory of fabrics, the factory wouldn't be in such a state of crisis. Even the workers' wages have been in arrears for two months. When receiving the call from Qian Qing, Director Xing realized that this might be the only chance for the factory. If he didn't seize this opportunity, it was possible that the factory would go bankrupt.
"This batch of fabrics is imported. Look, the quality is very different from domestically produced fabrics."
To be fair, this batch of fabrics is indeed good, but it is only good that is a problem. Most of the styles their factory made before were trousers, but the trousers made of such good fabrics have a fatal weakness, which is that they are not wear-resistant.
Factory Director Xing has been worried about this batch of fabrics recently. The pants made from them are not durable, and the tops can't be made into any fancy patterns. No matter how good the fabrics feel, they are just sitting there. Most importantly, this batch of fabrics is expensive. If he makes ordinary clothes and sells them, he won't even get back the cost.
Several leaders in the factory quarreled over this matter, and every time in the end they all blamed each other and accused each other of why they had imported this batch of fabrics in the first place.
Factory Director Xing was not very confident, and when he took Qian Qing to see the fabrics, he did not dare to explain much.
But Qian Qing's eyes lit up when she saw this batch of fabrics.
Among the clothing styles she brought this time, there were several pieces of fabric that she was not very satisfied with. Now looking at this batch of fabrics, it was like a pillow given to her when she was sleepy!
Such a soft texture, paired with several other colorful fabrics, the resulting clothes are exactly what she wants!
Just as she was about to speak, she saw Director Xing's face change. He said to Qian Qing, "This is all we have in the warehouse. Let's go look somewhere else."
Before he could finish his words, he heard someone knocking on the glass window with something outside. After a while, he heard a burst of crying.