The jewelry section on the second day truly showed the three girls what "dazzling array" meant.
"My God..." Li Xiuxiu stood at the entrance of the passage, staring at the jewelry stalls stretching for dozens of meters in front of her, speechless with astonishment.
It was less a stall and more a shimmering ocean. Gold-plated earrings shimmered under the lights, colorful hair clips spread out like a rainbow, and all kinds of necklaces and bracelets sparkled on the display shelves. What surprised them even more was that the styles of the jewelry here were far more novel and unique than they had imagined.
"Look at this," Fan Hongying picked up a pair of pearl earrings, "the craftsmanship is so exquisite, it doesn't look like something you'd find at a street stall."
Zhan Chunlan carefully examined the materials of the jewelry and noticed that many stalls were already selling imitation gold jewelry, with remarkably fine craftsmanship. "These styles would be extremely popular in Jiangcheng."
The three strolled slowly along the passageway, stopping occasionally to examine the items. At a stall specializing in hair accessories, Li Xiuxiu was drawn to a row of satin hair ties.
"I've seen this kind of hair tie in a magazine," she said excitedly, picking up a dark green one. "Celebrities in Hong Kong all use it to tie their ponytails."
The stall owner, a young woman, enthusiastically introduced the product upon seeing it: "This is the latest style, six colors in one pack, and the wholesale price is even more affordable."
Zhan Chunlan picked up the hair ties and examined them closely, then suddenly had a brilliant idea: "Xiuxiu, you could sell these hair ties in combination with the clothes we got yesterday. For example, this dark green one would look great with that off-white knit sweater."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Li Xiuxiu nodded repeatedly, "You can also wear the hair tie on your wrist as an accessory, killing two birds with one stone."
Fan Hongying discovered something amazing at the stall next door: "Come look at these brooches!"
The glass display case showcased a variety of brooches, including butterfly designs, floral patterns, and abstract geometric designs. Most striking were several brooches adorned with rhinestones, which shone brilliantly under the lights.
"Pin this to the collar of a white shirt," Fan Hongying gestured, "and it'll instantly make a basic piece less ordinary."
The stall owner added with a smile, "These brooches are very popular in Hong Kong; many office ladies love to buy them."
"Sunglasses!" Zhan Chunlan exclaimed softly, quickly walking towards the next stall. There, various styles of sunglasses hung neatly on the shelves, from classic aviator styles to trendy cat-eye designs—everything imaginable.
Li Xiuxiu tried on a pair of brown-tinted glasses, looking at herself in the small mirror from left to right: "These make my face look so small!"
The stall owner, a middle-aged man wearing his own products, smiled and said, "Young lady, you have good taste! This is the most popular style this year; college students from the neighborhood all come to my stall in groups to buy it."
Fan Hongying was drawn to the hat section. Berets, newsboy caps, and wide-brimmed straw hats—each one had its own unique charm. She picked up a beige beret and put it on, instantly adding a touch of French elegance to her look.
"These accessories look ordinary on their own, but they create a completely different look when paired together," Li Xiuxiu remarked. "The same white shirt can create entirely different styles depending on the accessories you choose."
The three continued walking and stopped at a stall specializing in belts. The stall displayed a dazzling array of belts, from thin leather to wide sashes, from leather to canvas. Zhan Chunlan picked up a thin brown leather belt and held it up against Li Xiuxiu's dress:
"Look, with this belt, the waistline is defined."
What surprised them most was the bracelet section. A stall was filled with all kinds of bracelets, metal, beaded, and woven, hanging in layers, making a crisp clinking sound when a breeze blew by.
"These can actually be stacked?" Fan Hongying noticed the shop owner wearing many bracelets, and more importantly, they looked great on her. "Bracelets of different materials and colors worn together create a really nice sense of layering."
There were so many types and styles of jewelry that Li Xiuxiu ordered them all in bulk with the minimum order quantity. Even so, when the three of them walked out, they were carrying so many bags that they could hardly carry them all.
Back at my place, looking at my spoils of the day, the excitement of my shopping spree gradually cooled down. Only after calming down did I realize that I had spent most of my budget on accessories.
Seeing that she was a little anxious, Fan Hongying quickly comforted her: "Why don't you calculate it carefully? The jewelry isn't particularly expensive, it just looks like there's a lot of it."
"I... let me calculate..." She frantically pulled out her account book, her heart sinking with each calculation. "The remaining money really won't buy many more clothes..."
Fan Hongying frowned: "You've already chosen the accessories to match the outfits, otherwise I wouldn't be ordering any this time. I still have a few thousand yuan here, I'll take care of yours first."
Li Xiuxiu refused: "How can that be? You've already made a name for yourself. How can you slow down your progress because of me?"
Just as the two were looking worried, Zhan Chunlan calmly took an envelope out of her bag: "I have some savings here, I can lend it to you for now in case of emergency."
Li Xiuxiu waved her hands repeatedly: "How can this be! You've already helped us so much..."
Zhan Chunlan's tone was firm and left no room for refusal: "It's alright, I've saved a lot of money over the years, how much more do I need?"
Li Xiuxiu was a little embarrassed. She had taken Chunlan's advice and was planning to show off her skills, but now that she was back, she didn't know when she could come back again. So she wanted to buy many styles to test the waters, but she didn't know how many she could actually bring back. "This... I..."
Zhan Chunlan saw through her thoughts and made a decisive decision: "I have four thousand yuan here. You and Hongying each have two thousand. There's no need to rush to pay it back. Just consider it as me investing in you two. You can give me dividends when you make money."
Li Xiuxiu looked at Zhan Chunlan with teary eyes, somewhat surprised. This was probably all of her wealth, yet it was all used for her and Hongying's business. What if they lost money?
"How about I lend you a thousand yuan? You can keep the rest for emergencies!"
Zhan Chunlan placed the envelope directly into her hand: "Don't worry, I have my own. Just keep it safe."
Fan Hongying looked at Zhan Chunlan with sparkling eyes, her heart filled with the excitement of her friend's trust. She believed in herself and was sure she wouldn't lose out. She pushed Li Xiuxiu aside and stepped forward to hold Zhan Chunlan's hand: "Chunlan, invest your money in me, and I promise you won't be disappointed. Just wait and see how much money you make!"
"Alright, this is all my savings, so you two have to watch carefully. You can only succeed, you can't fail, understand?" Zhan Chunlan encouraged the two of them.
In truth, Li Xiuxiu's worries were unnecessary. If she hadn't been worried about the two women feeling burdened, she really wouldn't have wanted to invest. Now it seemed like she was supporting them, but she knew she was actually taking advantage of them. The business was small now, so she could invest with a small amount of money, and she wouldn't have to worry about anything afterward. With Fan Hongying's "favored daughter" status, anything she got involved in was guaranteed to succeed.
Moreover, this was not a blind gamble. Both Fan Hongying and Li Xiuxiu had their own thoughts and goals, and it was not an impulsive act.
Perhaps, she really can make money while lying down.
No, it's definitely true!
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