"Should I still order more stock?" Li Xiuxiu was so excited by what she said that she wished she could fly back to Jiangcheng right now.
Zhan Chunlan gently tapped the girl, who was stuffed with flatbread, twice on the head: "You can't even crawl yet, and you're already thinking about walking?"
Li Xiuxiu's mind was completely occupied with her future fashion empire, and she couldn't think straight at all, staring blankly at the two of them.
"Sigh~" Fan Hongying couldn't stand it anymore. "Go in, of course you should go in. But first you need to understand what 'fashion' is, and whether customers will buy the things you bring in. That's what you need to consider right now."
"Oh." Li Xiuxiu snapped out of her reverie, her mood somewhat downcast. "Then I'll flip through magazines these next couple of days to see how celebrities style their clothes. I can't just buy jeans like last time."
Seeing Li Xiuxiu's absent-minded appearance, Zhan Chunlan couldn't help but laugh: "That's more like it. Dreams can be grand, but steps must be taken steadily."
She casually picked up a beige knitted cardigan from the stall and paired it with matching flared pants: "For example, this outfit, I rarely see people wearing it like this even in Beijing, but I just saw several girls wearing it here, and it looks really good."
Fan Hongying joined in, picking up a magazine and flipping to a page: "Look at this Hong Kong star's outfit. It's a simple white shirt and jeans, but adding a silk scarf makes all the difference. I never imagined a silk scarf could have such an effect."
Looking at the scarf, Zhan Chunlan suddenly thought of many ways to style it: "Here, you can tie the scarf around your neck, or you can tie it around your waist, which adds a touch of femininity to the stiff jeans." As she spoke, she walked over to a bag, "You can also tie the scarf to the bag, which creates a different effect."
The three girls rallied and began to seriously study clothing combinations. Li Xiuxiu took out her notebook and, while flipping through magazines, noted down the popular color schemes and styles.
The stall owner, Sister Wang, was a little unhappy to see the three girls whispering and touching this and looking at that without asking the price. She thought it was delaying her from making money, so she went over to ask them to leave and go out to shop.
As she walked over, she overheard a group of young girls discussing outfit combinations, which caught her attention. Being someone who enjoys fashion and also owning a stall, she immediately thought these combinations were great and planned to put a few together herself at her shop.
Sister Wang's furrowed brows gradually relaxed as she listened more and more intently, and before she knew it, she had been following behind the three girls for quite a while.
"You can also braid the silk scarf into your braids," Zhan Chunlan said, picking up a printed silk scarf and gesturing. "Or you can tie it around your wrist as an accessory."
"That's a brilliant idea!" Sister Wang couldn't help but clap her hands in praise, startling the three girls.
Li Xiuxiu cautiously closed the notebook, while Fan Hongying instinctively stepped in front of her friend.
"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous," Sister Wang quickly explained with a smile, "I'm the owner of this stall. I overheard your discussion about pairings, it was excellent!"
She warmly pulled out a few chairs: "Sit down, sit down, let's chat. My surname is Wang, everyone calls me Sister Wang."
The three girls sat down with some skepticism. Sister Wang looked at Zhan Chunlan with bright eyes: "Could you explain the scarf-tying method you just described in more detail?"
Zhan Chunlan exchanged glances with her two friends, and seeing that Sister Wang truly meant no harm, she generously shared: "Actually, there are many ways to use a silk scarf. For example, this small square scarf," she picked up a scarf, "besides tying it around your neck, you can also use it as a headscarf, or fold it into thin strips to use as a hairband."
Sister Wang nodded repeatedly, then suddenly stood up and took several silk scarves of different colors from the shelf: "Come, come, try them on, let me see what you're made of."
Fan Hongying had a sudden inspiration. She picked up a blue printed silk scarf and tied it into a delicate knot at the collar of Li Xiuxiu's white shirt. Sure enough, the originally ordinary shirt instantly gained a touch of fashion.
"Wow! It's so beautiful!" Sister Wang exclaimed. "How come I didn't think of that!"
Li Xiuxiu also became interested. Remembering what Chunlan had just said, she picked up a silk scarf and tied it to the belt loop of her jeans. The hanging silk scarf swayed gently with her steps, which was indeed very beautiful and added a touch of femininity to the tough jeans.
Sister Wang was overjoyed and suddenly said, "How about this, you help me put together a few outfits from the display, and from now on, I'll give you the lowest price when you buy from me!"
The suggestion delighted the three girls, and for the next hour, they showcased their styling skills at Sister Wang's stall. They not only put together five complete outfits, but also carefully named each one and wrote simple styling suggestions.
"This outfit is called 'Urban Beauty'," Li Xiuxiu said, pointing to a white shirt and suit pants. "It's suitable for office workers, both capable and feminine."
"This 'leisure time' outfit is perfect for shopping," Fan Hongying said, showing off her t-shirt and jeans combination.
"This outfit can also be paired with sunglasses." Zhan Chunlan walked over, picked up a pair of sunglasses and hung them on the t-shirt. "Hmm, that's the feel."
What surprised Sister Wang even more was that Zhan Chunlan also taught her a clever sales trick: "Sister Wang, you can prepare some small accessories as free gifts. Give customers a scarf, sunglasses, or something similar when they spend a certain amount. Also, teach them a few styling tips; I guarantee the customers will be happy."
"That's a brilliant idea!" Sister Wang praised repeatedly, "You college students are so quick-witted!"
"So, accessories are also necessary," Li Xiuxiu noted down. "Hair clips, scarves, belts, sunglasses—these are inexpensive and can enhance the overall look."
Before they left, Sister Wang not only promised to give them the lowest price, but also gave them a few extra silk scarves: "Take them and wear them for fun; it's just a small token of my appreciation."
After this shopping trip, Li Xiuxiu seemed to have a sudden epiphany. She no longer shopped solely based on whether she liked something or not. Instead, when she saw a style, she would think repeatedly: Is this color too eye-catching in Jiangcheng? What age group is this style suitable for? What would be a reasonable price?
"You've grown up," Zhan Chunlan whispered to Fan Hongying.
Fan Hongying smiled knowingly: "After all, she's destined to be a garment factory owner."
During the purchasing process, Li Xiuxiu also asked the stall owner a lot of questions: Is this fabric prone to pilling? How should this garment be cared for? She even asked for samples of the fabric.
"What do you need these fabric samples for?" Fan Hongying asked curiously.
"I want to take it back and study it," Li Xiuxiu said earnestly. "If you're going to do this job, you need to understand these basics."
As evening fell, the three returned to their lodgings carrying large and small bags. Li Xiuxiu, without even taking a break, immediately began organizing the merchandise. Following the three pre-planned series, she categorized the clothing and carefully attached homemade tags to each garment, each with styling suggestions.
"This white shirt goes well with jeans or dress pants," she muttered to herself. "Should I get a few more belts?"
Zhan Chunlan and Fan Hongying exchanged a smile. They knew that this trip to Guangcheng had helped Li Xiuxiu find her true direction.
"Let's go to the jewelry market tomorrow," Fan Hongying suggested, "and get all the accessories we need."
"Okay!" Li Xiuxiu replied without looking up, still tidying up her clothes.
It was late at night, and Li Xiuxiu was still studying fashion magazines under the lamp, occasionally jotting something down in her notebook. Outside the window, the neon lights of Guangzhou flickered, illuminating her focused profile.
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