In the spring of 1982, Huamei Clothing Store took advantage of the popularity of the Chinese women's volleyball team winning the championship and launched two sports suits, red and blue. Not only did Liu Meiyun promote the advertisement in newspapers for a month in advance, she also donated 10,000 pieces for free to students in sports schools across the country.
Thus, within just one month, "Huamei Sportswear" suddenly became a hot topic on the streets.
At Huamei's three clothing stores in Beijing, people line up almost every day to buy sportswear at 30 yuan a set. Some people buy two or even three sets for their family at a time.
However, no matter how good the sales volume of the physical store is every day, it is nothing compared to the 100,000 sets of goods stored in the warehouse.
So during that period, even though the store was bustling with people every day, Yao Shunliu was still too anxious to sleep. He thought about moving the goods to surrounding cities to increase sales, but Liu Meiyu just asked him to wait patiently.
Until this day, they finally waited for their first big customer to come to the store, a big boss who came from the south specifically.
"I want 5,000 sets of this sportswear at a time. What's the lowest price you can give me for one set?"
When the salesperson in the store heard the number was 5,000 sets, he was stunned.
Yao Shunliu's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly calmed down and told Liu Meiyun the wholesale price she had already set: "The lowest is 24 per set. We also have a unified price for wholesale here."
The man was wearing a flowered shirt and flowered leather shoes, with a black leather bag tucked under his arm. He was wearing glasses so his exact appearance could not be seen clearly, but he was very straightforward in negotiating the deal. Yao Shunliu asked for 24 per set, and he asked if it could be lower. After getting a negative answer, he simply gave the deposit. They didn't even have to worry about the transportation issue, as he had his own large trucks, and more than one.
Yao Shunliu was still in shock after he loaded the clothes into their car and counted a few sacks of cash. He sold 5,000 sets of clothes so quickly.
That’s not all. A few days later, the phone that Liu Meiyun had spent 5,000 yuan to install in the head office during the Chinese New Year finally rang for the first time. It was the manager of a department store in Shanghai calling to place an order for 8,000 sets at a time. Then, department stores in other places also called one after another, and most of them ordered quantities of tens of thousands.
Yao Shunliu's heart beat faster every time he answered a phone call. In just a few days, 30,000 sets had already been ordered from the order book. As soon as the deposit remittances from these customers arrived, he could immediately arrange for shipment from the warehouse.
As soon as those sportswear were put on the counters of department stores, they were quickly sold out. Not only because the women's volleyball team won the championship and there was a month-long promotion in newspapers, but also because it was the first time that people saw clothes that did not require cloth coupons in a department store.
The 100,000 sets of sportswear were almost sold out in just three months, with only one or two thousand sets left in the clothing store. This single deal also allowed Huamei to earn a net profit of nearly 600,000 yuan.
When Yao Shunliu went to file his tax return, the HR department staff were stunned.
This time, Liu Meiyu took out 300,000 yuan as dividends. She used the money to buy two courtyard houses in Beijing, and kept the remaining money in the account for capital turnover.
This time, through sportswear, Huamei not only made its name outside the capital, but also laid a good foundation for Liu Meiyun's next expansion plan.
As for Xinting Clothing Store, Bai Ting has devoted all her time and energy to it since graduation. She finally contacted a well-connected wholesaler in Guangzhou who could ship goods directly from Guangzhou. Although the prices were a bit higher and the styles were a bit monotonous, it at least saved her a lot of trouble.
She just didn't expect that Huamei would make a fortune by selling sportswear this time. She also regretted why she didn't think of getting a batch of sportswear to sell when the women's volleyball team won the championship.
The business opportunity and market were taken by others first, and there were even many customers who came to her clothing store to ask if she sold Huamei sportswear...
Bai Ting also felt strange at this time, why did Huamei take every step so smoothly?
What surprised her was not the Lu family as a backer, but Huamei's sensitivity to the market. It was as if Yao Shunliu had a pair of eyes that could see through the market in advance. Every time a product was launched, it would surely become a hit.
She only regretted that she had not studied hard in her previous life. She only knew that she could make money by setting up a stall, making a fortune by selling clothes, and becoming a billionaire by doing real estate in the future. However, she did not know that even if she set up a stall and opened a clothing store, there would be a difference.
She wanted to get into real estate in the future, but the problem now was that the initial capital accumulation was too slow. Now that she was a time traveler, she was selling clothes at a stall, but she was not as good as the local Yao Shunliu.
She really didn't want to admit it, and sometimes even wondered if Liu Meiyu, Yao Shunliu's partner, might have traveled through time as well, and it was she who served as Yao Shunliu's eyes.
But after thinking about it carefully, he shook his head and rejected it. If it was Liu Meiyu from the previous life who really traveled through time, she would definitely not get married so early and give birth to three children at once. After being admitted to Huaqing University, she didn't even want a job assignment after graduation and just stayed at home to take care of the children.
A woman who takes the path of a housewife like this can definitely not be the Liu Meiyun who always put her career first in her previous life!
Liu Meiyun has indeed been a "housewife" at home for a long time recently, because her little treasure is going to participate in the "Qihang Cup" Children's Table Tennis Tournament. As a mother, she sees her son standing on the competition stage for the first time and she cannot miss any game.
As for the other people in the family, except Lu Wanjun and Lu Changzheng, who really couldn't leave, Grandpa and Mother Wu also had the same idea as her.
So during those few days, the three of them almost lived in the gymnasium, watching Xiaobao and his group of friends from the Children's Palace advance from the preliminary round to the final, defeating table tennis teams from other provinces and cities all the way and finally taking first place in the group.
Even in the final singles competition, Xiaobao performed excellently and won the third place in the junior singles category, while his teammate Xu Zhenye won the singles championship.
Seeing her little son standing on the award podium, Liu Meiyu smiled and raised the camera hanging around her neck to take a series of photos. She had recorded every game of Xiaobao in the past few days and even recorded how many rolls of film she had used.
The old man next to him was also busy, "Meiyun, take two photos of me in the audience first, and then take two more photos of me and Xiaobao later."
Knowing that the old man must be showing off to his old comrades when he returns to the compound, Liu Meiyu smiled and said, "Grandpa, don't worry."
When the competition was over, Liu Meiyun brought her grandfather and mother Wu to the stage and took a lot of photos of Xiaobao and the trophy.
"Mom, haven't you taken enough photos yet?"
Xiao Bao was like a tool, holding the third place trophy with his cheeks almost stiff with laughter. His friends, Coach Chu, and even the judges of the competition were all staring at them and laughing.
"Okay." Liu Meiyu straightened up, and only put down the camera when she saw her grandfather nod contentedly. She turned around and saw Coach Chu right in front of her, so she took the initiative to suggest taking a few group photos of the children in the Children's Palace.
Coach Chu was naturally happy and took several photos with the children.
Focusing the camera, Liu Meiyu saw a group of children, all with happy smiles on their faces, but her own son Lu Xiaobao, who performed well this time, seemed to be "forcing a smile".
Liu Meiyu didn't think much about it at first, thinking that the child was impatient because he had taken too many photos of her child.
It was not until a few days after the game that Coach Chu called home and said that the child was obsessed with post-match training and did not even take time to rest or drink water. He was afraid that the child's body could not bear it, so he ended the training early, let him go home to rest, and asked his parents to pay more attention.
After hanging up the phone, Liu Meiyu felt something was wrong.
Coach Chu said that the training had ended early these days, but Xiaobao had been coming home later than the normal training time. He said that he was staying in the Children's Palace for extra training.
When her youngest son was not feeling well, Liu Meiyu immediately went to find her eldest and second sons to find out what happened.
Although the three brothers usually love and hate each other, most of the time they still wear the same pants.
"What happened to your brother recently? Why didn't he come home so late?"
Lu Dabao, who was assembling parts after finishing his homework, took the time to raise his head and asked: "Isn't he practicing basketball?"
Liu Meiyun: "Coach Chu called home and said your brother was released a long time ago. Do you two know what happened? If you know, tell mom right away. Don't let me worry."
"I don't know." Lu Erbao shook his head firmly while flipping through the textbook. He blinked and added, "Mom, don't worry. My brother may be back soon after playing outside for a while."
It would have been fine if he didn't add anything, but as soon as he did, Liu Meiyu could hear something was wrong.
"You two must tell the truth, or I won't let you see any meat dishes at dinner tonight."
Lu Erbao was anxious: "No, Mom, my brother and I are innocent."
Liu Meiyun: "You all came out of my belly, and I have the final say on whether you are innocent or not!"
“…”
Dabao, who was standing next to him, glared at Erbao, blaming him for doing something unnecessary.
His biological mother was different from his biological father. If he said one more word, he would be exposed. So he confessed honestly, "Mom, my brother has been playing basketball with someone at the Shichahai Sports School these days. He didn't want you to worry, so he asked us not to tell you."
"I'd only be worried if you didn't tell me!"
Liu Meiyu tapped her two sons on the head. The triplets have now started to hide little secrets from her. In the past, they would cover up for each other when they made mistakes, but now they are hiding things from each other for fear that she would worry.
It seemed as if all of a sudden, the three little ones grew up. Liu Meiyu had never expected that among the triplets, the first time she faced the word "growing up" was with Xiaobao.
Liu Meiyu rode her bicycle all the way to the Shichahai Sports School. She saw some people walking towards the stadium in groups, looking like they were going to enjoy the fun, so she followed them.
When we arrived at the stadium, we found that there were already quite a few people watching there. Most of them were students from the sports school. They were watching and cheering, and it was quite lively.
She squeezed into the crowd and saw Xiaobao standing in front of a ping-pong table, beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down his forehead. His small body was standing straight in the setting sun, his eyes burning as he played a game opposite him with a boy who looked several years older than him.
The match was decided by best of three games. The opponent facing Xiaobao changed his position several times, but he always stood in the same position, leaving no room for his opponent. His shots were swift, his smashes were powerful, and his placements were tricky. He had mastered the horizontal racket quite skillfully.
The desire to win and defeat in his eyes was as hot as the scorching sun.
The sports school students watching the excitement nearby were all full of admiration.
"This junior high school student is amazing. He was able to play for such a long time without losing a single game."
"That's pretty cool. He hasn't lost in the past few days. He even said he'd buy me a soda if I lost. What a guy! I haven't even seen him buy a bottle of soda."
"What world is he going to conquer?"
Liu Meiyun stood in the crowd and watched for two hours, until the afterglow of the setting sun gradually faded away and there were no people around. Only then did Xiaobao fall to the ground, panting, with a look of complete satisfaction.
She walked over, handed him the soda that she had prepared long ago, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
"Mom? Why are you here?" Lu Xiaobao sat up in surprise.
Liu Meiyun: "What do you think?"
"Hey, Mom, I just came here to find someone to play ball with me." Xiao Bao finished a bottle of soda in two gulps and burped comfortably.
"Well, get up quickly after the fight. The ground is cold. Go back and eat quickly."
Liu Meiyu didn't say anything, she just pulled him up from the ground.
The mother and son rode their bicycles home, chasing the sunset and talking intermittently.
Halfway through, Xiaobao couldn't help but suddenly asked, "Mom, do I really have a talent for playing table tennis?"
Cyndi Lau: “Why do you ask?”
Xiaobao: "They all say I have talent, but no matter how hard I practice, I have never been able to beat Xu Zhenye."
Cyndi Lau: "So you think you will never win in the future?"
"Of course not." Lu Xiaobao raised his voice, his eyes firm and determined: "Next year, I will definitely surpass him and take first place."
"And then?" Liu Meiyun asked softly, "What happens after we beat Xu Zhenye?"
After thinking for a few seconds, Xiao Bao answered decisively: "Go and beat others again!"
“…”
Children all have a competitive spirit, and Xiaobao is particularly competitive. Liu Meiyun was afraid that he would get stuck in a rut in the future, so she wanted to give him some advice, but her mind was a mess. The main reason was that she had never given birth to a child or raised a baby in her previous life, so she really didn't know how to guide the child correctly, so she could only copy the spiritual chicken soup she had seen on the Internet before.
"Son, table tennis is your favorite sport. You beat Xu Zhenye, but there are still other opponents who are stronger than Xu Zhenye. Mom hopes that you can play table tennis healthily and happily. Winning and losing are normal. As long as you don't get proud when you win and don't get discouraged when you lose, and practice diligently, you will definitely get better and better. So, you should treat winning and losing with a normal mind, because you still have a long way to go. You can't always win, and you won't always lose either."
"Mom, you're not right."
Xiao Bao thought carefully about what Liu Meiyun said, then he braked and blocked Liu Meiyun's bike with the front of his car, insisting on his own opinion: "I like playing table tennis, and I like the feeling of winning on the court even more. If I lose, I will definitely win again. Among the people I have met now, Xu Zhenye is the most powerful. I will beat him first and then I will beat others!"
"Besides, why should I be calm? I won't be happy if I lose! It means I haven't practiced to the best, so I will practice harder. Anyway, as long as there is an opponent across the table from me, I will definitely beat him. If it doesn't work this time, I will try next time. One day, I will become the best table tennis player!"
Looking at Xiaobao's bright eyes, which seemed to be burning with a spark of fire, hot and pure, Liu Meiyu nodded almost subconsciously and changed sides in an instant.
"Son, you are right. Mom supports you!"
What is needed in competitive sports is a calm mind. The desire to win is the perpetual motivation. Only by having a heart that never admits defeat can one constantly break through oneself.
Liu Meiyu suddenly lost her mind and fed her son some Internet chicken soup. When she was sober, she couldn't even drink it herself.
"But there is one thing you must always remember." She touched Xiaobao's head and said gently: "Whether we win or lose, we must be honest and upright."
"Yeah!" Xiaobao nodded, looking serious: "I know!"
"There's more." Liu Meiyu took the opportunity to say, "In the future, if you feel unhappy about losing a game like this, can you not keep it in your heart and tell mom about it? Mom is not just trying to comfort you, but also trying to help you. If you have any difficulties, we can work together to find a solution, and we can also digest the bad emotions together. You asked someone from the sports school to practice with you, isn't it because you want to experience the different playing styles of your opponents?"
"Mom knows the director of a clothing factory. They are going to hold a table tennis competition in the summer. Some of the uncles in the factory are really good at playing table tennis. If you want to join, Mom will find a way to sign you up."
Director Hao wants to hold a table tennis match in the factory because the factory's performance has improved this year. He also wants to organize some cultural and entertainment activities. He wants to do both so that the report he submits to his superiors at the end of the year can look better.
It's not impossible for Liu Meiyun to sponsor a prize or something and let Xiaobao go in and play another game. It's just finding someone to practice basketball with anyway.
"Mom! That's great! I want to go!" Xiaobao's eyes sparkled and his eyebrows were so happy that they were about to fly up.
So, that summer, Liu Meiyun sponsored 30 sets of sportswear for Director Hao to hold a table tennis competition. Not only could employees participate, but family members were also allowed to sign up together. In addition to a set of sportswear, the first place winner also received a reward of 20 yuan in cash.
In order to win this generous first prize, even those who didn't know how to play table tennis in the factory practiced hard during that period. They also asked their uncles and cousins who knew how to play to try their luck. Lu Xiaobao also participated in the competition as the child of Director Hao's relative.
At first, the factory employees thought that their director, Hao, was really considerate for finding a child to join in the fun.
If he were to go into battle himself, or find an adult, it would be difficult for their employees to win and they would always have to "yield" a bit before they would feel at ease. But finding a child is obviously telling them that they are just here to join in the fun and are not competing for the first prize.
As the game went on, everyone discovered that the kid of Director Hao's relative had never lost a single goal, which was very embarrassing.
They are only in their teens and can't even beat a kid.
Not only that, the kid can play with both hands. Today he plays with your left hand, and tomorrow he switches to his right hand. Also, the way he holds the racket is weird. By the time everyone realized how good he is, the kid has already become obsessed with winning. He made it all the way to the finals, and took home the twenty dollars without any suspense!
When Director Hao presented the award, he had not expected that Liu Meiyu's youngest son would play basketball so well. Not only did he win, he also scored several zero points against his opponent, showing no mercy at all.
Lu Xiaobao used the 20 yuan prize money he won from his first table tennis game to buy a small gift for everyone in his family.
Everyone else's gifts were normal, except for Lu Changzheng's, which were a bit weird.
Lu Changzheng's face was full of black lines: "You gave your mother a vanishing cream and bought me a washboard, Lu Yunsheng, what do you mean?"
Lu Xiaobao: "Dad, didn't you say you wanted to kneel on the washboard when you had an argument with my mom last time? I saw there was no such thing at home, so I bought it for you."
"When did I quarrel with your mother?" Lu Changzheng subconsciously retorted, but then he came to his senses and was so angry that he picked up a washboard and was about to hit someone: "Lu Yunsheng, you stand there and don't run away!"
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