Chapter Thirty-Seven
Seeing that her father had nothing to do lately, Ji Wanmei thought she might as well tell him about her plan to open a general store and discuss it with him.
"Dad, there's something I want to tell you."
Ji Wanmei sat down next to her father.
"What is it?" Ji Xingguo looked at his daughter with loving eyes.
It's rare for his daughter to make a request, and as a doting father, Ji Xingguo naturally agrees to everything.
Ji Wanmei carefully considered her words before speaking: "Dad, I think the market is doing quite well lately. People have a high demand for daily necessities, and retail businesses are quite profitable. The government has also opened up opportunities for individual businesses to participate in the market. So..."
"So I was thinking of finding a store in the county and opening a general store for daily necessities, selling some women's products. What do you think?"
"What?" Ji Xingguo's first reaction was shock.
My daughter actually wants to go into business? Why give up a perfectly good university education to start a business?
Their family isn't short of money.
Ji Xingguo immediately objected: "No way! You're about to go to university in the provincial capital, what are you doing opening a general store? It's just a crazy idea."
Ji Wanmei knew her father would react this way, but she didn't expect his reaction to be so strong.
She gently comforted her father: "Dad, don't get agitated. Let me finish what I have to say."
“I said I’d open a general store, but I’m not going to run it myself. I’ll still go to university as usual. I have a friend in the compound, Luo Chunyan. We’ll partner up and open it together. When the store opens, she’ll be in charge of running it, and I’ll be in charge of checking the goods and accounts. That way, my studies won’t be affected.”
"And then we can get our goods directly from our factory. Think about it, most of the goods in our factory are sold to other cities, and there aren't any large-scale shopping malls in the county yet. Besides, there aren't any specialized women's goods stores in the county. If I open one now, it will be the first one, and business will definitely be great."
"Besides, opening a shop in our county town wouldn't require much in rent or capital. If Dad isn't confident, consider this money a loan to you now, okay? When I make money, I'll pay you back all the capital, and I'll also give you a monthly dividend based on 10% of the shares!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Xingguo was both amused and exasperated: "What kind of things are you thinking about all day long, you little girl?"
"Is Dad afraid of losing money? Dad is afraid that you will neglect your studies. At your age, university is still the most important thing. After you graduate from university, with your qualifications, you can find any good job. Doing business and selling things are the means of survival for the working class who can't find a decent job."
"Don't think it's easy. Running a business means working from dawn till dusk every day, dealing with all sorts of people. There are so many scammers and thugs in society these days, it's not easy for two girls like you to handle them. It's not as simple as you think!"
Ji Wanmei clung to her father's arm and said coquettishly, "Oh, Dad, that's why I want to open a shop in the county, not in the provincial capital. Dad can take care of anything. With Dad here, who in Pingquan County would dare to bully me? Unless they don't want to live!"
Ji Xingguo's words were pleasing to hear; what father wouldn't be happy to see himself as such a tall and mighty figure in his daughter's eyes?
But when it comes to doing business, Ji Xingguo has lived for forty or fifty years, so he has more experience than Ji Wanmei, an eighteen-year-old girl.
He pondered for a moment: "Meimei, tell Daddy, how did you come up with this idea? What are your plans? Tell Daddy your plans in detail."
Ji Xingguo had been in the position of factory director for more than ten years. When listening to reports from his subordinates, he always had to understand the cause, process, and analysis first.
Now that his daughter has proposed opening a grocery store in the county, Ji Xingguo is not entirely against it, but he needs to see how serious his daughter is about this matter, how much she understands it, and her business philosophy and plans.
Upon hearing this, Ji Wanmei knew that her father's attitude was not absolutely against it.
She then earnestly explained the plan she had prepared to her father.
This is similar to reporting a market feasibility plan to your boss, except the audience is your daughter and father.
Moreover, Ji Wanmei spoke very seriously, covering every detail, including the market conditions she knew, price fluctuations, and supply channels. She even mentioned the impact of coastal fashion trends on inland cities and the potential policy changes.
Ji Xingguo was extremely surprised after hearing this.
He looked her up and down as if he were seeing his daughter for the first time: "Meimei, who taught you all this?"
Ji Wanmei knew her father might have doubts, because he had raised her from childhood and knew her all too well.
Eighteen-year-old Ji Wanmei, innocent and naive, could not possibly know so much.
Even if it were a grown man like Yang Zhiping, who had already returned from university but had not yet started working, he might not have the insight and perspective that Ji Wanmei expressed.
But the Ji Wanmei of today is no longer the eighteen-year-old Ji Wanmei; she is Ji Wanmei who has been reborn.
She traveled back from twenty years in the future, so her insights and thoughts are naturally far superior to anyone from that era.
Therefore, it's no wonder that Ji Xingguo was so surprised.
But Ji Wanmei didn't want her father to overthink or worry, so she said, "I also read newspapers and watch the news often. I read all the newspapers you keep at home. Besides, young people these days have a more forward-thinking and daring perspective, unlike your generation."
These past few days, Ji Xingguo has felt that his daughter has undergone some kind of subtle change.
As his daughter grew more sensible and mature, she could now even argue with him, a man in his forties or fifties, about the market and the times.
Ji Xingguo was overjoyed, his eyes filled with pride as he looked at his daughter.
My daughter already has this understanding, so when she goes to university in the provincial capital and comes back to see a wider world, she will definitely be even more successful in the future.
I think opening a general store wouldn't require much capital, and, just like my daughter said, we can still source our goods from their own factory through legitimate channels.
Moreover, Ji Xingguo has many friends and a wide network of connections in Pingquanquan. Basically, everyone will give him face, and he can indeed take care of anything.
If it doesn't affect Meimei's studies, it wouldn't be a bad idea to let her try learning how to do business.
After all, my daughter is already eighteen years old, and in a few years she will be getting married. It is very necessary to let her learn to manage her own finances and finances as soon as possible.
"Your friend, Luo Chunyan, is she really willing to help you watch the shop?"
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