When Zhao Mingyue went to the school to apply for a leave of absence without pay, she was persuaded by the school leaders with reason and emotion. They said that she was one of the first batch of college students trained by the country after the Cultural Revolution, and as a talent of the country, she should live up to the country's cultivation and should not resign to become a self-employed individual for her own selfish reasons.
Zhao Mingyue thought the school leaders made a lot of sense, but she also felt that anyone could do the menial work at the school, while starting a factory would provide more jobs and create more wealth for society, which might be a contribution to the country and society. Zhao Mingyue was determined and wouldn't budge no matter who tried to persuade her, and in the end, her application was approved.
Starting a business requires capital, especially setting up a factory. Even with a low standard of living these days, you'll still need at least several thousand or tens of thousands of yuan. Not to mention renting a space, buying equipment, purchasing raw materials, and hiring workers, all of these require money.
When Zhao Mingyue and her husband first graduated, their monthly salary was 58.5 yuan each. A year later, their salary increased slightly to 68 yuan a month. Shen Xuyue's company had slightly better benefits than Zhao Mingyue's, with some subsidies, which added up to less than 80 yuan. So, the couple's monthly income was less than 150 yuan.
Although Zhao Mingyue is good at managing money, she can't really make much money these days, except for saving money. The couple has only been working for three years, and their household expenses are high, including childbirth, hiring a nanny, and social obligations. They have only saved 1,000 yuan in total, which is far too little as capital.
If you don't have enough money, you have to borrow. The combined salary of Mr. and Mrs. Shen is a little over four hundred yuan a month. Besides food and clothing, their expenses are minimal, and they probably have some savings. However, they don't really approve of Zhao Mingyue starting her own business, so Zhao Mingyue doesn't want to borrow money from them. Instead, she goes to her older sister, Shen Fuyu, to borrow money. Her sister's family owns two vehicles: a truck driven by someone else, and a taxi driven by Yang Maolin himself. Their family is one of the most prominent "ten-thousand-yuan households" of this era, with an annual income exceeding ten thousand yuan. They've already bought a small, detached courtyard house, and their life is thriving—they couldn't be more comfortable.
Zhao Mingyue said she wanted to borrow money to start a business. Shen Fuyu looked at her sister-in-law and said incredulously, "You really want to go into business?"
Zhao Mingyue laughed and said, "Yes, I've already submitted my resignation. I've already gone into business."
If it were a few years ago, Shen Fuyu would definitely have objected without hesitation. However, in recent years, her husband has gone into business and become a successful trendsetter, tasting the sweetness of it. Naturally, she wouldn't stop others from doing the same. But as the eldest sister, she also had her considerations: "You are a woman, not like men. It's not good for you to be running around everywhere."
Zhao Mingyue had no support in her past life, yet she still managed to make a name for herself. In this life, with the right timing, location, and people, the difficulties will only be less. She wasn't worried at all: "It's alright, eldest sister, I know what I'm doing."
"You and Xiaoxu are living a good life, why are you thinking of going into business to make money?" Shen Fuyu asked, somewhat puzzled.
Zhao Mingyue laughed and said, "With my personality, I can't sit still at school. I'm almost suffocating. Besides, Xuyue will be an official in the future. I'm worried that there are too many temptations in the officialdom. What if he goes astray? If our family is rich, he won't have any worries and won't have the motivation to make mistakes."
Hearing Zhao Mingyue's words, Shen Fuyu thought they made sense. Those with power are often flattered and fawned upon, and over time, the issue of integrity becomes unpredictable and remains a potential problem. Considering her sister-in-law was acting in her brother's best interest, Shen Fuyu asked, "How much do you want?"
Zhao Mingyue asked, "5000, do you have that, sister?"
Shen Fuyu stared at her with wide eyes: "You're asking for too much, you really have a big appetite, wanting so much capital right from the start."
Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "I want to go to the south to buy some goods, make a big profit or two, and then come back to open a factory."
"What kind of goods do you want to stock?" Shen Fuyu asked.
Zhao Mingyue said, "Anything is fine, mainly clothing. Let's see if there's anything else valuable and easy to sell, and we can get some of that too."
"The clothes are so heavy, and you don't know anything about them. Are you going alone?" Shen Fuyu looked at Zhao Mingyue in disbelief.
Zhao Mingyue said, "You can check your luggage on the train. As long as you have money, anything is easy."
Shen Fuyu shook her head and said, "You're really bold. I don't dare lend you this money."
Zhao Mingyue said, "Big sister, please trust me this once, I can do it."
Shen Fuyu said, "It's not that I don't trust you, but you're carrying so much money. What if something happens to you on the way? Money is just an external thing, so it's one thing, but if you suffer a loss, how will you live your life? It's too dangerous." A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.
Zhao Mingyue laughed and said, "Don't worry about that, sister. These past two years have seen a crackdown, and the crime rate is already very low. Don't worry, there won't be any accidents." What Zhao Mingyue said was true. Since the crackdown, social order had indeed improved a lot, and the crime rate had dropped sharply. If it were two years earlier, Zhao Mingyue really wouldn't have dared to go out with such a large sum of money.
Zhao Mingyue thought for a moment and said, "If you're worried about me taking so much money, I have another suggestion. I wonder if you'd be willing to come with me. My brother-in-law has a car, right? I'll go with him, buy some northern specialties, resell them in the south, and then bring them back from the south. We'll split the profits."
Shen Fuyu asked with skepticism, "Will this really work?"
Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "There's nothing wrong with it. I'll discuss it with my brother-in-law when he gets back."
Yang Maolin has rarely driven long distances in recent years. He drives his own taxi and has even hired a driver to take turns driving. He drives the day shift, and the driver drives the night shift. He still has time to go home and take care of his wife and children, and his life is quite comfortable.
As evening approached, Yang Maolin returned to cook dinner. Zhao Mingyue and her son were still at their house. Hearing her talk about it, Yang Maolin, who had been navigating the social world for many years, sensed a business opportunity. This trip could earn him at least several thousand yuan, much faster than selling vegetables and fruits. However, the risks were also greater.
Zhao Mingyue said, "Every business involves risks. My brother-in-law driving a taxi also carries risks. We need to make sure there are no accidents, right?"
Yang Maolin nodded: "That's true. But I've never been to Guangdong before. If I pack the goods there, will I be able to sell them? You say you're going to buy goods, but do you even know where to buy them?"
Zhao Mingyue knew that Yang Maolin had asked the right questions: "Selling the goods shouldn't be a problem. Isn't Fang Zhen from Guangzhou? We can ask Fang Zhen's family to help us contact the market. It won't be difficult to sell the goods we transport. As for sourcing, I don't have any connections yet. How about I look for some first, and once I have some ideas, I'll call you and you can come over, okay?"
Shen Fuyu felt that since Zhao Mingyue wasn't carrying much money, the danger would be much less, and they could treat it as a trip: "Is this feasible?"
Yang Maolin nodded: "I think it's feasible."
Although Zhao Mingyue didn't manage to borrow the money, she had at least reached a cooperation agreement. She sent her child to her in-laws' house, went to Fang Zhen's place, and without waiting for Shen Xuyue to return, she packed her bag and headed south to Guangdong alone. Since it was only Tuesday, Shen Xuyue wouldn't be back until Saturday night. If all went well, she might be home by Sunday, but that was just a thought.
These days, trains are very slow. Even the express train from Beijing to Guangzhou takes two days and one night. Upon arriving in Guangzhou, Zhao Mingyue, carrying gifts and some that Fang Zhen had asked her to bring, visited Fang Zhen's parents. The Fang family were native Guangzhou residents, having lived there for generations. They were a prominent clan in the area, with relatives working in various industries, including business, shops, and factories. Due to their advantageous location and circumstances, people from Guangdong were far more business-savvy than those from other regions.
Since Fang Zhen was transferred to Beijing, he hasn't been back home. Zhuangzhuang is over two years old and hasn't met his maternal grandparents yet, which makes Fang's parents very worried. However, Fang Zhen and his wife plan to go back to Guangdong for the Spring Festival at the end of this year, which makes his parents very much looking forward to it. Zhao Mingyue visited them mainly to help bring back some northern specialties, namely ginseng and deer antlers brought back from Northeast China by her elder sister and brother-in-law. There weren't many other northern specialties worth bringing back. The main thing was to talk about Fang Zhen's recent situation.
Things went much more smoothly than Zhao Mingyue had imagined. These days, people are incredibly warm and welcoming. Knowing she was there to find business opportunities, Mr. and Mrs. Fang were extremely hospitable, proactively introducing her to several family relatives in business to help make connections. Accompanied by her relatives, Zhao Mingyue familiarized herself with the Guangzhou market. Then, using the resources they provided, she went to Shenzhen to visit several garment factories, learning about the market and potential cooperation models.
Zhao Mingyue visited a garment factory called Hongfa, which mainly processes and distributes jeans. It was owned by a relative of one of Fang Zhen's uncles in Hong Kong, which gave Zhao Mingyue the opportunity to tour the factory. She was received by a manager from Guangzhou, who was also Fang Zhen's distant cousin. He spoke broken Cantonese-accented Mandarin and confidently accompanied Zhao Mingyue on a tour of his garment workshop: "Our jeans are based on designs from the United States; you won't find another garment like them anywhere else in the country."
Zhao Mingyue picked up a pair of jeans and looked at them. For this era, they were indeed a very fashionable style. She said, "If I need a certain style of clothing, I can place an order with you. How many pieces do you need for you to make for me?"
Manager Fang said, "At least ten thousand pieces."
Zhao Mingyue sighed. How could she possibly afford such a quantity? She then said, "I want to buy three thousand pairs of jeans. When will the factory have them in stock?"
Manager Fang hesitated for a moment and said, "We actually only accept external orders, not individual orders."
Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Yes, of course I know that. But you're in business, and you don't do any business other than foreign orders? Does your company plan to be an agent and processor for the rest of your life? This is just my request for the first cooperation, and the quantity may be larger in the future."
Manager Fang said, "I need to discuss this with my boss before I can give you a definitive answer."
Zhao Mingyue could actually buy the clothes she needs at the wholesale market, but since there are factories, why not order directly from them? This would eliminate the cost of the wholesale market, and she could directly tell them what she needs.
When Zhao Mingyue went to Hongfa Factory again the next day, they replied that the minimum order was 5,000 pieces, and a deposit had to be paid in advance. Only after a contract was signed could they begin production; otherwise, it was just empty talk. Since Zhao Mingyue wouldn't provide the raw materials, who would be responsible for their losses if she later cancelled the order? Moreover, they were only willing to accept the order because of their kinship; they only agreed to it because she didn't need the raw materials.
Zhao Mingyue only brought a little over a thousand yuan with her. A pair of jeans was ordered from the factory for two yuan each. Five thousand pairs of jeans would cost ten thousand yuan in total. Her money was far from enough. However, if she took these jeans to Beijing, they could sell for at least five yuan each. After deducting the cost, she could make at least two yuan per pair, which would amount to ten thousand yuan in one transaction.
Zhao Mingyue gritted her teeth, discussed it with the other party, and agreed to sign a contract first and pay a deposit of one thousand yuan. The other party agreed and promised to pick up the goods in ten days. After signing the contract, Zhao Mingyue called back to Beijing. She had already acted first and informed the other party later. The deposit of one thousand yuan had already been paid, and if the balance was not paid, the one thousand yuan would be lost. She said that if the money was not enough, Shen Xuyue would take out a loan from the bank.
Upon receiving the call, Shen Fuyu naturally had to quickly find a way to raise the money. Her family didn't have enough cash, so she eventually borrowed from her parents, managing to scrape together nine thousand yuan in cash. Generally speaking, people wouldn't borrow money from a bank unless absolutely necessary.
Yang Maolin quickly bought dates and walnuts, which was arranged in advance so that they would be available immediately when needed, and then set off south.
This was the first time the Shen family had witnessed Zhao Mingyue's audacity. Her very first business deal involved investing ten thousand yuan, almost all of their savings. Upon hearing the news, Shen Xuyue's palms sweated. Ten thousand yuan was the sum of ten years' wages for the two of them. He desperately wanted his wife to stay strong and not let anything go wrong.
Five days later, Zhao Mingyue met Yang Maolin in Guangzhou. This time, he personally escorted her to the destination, and of course, he also brought a large bag of cash. In those days, there were no hundred-yuan bills or bank cards; all the bills were ten-yuan notes. Apart from the two thousand yuan invested in the dry goods, the remaining seven thousand yuan in cash filled a whole handbag.
The Fang family was a great help. After the dried goods arrived, they helped find sales channels and sold all the walnuts and dates in five days, earning an extra two thousand yuan from the dried goods. Then they went to the garment factory to pick up the goods. Five thousand pairs of jeans were packed and loaded onto the truck, with payment made on the spot, and their contact information was left so they could contact them again if needed in the future.
Yang Maolin still had two thousand yuan in his hands, which he used to wholesale two thousand yuan worth of children's clothing. When they came, the truck was full of dried goods, but when they returned, it was only half a truckload of clothes, although the value had increased several times.
For convenience and safety, Yang Maolin escorted Zhao Mingyue back by car, while Zhao Mingyue took the train. She bought a sleeper ticket because the journey was too long, and a seat would be exhausting. Zhao Mingyue arrived home more than half a month after leaving. Shen Xuyue happened to be home for the weekend, holding his son's hand. Looking at his travel-worn wife, his nose tingled with emotion: "You're finally back."
Zhao Mingyue smiled at her husband and child, showing her teeth: "Yes, come back. Liangliang, Mommy will hug you."
But Liangliang looked at her and refused to go over, holding his father's hand tightly. Zhao Mingyue felt a little hurt. It had only been so long and her son didn't recognize her anymore: "Don't you recognize your mother?"
Liangliang said, "Mom is dirty."
Zhao Mingyue looked down at herself. In this kind of weather, with no air conditioning and everyone keeping the windows open to cool off, after sitting on the train for almost two days, she was inevitably covered in dust and sweat, and her whole body was dirty. Zhao Mingyue smiled and kissed her son on the cheek: "Mommy is going to take a shower, and I'll come and hug you in a bit, okay?"
Liangliang nodded: "Mm."
Shen Xuyue took the luggage from Zhao Mingyue's hands. Zhao Mingyue said, "There's food inside. Take it to your son." She then quickly ran into the house to get clothes and take a shower.
Mr. and Mrs. Shen were sitting in the living room with the fan on. Zhao Mingyue quickly greeted them, "Dad, Mom, I'm home."
When the two elders saw her return, they greeted her, "You're finally back. Where's Maolin?"
"My brother-in-law is behind us, he should arrive tomorrow." The car is a little slower than the train. "I'm going to take a shower first, I'll tell you all the details later."
When Zhao Mingyue returned from her shower, she saw her son and Zhuangzhuang munching on bananas, while Shen Xuyue was cutting a pineapple. Zhao Mingyue sat down next to her family, held her son on her lap, and rummaged through the bag with one hand: "There are a lot of fruits in Guangdong, but they're hard to bring back because they're too far away. They'll spoil by the time they get back. I only brought some bananas and pineapples. These are dried lychees and dried longans that Fang Zhen's parents gave me."
“This thing is so heavy, it’s enough to put it in your brother-in-law’s car, don’t you think it’s heavy? You’ve lost weight from this trip,” Chen’s mother said reproachfully, but she still cared about her.
Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "I only brought a little bit of each thing; the rest are with my brother-in-law. I came back first, so I should have something to treat the kids. Liangliang, Zhuangzhuang, is it good?"
When buying bananas, I specifically chose the unripe ones. Two days later, they were fully ripe, mainly because of the hot weather. Bananas are scarce in the north because they are inconvenient to transport and difficult to preserve. If they are delayed on the way, they will spoil, so they are expensive and the children cannot eat them often.
The two children were eating happily, nodding repeatedly and saying, "Delicious!"
Shen Xuyue asked Zhao Mingyue, "How is the situation?"
"We'll have to wait for my brother-in-law to come back to find out the specifics. I'll go to the various wholesale markets tomorrow to check things out. I think there shouldn't be any major problems; we should be able to make a profit," Zhao Mingyue said. She explained that people have been wearing baggy pants for decades, but now that people are more open-minded, jeans that show off body curves are the most popular among young people, and she knows they'll definitely sell well.
Finally, Mother Shen said, "You're really bold. You just asked for a ten-thousand-yuan deal and did it without hesitation."
Zhao Mingyue smiled and stuck out her tongue: "That's because I have my parents and Xu Yue as my strong support, which is why I'm so bold. Thank you for your support, Mom and Dad."
Mr. Shen sighed softly and remained silent, while Mrs. Shen shook her head helplessly. The money was already invested; hopefully, it could be redeemed as soon as possible.
That evening, Shen Xuyue didn't return to Tianjin. The couple, feeling a renewed sense of intimacy after their brief separation, enjoyed a passionate night together. Afterwards, Zhao Mingyue pressed her face against Shen Xuyue's chest and asked, "Honey, was I too bold?"
"Yes, a little. But I will fully support you, and I will agree with whatever decision you make." Shen Xuyue's doting on his wife was almost to the point of being unprincipled.
Zhao Mingyue said with a grin, "I won't let you down, just you wait and see."
The next morning, Shen Xuyue got up early and rushed to the train station to go to work in Tianjin. Zhao Mingyue was thinking that once she earned some money, she would buy Shen Xuyue a car so he could drive himself. It would only take two hours to get from Beijing to Tianjin, so he wouldn't have to go through the trouble of catching the train.
After Shen Xuyue left, Zhao Mingyue got up too. She had many things to do that day, including surveying various clothing markets. Children wake up early too; her son Liangliang woke up just as Zhao Mingyue got up. Zhao Mingyue sat in the yard with her son in her arms, watching Shen's father play with the birds. The summer morning was very cool, the birds chirped merrily, and the blue sky above the courtyard was clear and cloudless. Occasionally, a pigeon would fly by, whistling its whistle. Liangliang excitedly looked up at the pigeons, listening intently to the whistles. Back in Beijing, Zhao Mingyue felt that life was finally back on track.
Liangliang hadn't seen his mother for a long time and was very attached to her. Wherever Zhao Mingyue went that day, he followed her and wouldn't let go. Zhao Mingyue had no choice but to take her son with her. She rode her bicycle, put her son on the seat on the front bar, put a wide-brimmed hat on him, and a pair of small sunglasses she had brought back from Guangdong. The mother and son went to the market together.
Zhao Mingyue learned that large department stores were actually selling Apple jeans for 28 yuan a pair—such an expensive price, yet they were selling very well. In regular markets, jeans were rarely seen; they often sold out as soon as they were available. After inquiring about the price, she learned they cost at least 10 yuan a pair. Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, "My goodness, this is outrageous!"
The jeans she bought weren't as good as Apple's, but the quality was still decent, especially the stylish design—they'd definitely be a hit. Even if she wholesaled them to retailers for eight yuan a pair, they'd probably be snapped up. If she didn't mind the hassle, she could sell them herself for ten yuan a pair; five thousand pairs would probably sell out in less than ten days. However, selling them herself would require finding a venue and hiring staff, and the scene would definitely be chaotic. Selling five thousand pairs of jeans would be incredibly difficult.
Yang Maolin returned that afternoon. They discussed how to sell the products and finally decided to wholesale them. Selling them themselves would earn more money, but it would be hard work, especially in this kind of weather.
In those days, the market was still immature, and there were no urban management officers. They set up a temporary tent outside the wholesale market and started selling clothes. Jeans were sold wholesale for nine yuan a pair, with three pairs or more considered wholesale. They sold retail for ten yuan a pair, too lazy to give change. Children's clothing was bought for one yuan a set, and sold wholesale for four yuan a set, or retail for five yuan a set. Soon, people who had heard about it crowded their stall. Yang Maolin had foreseen this and specially hired several strong guys to help sell things and keep watch, but it still couldn't stop the chaos.
Zhao Mingyue and Shen Fuyu were in charge of collecting payments. Some were wholesale orders, others individual purchases; the scene was even more lively than a festival. On the first day, two thousand pairs of jeans were sold, and nearly half of the children's clothing was gone, leaving the group exhausted. Zhao Mingyue paid each helper twenty yuan a day and gave each person a pair of jeans as a gift. Everyone went home happily, agreeing to come back the next day.
After a long day, Zhao Mingyue and Shen Fuyu were exhausted and didn't want to say a word when they got home. Yang Maolin carried the cardboard box containing the money into the house: "Count the money."
Zhao Mingyue and Shen Fuyu waved their hands helplessly: "Let's leave it for tomorrow, our hands are cramping. We'll order it together tomorrow when it's sold out."
Seeing their display, Mr. and Mrs. Shen exchanged a glance: "How are the sales?"
Yang Maolin leaned back in his chair and said, "I've never seen so much money in my life, really. It's selling so well. I can only admire my sister-in-law's foresight. I've been driving for so many years, and I probably haven't earned as much as this time."
Mr. and Mrs. Shen breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Let's eat first then."
The group quickly finished their meal, then locked the box containing the money in the cabinet and went to rest, knowing they would continue the battle the next day. The next day, the scene was even more bustling than the first, as many people had heard the news and came to buy wholesale and retail. Five thousand pairs of jeans and two thousand sets of children's clothing were all sold out in two days.
Zhao Mingyue truly experienced the feeling of counting money until her hands cramped. Bundles of banknotes were counted, neatly stacked, and filled a whole cardboard box. The final amount was 55,426 yuan. After deducting the cost of 10,500 yuan, she made a net profit of more than 44,900 yuan.
The whole family was stunned!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com