With the experience gained on the first day, everyone worked together much better.
Taking advantage of the quieter lunchtime, Lu Wanqing went to the nearby state-run canteen to buy some steamed buns, which everyone took turns eating.
After working like this for two days, the last pair of bell-bottoms was sold, and many people were still flocking over to inquire about prices and want to buy them.
"Sorry, the bell-bottoms are sold out, but we have some corduroy pants on sale for only eight yuan a pair..."
Those corduroy pants were originally intended to complement the sale of bell-bottoms. Fifty pairs were ordered on short notice, and more than thirty pairs were sold as a bonus. There are still more than ten pairs left unsold.
Whether or not they can be sold out now is irrelevant; it's just to shut those people up.
"When will it be available again?" someone still asked, unwilling to give up.
When something becomes popular, seeing others wearing it while you don't feel a pang of sadness, like a cat's claws scratching your heart—this is the feeling of many women.
Besides, some people really don't lack money.
In many workplaces in Beijing, a monthly salary can reach over one hundred yuan, so it's not unacceptable for her to spend ninety yuan on pants.
Lu Wanqing had no choice but to say it tactfully:
"You should check out the Dong'an Market next time; you might find some there."
Lin Xiaocui, who was helping to tidy up, was puzzled by her answer and asked, "Sister-in-law, this batch of bell-bottoms made a lot of money. Aren't you planning to buy another batch?"
"I'm not going to go any further. You can never earn all the money in the world. You have to learn to stop when the time is right."
Lu Wanqing said with certainty.
She knew that once something new became popular, people would follow suit, and she wouldn't be able to reap much more profit from it. At most, she could stock some to sell alongside clothes, but even then, the profits wouldn't be as substantial.
Lin Xiaocui was secretly amazed. Lu Wanqing had earned nearly 100,000 yuan in just over ten days, from purchasing the goods to selling them all.
These ten days have sparked a bell-bottom trend in Beijing; one in ten young girls walking on the street is wearing bell-bottoms.
Later, it proved true that bell-bottoms were ubiquitous in the Dong'an Market, with almost every stall selling them.
Moreover, there were more styles available, including men's styles with flared pants, but the price had dropped below ninety yuan. As more and more people started buying, the price war intensified, and in the end, the profit per pair of pants was only ten or twenty yuan.
When A Biao returned from Guangzhou, he faced fierce competition.
Because the purchase price was only 45 yuan and the selling price was only 60 yuan, his second batch of 250 items only yielded a profit of a little over 3,000 yuan, which was more than 1,000 yuan less than the first batch.
He truly regretted not having enough capital when he first purchased the goods.
Upon further inquiry, he discovered that during his absence, Wenwan's clothing store had held a massive promotion and made a fortune, which made him even more resentful.
These capitalists, the richer they are, the more they make!
However, to our relief, the clothing factory that we used to source our goods from is now able to stock those few trendy women's clothing styles.
Those women's clothing items, they ship around fifty pieces a day, and the profits are quite good.
What do I need a bicycle for? Earning a few dozen yuan a day is better than going to work. Then I can finally get rid of the contemptuous looks from my relatives!
When he was packing up his stall, he even specially chose a bright-colored top and a pair of bell-bottoms to take home, thinking of buying them for his cousin.
Back at the Li family home, he straightened his clothes and made sure he was clean and tidy before stepping into the courtyard.
This area is full of cadre family housing, and each house has a small courtyard.
When he came in, the nanny, who was about to go out to take out the trash, glanced at him and then withdrew her hand without opening the door.
Li Boxiong was sitting on the sofa watching TV when he noticed his nanny's state and quickly scolded her:
"I didn't see anyone trying to come in!"
The nanny was an elderly woman in her fifties. Hearing her employer speak, she reluctantly opened the door, then without saying hello, she and Ah Biao stepped aside and went straight out.
"Uncle." Ah Biao greeted Li Boxiong with a smile as he entered.
Li Boxiong smiled gently: "It's late again today. I've saved some food for you. Have Aunt He serve it to you."
"It's okay, I can do it myself." It would be a miracle if Aunt He could serve him.
In this family, only Li Boxiong could give him a kind look. His aunt always had two faces towards him. When his uncle was around, she would only make a few sarcastic remarks, but when he wasn't around, she would start cursing him directly.
They call him a parasite, someone who only knows how to suck blood, a typical piece of trash, and that's how he's been doing for over ten years.
Even the family's nanny knew that he was an unpopular person in the family, and that he didn't need to be given a hard time or treated well.
My cousin wasn't very nice to me before, but since she came back from studying abroad, her attitude towards me has improved a lot. At least she calls me "cousin" now.
Of course, he was already very content. More than ten years ago, everyone on his family's household register died, leaving him destitute. It was truly a rare privilege to have such a distant relative take him in and not starve to death.
Over the years, despite being branded as an uneducated and incompetent person for occasionally bringing things home, he has never defended himself.
He didn't want to put his cousin in a difficult position.
"After you finish eating, take some clothes to your cousin."
Seeing Ah Biao bring out his food to eat, Li Boxiong spoke up.
"My cousin hasn't come back yet?" A-Biao asked casually.
I heard a few days ago that Li Qin moved into the Han family's house because she twisted her ankle.
The Han family is one of the most prominent families in the capital, with many talented individuals. They are highly regarded by the authorities, and anyone who can establish a connection with the Han family will surely achieve great success in the future.
Individually, Li Boxiong does have some power, but compared to the Han family, he is far inferior.
“Okay,” A-Biao readily replied. “Perfect timing. I bought a new outfit for my cousin. I wonder if she’ll like it.”
While he was talking, he sat on the chair next to him, crossed his legs, and quickly shoveled rice into his mouth, which was stuffed full.
"Ah Biao, you're doing hard labor outside, so don't waste your money in the future," Li Boxiong said earnestly, while expressing his dissatisfaction with Ah Biao's way of eating.
After living in this house for so many years, how come you haven't become any more refined? It's true what they say, like father, like son.
He's been worrying lately. He's in his twenties and doesn't have a proper job. How is he going to find a partner and get married?
It's not that we didn't give him an education or find him a job before, but he wasn't cut out for it, and we gave up halfway through each one.
It's said that he now works as a porter, earning a meager living each day, so he hasn't interfered much.
I definitely won't give him the money; his wife at home will have objections.
In short, having already raised them to this extent, we can only hope that they will be more self-aware and leave this home on their own.
Ah Biao was naturally unaware of Li Boxiong's thoughts. After finishing his meal, he grabbed a bag of clothes and headed to the Han family's house.
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