Chapter 161 Taking it out for a spin
Lin's mother carefully took the artificial flower from Lin Baozhu's hand and examined it closely under the dim light of the oil lamp. The flickering flame illuminated her face, making her eyes shine with an astonishing brightness:
"Oh my! This...this is so beautiful! It looks exactly like a real flower!" She looked at it over and over, unable to put it down.
Lin Baozhu tossed her head, her face beaming with undisguised pride: "I made it! I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to check it out. The hair accessories they sell are nowhere near as good as mine! And those sell for six cents each, and so many people are scrambling to get them!"
"My God!" Lin's mother gasped, clutching her chest and clicking her tongue in disbelief. "This little bit of cloth can sell for six cents?! I'm going to talk to the brigade leader right now! No—" She grabbed Lin Baozhu's wrist as if afraid she would run away. "You're coming with me! You're quick-witted and can explain it clearly!"
Her heart was pounding with anxiety, fearing that she might not be able to speak clearly and that the captain might refuse her, thus losing the prize she was about to get.
“Okay, let’s go.” Lin Baozhu readily agreed.
Lin's mother turned to Lin Sanlang and instructed him, "Sanlang, you stay home and look after Huzi and Tiantian. I'm going to the brigade leader's house with your younger sister!"
"Mother, you can go without worry! Leave the family to me, there won't be any problems!" Lin Sanlang patted his chest and assured her.
Lin Baozhu's lips twitched slightly: "..."
Well, all those books I showed my third brother before were a waste. His words are still so… simple and unpretentious.
*
The captain held the exquisitely crafted artificial flower, his fingers trembling, his voice trembling with excitement:
"Bao...Baozhu! Tell your uncle the truth, how much does it cost to make one of these?"
"Around 15 cents."
He then continued, "If we can use defective fabric, it will be even cheaper. Based on the supply and marketing cooperative's purchase price of 45 cents, we can make at least 30 cents in profit per flower!"
Sanmao!
The team leader's mind immediately raced through the calculations: If this stuff gets the hang of, a skilled worker could easily make twenty a day! That means one person could earn... six yuan a day?! Ten people would make sixty yuan! A month's gross profit would be 1800 yuan! A year... Good heavens, over 20,000?!
He not only paid off his debts to the commune, but also had money left over.
He can then use his spare money to build a factory and improve the living standards of the villagers.
"Hiss—!" The captain was dizzy from the shock of his own fantasy. He subconsciously pinched his thigh hard, wincing and gasping for breath in pain.
"Look at you, so useless!"
The brigade leader's wife rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Lin Baozhu, her face full of smiles, but her tone was somewhat cautious:
"Baozhu, Auntie thinks this hair accessory is much prettier than the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative! And it looks... like it wouldn't be too difficult to make?"
She picked up the hair accessory and stroked it carefully a few more times before reluctantly putting it back on the table. Then, she changed the subject and said, "But... I heard that the supply and marketing cooperative has connections when it comes to getting supplies. No matter how good our flowers are, will they... accept them?"
Lin Baozhu secretly admired her aunt's shrewdness, but a confident smile bloomed on her face:
“Auntie, your concerns are valid! However… my uncle knows people in the supply and marketing cooperative! With his help in making connections, I think this matter has a good chance of succeeding!”
Lin's mother, standing to the side, almost choked on her saliva. She resisted the urge to look at her daughter, but she kept thinking to herself: This girl, she just spouts nonsense! What can Li Xiaoxian, that good-for-nothing, possibly accomplish? But right now, she absolutely couldn't let him down.
"What?! You know someone at the supply and marketing cooperative?!"
The team leader slapped his thigh excitedly: "Oh my! This is wonderful! Baozhu! You don't need to work these next two days! Just make a dozen or twenty of these! Have your uncle take them to the supply and marketing cooperative to have them take a look!"
Then, beaming, he promised, "If this really works out, you'll be a hero of our brigade! When it comes to distributing grain at the end of the year, I guarantee you'll get the top credit! And a big share!"
"Alright! Uncle, Aunt, we'll head back now!" Lin Baozhu readily agreed, pulling her still bewildered mother along as they said goodbye.
On the way back, the night breeze was slightly cool. Lin's mother, who had been holding back all the way, finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Baozhu, your aunt's husband... with that way of him always wandering around aimlessly, could he really know people at the supply and marketing cooperative? Could he be fooling your team leader?"
Lin Baozhu walked slowly, her arms behind her head, the moonlight casting a sly glow on her face.
"Mom, don't underestimate him. Didn't he say that he knows some salespeople from the supply and marketing cooperative when he was dealing in medicinal herbs? As long as we give him enough kickbacks, we're not afraid of not being able to meet the leaders who can make the decisions?"
She then continued, "As long as the leaders of the supply and marketing cooperative aren't blind, they'll definitely want our hair ornaments! I'm confident in that!"
"The autumn harvest is all done..."
Lin's mother stroked the artificial flowers in her hand and said, "Baozhu, quickly teach your mother how to make these flowers. That way, you can continue your research at the machine factory while I make them at home! Once we've made about twenty, I'll have your uncle go to the supply and marketing cooperative and ask his acquaintance if they'll buy them!"
"Okay, that's fine too." Lin Baozhu nodded in agreement.
She was thinking to herself that there had been a lot going on these past few days, and things at the machine factory had indeed been delayed quite a bit. Although her second brother and the seventh brother, along with their skilled workers, could handle some basic parts, they were still a bit lacking in the precision and high requirements for the core components; they were always just a little short of the accuracy she needed.
She used this time to quickly finish making the key components. The remaining parts were left for the others to practice polishing. Once all the parts were complete, they could begin assembly—and testing!
When the two returned home, Lin Sanlang was pacing around in the yard, rubbing his hands together. Upon seeing his mother and younger sister, he immediately rushed forward and asked nervously:
"Mom! Little sister! How did it go? What did the brigade leader say?"
"Make about twenty first, and take them to the supply and marketing cooperative to test the waters," Lin's mother replied.
"That's wonderful!" Lin Sanlang slapped his thigh, beaming with excitement. "The flowers my little sister made are even prettier than all those foreign trinkets my older brother and sister-in-law sent back! The person in charge at the supply and marketing cooperative, unless he's blind, will definitely accept them! Once they're finished, I'll go and make a trip there..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Baozhu interrupted him with a glare: "Third Brother, you just need to take care of the black market! I already have someone in mind to get in touch with the supply and marketing cooperative."
Lin Sanlang's eyes widened in shock. "There's someone more suitable than me? Who is it? Bring them out and let me see what they're capable of!"
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