Chapter 152 Will foreigners really be willing to pay for mountain climbing?
Compared to last year's autumn Canton Fair, Feiyan Textile Factory is under tremendous pressure at this spring's Canton Fair. Last time, their goal was simply to secure a few tens of thousands of ordinary T-shirt orders. This time, however, they brought high-cost poplin and mid-range fabrics like wavy yarn, fearing they wouldn't be able to sell them at a high price, which would be fatal for them.
If foreign buyers don't buy in, Feiyan Textile Factory will face very difficult conditions this year.
On the other hand, Hongxing Textile Factory snatched away some of the T-shirt export orders. The province clearly favored Hongxing Textile Factory in doing garment export, while the previous T-shirt export orders did not have special markings, and any factory could do them, which caused them to suffer a great loss.
For domestic and foreign trade companies, it doesn't matter who handles the foreign trade orders, but it's different between factories.
This time, Feiyan Textile Factory must make a splash and demonstrate its unique technological advantages in order to secure the support of the province.
Making low-end T-shirts doesn't require much technical skill, but if they have the technology to make poplin and sell it to foreigners at a high price, that's a unique skill that others can't learn!
The provincial government, foreign trade companies, and port authorities all knew that Feiyan Textile Factory wanted to make high-count yarn fabrics. Many people thought they were being delusional. Although poplin fabric is good, very few people have the technology to make it.
Of course, it's not that those with poor skills can't make poplin, but rather that it's "not worth it." What does poor skill mean? It means high costs and a lot of good cotton will be wasted. Making high-count yarn with medium-length cotton is expensive to begin with. During the spinning process, poor skills can easily lead to "broken ends," and the resulting poplin is prone to "square holes," which means the fabric surface is uneven and flawed.
Ordinary cotton fabric is geared towards the general public. Generally speaking, if there are any flaws, so be it. Flawed fabric is also very popular and there is no worry about selling it. There is no need to be too tense during the textile process, nor is there any need to worry about costs. It is most comfortable to make ordinary cotton fabric from cheap raw cotton. Ordinary people are easy to please and not picky.
The high defect rate of high-end fabrics is a fatal problem, even more serious than that of ordinary cotton fabrics, which is simply a waste of money.
However, on the other hand, if a textile factory can produce high-end fabrics like poplin and strive to reduce the defect rate and control costs to the minimum, it is definitely a symbol of the factory's "technical strength".
But most textile factories would never challenge this kind of "technical capability". Wouldn't it be better to just honestly make some ordinary cotton cloth?
Zheng Jianguo, the factory director of Hongxing Textile Factory, knew that Feiyan Textile Factory was going to make poplin. He thought that Qin Xiangxiang was too young, brave but reckless, and that the old man was eating poison. He really thought he had too much time on his hands.
Zheng Jianguo ridiculed Feiyan Textile Factory countless times in the factory: "No matter how well the poplin is woven, can it be as good as silk? Poplin is not real silk after all; it is made of cotton!"
"Foreigners don't understand this stuff called 'popu silk,' so why would they be willing to spend money to buy it?"
"Foreigners don't understand poplar silk, and people in China can't afford it. Qin Xiangxiang must have been out of her mind."
"The Mawangdui patterns they created are a complete joke. They call them ancient patterns? Even we Chinese don't buy into this, so why would foreigners?"
"Keep dreaming."
This time, Qin Xiangxiang and the others were still arranged in the same Canton Fair guesthouse. The couple shared a room with Xiao Suisui, while Li Jinling and her husband did not come this time, but stayed at the factory to rehearse a cultural program.
Qin Xiangxiang said, "You two siblings are very different. Jinling is easily startled and has never seen such nice furnishings in a guesthouse before. But you are like a thousand-year-old turtle, your expression is completely still."
Upon hearing this, Li Jianzhi picked up his daughter and went to examine the television, muttering, "Why isn't it a color television?"
Qin Xiang wanted to kick him, "We're country folk coming to the city, don't pretend to be city people going to the countryside."
Li Jianzhi: "You are the true country bumpkin."
Sui Sui: "Steamed corn bread?"
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Let's get up early tomorrow and go have dim sum. We can have shrimp dumplings, braised chicken feet, and spare ribs. I like the steamed spare ribs here."
Li Jianzhi: "Your Su Peisheng is trembling like a leaf, with a black eye on his face, and you, Factory Director Qin, still have the mind to have morning tea tomorrow."
"He still needs to work on his mindset."
The couple took Sui Sui downstairs for dinner and, unsurprisingly, ran into other textile factory managers. It seemed that their textile group was always assigned to the same place. Many familiar faces from last year were there, including Chen Shulan, the silk weaving factory manager, Liao, the "salty fish" factory manager, and Zheng Jianguo from Hongxing Textile Factory.
Standing next to Zheng Jianguo was Zeng Jinfeng, a top female worker in their factory, the only level eight female worker in the factory, and previously the only sewing worker who could operate a buttonhole machine.
Although Zeng Jinfeng was mischievous with the sewing machine and unwilling to teach newcomers her skills, she was indeed a highly skilled worker and a prized employee of the Hongxing Textile Factory. She also possessed her own unique "Jinfeng Needle Technique," which she was unwilling to easily pass on to outsiders.
Even if her trickery with the sewing machine was exposed, Zheng Jianguo couldn't do anything about it. He had to cover it up for her, beg her to work, and let her lead people to make export T-shirts.
When Zeng Jinfeng saw Qin Xiangxiang, she arrogantly raised her chin and said, "A truly capable person doesn't do anything fancy. Only those with real skills can stand firm."
Zeng Jinfeng, an old-fashioned female worker, actually looked down on Feiyan Textile Factory's opportunistic practice of using substandard dyes. She felt that it was purely accidental and "opportunistic" rather than a real skill.
Zeng Jinfeng makes her own clothes and refuses to use substandard dyes; this is her bottom line, and she has her own pride.
Master Rong spoke frankly: "Technique? Everyone has some technique. I only acknowledge technique if it passes my eye."
Qin Xiangxiang brought four experienced workers from the factory with her to the Canton Fair this time, enough to make a mahjong table, to avoid seeing Assistant He and Yang Zhixia, these young people, exuding a sense of dejection and anxiety every day.
Master Meng: "Good wine needs no bush."
Master Liao: "Technique? As long as it's fast, that's all that matters."
Master Li: "Quality represents technology."
...
Qin Xiangxiang tugged at Li Jianzhi's sleeve and pulled him aside to talk. She thought to herself, "Luckily I brought my deadbeat husband with me this time, otherwise I would have no one to complain to."
Li Jinling's personality definitely wouldn't allow her to criticize the old master.
“What do we call this in our factory now? We call it ‘old people flourishing while young people decline’. The young people are decadent and listless. Yang Zhixia said she has no appetite. Assistant He is so thin that he can’t sleep at night… while we, the seniors who are about to retire or have already retired, are all full of energy and have even made a pact to go mountain climbing next year.”
Qin Xiangxiang brought several veteran workers along so they could experience what it's like to have a "publicly funded trip." After all, they had met "Salty Fish Brother" from the organizing committee, who, upon learning that they were retired technical workers, helped them get more Canton Fair membership certificates approved.
"Salted Fish Bro" is the guy who sold dozens of tons of salted fish at the Canton Fair, and is now a member of the organizing committee.
Li Jianzhi: "Let's go hiking too, it's a good aerobic exercise."
"I think you're itching for a beating."
Chen Shulan, the factory manager of the silk weaving factory, took the initiative to greet Qin Xiangxiang. Chen Shulan was actually very curious about the current situation of Feiyan Textile Factory. After all, they had indeed woven the silk fabric, but the weaving cost and the defect rate were unknown to outsiders. Only Qin Xiangxiang, the factory manager, knew the answer.
In addition, Director Chen also saw the news about Qin Xiang protecting national treasures. She was very curious whether foreigners would really buy into the so-called Mawangdui patterns.
All of this is unknown.
Chen Shulan joked, "Director Qin, your Feiyan Textile Factory can make poplin now? That's impressive! Our two factories can cooperate in the future; we can blend our silk with yours."
Chen Shulan is curious about Feiyan Textile Factory's current exploration of blending technology. She believes that in the future, silk will likely also incorporate blends with synthetic fibers, since, practically speaking, silk clothing is not something ordinary people can afford.
Because silk is difficult to care for, easily wrinkles, shrinks, and wears out, many ancient nobles did not actually wear washed clothes. Ancient silk clothes were mostly disposable products.
Ancient texts record that if an empress was willing to wear washed clothes, it was considered thrifty.
With the advancement of dyeing technology, silk clothes can certainly be washed, but they are also prone to wrinkling and tearing. However, mixing in some synthetic fibers can improve some of these drawbacks.
The advantage of synthetic fibers is that they are wear-resistant, but they are not breathable. Blending silk with synthetic fibers can greatly reduce costs and make them more suitable for everyday wear by ordinary people.
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Oh, Director Chen, if you're sincere, of course I'd be willing to cooperate with your factory."
Now the little rat has fallen into the rice bin again. Qin Shushu thought to himself, "I should at least get myself a set of silk pajamas."
How could a cook like me lack oil and fat? How could someone in the textile industry like me lack a set of pajamas?
"Oh my, you female factory managers shouldn't be dreaming about cooperation over there. Think about the Canton Fair first," Zheng Jianguo said smugly. "Factory Manager Qin, is your Mawangdui pattern really useful? You went all the way to Hunan Province, and all I see are some auspicious clouds, flowers, leaves, and vines. What's so special about it?"
"If even our own people don't buy it, how can you expect foreigners to?"
Qin Xiangxiang glanced at him indifferently: "Director Zheng, your attitude is not right. We call this a two-thousand-year-old pattern, a new creation by workers in the 1970s! It's in response to the country's call to use the past for the present and to enhance national self-confidence."
"The East China Sea Wave Yarn developed in our factory embodies the bravery of East China Sea fishermen and the wisdom and hard work of textile workers... It is a very precious thing."
"Some people just parrot what others have said, but they can't learn it."
Zheng Jianguo smiled dismissively: "I'd like to see just how many people will actually buy into your factory's new designs."
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