Chapter 247 Two in One
When I got home, Ding Dayong and Song Yuling were already there, and it was time for lunch.
After dinner, Ding Guo took Dayong and others to the west courtyard to discuss the details of purchasing goods.
Ding Guo also mentioned the transportation issue, and Mosquito said quickly, "If the railway can really help, that would be very convenient."
By rail, the goods can be received in thirty to forty hours, which greatly reduces the time spent on the road.
Although the crew will be paid for their hard work, it is much less than the cost of postage.
Mosquito said hurriedly: "We can give more hard work fees, so that they can help us."
Dayong had no objection. He also thought about contacting his former colleagues and asking them to help transport the goods by truck, but the risk was greater than taking the train.
Now that my brother-in-law has connections, I'll take the train.
After the winter vacation, if there happens to be a colleague going to the south, he can take a ride and personally escort a batch of goods back.
After talking about transportation, Ding Guo talked about the types of goods to be imported.
Bell-bottom pants have already developed a market and are the safest choice. The three of them decided to purchase 400 to 500 pairs. It would take time to transfer the money, so during this time, Lu Wenming could go find stall owners to stock up.
Moreover, with this quantity, Lu Wenming can negotiate the purchase price with the stall owner and make more money.
The higher the profit, the longer the cooperation between the two sides can last.
For other goods, Ding Guo ordered three styles of sweaters and two mid-length coats based on Lu Wenming's description.
The three types of sweaters cost a total of 100 pieces. The tweed jacket is relatively expensive, with the purchase price being 50 or 60 pieces. Han Laowu and the others might not agree with it, so he took 10 pieces to test the waters.
If you can’t sell wholesale, find time to set up a stall and sell the products yourself.
Buy some cotton socks, steel stockings, and the good-selling head ornaments as well.
Ding Guo reduced the purchase volume of steel stockings and increased the purchase volume of cotton socks.
The weather has gotten colder, the demand for cotton socks has increased, and steel stockings are worn less.
Roughly speaking, the investment this time is about 9,000 yuan, shared equally by the three of us.
Cooperation not only shares profits, but also shares risks.
Although Ding Guo's own strength is enough to take over this wholesale business, a single tree cannot make a forest. How far can one person go?
She is not only looking at the current business, but also the future business empire.
It is always better to choose the right partner now to work together and develop a tacit understanding than to wait until you need someone and then find someone.
Ding Guo said it in advance: "Although we have dealt with Comrade Lu before and have cooperated with him remotely, and he is a reliable person, we still need to be mentally prepared for the risks involved in investing."
It’s not that Ding Guo doesn’t believe in Lu Wenming. At least with Lu Wenming’s vision and intelligence, he won’t do anything stupid that would ruin his future.
But since we are going to do business together, some things have to be made clear.
No one can guarantee that the process will be smooth sailing.
"It's not just the risk of purchasing, there are also the risks of unexpected situations that may occur during transportation and the risks of shipping. We haven't seen these sweaters and coats in person, we only judged based on our feelings, and there may be a situation where the goods cannot be sold and are left in our hands, including transportation..."
Ding Guo told them about the possible unexpected situations. Dayong and Mosquito were not business novices. With this knowledge, they would not think that doing business only makes money and there will never be losses.
Mosquito: "Then let's bring enough money when we make the phone call tomorrow, and arrange with Brother Lu to have the money transferred directly from the post office."
Dayong said it was no problem, and Ding Guo also had no problem.
After discussing it, we wrote a purchase list and will send it out together with the remittance tomorrow.
Mosquito stayed for a while and then left. Ding Guo was going to visit her house tomorrow, so she had to go back and prepare. Before leaving, she also reminded Ding Guo to bring Dabao and Xiaobao with him to make the party more lively.
Knowing that they were going to Mosquito's house, Song Yuling also said that she would go with them tomorrow.
The couple returned to the Song family in the afternoon and had dinner there in the evening.
The next morning, Dayong and Song Yuling came to gather together, and did not leave Dazhu behind. They also picked up Dabao and Xiaobao, and went to Pengbo Hutong together.
Old Mrs. Chang is not tall and is thin. She has neatly combed silver hair, a kind face and a particularly gentle smile.
Maybe the elderly especially like children. When they saw Ding Guo and his friends coming, they couldn't stop smiling. When they saw Xiaobao and Xiaobao, their eyes were filled with laughter. They bent over, held one of their little hands in each hand, and kept saying, "Good children, two really good children."
She hurriedly got up to fetch the washed fruits and took out two small cloth dolls she had prepared for the two children to play with.
Mosquito told her grandmother that the two children were too young and were not allowed to eat sweets at home, and they ate little cakes, so only fruits were prepared for the eldest and the youngest.
Ding Guo also asked Dabao and Xiaobao to call her "Grandma". The two children were very well behaved and called her "Grandma" in a baby voice, which made Grandma Chang very happy.
The family also prepared cakes and roasted melon seeds for the older children to eat.
Ding Guo and his friends did not come empty-handed. They brought apples, pears, dates from their own trees, as well as canned food, snacks, and dried goods such as peanuts.
It can be seen that Mrs. Chang is really happy. Her voice is trembling as she says, "In the future, just come to our house empty-handed. You don't need to spend any money. We have everything at home."
Ding Guo believed this. Mosquito used to be a black market businessman. His family had no shortage of food, clothing or money.
Ding Guo smiled and said, "This is our first visit to see you, so how can we come empty-handed? Next time we come, we will shamelessly come just to eat. Grandma, please don't bother us when the time comes."
Old Mrs. Chang laughed out loud: "Don't bother me, don't bother me. I wish you could come to my house more often. Yueyue doesn't have many friends, I'm happy you come."
Mosquito whispered, "Our family rarely has such a lively time."
She really doesn't have many friends, and even fewer who can be brought home as guests.
After all, when I was in the black market, I was surrounded by boys who were my brothers, and I was afraid that others would gossip about me if I brought him back.
Old Mrs. Chang was afraid of neglecting her granddaughter's friends, so she shuttled back and forth in the house, picking melon seeds for one and bringing apples to that, and was busy all the time.
Ding Guo didn't want to keep the old lady busy, but Mosquito smiled and said, "My grandma is happy, let me entertain you."
Ding Guo saw that the old man was so excited that his hands were shaking slightly when he handed things to them.
She was worried that the old man was too excited and might feel unwell, so she quietly added some well water into the teacup he drank.
Dabao and Xiaobao are at the age when they are lively and active. When they first arrive in a new environment, they are quiet for a moment, but soon they turn into two little perpetual motion machines. They are very curious about Aunt Mosquito's house and want to see every place.
Dante had taught them the etiquette of visiting someone else's home, not to barge in without permission, but to call "Aunt Yueyue" or "Grandma" and let the owner of the home show them around.
Old Mrs. Chang was very happy to do so and took them on a tour, holding one of their hands each.
Ding Guo warned: "Cancan, Jinjin, don't drag grandma away, you two have to protect grandma, understand?"
Dabao and Xiaobao responded in unison: "Mom, I know."
Then he held Mrs. Chang's legs on both sides.
The old lady laughed so hard that she fell backwards. She held their hands again and said gently, "It's okay, grandma, you don't need to help. Let's just walk slowly."
The two little ones nodded and let the old lady lead them around the house.
The two kids were very interested in watching a weed in someone else's yard or an ant crawling on the ground.
Mosquito went to cook, and Dayong and Dazhu were unable to help at this time, so Ding Guo and Song Yuling went to help Mosquito.
After Mrs. Chang brought the two children back to the house, Dayong started chatting with the old lady, telling her about all sorts of things he had seen and heard while driving the car. Mrs. Chang sat on a stool, holding Dabao and Xiaobao in her arms, and listened with great interest.
Mosquito is a very good cook. He cooked a whole table full of dishes. He also steamed egg custard for Dabao and Xiaobao, and made minced meat porridge separately.
Ding Guo and Song Yuling really just helped with some of the leftovers, washing, cutting and making fire.
After dinner, Dayong and Dazhu took on the task of washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen as well.
Mrs. Chang thought it was inappropriate and tried to stop them. Ding Guo smiled and said, "We just had dinner. Let Dayong and Dazhu take care of it. It will be considered an activity."
Old Mrs. Chang couldn't help but praise: "Your two brothers are so nice."
Both of them are college students, with good stature, good looks, and lively eyes. It would be hard to pick two such good guys even if you carefully searched.
One of them is already married, and the couple looks very compatible, while the other is single...
Old Mrs. Chang couldn't help but look at her granddaughter who was interacting with Dabao and Xiaobao over there, and felt a little moved.
Judging from the performance of several children, we can tell that their family members must be good people, otherwise they would not be able to raise such promising children.
The child is promising and has not been spoiled by his family. It shows that his parents are very sensible people.
Old Mrs. Chang felt that she was old and had exhausted herself in the countryside. She was afraid that if she closed her eyes one night, she would never be able to open them again in the morning.
What she is most worried about is her granddaughter.
Because of her family's experiences, Yueyue's personality is a bit eccentric. Girls with this kind of personality will not suffer any loss in the outside world, but they are not easily accepted by the general environment.
She was worried that her granddaughter would not be welcomed by her husband's family after she got married.
The granddaughter is good at fighting and getting ahead, but if she is wronged by her mother-in-law, she can't solve it with her fists, right?
Old Mrs. Chang hopes that her grandson-in-law will be down-to-earth and her parents-in-law will be open-minded.
But she is optimistic, and whether the two children are destined to be together depends on themselves.
Old Mrs. Chang has set her sights on Ding Dazhui, but she is not in a hurry to introduce him to him. She will ask him when the right opportunity comes.
We played here until around three o'clock, and because we had to call Lu Wenming, we prepared to leave.
Mrs. Chang was reluctant to leave. She held Dabao and Xiaobao's hands and repeatedly told them, "Come to grandma's house to play again when you have time."
Dabao nodded seriously and responded in a baby voice: "Come and play again when you have time."
Xiaobao was not to be outdone: "Come and play when you have time. See you grandma!"
Ding Guo smiled and said, "Grandma Chang, please go back quickly. We can come and play again when we have time."
Mrs. Chang: "Come to grandma's house when you are free on weekends, and don't bring anything with you. We are very happy when you come to our house to have some fun." She glanced at Dayong and the others and also reminded them, "Come to our house when you are free, and don't be polite to grandma."
He looked at Ding Dazhu in particular.
This child is more shy than his brother and has a bookish air. The more you look at him, the more you like him.
Dayong and his friends also agreed and let the old lady go back, but Mrs. Chang still insisted on sending them to the alley. During this time, a neighbor watched and asked Grandma Chang: "Are there any guests at home?"
Old Mrs. Chang smiled and said, "Yueyue's friends are all college students."
Mosquito felt a little embarrassed, so he said goodbye to his grandma and rode away with Ding Guo and the others.
On the way, she said, "There are rarely any visitors to my house, so my grandma was a little too enthusiastic."
Mosquito was also worried that his grandmother was too enthusiastic and would make Sister Ding Guo and the others uncomfortable.
Ding Guo smiled and said, "Your enthusiasm means you welcome us. The old man is very happy. We had a lot of fun at your house. Now we have one more place to visit in the future."
Mosquito grinned and said, "That's great, sister. I also plan to make a grill like yours. When it's done, come to my house and grill something."
In the past, she and her grandmother lived a quiet life. But today, the house suddenly became lively, making Mosquito experience the wonderfulness of another kind of life.
She wanted Sister Ding Guo and the others to come over to play more often.
Ding Guo said, "Okay, just go find the master I found last time. I'll give you the blueprint. He has experience and can do the work quickly. When your bread oven is ready, we can grill some meat."
Mosquito smiled and agreed: "Okay!"
Several people went to the post office. Song Yuling and Dazhu looked after the two kids while Ding Guo and the others went to make a phone call.
Today's telephone communication was much simpler. Ding Guo said that she would transfer the money first, and there would be a letter along with the money. They would specify the required style and quantity in the letter.
There is no rush to ship the goods. It will take a few days for the letter and the remittance to be sent. Ding Guo mentioned the transportation in the letter. After Pei Che has the result, he will contact Lu Wenming and ask him to find the person in charge of the corresponding train.
Two days later, Pei Che came back in the evening. The matter with the railway had been communicated and Ding Guo and the others could go over to discuss it at any time.
"Director Wang from the station management department, just call me Uncle Wang."
Ding Guo nodded to indicate that he would take note of it.
Pei Che took out another train timetable so that Ding Guo and his friends could find out the time of delivery and receipt.
Ding Guo took it, glanced at it, and memorized it.
Not only do you have to go find Director Wang, but you also have to pay your respects to the conductor and staff on the train no matter which train you take.
The agreed upon hard work fee is one thing, but the extra thank you gift shows their respect for the people working under them, and they will take it more seriously.
Next, Ding Guo found time to take Dayong and Mosquito, and went to the station with their things.
Director Wang refused to accept their gifts no matter what they said, but he did not object to Ding Guo trying to build good relationships with the people in the car and giving them small gifts.
He took Ding Guo and a few others to recognize people and get to know them.
Each person received a small gift, half a pound of candy and two packs of cigarettes.
Two extra packs of cigarettes were stuffed into the conductor's portion.
And told them Lu Wenming's information so that they could check it later.
After receiving the payment from Lu Wenming, he went to get the goods from several contacted stall owners. It took about three days after receiving the payment to pack the goods and send them out.
At this time, almost ten days had passed since Ding Guo last met Han Laowu and his team. Although the difficulty of transportation had been reduced, the time was still a bit long.
But there is no way, this is the situation at the moment.
After Lu Wenming sent the goods, he called Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Ding Guo didn't need to answer the phone, so he asked the teacher who answered the phone to help convey the key information.
The timing was quite fortuitous, as the goods arrived on Friday night. Ding Guo took Dayong and Mosquito to pick up the goods. Ding Guo had melon seeds in his pocket, and he smiled as he shared them with the conductor who was helping them watch the goods, so that they would get to know each other better.
The hard work pay was given to the train conductor, who was asked to distribute it.
There was a lot of goods, so the three of them carried them home in the dark and gathered in the west yard to unpack and inspect the goods.
Along with the goods comes a purchase list.
The payment he remitted was not exactly right, with twenty or thirty extra dollars. Lu Wenming used that to buy an extra sweater, and the remaining money to buy two extra pairs of socks.
Although Ding Dayong had never met Lu Wenming and had only heard about him from Yuling and his sister, he could tell that he was an open-minded person by looking at the purchase order and the quality of the sweaters sent to him.
I am very serious about cooperation.
Song Yuling came over to help count the goods.
Ding Guo took a new notebook and drew a form for incoming and outgoing goods, registering each item of goods.
There was no problem with the quantity of goods, and the styles of the goods that were blindly imported were similar to what Ding Guo had imagined, except that the sweaters were thin and not thick.
It's just right for winter in the south, but a bit cold here in the north.
It's already November now, and it's getting cold very quickly.
Ding Guo smiled and said, "It was a little careless and inconsiderate."
Mosquito said, "We have considered it quite carefully. Sister Ding Guo, you also suggested reducing the number of steel stockings and increasing the number of cotton socks. Sweaters are not a problem. If they are not sold out before the New Year, they will not be out of date in the spring of next year."
That's true, as clothing trends at that time did not change as quickly as they do in later generations.
Dayong is optimistic: "It may not be impossible to sell out. This sweater is beautiful and even the department stores here don't sell it."
The tweed coat is very beautiful in style, but the price is a bit high, but it can always be sold.
Song Yuling had already set her sights on the new goods. After they were put into the warehouse and the wholesale price and suggested retail price were determined, she yawned and grabbed two sweaters and a tweed coat, saying, "Sister, I'll buy these three. Buy them at the retail price, not the purchase price."
Ding Guo found it funny. Doing business requires rigor and some rules need to be established, but it is not necessary to buy directly at the retail price. He said, "Let's make a rule. Our family members will pay the wholesale price for goods. If you are buying goods for familiar friends or classmates, you can give us a 5% or 10% discount on the retail price we have agreed on, but you cannot buy at the wholesale price we give to others, so as not to disrupt the market."
The wholesale price is the price set for downstream customers, not their purchase price.
Everyone has no objection.
Although everyone has done small business before, they are still in the learning stage of doing serious wholesale business. They have to cross the river by feeling the stones and take it slow.
Ding Guo solemnly accepted Song Yuling's money, withdrew it from the account in a notebook, and recorded the money so that he could settle the account later.
Ding Guo also took four sweaters, a pair of bell-bottom pants, and two tweed coats, and took them out of the warehouse and paid for them in front of his friends.
Several people were busy until late at night, but Mosquito didn't go back. When she came out, she told her grandmother that she would stay with Sister Ding Guo for the night.
The next morning, after getting up and eating, they set off with the samples that had been distributed the night before.
Mosquito went to find Brother Leopard, while Ding Guo and Dayong went to the square.
Han Laowu and Cui Guang had been looking forward to it for a long time. When they saw Ding Guo coming, they kept shouting "Ancestor".
“I thought the goods couldn’t be shipped in.”
Knowing that there were new goods this time, the two of them quickly closed their stalls and went to an open area to look at the goods and negotiate prices.
Han Laowu: "These sweaters are all good, but a little thin. I'll take a few to try. The coat is nice, and the material feels soft, but the price is a bit high. This kind of clothes should be very popular in a department store. I don't know how it will perform at the stall. Can I only take two?"
Ding Guo: "Yes! The retail price should be set. We have other partners. If one side is too low and the other side is too high, it will cause trouble in the future. Let's set it from the beginning, which will be more conducive to long-term cooperation."
Han Laowu and Cui Guang had no objections. The retail price Ding Guo set for them had a high profit, so why would they be unhappy?
As for how fast the action is, with the support of the bell-bottom pants, it won't be difficult to maneuver.
The man who wanted bell-bottom pants called Lao Yang and asked for 100 pairs directly.
Take ten of each style of sweater.
I also want some socks and hair ornaments.
Cui Guang also asked for 100 pairs of bell-bottom pants, five of each of the three types of sweaters, two coats after gritted his teeth, and some socks.
Neither of them carried so much money, and Ding Guo also needed to go back to get the goods, so they agreed to meet at the northeast corner of the square two hours later.
Dayong said, "Sister, let's go back and summarize with Mosquito, and then I'll talk to other stall owners to see what goods are left."
One hundred and fifty pairs of bell-bottoms were sold at once. I heard that the person Mosquito went to see was a big customer who had sold bell-bottoms to him before, so the quantity he purchased must be considerable.
I have almost sold out half of my sweaters and coats.
Ding Guo nodded, and the brother and sister rode their bikes back to Zizhu Bridge.
Unexpectedly, the mosquito had returned and was squatting on the ground counting my sweaters.
Ding Guo asked: "How much has been approved?"
Mosquito chuckled, "Brother Bao said he wanted as many bell-bottom pants as we had. I don't know how many you and Brother Dayong had sold, so he'll take your share and I'll keep the rest. He asked for twenty sweaters each and five tweed coats, but no hair ornaments. He wanted fifty pairs of socks each. I said we didn't have that many stockings, and Brother Bao said he'd give him as many as we had."
Ding Guo was delighted when he heard this: "We don't have enough sweaters. I have negotiated for 45 sweaters and only three woolen coats..."
Mosquito jumped up: "Then we have almost nothing left of this batch of goods."
There are only a few socks and hair ornaments left, but not much.
Ding Guo didn't expect to sell so much in one day, so he smiled and said, "I'll send a telegram to Lu Wenming after I deliver the goods, asking him to negotiate the bell-bottom pants when he has time, and see how much the stall owner can prepare. Bring in more woolen coats, and I'll ask him if he has any thicker and prettier sweaters. I won't buy socks this time, so ask him to find some silk scarves."
After dividing the goods, Ding Guo took the goods for Han Laowu and Cui Guang and rode back to the square, and sent the remaining Mosquitoes and Dayong to Brother Bao.
While Ding Guo and his team were busy, the Luo family and Ding Nianjun were released one after another.
The Luo family returned to Fengning. Luo Jiefang refused to accept his dismissal. He went back to ask for help from his connections but to no avail. He hated Ding Jianshe and was ready to wait for Ding Jianshe to be sentenced so that he could ask the people in charge to give him a good beating.
Ding Nianjun followed Pan Dingfeng, who had a gloomy face, back home with her head lowered, and heard a piece of news that was not so good for her: her mother-in-law was going back to the city!
Yue Hongmei was interrogated several times during this period. She had no time to care about Ding Jianshe, who was anxious about going to jail, nor did she care about what was happening to Ding Nianjun. She was constantly being interrogated and investigated, and she was almost scared to death.
The only satisfaction she had was meeting the person she had been longing for.
Zhang Shengkai came to the capital and cooperated with the inquiry.
He was extremely grateful to Yue Hongmei. Just two words of thanks made Yue Hongmei feel extremely satisfied with her efforts over the past twenty years.
After expressing his gratitude, Zhang Shengkai tactfully expressed the hope that Yue Hongmei could persuade Ding Nianjun to recognize her as his father.
Yue Hongmei deeply agreed. Although her Junjun had concealed Zhang Shengkai's return from her for some reason, she couldn't be an ungrateful person like Ding Guo. She had to recognize her biological father. She said, "Junjun is not disowning you. After all, they have been separated for more than 20 years. It is understandable that father and daughter are estranged. You have to give Junjun some time, and I will also persuade her."
Zhang Shengkai also nodded repeatedly to show his understanding: "Comrade Hongmei is right, I was too impatient. I will leave Junjun's ideological work to Comrade Hongmei."
Yue Hongmei naturally agreed readily.
While the two were reminiscing about the past, the police station also called Yu Shaochong and said, "... this is the maximum limit of detention and investigation. Yue Hongmei confiscated Zhang Shengkai's money and admitted her mistake. She shouldn't have kept it secret from the child's mother. She wants to apologize to Comrade Yu Shaofen in person."
Yu Shaochong directly refused on behalf of his sister: "I will never forgive you!" He added, "I'm sorry to have caused trouble to your colleagues in your office. Just follow the procedures from now on."
Yu Shaofen really had no intention of accepting the apologies from the two people, and she didn't even show up.
What's the use of hearing an sorry?
She punished Yue Hongmei not to hear an apology, but just to vent her anger.
Ding Guo also received a letter from Ding Tao. After reading the entire letter, she was almost shocked.
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