Chapter 171
Qin Xiang said modestly, "There are so many people in this world who are more capable than me. Mine is not even worth mentioning."
"That's different." Yao Yufeng's face showed a hint of helplessness. "Last night my mom said she wanted to introduce you to someone, but I hope you don't agree."
Qin Xiang's eyebrows jumped. She hadn't expected Yao Yufeng to bring up this matter after just one sentence. She couldn't help but smile. "Just now, Aunt Ma wanted to introduce me, but I declined. I already have a partner."
Yao Yufeng breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. She didn't explain the reason, but instead said, "If you need help in Hangzhou, you can send someone to find me. After all, we're partners."
Qin Xiang laughed, "Then I will definitely not be polite to you."
"Okay." Yao Yufeng glanced at her watch and said apologetically, "I have to go to the factory. I'll take my leave now."
After separating from Yao Yufeng, Qin Xiang smiled and went straight to the store. Her employees were still there.
When we got there, we found that the store was clean inside and out, except that the walls outside were a little mottled.
Qin Xiang went in, thought for a moment, and said to Tan Xiu, "The walls outside aren't in great condition. When we renovate, have them painted white and then go to Hangzhou University and ask someone from the Fine Arts Department to come over and paint some portraits on them."
She only mentioned this, and Tan Xiu immediately responded, "How about painting some fashionable girls? People can see our shop from far away, and paint them on both walls."
Qin Xiang nodded, "Okay, you decide."
Not only do they have to open a store in Hangzhou, they also have to go to Suzhou to find a store. Now it is late July, so there is no rush.
Qin Xiang then asked about Tan Xiu's construction team. Tan Xiu said, "Foreman Ma quoted a price that's a bit higher than what we pay at other branches, but I think it's still reasonable. After all, Brother Qin doesn't make much money at the branch."
Qin Xiang nodded. "That's good. Tell him that after we finish here, we have to take care of the one in Sucheng. Also, I asked Aunt Ma to help find a house for you. We have to look for it ourselves and visit the Housing Management Office more often."
After giving the instructions, Qin Xiang and Zhao Ping went back.
Two days later, the shop began to be renovated. Qin Xiang left Liu Xiaocao here to supervise the work and took the others to Sucheng.
Suzhou is about 160 kilometers away from Hangzhou. It took more than two hours to get there by bus, which involved stops and starts.
Once again I miss traveling and having a private car.
But now there is no other way, we can only rely on buses.
Suzhou's development is not much worse than Hangzhou, and it is completely different from northern cities.
Perhaps it was the events in Hangzhou that gave Tan Xiu confidence. After finding a place to live, he immediately took people to the Housing Authority to inquire about houses.
And I was lucky enough to find a suitable location. Although it was not as good as the one in Hangzhou, it was not bad either. In the end, I spent three thousand yuan to buy this courtyard.
Yes, it is a small courtyard. Although it is a house in the urban village, Soochow University is just across the street in front, and the city government is more than 50 meters to the west, so there is quite a lot of traffic.
Although the courtyard was indeed quite small and a bit shabby, Qin Xiang decided to buy it after seeing it.
Shouldn't you buy now and wait for the housing prices to go up in a few years? No, no one would complain about having too many properties.
After buying it, he explained to Tan Xiu, "There's still more than a month before school starts. Have the contractor help find someone to build a house here. Don't leave the yard. Just build a large two-story building. Build a large front room on the south side. Use it as a warehouse inside, and use the second floor as a staff dormitory."
After giving the instructions, Qin Xiang also helped clean up here. He called Ma Foreman over to take a look. Qin Xiang showed Ma the simple idea he had drawn. Ma Foreman said, "I may not be able to do such a project here, but I can help find someone to work with me."
Foreman Ma is mainly responsible for decoration, and building a house requires professionals to do it.
Hangzhou and Suzhou were not far apart, and they knew many people in the engineering field. They immediately found a suitable candidate.
After Qin Xiang communicated with the other party, he began to prepare some things for building a house, such as bricks, tiles, and cement. They were unfamiliar with the place and could only rely on the foreman.
Fortunately, they had Zhao Ping on their side, who ran around for the foreman. Although it cost a little more money, it was within the normal range, so Qin Xiang didn't care too much about it.
After the house was demolished and rebuilt, Qin Xiang went back to Hangzhou to take a look. After all, the Hangzhou area was just undergoing renovations, so the process was faster. In just a few days, the exterior walls had been painted white. The interior walls were already being dried in the sun.
As for the dormitories for the employees, Aunt Ma couldn't find a suitable one, but the Housing Management Office found a suitable one for them. It was not far from the front of the storefront, and Qin Xiang rented two rooms in the tube building directly.
There is a compartment behind the storefront that can be used as a warehouse, and the tube building is only used for accommodation.
At this time, Qin Xiang also contacted Ningcheng to ship the goods here, and at the same time, he went to the Second Garment Factory to order a small amount of clothes.
But before Qin Xiang could call Guan Zhihong, Mi Hongjun from the capital called Qin Xiang. "Boss Guan from Guangzhou called me and said his cousin is leaving in two weeks. He wants someone from our office to talk to him and build some connections with his successor. How about I go over there?"
Qin Xiang thought for a while, then said, "I'll go with you. You arrange things in the capital and come directly to Hangzhou. We'll meet up in Hangzhou and go to Guangzhou together."
"Okay, I'll arrange it right away." Mi Hongjun suddenly said, "By the way, Mr. Meng called twice in the past few days. Please call him back when you have time."
Qin Xiang slapped her head and remembered that she had a partner.
It seems like it has been a while since I last called Meng Huaiqing.
But we are about to go to Yangcheng, which is close to Gangcheng. Do you want to go to Gangcheng to see Meng Huaiqing?
Finally, after thinking about it, I decided to give up. These days, going to Hong Kong is like going abroad, and the procedures are complicated. Unlike Meng Huaiqing, who has the support of the country, it is not as convenient to travel.
Call me again after you get to Guangzhou.
After hanging up the phone, Qin Xiang also had to arrange things here. Zhao Ping must go to Yangcheng with her. The rest of the things had to be taught to Tan Xiu, who would run between the two places and recruit people by the way.
However, Qin Xiang also took advantage of this time to visit the textile factory where she had purchased goods before and bought some socks to sell along with the clothes, or as a bonus.
When I came out of the textile factory and passed by the Rainbow Knitting Factory, I couldn’t help but think of the little girl Xu Xiaoping I met when I placed an order before. I wondered if she was still there.
So Qin Xiang went in to take a look and found that the Rainbow Knitting Factory was in a very dilapidated state. There was not much in the store. There was only a woman in her thirties sitting in the back knitting.
When she saw someone come in, she just glanced at him and then lowered her head to continue knitting.
Qin Xiang didn't find it strange. With the development of the market economy, many state-owned enterprises were following this path. The Rainbow Knitting Factory probably couldn't survive.
Seeing Qin Xiang shaking her head, the elder sister was still unhappy, "What are you doing here shaking your head? If you want to order, then order. If not, then leave."
Qin Xiang didn't get angry and asked, "Sister, is Xu Xiaoping still in our factory?"
"Xu Xiaoping? She was fired a long time ago. Temporary workers are the first to be fired." The elder sister was surprised to hear that Qin Xiang knew Xu Xiaoping. "You are not from here, are you? Why are you looking for her?"
Qin Xiang smiled and said, "I came here before and had a good relationship with her. I didn't expect that she no longer works here. Do you know where she lives?"
She'd really just been thinking of taking a quick look, but then she remembered her experience with Xu Xiaoping, a girl who was very good at reading people's expressions. While there were flaws, they weren't a big deal. Since they were hiring here anyway, it might as well be someone she knew.
When she asked, her elder sister gave her an address without any difficulty. It was not far from the textile factory and she lived in the same area, so it was not difficult for Qin Xiang to find it.
Before I even reached the place to ask for directions, I heard some women in the compound talking about the textile factory. They said that the factory probably couldn't continue operating and hadn't been in operation for a long time.
Qin Xiang walked to the door of Xu Xiaoping's house and took a look. It was a messy environment. A girl was squatting on the ground washing clothes.
Qin Xiang called out, "Xu Xiaoping."
Xu Xiaoping looked up in surprise, squinted her eyes, and didn't recognize who Qin Xiang was.
"Who are you?"
Qin Xiang laughed, "You don't remember me."
She squatted down and looked at Xu Xiaoping. She was still the same person, but she seemed to lack the spirit she used to have.
Xu Xiaoping thought about it carefully, and suddenly said in surprise, "You are the girl who went to our factory to purchase goods last year."
As they spoke, Xu Xiaoping took a closer look at Qin Xiang's clothing and was immediately surprised. She looked like someone rich, a stark difference from a year ago. They say self-employed people are great at making money, but she hadn't expected that to be true.
Then Xu Xiaoping was curious, "How did you find my house?"
Qin Xiang didn't answer, but asked, "Do you still have classes now?"
Xu Xiaoping smiled bitterly. "No. I was fired. The temporary workers at the factory were the first to be laid off. I've been living at home for free for half a year."
Then she stood up, washed her hands, and said, "Come in and sit down?"
Qin Xiang followed Xu Xiaoping into the house, only to find it even more confined. The room, about 20 square meters, had a bunk bed against the east wall and another against the north wall, with a curtain drawn in front of it. The room was already cramped, and with all the clutter piled up, it was hard to find a place to stand.
Xu Xiaoping said embarrassedly, "It's a mess at home, please don't mind."
Qin Xiang shook her head. "That's not the case. I just happened to be passing by your factory and went in to ask. I didn't expect you'd already resigned. I figured we knew each other before, so I came to visit. By the way, I'm planning to open a branch in Hangzhou and need to hire a few employees. Would you like to work in my store?"
Xu Xiaoping was surprised when she heard this, "I'm going to work in your store?"
"Yes, but I also said in advance that I am self-employed, and working in my shop is different from working in a factory."
Xu Xiaoping nodded hurriedly, "I know, I'm willing."
Qin Xiang smiled and said, "Why don't you ask me how much the salary is before agreeing to it?"
"Any amount is fine," Xu Xiaoping sighed. "Even if I earn ten or eight yuan, it's better than living at home and being scolded for eating for free. If I don't work, my mother will marry me off."
Qin Xiang couldn't laugh anymore.
There are too many cases like Xu Xiaoping throughout China.
This is the case with Tan Xiu, Miao Xiaofeng, and Xu Xiaoping. When they can no longer contribute to their families, the only option left is to marry and earn a betrothal gift.
Qin Xiang felt uncomfortable thinking about this, but she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "My basic salary is 35, and I get a commission for every piece of clothing I sell. If you're willing, you can go over and help start work tomorrow."
Qin Xiang took out a pen and paper from her bag, wrote down the address, and handed it to her, "Think about it carefully."
Xu Xiaoping nodded. "Okay. I'll go there tomorrow."
Qin Xiang really didn't want to stay in such an environment any longer, so she stood up and walked out. When she reached the door, she saw a woman in her fifties carrying a bag coming in. When she saw Qin Xiang, her eyes lit up, "Xiaoping, who is this girl? Do you have a boyfriend?"
Xu Xiaoping looked embarrassed and said hurriedly, "Mom, this is my friend. I'll take her out first."
Xu Xiaoping hurriedly pulled Qin Xiang out the door and said, "That's my mother. Don't bother with her. She's mentally ill."
Seeing her expression, Qin Xiang could guess a little bit. When they got outside, Qin Xiang said to her, "We have rented two tube-shaped buildings here as staff dormitories. According to the configuration, there are three people in a store plus the store manager. When the time comes, two or three people can live in one room. If you are willing, you can move in when the time comes."
As far as the Xu family's conditions are concerned, they are not really good. Qin Xiang has made the proposal, and it is up to Xu Xiaoping to accept it or not.
Xu Xiaoping was immediately pleasantly surprised. "I agree. I'll go to work tomorrow."
Qin Xiang smiled and said, "Work hard, girls who work hard will have good luck."
After leaving here, I took a bus back to the city and told Liu Xiaocao about this. Liu Xiaocao nodded and said, "I understand. I'll take her with me when the time comes."
Qin Xiang responded and then instructed, "She has previous work experience, but her service awareness may not be as good as ours. When the time comes, you should focus on teaching her service awareness. Also, although I hired her, she must follow the rules of our store. If she tries to be cunning, she doesn't have to worry about me. Do you understand?"
Liu Xiaocao nodded hurriedly, "I understand."
The next day, Xu Xiaoping reported in. Seeing the huge store, Xu Xiaoping was speechless. Thinking of her arrogant look at the time, and thinking about the present, Xu Xiaoping felt ashamed.
The store hasn't been renovated yet, so even if I come to work, I'm just here to help out with odd jobs.
After hearing Qin Xiang say they needed to hire another clerk, Xu Xiaoping approached Qin Xiang and said, "I know a woman who used to work as a temporary worker in a garment factory. She's a nice person. Can you give her a try?"
Qin Xiang glanced at her and nodded, "Of course, just let her come for an interview."
Xu Xiaoping said happily, "Okay, then I'll call her over at noon."
The atmosphere in the south is more relaxed than in the north. As soon as the recruitment notice was posted, people came to inquire about interviews on the same day.
Qin Xiang has a book on training Liu Xiaocao, and directly lets Liu Xiaocao interview people.
At noon, Xu Xiaoping called the sister she mentioned. She was about 27 or 28 years old and looked quite honest, but her eyes were darting around. Liu Xiaocao didn't like her and secretly told Qin Xiang the reason, "Although she looks honest, she always seems restless, so I don't plan to hire her."
Qin Xiang nodded, "Okay, then let's do as you think."
So Liu Xiaocao chose one from the three girls who applied for the job.
Xu Xiaoping's friend wasn't chosen and was a little upset. She said to Xu Xiaoping, "Didn't you say it was easy? Why didn't you agree even with you here? What's wrong with me? Don't you know that boss? Can't you say something nice for me? A 17 or 18-year-old kid is so picky about me. Is your boss crazy?"
Xu Xiaoping felt a little embarrassed when she heard this. "I've only met him once and called him twice. I'm already very good at getting him an opportunity. Why don't you do your best?"
She herself felt unhappy. How could she, a former good sister, end up like this after getting married? Was it wrong for her to introduce the job? She didn't fight for it, but now blamed her for not saying anything nice?
Xu Xiaoping's words made Sun Yali very unhappy. "I think you are just trying to show off to me that you have found a job. You have no good intentions at all."
After saying that, Sun Yali left.
Xu Xiaoping was so angry. Was this her fault?
The two had been arguing outside. Qin Xiang had only glimpsed them through the door and window, noticing from their expressions that they seemed to be arguing. When Xu Xiaoping came in, she didn't ask anything. Friendship was friendship, work was work, and she wasn't doing charity.
Xu Xiaoping was a little embarrassed. "Boss, I'm sorry. I didn't expect her to become like this. She was fine before."
Qin Xiang didn't care. "It's good to find out about the problem now. It's much better than hiring someone and then finding out about it after something goes wrong."
Other people’s friendship problems have nothing to do with her, as long as it doesn’t affect the interests of her store.
After working here for two days, Xu Xiaoping went back to pack her luggage and moved to the dormitory, and Liu Xiaocao also moved her luggage there.
Qin Xiang waited for two days, and Mi Hongjun finally arrived in Hangzhou from the capital.
However, before they could get in the car, Guan Zhibin called again, "Something unexpected happened. I have to tell you about the situation in advance."
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