Chapter 31
Qin Xiang understood these words. Deputy Director He, who came from a sales background, actually understood them too. It was just that he still had a sense of luck in his heart. When Qin Xiang said it out loud, he no longer had this sense of luck.
The reactions of both onlookers and the market have given Deputy Director He the answer, forcing her to face the reality of the situation.
If garment factories continue to operate, they can certainly rely on the rural market to solve their immediate problems, but the fundamental problem remains. The rural market won't remain static forever. As more and more people leave their hometowns for work or start businesses in the city, and as they discover the world outside, the unchanging garment factories will inevitably decline.
Because there were too many unchanging factories, a large number of state-owned factories went bankrupt in the 1990s, and a large number of workers were laid off and lost their jobs.
Qin Xiang knew that opportunities often come with crises. If she took this bold step, Deputy Director He would look upon her with a higher regard. Moreover, she had now achieved real results, opening up a new path for the factory.
Qin Xiang was certainly worried about whether her words would displease Deputy Director He, but she spoke out anyway. After all, while the factory's leaders might understand its shortcomings, few were willing to innovate and keep up with the times.
Deputy Director He pondered for a long time, then gave a wry smile. "You're right. If the factory wants to develop, it must keep pace with the times. However..."
She shook her head, her voice bitter. "Let's talk about it later. My words alone won't count."
In state-owned factories, the deputy director would be in charge of several different departments, and the director would be in charge. Decisions were usually made in meetings, and if there was disagreement, the matter would be delayed.
Deputy Director He also wanted to reform, but there was nothing he could do. On the one hand, the factory leadership was unwilling to change, and on the other hand, there was really no money to buy new equipment or research new styles.
Qin Xiang didn't say anything more. As long as her request was answered, other things had nothing to do with her.
Deputy Director He stayed for a while and then went back. "I'm going back now. You should also go to bed early."
After sending Deputy Director He downstairs, Qin Yang said on the way back, "Xiangxiang, I used to think that being a self-employed person was too hard and difficult, but now I suddenly believe that you can do it well."
These words surprised Qin Xiang. She didn't expect that her third brother's thoughts would change so much after only one day of selling goods.
Qin Xiang smiled and said, "Third brother, this era is so great. Look at the current situation. Even if there is gold everywhere, as long as you work hard, your life will definitely be better than digging for food in the fields or working as a factory worker."
Qin Yang nodded thoughtfully, "You're right."
After the brother and sister went upstairs, Qin Yang went back to his room to rest, while Qin Xiang went into the house with her bag on her back, locked the door, and poured all the money she had received today from the bag onto the floor.
There were a lot of coins piled there, some of which were worth one cent, some were worth two cents, some were worth five cents, and some were worth one dollar.
Qin Xiang counted slowly. A total of 456 pieces of clothing were sold today. Because the unit price was not uniform, the total revenue was 3,420 yuan. After deducting the cost of 500 pieces, the net profit was 920 yuan. Moreover, there were still 44 pieces of clothing that had not been sold.
As for her socks, in addition to the more than ten pairs that were given away, she sold more than a hundred pairs of ordinary socks in total, and more than forty pairs of socks with villains on them were sold, which together amounted to more than sixty yuan. After deducting the principal, she could still make more than thirty yuan.
Counting the amounts, Qin Xiang first counted out the accounts due for settlement tomorrow morning, then counted her profits, nearly jumping for joy. She'd originally planned to start by making a small profit selling socks and underwear, but who could have imagined that she'd encounter such a good opportunity along the way, causing her capital to expand significantly.
She packed the money separately, took out the fifteen yuan that had been agreed upon, and went out and knocked on Mi Hongjun's door.
"This is your salary for today. You've worked hard today. The other three dollars is your bonus."
Qin Xiang handed the money over, and Mi Hongjun smiled and took it.
Mi Hongjun knew both the purchase and selling prices, and had a rough idea of how much Qin Xiang was making, but he wasn't jealous. He wouldn't have the guts to sell over two thousand yuan worth of goods on credit. If he couldn't sell them, he'd be left with nothing. And while fifteen yuan might not seem like much, workers these days only make forty or fifty yuan a month. Fifteen yuan a day, two days would be thirty yuan, almost a full month's salary.
Mi Hongjun said, "Sister Xiangxiang, I will work with you again tomorrow."
Qin Xiang laughed and said, "Okay, let's get up early tomorrow and you can go to bed early."
Qin Xiang returned to the house, put the money in her bag, went to wash up, and then fell into a good sleep.
The next morning, Qin Xiang got up at daybreak. She checked the time and saw it was only a little after six, with the sun still out. But thinking about going to the market to earn money, she perked up.
Qin Yang had already bought breakfast, and after breakfast they went to the factory together.
When they arrived at the factory, Director Feng and Deputy Director He were already there. Qin Xiang followed Deputy Director He to the finance department to settle yesterday's payment and then signed a new credit contract for 800 pieces of goods. Qin Xiang handed her share of the money and 300 pieces of clothing to Qin Yang, "Third brother, take a good rest after you pick up the goods. I'll give you the money first."
Qin Yang knew she didn't dare to take so much money to the market, and it wouldn't be safe to leave it at the guesthouse, so he took it and said, "Don't worry, I'll discuss it with Brother Sun if you have anything."
Sun Tieshu said, "Don't worry, your sister is my sister."
Qin Yang took the three hundred pieces of clothing and went directly to Li Yukong to deliver the goods, while Qin Xiang and the other two pulled the cart and continued to hold the loudspeaker to the big market in another town.
However, this market was a bit out of the way, far from the garment factory. The three of them didn't know the way, so they had to ask for directions along the way. Fortunately, they left early, and when they arrived there, it was only nine o'clock. There weren't many people at the market, but the better stalls were sold out.
After paying the money, the three of them discussed and decided to set up a stall at the entrance of the market.
As soon as the cart stopped there, the tall and strong Sun Tieshu stood at the back and stared closely at the goods on the cart.
Qin Xiang and Mi Hongjun took out some clothes and socks as they had yesterday. Qin Xiang was still wearing the same coat she had worn yesterday. Because there were more men's coats in today's shipment, Mi Hongjun and Sun Tieshu each wore one as well.
Because the clothes were classified, Qin Xiang also specially spread a borrowed reed mat next to them. She poured out some women's clothes on the cart and poured the men's clothes on the reed mat, separating them with socks.
The sun had already come out by this time. Although the air was still chilly, it was warm where the sun shone.
Qin Xiang rubbed his hands, drank some water from the kettle to moisten his throat, then placed the paper cover he had written yesterday on the front of the car, turned on the horn and cleared his throat.
It was quite rare to see this kind of thing at the market. Qin Xiang saw someone looking over and started to advertise, "Don't miss it if you're passing by! The clothing factory is having a clearance sale, with everything from men's to women's. Eight yuan a piece, fifteen or two pieces. Buy more, get more discounts. No cloth coupons needed. Come and buy now."
She did some calculations last night and decided that three pieces for $21 wasn't a good deal, so she thought it would be better to buy two for $15. That way, the whole family could buy one for men and one for women to match.
Some people come to the market to sell things, some to buy things, and some to sell things and then buy things.
When I saw someone shouting with a loudspeaker, I couldn't help but stop and listen. Wow, it sounded amazing.
No cloth coupons!
The purchasing power of eight yuan in those days was actually quite good. Clothes were always expensive and required cloth coupons. Although eight yuan was a lot, it was cheaper than department stores and didn't require cloth coupons.
Several ladies came over immediately and asked, "Do you really not want the cloth coupons?"
"No cloth coupons, auntie," Qin Xiang said with a smile, "We're clearing out the garment factory's inventory, so we don't need them and the price is cheap. You know the Xiangyanghong Garment Factory, right? They're the ones that make the goods."
Qin Xiang picked up a pair of pants and pointed at them, saying, "Look at the quality and workmanship of these pants. Eight yuan a pair is really a good price. There are men's styles over there too. You can buy one for your grandfather at home. Or one for each person. Two pairs will only cost you fifteen yuan."
Qin Xiang's voice was quite loud when she was explaining, and people immediately gathered around to watch.
Qin Xiang and Mi Hongjun each looked at a bunch of things. While Qin Xiang was explaining things, Mi Hongjun was also there explaining things. After yesterday's practice, Mi Hongjun's eloquence had also been honed. The young man was naturally pleasing and cheerful, and the aunties and aunties were actually quite happy to talk to him.
With yesterday's experience, today we have a combination of men's and women's styles. When someone likes an item, I will recommend them to match it with a men's style, and it can save them one dollar.
The place was packed with people, and the small stall was completely crammed with people.
Sun Tieshu's job was to keep an eye on the stalls and prevent anyone from stealing anything. He had to scan back and forth between the two stalls, which was very tiring.
While Qin Xiang and the others were busy, Li Yukong also got 300 pieces of clothing and took them to another nearby market in a cart.
He had just asked Qin Yang about Qin Xiang's whereabouts today. Knowing that Qin Xiangwang was coming here, he simply decided not to join in the fun.
Qin Yang took the money and went back to the guesthouse to rest, and then waited for Qin Xiang and the others to come back.
This market is a little smaller than yesterday's, but the flow of people is also not small. They set up their goods and start selling at around nine o'clock, and the market reaches its peak at twelve o'clock.
They had no time to eat at noon. It wasn't until three o'clock when the crowds of people had dispersed that Qin Xiang said in a hoarse voice, "Xiaomi, go see if there's anything to eat. We can just grab a couple of bites and go back to the state-owned restaurant."
After a tiring day, Mi Hongjun was still full of energy. Upon hearing the news, he hurried to the market.
The market was set up in the town, and there were some fixed stalls selling food in the town. After a while, Mi Hongjun bought three meat patties and the three of them ate them with cold water. Then they packed up and prepared to go back.
There were about eighty pieces of clothing left in the bag, a little more than yesterday. Qin Xiang said, "We'll pass by some villages on the way back. Let's sell them as we go."
The market is not that big, but not everyone has the opportunity to go to the market, and there are many people who cannot go to the market because of something.
When they came, they walked through the village to take a shortcut, but they walked quickly in order to hurry. Now they had enough time, thinking that they had to leave early tomorrow morning, they must do a good job of selling.
As soon as they entered the village, Qin Xiang took out the loudspeaker and said, "The manufacturer is clearing out their stock of high-quality and low-priced jackets and trousers for both men and women. Eight yuan each, fifteen yuan for two pieces. No cloth coupons required. Quantities are limited."
Qin Xiang shouted as he walked, and stopped only when he reached almost the center of the village.
At first, only a few children followed to watch the fun out of curiosity, and then some adults who were cooking at home heard it and came out.
In the countryside, sometimes the sound of the loudspeaker at home is not clear, but it is different outside, where you can hear it clearly.
Qin Xiang was really tired, so he sat on the cart and shouted. Mi Hongjun and Sun Tieshu looked around to see if anyone wanted to buy.
Qin Xiang was not in a hurry and repeated it over and over again. Finally, more and more people came. A young wife asked, "Little girl, the clothes are eight yuan each?"
"Yes, eight yuan each." Qin Xiang pointed to the clothes she and Mi Hongjun were wearing and said, "Sister-in-law, these are the same clothes we are wearing. You can come and take a look with everyone else. It's free anyway."
This way of selling things is actually not new to rural people, but most of the people walking around the streets are peddlers, and they sell things like needles and thread or candies. There has never been anyone coming into the village to sell clothes like this.
After Qin Xiang said this, the young wife felt quite embarrassed. Seeing several aunts and grannies coming out, they gathered around to look at the clothes.
Fortunately, it was not dark yet, otherwise I would not be able to see clearly.
Several women were looking at one of the clothes, and one of them said, "This is a nice dress, it looks very sturdy, but can it be cheaper?"
Qin Xiang laughed and said, "Auntie, is eight yuan a piece of this dress expensive? I don't need a ticket."
"Don't you want a ticket? Are these clothes from a legitimate source?" The old lady looked Qin Xiang up and down. "You didn't buy them through speculation, did you?"
Qin Xiang didn't get angry when she heard this, and explained, "We're helping Xiangyanghong Garment Factory clear out their inventory. You can go to the factory and ask them and they'll tell you. Besides, there's no such thing as speculation these days; the government encourages the development of self-employed individuals. Look, the sign on it says 'Xiangyanghong'. Xiangyanghong Garment Factory is a big company."
The Xiangyanghong Garment Factory wasn't far from here, so the people who lived here naturally knew about it. In the past, they had to go to department stores to buy Xiangyanghong clothes. Seeing that it was indeed the Xiangyanghong brand, and knowing that it was so, they probably knew it was okay.
Several aunties wanted to bargain, but Qin Xiang opened the bag helplessly. "Auntie, look, these are all I have left from the hundreds of clothes I sold at the market. I didn't want to take the goods back, so I came into the village to sell some when I passed by. If you want them, I'll give you two for fifteen yuan. You've worked hard, so buy one for yourself as a reward, and one for your uncle. Fifteen yuan for two pieces, and I'll give you a pair of nylon socks. What do you think? I get three cents for a pair of these nylon socks."
The old lady was delighted when she heard that they were giving her a pair of nylon socks. "Are they the kind of socks that are popular out there?"
"Yes, that kind." Qin Xiang showed her a pair of ordinary nylon socks. "People in the south wear these. If you want cotton ones, that's fine too. I can get you another pair."
After Qin Xiang said this, the old lady was moved.
"Okay, two coats." The old lady said, and went home to get the money. Several aunties and grandmas who were originally hesitant also made their choices and then went home to get the money.
A sister-in-law in her thirties held the clothes and said, "Little girl, I'll take the clothes back and give you the money later, okay?"
The woman who was speaking had gentle features and spoke softly, and she looked at Qin Xiang with particular sincerity.
When she said this, the others also looked over.
But Qin Xiang had seen so many people in her previous life. Even close friends could betray her, let alone strangers she met for the first time. How could she dare to believe this?
Qin Xiang shook her head. "Sister-in-law, I'll stay here. You live in this village. It only takes a few minutes to go back and forth. Just come and get the money. I promise to keep it for you."
"Forget it then." The sister-in-law put down her clothes when she saw she couldn't get any advice. "I'll go home and get the money."
After saying that, he left.
As soon as she left, the other sister-in-law curled her lips and said to Qin Xiang, "You were right not to agree. If you really let her take it back, you won't be able to get the money back. If you go to ask for it, you might even be blackmailed."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiang knew what kind of person the sister-in-law was.
Qin Xiang didn't say much, just said, "We are strangers after all. I may not come here in the future. I don't even know her, so how can I let her take her back? It's not easy to run a small business."
Several women started asking her about how much money Qin Xiang made and whether she had a partner.
Qin Xiang laughed, "Well, it's just hard-earned money, not much. I just run errands for the factory."
As for the matter of the partner, it doesn’t matter whether we talk about it or not. She will be leaving tomorrow anyway.
The women gathered together and talked a lot, picking and choosing clothes one by one, and soon half of them were gone.
Qin Xiang saw that there were not many people left, so he prepared to move after completing these few orders.
As for the sister-in-law just now, it was just as the women said. She left and never came back.
Qin Xiang was not so noble as to wait here all the time. She could walk back and forth in the village several times in more than half an hour.
The car left the village and continued to go back. In the second village, they sold about twenty pieces of goods, including some socks. Someone asked about underwear, but Qin Xiang didn't bring any, which made her feel a little regretful.
Before we even got within ten miles of the garment factory, all the clothes were sold out.
Mi Hongjun was so excited that he said to Qin Xiang, "Sister Xiangxiang, you are my real sister. You are really amazing."
Qin Xiang was also very happy, but thinking that she had vowed to be a boss in the future, she had to keep her composure at times like this, so she glanced at him and said, "It's okay."
"That's not even bad." Sun Tieshu was deeply moved that day. He gave a thumbs-up and praised again, "You're really good. Xiao Qin, let me tell you, there aren't many people I admire, and you're definitely one of them. Amazing, really amazing."
What he earns in one day is probably almost as much as he earns in a year of hard work. No wonder so many people are making money as self-employed individuals nowadays.
Qin Xiang was in a good mood, "Let's go back and have a good meal."
It was still the first month of the lunar year and it was getting dark early. By the time they were halfway there, it was already dark.
Qin Xiang sighed a little when passing by the town she passed yesterday. She actually wanted to ask Li Yukong how his business was going, but she was too tired and wanted to go back and rest, so she gave up the idea.
After walking for a while, a few people suddenly jumped out from the wild, shining their flashlights directly at Qin Xiang and the others, "Leave the money."
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