Chapter 58
To be honest, it's a pity to give up the stall in Qingshui County, but there's no other way. Qin Xiang is too busy now and can't find a more suitable source of goods. When the rural market gradually becomes saturated and people's aesthetic taste improves, selling the old styles will not be so profitable.
As for the styles she's selling now, it's hard to fetch a high price in the rural market. And taking jeans, for example, if you put them in a rural market, someone would probably say they're not decent.
Transferring it out was a helpless move. At least she could continue to help Xiang Yanghong sell some goods. What happened next was not something she could control.
It would be best if someone is willing to take it.
So when Qin Xiang heard about this, he prepared to go back to the county to deal with it.
Before leaving, Qin Xiang called Deputy Director He and told him that she was going to transfer a business in the county.
Deputy Director He was reluctant to leave. "To be honest, these past few months working with you have been truly enjoyable."
The factory churns out clothes every day, but sells very little. If Qin Xiang hadn't been increasing her purchases over the past few months, the factory might have been starving, relying solely on the individual businesses they've hired.
Now Qin Xiang no longer does this, although she has transferred it out, but she really hasn't seen many people who are more flexible in business than Qin Xiang. Of course, there are some, but those with more ability would not look down on such a small profit.
Qin Xiang said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do about it. I'm in the provincial capital, and I'm not able to handle the situation in the county. I have other plans for Xiaomi, and he doesn't want to stay there, so I have no choice but to transfer him out."
She and Mi Hongjun only had a verbal contract, and no specific labor contract had been signed. Moreover, it was obvious that Mi Hongjun came for them, brother and sister. Now that the brother and sister were not in the county, Mi Hongjun didn't want to stay there, and she didn't want to force him.
She hesitated for a moment and said to Deputy Director He, "Deputy Director He, we're so familiar with each other now. You might understand some things even if I don't say them. The market is developing, and residents' tastes are improving. If you still stagnate, it's only a matter of time before you're eliminated. When I went to Hangzhou, many small factories were facing the same problem, gradually declining. But our Xiangyanghong Garment Factory is not a small factory. If we don't seek a way to innovate and keep up with the times, it will be difficult for us to go far. Rural fairs can certainly consume some of our resources, but they won't last long."
What Qin Xiang said was all true, and Deputy Director He knew it too. She sighed and said, "I understand what you said, but what can I, alone, change?"
She said self-deprecatingly, "It's better if you don't do it. Now people still suspect that I took advantage of you."
Qin Xiang was speechless after hearing this.
I dare not say that the leaders of Xiangyanghong Garment Factory are all people who just sit there and do nothing.
But Deputy Director He was truly dedicated to the development of Xiangyanghong. She didn't see that the others were working hard for the development of the factory.
It’s a pity that her efforts alone are useless, as there are so many leaders in the factory.
Qin Xiang talked to Deputy Director He for a while and was about to hang up when Deputy Director He suddenly asked, "Are you hiring?"
Qin Xiang was stunned. "Why, you want to switch to my job? I'd definitely be happy if you came, but I don't have a suitable position for you right now. When I become big, I'll poach you no matter what."
Deputy Director He was at a loss for words. "It's not me, it's my niece. She's a poor girl. My brother has many children, and she didn't get into college after graduation. She doesn't want to find a job, so there's no suitable one. She's begging me to join the garment factory, but you know the situation there. If you're short of people, could you let her try? She's seventeen years old, and while she's not the most beautiful, she's very articulate. I think she'd be a good fit for you."
After she finished speaking, she felt that it was not good, as if she was asking for a favor in return, so she added, "Of course, if you try and it doesn't work, you can return it."
Qin Xiang thought about it and said, "Okay, I just hired two shop assistants. Let her come and learn with me. She will have a two-week probation period. If she passes the assessment, she will stay. If her level is not good enough, I will directly return her."
Deputy Director He said happily, "Okay, give me the address and I'll send someone over tomorrow."
"Okay, let someone come."
After hanging up the phone, Qin Xiang was actually a little looking forward to it. Deputy Director He was not a reckless person. Since she was chosen by Deputy Director He among so many nephews and nieces, she must be a very outstanding girl.
Not many people can go to school these days, and many cannot get into university. It is obvious that this girl did not get into university and has no plans to go to technical secondary school, so she can only find a way out for herself.
After returning to the store, Qin Xiang told Qin Yang about this matter, then packed up and returned to Qingshui County without stopping.
Of course, she is a good student who loves to study. She always brings her study materials with her when she gets on the bus. Even if the long-distance bus is shaking, Qin Xiang endures it and seizes the time to study.
Learning does not wait for anyone.
There is a difference between getting into a school with high scores and getting into a school with just the passing score.
She has been thinking a lot these days. With high scores, she could negotiate with universities in the provincial capital or the neighboring sub-provincial capital. Perhaps she would get unexpected rewards?
I studied all the way and it was almost dark when I arrived at the county.
Mi Hongjun met her at the station and was overjoyed when he saw her, "Sister Xiangxiang, you're finally back."
Qin Xiang said casually, "Why do you miss me after not seeing me for a few days?"
Unexpectedly, Mi Hongjun was really shy, his face turned red, so Qin Xiang stopped teasing him and said, "Let's go, let's go back first."
But on the way, Mi Hongjun told the other party about his situation.
The people who wanted to buy this stall were none other than the two brothers Zhao Ming and Zhao Liang whom Qin Xiang had met before.
The two brothers obtained a batch of goods through their own channels and made a profit from selling them. When they wanted to purchase more goods, the county clothing factory raised the price for them.
In desperation, they went to other factories to purchase goods, but they had no connections with other factories, and because of limited capital, they could not negotiate the price. They have been anxious about this for the past few months.
At this time, Mi Hongjun spread the word that he wanted to sell the stall and wanted three thousand yuan.
Of course, the goods in hand are calculated separately.
But this is enough to attract many people.
But being interested and being able to afford it are two different things.
Although those self-employed people made some money by selling things at the market, the profits were not enough compared to the 3,000 yuan.
So many people were tempted, but some gave up after asking the price.
Some people secretly thought that Qin Xiang’s price was too high. It was just a way to purchase goods, so why was it so expensive?
But Mi Hongjun was no pushover and directly asked, "That's the only way. Wouldn't it be better if you bought the goods yourself and sold them for a higher profit? The profit from one piece of clothing isn't much, but what about the quantity? If you don't like it, just go find one yourself."
Judging from the current situation, state-owned factories still look down on individual retail traders. Of course, if the purchase volume is large enough, they will definitely sell it to you, but individual traders who come to the market don’t have that much capital, and it cannot be accumulated overnight.
Qin Xiang was lucky and happened to take a gamble on Xiang Yanghong's matter, otherwise she would have to rely on selling socks at the market to save money.
Qin Xiang's stall seems to have only one supplier, Xiang Yanghong, but in fact, it is not the case. Deputy Director He, who is in charge of sales in the factory, also knows a few people and actually introduced him to a supplier who can give preferential prices and add more styles.
There are so many big markets in Qingshui County, and Qin Xiang has so many self-employed people under him. Even if one person wholesales 50 or 60 pieces, he can get thousands of pieces at a time. If the profit is one dollar per piece of clothing, he can make thousands of yuan at a time.
The return on investment was quick. But it wasn't easy to raise the money. Qin Xiang wouldn't lend money to anyone just because of a small favor. It wasn't that kind of favor.
After the situation was explained clearly, Qin Xiang also understood, "Okay, are they in the county now? Go and tell them later, I'll treat them to dinner tonight."
Mi Hongjun was surprised. "Are you in such a hurry? How about we talk about it tomorrow? It's so late now, you should get some rest first."
Qin Xiang shook her head. "Why rest? We need to get things done quickly. I've already written the transfer agreement and have already negotiated with Xiang Yanghong. As soon as they sign and pay, I'll take them over to meet Deputy Director He. I'll have my preliminary exam in a few days. We have to race against time."
If she hadn't taken the college entrance examination, she wouldn't have to be so anxious.
But there is no way. College students are so popular these days. Even decades later, academic qualifications will still be a very important factor. She doesn't want to be called an uneducated boss just because of a diploma.
In short, the style must be high and the momentum cannot be lost.
Since she said so, Mi Hongjun couldn't say anything else. "Okay, go back and pack up. We'll go to the restaurant in the back to eat. It will be convenient for you to come back later."
The two parted ways halfway. Qin Xiang went back, quickly changed her clothes and washed her face, and then prepared to go out for the appointment.
Unexpectedly, she thought she was quick, but the brothers Zhao Ming, Zhao Liang and Xiong were even faster. When Qin Xiang arrived there, the three of them were already waiting for her.
When they saw Qin Xiang, the two brothers were surprised.
It was a freezing cold day when Qin Xiang went to the market before. She was wearing the most ordinary cotton-padded jacket, and the jacket she wore was made by Xiangyanghong. Although it was beautiful, it was not as stunning as what she saw before her.
Qin Xiang wasn't one to treat herself badly. She had beautiful clothes in her own store and there was no way she was going to wear her old, awful clothes again. So today, she'd specially worn a fashionable red dress. With her pretty face, she caught everyone's attention the moment she entered.
At least Zhao Ming and Zhao Liang seemed unable to take their eyes off it.
However, when they thought about Qin Xiang's current abilities, the two brothers could only admire him.
He is younger than them, but more capable than them.
Apart from anything else, the Qingshui County business alone has made a lot of money in the past few months.
Otherwise, how could they afford to open a store in the provincial capital?
All the merchants in the county looked down on it.
In comparison, they are far behind.
The two brothers Zhao Ming and Zhao Liang felt complicated, but they were also glad that the other party did not break their promise when they came to discuss the price, otherwise it might not be their turn this time.
Qin Xiang went over and said, "Sorry, I'm late."
Qin Xiang went over and sat down, then asked Xiaomi to take the menu and order dishes for Brother Zhao Ming. "Order a few more, don't be polite, it's my treat."
"Just eat anything."
Sitting in front of the guests, Zhao Ming and Zhao Liang felt a little reserved. Since the other party had the money to treat them, they couldn't just order food casually.
Seeing that they didn't order, Qin Xiang asked Xiaomi to order. She didn't waste time in ordering because she was pressed for time. She had to go back to study after the meeting. "Xiaomi has already told you our conditions, right?"
Zhao Ming nodded. "I've already said it. The transfer fee is 3,000. The price of the existing clothes is also calculated separately."
"Yes, but if you don't want the price of our current stock, I'll find a way to make it work. If you do want it, I'll take 50 cents off each piece of clothing to cover the shipping and management costs of the goods. I'll take you to the factory where we buy from, and I'll also have Xiaomi call in the individual buyers here to talk to them."
Zhao Ming and Zhao Liang looked at each other and were very tempted. They didn't know how much Qin Xiang's clothes cost to purchase, but those self-employed individuals who followed her had made some money.
Qin Xiang asked Mi Hongjun again, "How many clothes do we have left?"
"It's mainly sweatshirts, pants, and shirts. There are 435 of them in total," said Mi Hongjun. "Since I knew they were going to be sold, I haven't gone to buy more in the past few days."
Qin Xiang understood immediately and said to Zhao Ming, "You heard it too. There are still more than 400 pieces, which is more than 2,000 yuan. However, some self-employed people will come to pick up the goods in the next few days. My suggestion is that you pay the transfer fee directly. After they take the clothes, you can deal with the remaining clothes yourself. What do you think?"
Originally, she was thinking of selling the squeezed goods together, but now she thinks it is not realistic. More than 2,000 yuan is indeed not a lot for her now, but it may not be the case for Zhao Ming and Zhao Liang.
Not to mention two thousand yuan, even one thousand yuan is a huge sum of money.
What's more, there is a transfer fee of 3,000 yuan, which is not cheap.
Zhao Ming and Zhao Liang hesitated when they heard that there were more than 400 pieces, but Qin Xiang's suggestion made them no longer worried. Before they came, they had scraped together about 4,000 yuan, and planned to pay 3,000 yuan and use the remaining money to purchase the first batch of goods.
Now, regardless of the inventory Qin Xiang has, they can get the goods directly from the manufacturer at a discount of fifty cents per item.
Zhao Ming nodded, "Okay, let's do this."
Qin Xiang nodded. She liked to talk business with straightforward people. It was obvious that the two brothers had already discussed it before coming.
So Qin Xiang didn't say much. Before the food arrived, she took out the transfer agreement she had written in triplicate, and she had already signed her name. She pushed it over and said, "Take a look. If there are no problems, you can sign it. I hope to get it done as soon as possible. I'm in a hurry."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ming and Zhao Liang became a little nervous. Zhao Ming reached out and took it, reading it from beginning to end without missing a single detail. To be honest, it was so detailed that it shocked them.
It turns out that the agreement can be written in this way. The terms involve both individual business owners and them, providing protection for all three parties.
Qin Xiang explained, "We each have one copy of the agreement. As for the third copy, since it involves individual merchants placing orders, my idea is to have them elect someone to keep it. Once the agreement takes effect, my supply-demand relationship with them will end. Aside from the one-year supply price requirement, you can discuss other aspects of your cooperation on your own, and I will not be involved."
Mi Hongjun knew that Qin Xiang wanted to make a quick decision, so when he went out these two days, he told those self-employed individuals to come pick up the goods tomorrow so that they could deal with it in time.
Qin Xiang thought for a moment and said, "Besides, since we're sitting together, we're friends. I'll share my thoughts on some things. You can just listen or go back and think about it."
"You say."
Qin Xiang: "The rural market is indeed huge, but it's not static. More and more people are moving to cities for work, and when they return, they inevitably bring new things with them, including clothing. Furthermore, with the implementation of the rural land contract responsibility system, people's living conditions have improved. With better living conditions, people pursue better things. My idea is that after you take over, you don't have to focus on just these two companies as your supply channels. You should also take a long-term view and seek out more suppliers, ideally ones that can keep up with the times."
Zhao Ming was stunned. "You mean to say that the clothes sold nowadays will become outdated?"
"Yeah." Qin Xiang laughed. "Think about the styles of clothes sold today, and then think about people's dressing habits a few years ago. Has there been a big change?"
Big, of course it’s big.
During those ten years, families barely received a single cloth coupon a year, and their clothes were covered in patches. Even now, people patch their clothes over and over again, simply because they're expensive. But things have changed dramatically. Now, without coupons, people buy clothes more frequently, and many young people are gradually adopting the aesthetics of city dwellers.
Qin Xiang is not the kind of person who would do anything for the sake of making money. He wants to make everything clear before signing, so that he won't feel like he has lost money if the business fails in the future.
It was best if both parties were satisfied. If that wasn't possible, she could simply quit. At most, she would be a little sorry for Deputy Director He. The development of Xiangyanghong Garment Factory couldn't be solved by her purchasing alone. It was only a matter of time before it declined.
The brothers Zhao Ming and Zhao Liang listened carefully and understood Qin Xiang's good intentions. After thinking for a while, they signed.
"We understand your suggestion and will consider it carefully."
They'd gambled everything on this, even having their parents risk their reputation by borrowing so much money. They couldn't fail. They could use the current funds to open up a new market, and then, once they had capital, they could negotiate terms and prices with other garment factories. They didn't believe they couldn't succeed in this market.
They breathed a sigh of relief, and so did Qin Xiang. She extended her hand and said, "It's a pleasure to work with you."
Zhao Ming was excited, "It's a pleasure to work with you."
At this time, the boss brought the food, and Qin Xiang did not hesitate. Although he did not drink alcohol, he asked for some soda and drank a glass of soda with his partner instead of alcohol.
After dinner, everyone left. Qin Xiang and Mi Hongjun could reach home by just turning a corner.
Seeing Qin Xiang taking out her textbook to study again, Mi Hongjun was full of admiration, "Sister Xiangxiang, you are really working hard."
Qin Xiang laughed and said, "My performance is nothing. There are many people who are more hardworking than me."
Think about the big guys in later generations. How many of them are not diligent? In such a good environment, it would be a waste if they don’t seize the opportunity.
To be honest, if it weren't for her third brother's deep hatred for studying, she would have wanted to persuade him to get a certificate. But her third brother was very troubled by studying, and she had to make him realize the importance of studying before making arrangements. It didn't matter if he couldn't get into university, there was still night school.
Thinking of this, seeing Mi Hongjun still looking at her, Qin Xiang suddenly asked, "Xiaomi, I remember you also graduated from junior high school?"
"Actually, I didn't graduate." Mi Hongjun said a little embarrassedly, "I dropped out of junior high school after only one and a half years."
Qin Xiang felt a little sorry. "You also know that I opened a store in the provincial capital. I can't do without people, so I hired several shop assistants. The worst of them only graduated from junior high school."
Mi Hongjun's face turned pale instantly. Is Sister Xiangxiang looking down on him for being uneducated?
Qin Xiang said, "But in my opinion, you are my original direct descendant. I have high hopes for you. After I go to college, I will need someone to look after the store and take care of the stock. Third Brother already has experience in stocking, so we can just bring someone over when the time comes, but someone will have to look after the store. I have high hopes for you, but if your abilities aren't as good as those girls, do you think you can convince them?"
Hearing this, Mi Hongjun sat up straight, "Sister Xiangxiang, tell me, what should I do?"
Seeing that he was nervous, Qin Xiang smiled with satisfaction. This silly child is still young and can be trained.
Qin Xiang said comfortedly, "You are not too old. When we get to the provincial capital, I will enroll you in a night school and you can go to cram school at night."
"It's settled." Qin Xiang stood up and patted his shoulder, then happily went back to the room to sleep.
Mi Hongjun sat there as if struck by lightning.
Why do you still need to study when you have such a strong support?
Mi Hongjun was confused.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
