With both children being cared for by her in-laws back in their hometown, Xia Liang went out with her brother to look for a shop. They found two that they liked: one was farther from home and smaller, but had more foot traffic than the other; the other was closer but less crowded. The larger shop was 2,000 yuan more expensive per year in rent. After much deliberation, Xia Liang chose the one with higher foot traffic. She figured a smaller shop was fine; she just wanted to decorate it nicely and make it look upscale so she could sell it at a higher price. After choosing the shop and signing the contract with the landlord, she hired a renovation team to decorate according to her own ideas. After painting the entire place white, they removed the walls on both sides of the door and installed transparent glass to improve the lighting. They also installed many lights, on both sides and in the innermost row. The cashier was placed at the innermost wall with a marble countertop, and Roman rods were used to hang clothes on both sides. Finding that there were no mannequins for sale in Beijing, Xia Liang contacted a clothing store owner in Guangzhou and asked her to buy two and send them over. Xia Liang placed the mannequins on the left and right sides of the entrance, with a green carpet that looked like grass underneath. The feeling was completely different after the mannequins were placed there.
The brother and sister, along with the construction workers, worked for several days to finally get the shop ready. Xia Liang then asked her brother to use their newly bought tricycle to transport the clothes over, hanging them up one by one on hangers. They also found clothes and pants for the two mannequins to wear. Xia Liang was extremely satisfied with the shop, which was almost completely set up. She decided to open on Sunday. With three days left, she would first find a printing shop to photocopy some small advertisements and distribute them to attract some traffic. With the remaining fabric, Xia Liang would take out her sewing machine and start making things, following the styles in the shop, so she wouldn't have to go to Guangzhou to buy goods again. Xia Rong took care of making the small advertisements, while Xia Liang stayed home alone, making over a hundred pairs of jeans in two days. The main problem was that she was alone, and cutting the fabric was inconvenient; otherwise, she could have made even more. There was a small partition at the back of the shop. Xia Liang had originally planned to cook in it, but thinking that she could move the sewing machine in there to work, she abandoned the idea of making a kitchen.
On Sunday, Xia Liang ordered flower baskets early in the morning. After setting off firecrackers at the door, she opened the shop. A crowd of young people and some elderly people who had gotten up early to buy groceries gathered around to watch the excitement. Xia Liang stood at the door and called out, "The latest styles from Gangcheng! Come in and take a look if you like them. They're all the most fashionable this year." Many fashionable men and women came in with curious expressions. A young girl asked, "Boss lady, can I really try them on?" Xia Liang nodded, "Yes, beautiful lady, feel free to try them on if you like them." It was the first time the girl had been called "beautiful lady," and her face instantly turned red. Xia Liang looked at the girl's tomato-red face and didn't react at first, but then she realized that in this era, both men and women were addressed as "comrade." She guessed that this was the first time the girl had been called "beautiful lady," which was why she blushed. The young girl quickly chose a pair of wide-leg jeans, which Xia Liang had just made yesterday, and also picked out a shirt. Xia Liang led her to the fitting room, and the girl came out shortly after. Xia Liang's eyes lit up. Before, the girl was wearing a dark blue, unremarkable outfit, and her beauty wasn't apparent. Indeed, clothes make the person; the girl looked like a completely different person in her new clothes. Xia Liang pulled her to the full-length mirror and said, "Beautiful lady, look at yourself! You're so pretty and have such a great presence. Aren't you different from before? I almost didn't recognize you when you came out." The girl was already pleased by the amazement in Xia Liang's eyes when she came out, and after hearing what she said, what reason did she have not to buy? Without saying a word, she took out her money. Xia Liang was prepared for her to bargain, but the girl paid readily. For the pants and the shirt, Xia Liang charged her fifty-six yuan—thirty-five for the pants and twenty-one for the shirt. Although the price was a bit high, these clothes could be worn for several years, so it wasn't too expensive in the end. Xia Liang also gave the little girl a pair of stockings, a gift from the clothing store owner. These stockings are quite common in Guangzhou, but few people wear them in Beijing. When the little girl heard that she was from Hong Kong, she was overjoyed, as if she had found a great bargain. She happily took her newly bought clothes and left.
Xia Rong stepped forward and asked his sister, "Selling them for such a high price?" The jeans cost ten yuan to buy, the floral shirt cost six yuan, and the shipping cost was at most one yuan for each item, totaling no more than eighteen yuan. Xia Liang sold them for fifty-six yuan, making a net profit of thirty-eight yuan—that was outrageous! Xia Liang knew that most people these days were honest and simple, so it was no wonder he was so surprised to learn she was making so much money. She smiled and replied to her brother, "Although our purchase price was a little over ten yuan, we had to travel all the way to Yangcheng. We had to cover our travel expenses and the risks involved. There was also rent, utilities, and the wages of hired workers. In the end, it wasn't much." She hadn't told her brother that she made the pants herself, and the cost price was pitifully low, but she decided not to remind him. Otherwise, he would be even more shocked.
Because it was Sunday, a day off for many office workers, many were out shopping. These were the main consumers, buying whatever they liked without hesitation. The siblings were exhausted by evening. Xia Liang was busy attending to customers, helping them find clothes, and collecting money, while Xia Rong was either hanging up the sold-out items or going home to get more. The shop wasn't big, so most of the stock was kept at home, with relatively little in the store. Therefore, Xia Rong often had to go home to retrieve the items. Around 10 PM, the siblings closed the shop and did their inventory. They had sold over 200 pairs of wide-leg pants, over 100 shirts, and fewer denim jackets—around 80 pieces—for a total of over 13,000 yuan. Xia Rong was stunned; she knew they had a good sales day, but she hadn't realized it was that much! After adding it all up, they had earned a total of over ten thousand yuan. Although the brother and sister didn't lack that ten thousand yuan now, it was all earned penny by penny by selling eggs and reselling them, taking risks along the way. This time, there was no risk at all, and they made the money directly and honestly. Xia Liang couldn't help but laugh at her brother's expression: "This is nothing! There will be many more ways to make money in the future. We have a long way to go."
The brother and sister went out to find a place to eat. Now that the economy has been liberalized, there are many people doing small businesses. There are vendors selling cold noodles, shumai, wontons, and so on. The two of them were starving, so they randomly found a nearby wonton shop and ordered two large bowls. The shop was run by a young couple. After inviting the brother and sister to sit down, they started cooking the wontons.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com