Business was slightly better on Saturday than usual, but not by much; more people tried things out than bought.
Zhang Huaxiu said it was easy, but Shu Yan didn't think it was easy at all. Each customer would try two or three sets, so ten customers would get twenty or thirty sets. In addition to taking them, they also had to hang them back. Going back and forth like that was both tedious and tiring.
"Boss lady, should we get rid of all these summer clothes? I think the weather is still quite hot, so we can sell them for a while longer." Zhang Huaxiu followed Shu Yan as they sorted out all the summer clothes and divided them into three parts.
The first part is what Shu Yan thinks must be disposed of, so these will be sold with a buy-one-get-one-free offer. The second part is what she thinks can be sold gradually, so these will all be discounted by 40%. The third part is what she thinks can be sold next year, so these will only be discounted by 20%. If they can be sold, they will be sold; if not, then so be it.
"Once the weather gets cold, they won't sell at all. I'll sell them cheaply while they're still selling, otherwise I'll lose even more money if they sit on the stock." They arranged the clothes into sets and placed them on the clothes rack by the door.
People who come in will take a look at the big red paper posted at the door. Many people like to buy clothes at the end of the season because they are much cheaper.
"Boss lady, if I buy this set, can you give me this set for free?" A woman took a liking to a dress that was 20% off and wanted Shu Yan to give her a dress from the buy-one-get-one-free section.
"I'm sorry, the dress you're holding has a very high cost price. You can feel the fabric and the workmanship; it's very exquisite. I'm already selling it at a loss, so I really can't afford to give it away." The dress she was holding really did have a high cost price. Shu Yan herself liked it very much and was even thinking that if it didn't sell, she would wear it herself next year.
The woman held the dress up for a long time, tried it on, looked at it for a long time afterward, but in the end, she still didn't buy it.
As noon approached, the number of shoppers gradually decreased. Shu Yan told Zhang Huaxiu that she was going directly to the fabric market, where the designer who had drawn up her designs and a craftsman from Lao Zhang's factory were waiting for her. Today, she was going to choose fabrics and materials for making clothes.
"I prefer shirts made of a thicker material, so I can wear them in the fall and winter too." Shu Yan has found that more customers care about practicality, so when she makes clothes, she doesn't just pursue good looks, but also practicality.
Besides the two shirts, Shu Yan also took the opportunity to look at the fabric that could be made into thermal underwear. There wasn't as much fabric available now as there would be in the future, after all, so many years had passed and many technologies couldn't keep up. It was impossible to get the thermal underwear she wore back then. However, Shu Yan saw a fabric that was used to make leggings. It was a bit stretchy and came in many colors, so it should be fine for making thermal underwear.
"Are you planning to make leggings?" The designer noticed that Shu Yan was looking at the fabric. "There are quite a few people wearing leggings now, but the weather is getting colder, and they won't sell well in winter."
"No, I want to make them into thermal underwear." Most thermal underwear these days is very loose-fitting, and many people just wear sweaters and wool pants, which is neither warm nor stylish. If they were made into fitted thermal underwear, they would be both attractive and warm, and I think many girls would like them, right?
Hearing Shu Yan's words, the craftsman behind her came over, took the fabric, and touched it. "Wouldn't this be too cold to make thermal underwear? I know there's a similar fabric that's thicker."
Shu Yan disagreed, saying that people who love beauty don't feel cold. "Let's buy some and make a few sample garments first. If it's acceptable, we can make a batch."
I ordered both black and red, as these are currently the most sought-after colors.
The factory is indeed facing difficulties right now. The more Shuyan does, the more work the factory will have, and only then can they receive wages. Naturally, the foreman was happy to agree.
After checking with the factory and confirming there were no problems, Shu Yan returned to the shop. Business was good in the afternoon, especially the summer clothes; they were almost sold out. Zhang Huaxiu felt particularly distressed about this, as clothes that used to sell for thirty or forty yuan were now being sold for ten or twenty yuan each, resulting in a significant loss of profit.
"How about we call it a day for today's event? We can sell the rest of these later."
“You’re thinking wrong. If we don’t get rid of them today, and then a cold front comes, these clothes will just sit in the warehouse. We might not even be able to sell them next year.” Shu Yan disagreed. Zhang Huaxiu was meticulous and conscientious, but she lacked decisiveness and foresight. As an employee, Zhang Huaxiu was very good. If you want to train her to be a store manager, you still need to train her.
Yesterday, Yingying took the day off, so of course Zhang Huaxiu couldn't be left alone at the shop. When Shuyan dropped off the children in the morning, she specifically asked Wu Xiuyue to help pick them up. At that time, Lin Hui was nearby and suggested that the children play at her house for a while. When Shuyan arrived at Lin Hui's house, the two children and Tongtong were still awake.
"Why aren't you asleep so late?" Shu Yan had recognized the house when she came back to look at it, but she hadn't gone inside. She glanced around and saw that it was a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment, clean and tidy, and decorated very warmly.
"It's alright, it's the weekend, let the kids relax." Lin Hui laughed heartily. Her family was quite well-off; she and her husband had moved out to live on their own after getting married, and the house was just right for the three of them.
"How's the renovation of your new house going? When are you moving in?" Shu Yan is eager to live in her own house now; she really doesn't feel safe living in someone else's house.
“My house has been renovated for over a month now. A few days ago, my mother-in-law had someone calculate an auspicious date, and she said December 15th is a good day. I plan to move in that day. What about you?” Lin Hui asked excitedly when talking about her new house.
"I'll have to wait until the end of the year too. Which day exactly? I'll ask around later." Shu Yan patted the sofa. "Your house is quite new. Why are you thinking of moving?"
"The house is too small. There's not enough room for two guests. I have some spare cash that I don't need right now, so I might as well move to a bigger house." Lin Hui couldn't help but feel happy when she thought about her 120-square-meter mansion.
Shu Yan really wanted to say that your conditions are already good enough. Wu Xiuyue's family of so many people are crammed into a 40-square-meter room.
"Speaking of renovations, I stopped by your place when I went to look at other apartments the day before yesterday. Yours looks much better than mine. And those light fixtures, where did you buy them? They're so beautiful." Lin Hui wished she could tear down her own apartment and renovate it all over again.
"The renovation company is under the Nancheng Shoufu brand, and I asked a friend to help with the lighting and furniture."
"It's a pity I've already bought them all, otherwise I would have asked your friend to get me a set too."
It was getting late, so after chatting for a few minutes, Shu Yan took her two children home. Her place was a bit of a walk from Lin Hui's neighborhood, and part of the road was lined with wasteland. Shu Yan was a little nervous, so she carried Tianbao and held Jingjing's hand, walking a little faster. Suddenly, someone approached. Shu Yan was startled at first, but relaxed when she saw who it was, nodding at him. The man, seeing Shu Yan and her two children, paused slightly and nodded back.
On their third meeting, the two still didn't exchange a single word.
"Mommy, it's so dark! I'm scared!" Tianbao hugged Shuyan's neck.
"Mom, that uncle looked really scary." Ye Jingjing, standing next to Shu Yan, was also a little frightened.
“Jingjing, how can you judge a book by its cover? You can’t judge a book by its cover, you know? It means we can’t judge a person by their appearance. Many people look fierce but are actually kind-hearted. Many people look kind but might be bad people. Do you remember the little boy Aunt Xiuyue mentioned? He was tricked by a kind-looking old lady and hasn’t been found yet.”
"I get it, it means we can't just look at faces, right?" Tianbao raised his little hand to answer.
“That’s right, we can’t judge a person by their appearance alone. Like that uncle just now, do you know how he got the scar on his face? He got it while protecting the country and ordinary people like us. That scar isn’t scary at all; in fact, it’s a very honorable one. He’s a great hero,” Shu Yan explained with a smile.
"So he's a great hero! I want to be a hero when I grow up!" Tianbao said loudly, hugging Shuyan's neck.
"To be a hero, you have to be obedient and do well in your studies. Can you do that?" Shu Yan asked seriously, which made both children serious as well.
"Yes (yes)," the two children said in unison, but the daughter's voice was a little weak.
Fang Zeyu, who was following behind, was moved. He had just heard the child say that he was scared, and thinking that the road was indeed a bit dark, he turned back to walk them for a while. He didn't expect to hear Shu Yan using herself as a positive example to teach the child, so she thought he was a hero? Didn't she hear those rumors?
Watching his mother and the other two walk away, Fang Zeyu turned back, his steps slightly lighter.
On the weekend, Shu Yan thought that Jingjing hadn't been to her shop yet, so she simply asked her tutor for leave and took them to the shop. Tianbao had been there a few times and proudly introduced what he knew to his older sister, occasionally testing her to see if she remembered it.
"Mom, my brother said there used to be a lot of balloons by the door, and if you popped one of them, you'd turn it into a fan. Is that true?" Ye Jingjing asked as she walked around the room.
"It's true, but you had to go to school then, so Mom didn't bring you. Next time we have an event, Mom will bring you to pop balloons. Whatever you win, Mom will give it to you," Shu Yan told them to play in the store while she and Lao Hu went to look at houses across the street.
The homeowner is abroad and apparently got a green card. He won't be coming back. He's short of money to buy a house there, so he's planning to sell this cash cow-producing storefront.
The asking price wasn't low, at 10,800 yuan per square meter, which was 800 yuan more expensive than the price Lao Hu had quoted to Shu Yan. Shu Yan felt there was definitely room for negotiation, but of course, it was more convenient to leave this to Lao Hu.
"The lowest they'll go is nine thousand five, they won't budge an inch." Old Hu wiped his sweat, not expecting today's client to be so difficult. But speaking of which, the area is becoming more and more prosperous, and the rent has been rising every year. If the landlord weren't short of money to buy a house elsewhere, he would never sell it under any circumstances.
"Let's look at the house first."
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