Chen Xingling explained helplessly: "It's not that I don't want to sign the contract, but generally the design plan has to be finalized before signing the contract and starting construction. I was going to bring Master Mo to do the design in the next two days - now, nothing is signed."
Ma Dali’s face was filled with anger: “We had already agreed on it, and our construction period was already arranged, yet you suddenly postponed it to three years later! Who knows what the situation will be like three years later! By then, we might not even be in this business anymore!”
"There's nothing we can do." Chen Xingling shook his head: "Since my daughter-in-law doesn't want to, Lao Guo can't say anything."
Ma Dali couldn't help asking, "Is that the famous Qin Tiantian? I heard she's from your hometown in Beijing, and many people at the shipyard know her."
"Huh?!" Chen Xingling stared in surprise: "You recognize her too?"
Ma Dali shook his head, his eyes full of disgust.
"Why should I know her? Last year, the employees of the shipyard were saying that she was having an affair with Guo Shijing before they got married, and that she took the initiative to pay for him and got pregnant before marriage. Later, she even went to Mrs. Guo's house and begged him to accept her. I heard that it was Director Guo who finally agreed to the marriage. Although I don't know her, her reputation is so bad that it's hard not to know her!"
Chen Xingling suppressed his laughter: "No wonder the older generation always say 'The body at home, the reputation outside'!"
"Of course." Ma Dali said bluntly: "No matter how big Yucheng is, it is not bigger than the gossips of the aunts and uncles on the streets. I am a local and I know most people around me. It is easy to find out what I want."
Chen Xingling thought about it and suggested: "Since Lao Guo's house cannot be built for the time being, let's try to get the preliminary work of the embroidery factory started within half a month. This is also imminent and can't be delayed any longer. It doesn't matter if Lao Guo's house is not built. On the contrary, we can spare time to deal with the embroidery factory wholeheartedly."
"Okay." Ma Dali said, "There is always a way out. Old Liao's garden is well built. He helps us with word-of-mouth publicity from time to time. It can gain customers' trust and advertising, which is much better than some empty slogans. We have already established a good reputation, and we will not have to worry about lack of business in the future. Then let's take care of the embroidery factory first."
Chen Xingling suggested: "It's not hard to find the materials. Just buy some fabrics and threads, plus some auxiliary bamboo frames and the like."
"I have already inquired about these." Ma Dali said, "I have already asked in detail where is the cheapest and where is the best quality."
Chen Xingling said without even thinking, "We only buy the best quality, not the cheapest."
"... Capital!" Ma Dali couldn't help but laugh: "We have to make money from profits. The lower the capital is, the more we can earn."
Chen Xingling seemed to have his own ideas. He explained: "Other things can be compressed as much as possible, but the quality of fabrics and yarns must be the best. If we want our products to remain invincible, we can only rely on quality, not low prices. The economic conditions there are better than ours. What they lack is good-quality handicrafts, not some cheap and low-quality things. We want to make it as a handmade work of art, not an ordinary household product."
Ma Dali nodded repeatedly: "You have an idea, I will listen to you."
"No." Chen Xingling shook his head: "I can't be right about everything. Sometimes I think differently or say something wrong. If you have your own opinion, you have to speak it out directly. If we want to make progress, we have to rely on the power of cooperation, not one person's dictatorship."
Ma Dali smiled embarrassedly and whispered: "Don't worry, I'll remember it. I will listen to you only if you are right. If what you say is not right, I... I will also put forward my own opinions."
Chen Xingling nodded approvingly: "That's right! We are in a cooperative relationship, not a superior-subordinate relationship. You have to understand this! You are also one of the shareholders, not our master."
“Haha!” Ma Dali laughed. “Okay, I get it. As for the materials, I’ll go shopping around first, and then I’ll take you to bargain and decide on the price.”
Chen Xingling asked again: "Does Sanyue Sifang also embroider on weekdays? The craftsmanship of the workers is the most important."
"Yes." Ma Dali explained, "But they just started learning last year, so they don't know many things. For embroiderers, the longer they work, the better their experience."
Chen Xingling couldn't help but ask: "Is there any master chef?"
"Of course there are." Ma Dali replied: "There are still one or two embroidery masters in Yucheng, but - but their asking price is a bit higher, about one third higher."
Chen Xingling's eyes moved slightly, and he suggested: "It doesn't matter if they are a little taller. We can invite them to our factory to take charge. We can give them some extra hard work fees and let them help train some young embroiderers. Such fingertip embroiderers, as long as someone gives them some pointers and they practice diligently, they will be able to learn quickly."
Ma Dali laughed helplessly and scratched his head.
"It's not that difficult to get the materials. In my opinion, the most difficult part is the workers. There has never been any embroidery factory in Yucheng. For decades, there have been small workshops. The small workshops can be large or small, with dozens of workers and as few as 30. The small workshops are responsible for distribution and collection. After the workers take the embroidery home, they go to the small workshops to deliver the work and get the money."
Chen Xingling nodded: "The profits of small workshops are still good. Merchants will come to small workshops regularly to collect goods, and then transport them to other places to sell. In my opinion, the profits of merchants are the highest."
Ma Dali smiled bitterly: "Those who work have always earned the least. In fact, most girls or aunties who have free time like to be embroiderers. To get a job in a factory or a good company, you need connections and skills, as well as some academic qualifications. Most uneducated girls or aunties can only make money through these hard jobs."
"Embroidery is also a skill." Although Chen Xingling herself can't do it, she quite recognizes this skill. "If you want to learn embroidery well, you have to work hard to learn it."
Ma Dali nodded: "Yes! Most people learn by doing under the guidance of adults or elders until they can master it. Although the wages are not high and it is very hard work, everyone cherishes the opportunity to make money. And another reason they like it is that they can get the goods and the money at the same time."
"Is it all like this?" Chen Xingling raised his eyebrows and asked, "No monthly payment?"
Ma Dali explained: "I have inquired and found that only two or three small workshops pay once every half month or ten days. Some embroiderers with limited hands and feet can earn more than one yuan a day. It takes more than ten days to embroider a large bed sheet and they can get more than ten yuan each time. For most families, more than ten yuan is a considerable sum."
"That's right." Chen Xingling couldn't help but ask, "March Sifang has classes during the day, so how much can she make at night and on weekends?"
Ma Dali had already understood this and answered, "About three dollars a week. I don't let them stay up late at night and I tell them to go to bed at 10 o'clock. The lights are not bright, and the embroiderers are reluctant to turn on the lights for fear of wasting electricity. Many of them have damaged their eyes at a young age."
"The electricity bill is still quite expensive." Chen Xingling seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "I heard that some embroiderers would gather together in a fixed room at night to embroider together, share the lighting, and then share the electricity bill."
Ma Dali smiled bitterly: "If not, the money earned by the busier embroiderers is not enough to pay the electricity bill. Many people in the countryside prefer oil lamps and are reluctant to use electric lamps. The most exaggerated thing is that more than a dozen embroiderers share a small oil lamp and work late at night just to make more money. The light is dim and there are many people, so many people block the view and cannot see clearly. This is also the reason why most embroiderers are nearsighted or have poor eyesight."
Chen Xingling thought silently.
Ma Dali lowered his voice and said, "It's easy to buy fabrics and yarns, but the hardest part is finding workers. The embroiderers are already working in their own workshops, and generally speaking, they are relatively fixed and rarely move around. What model should we adopt and how to recruit workers and embroiderers to work is the hardest part."
"Let's think about it." Chen Xingling whispered: "We can adopt a flexible employment model that is different from the traditional model of small workshops and also takes into account the actual situation of the embroiderers."
Ma Dali was stunned and asked, "Flexible employment? What does that mean?"
Chen Xingling thought for a moment and answered, "We are an embroidery factory, not an ordinary small workshop, so we can't just be responsible for distribution and receipt like them. We must have our own production model."
"For example...which ones?" Ma Dali asked without knowing why.
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