After three consecutive days of setting up the stall, the stock was almost gone, and Xu Mengyao prepared to take her elder sister to Pengcheng again to purchase goods.
The night before leaving, the eldest brother Huang Wenbin suggested, "Wenjuan, do you really not need to bring Shaozi and the others? With them around, you can bring back more goods. Maomao and I can continue to run the stall with the remaining clothes."
The most taboo thing in business is to tell others the source of your goods. Big Brother obviously doesn't understand these twists and turns, but Xu Mengyao is not really twelve years old. She believes in people but not in human nature, and doesn't want to test others easily, so she declined:
"Brother, we've been out for so many days, and grandma is the only one left at home. It's time for you to go home and visit her. Bring Brother Gui and Brother Badan with you as well. When we get back from this trip, my sister and I will go back to the mine to set up a stall for a few days to keep grandma company. Although the popcorn business isn't as good in the summer as in the winter, I calculated that it's time to replenish the raw materials."
Huang Wenbin nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "You've thought it through. It's really time for us to go home. I'll go back tomorrow morning, get a good night's sleep, and then come back with the devils."
"Okay, remember to tell grandma that my elder sister and I can go home the day after tomorrow." Xu Mengyao reminded,
Then he turned to Whistle and Parrot and said, "Could you please pick us up at the train station after 5pm tomorrow?"
Whistle immediately responded generously: "No problem, sister, why are you being so polite about such a small matter? We will definitely pick you up on time."
Based on her experience of setting up stalls in the past few days and the sales of goods, Xu Mengyao carefully prepared a purchase list: for the children in the Children's Palace, she planned to purchase a batch of gymnastics pants with stirrups and white gymnastics shoes, as well as a small amount of dance shoes.
She also observed that most of the parents who sent their children to class were young women with big wavy hair who pursued fashion. She decided to sell adult clothes this time, so she specially chose clothes with bright colors and bold styles to cater to market demand.
Her merchandise is dazzling and full of charm, including vests of various colors, shorts, sleeveless waist skirts, suspender skirts, pearl white satin tops paired with black hip skirts, as well as various fashionable and exaggerated large earrings and hair accessories, and flesh-colored and black stockings.
In addition to clothing, Xu Mengyao also bought a batch of toys for children. She knew that children are always curious and interested in new things, and these toys would definitely attract their attention.
The two sisters struggled to load the goods onto the train, and by the time they arrived at Huanshi, they were exhausted. Seeing Shaozi waiting at the door, they were too tired to even talk. When they got home, they didn't even have the heart to eat. After a quick wash, they fell asleep.
However, the next morning, both of them were awakened by the simultaneous rumblings of hunger. It was still early, not even five o'clock, so Xu Mengyao tiptoed to the kitchen, afraid to disturb the family. To her surprise, she found two hard-boiled eggs in the pot. Opening an enamel basin nearby, she found mung bean porridge—clearly something Grandma Qi had prepared specially for them the night before. The two sisters then began to enjoy this heartwarming breakfast, their hearts filled with emotion.
When Grandma Qi walked into the kitchen, she saw the two sisters busy at work. Steaming buns were already on the table, and Huang Wenrong was expertly shredding potatoes, ready to go in the pot. She quickly took the spatula and said distressedly, "You two girls, you were so tired yesterday. Why don't you just rest up today? Why are you still up so early to cook?"
Huang Wenrong smiled and replied, "Grandma, we've all had a good rest. Thanks to the meal you left last night, we ate it right away. Now that we're all up, it's only right that I cook a meal for everyone."
Grandma Qi waved her hand and pushed the two out of the kitchen. "Alright, alright, go out now. I'm here. Your Grandpa Qi is up too. If you have nothing else to do, go wake Maomao up. He was worried about you both yesterday before he went to bed because you were so listless."
After breakfast, Huang Wenrong and Xu Mengyao took Maomao out to show off his new toys, much to the envy of the children in the entire compound. Then, as usual, they welcomed a group of guests from the family compound.
After a while, Huang Wenbin finally arrived with the devils and Badan.
As soon as he entered the door, he shouted loudly, "Maomao! Come and try it, this is the popcorn your Grandma Huang made especially for you this morning!"
The little guy excitedly took the popcorn, took a bite, and his eyes lit up immediately. He immediately grabbed two handfuls and ran out. It was obvious that he was showing off to his friends again. Seeing Maomao's expression, everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Xu Mengyao had already packed up the items she was taking with her and set them aside. She began to instruct her older brother, "Sell these in front of the big store this morning and at the Children's Palace this afternoon. This bag of toys can be split between two of us to set up a stall in front of the park. There's a lot of traffic there, and parents with their children are prepared to spend money, so the toys sell better there."
Everyone else nodded in agreement, but the eldest brother looked hesitant. "How about one of you stay with us? You've got quite a few styles this time, and they're all women's clothing. If we guys are selling them, I'm afraid business won't be that good."
His words instantly made Xu Mengyao look at him with new eyes: "Okay, big brother, you have such a smart mind to think this through. Then my sister and I will stay with you for another day and go back in the evening. We can't let our grandma wait in vain. Besides, you won't have any place to stay if we don't leave."
After the agreement was reached, the group headed out again. Huang Wenbin's worries were ultimately unnecessary, because to those married women in their thirties, the five teenage boys were as friendly as their own children. Furthermore, their eyes had already been drawn to the fashionable and brightly colored clothes, and their enthusiasm remained undimmed.
While selling their wares, they encountered a variety of customers. Some raved about the new styles of clothing, while others were captivated by the accessories. Although a bit hesitant at first, the brothers soon became adept at selling their wares and engaging with customers enthusiastically.
Xu Mengyao finally felt relieved and went to the bakery to replenish the raw materials before leaving.
Xu Mengyao and Huang Wenrong walked along the dusty path through the mining area and finally returned to their familiar home. As soon as Xu Mengyao stepped into the yard, she couldn't wait to call out, "Grandma, we're back!" Her voice was filled with the joy of returning home.
When Grandma Huang heard the voice, a smile spread across her face, and her wrinkles became more prominent in her joy. She walked out with a smile: "Oh, aren't these our two cruel girls? They finally decided to come back from the city!" There was a hint of doting reproach in her words, but she couldn't hide her inner joy.
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