Where should I open my shop? Yu Jihong wandered the streets, trying to sell clothes for her age group, so she wanted to go to places frequented by people her age.
After wandering around for a while, I ended up at Fang Meili's shop again. "Meili!"
"Sister Jihong, school's about to start, right?" Fang Meili greeted her. "Come, have a seat."
Yu Jihong sat down next to her. "Meili, I'm not going this semester. I want to open a clothing store."
"Sell clothes?" Fang Meili's eyes lit up. "Selling clothes is great! You're always fashionable and have a good eye for style. Everyone will definitely like the clothes you choose."
"You're so old and still fashionable?" Yu Jihong smiled, a little embarrassed. "I've been making breakfast for so many years. I've been working all day, so I just wear whatever I feel like. I only dress casually when I go home for a few days during the Lunar New Year. I only bought a few new outfits last year when I was working at a kindergarten."
"Yes, that's fine. You have a very forward-thinking approach to fashion. Do you remember when I ran a small general store in the countryside? You could come and buy fabric to make dresses?"
"I remember! When I wore it back to the village, people talked about it, and we even had an argument." Yu Jihong laughed as she thought about it. "Later, those people who talked about me started wearing skirts themselves."
"That's right, that's the change. There are very few fabric stores now; they all sell ready-made clothes."
"Well, I just walked around the street and saw that many of the clothing vendors were young women. I want to sell clothes to people our age group, since our tastes are different from those of young people."
"Sister Jihong, you've made ample preparations; you've thought it all through."
"I don't have anything else to do, so I'm just thinking around, but I haven't decided on a location yet. I've looked at a few places, but I don't know which one is suitable?"
"Oh, tell me about it." Fang Meili pulled her chair closer.
"The first one is next to an old movie theater, with high foot traffic, but the rent is expensive,"
“Selling clothes there doesn’t seem like a good place,” Fang Meili waved her hand. “Everyone’s watching a movie, who’s going to stop and buy clothes in such a hurry? Besides, there are food stalls all around, and the fumes will turn the clothes yellow.”
"Yes, that's true. There's another one. I saw a 'For Sale' sign on the door. There are a lot of clothing stores there. Won't the competition be too fierce?"
"Actually, there are more similar stores, so business is easier. Since they are clustered together, people go there with a specific purpose."
"Yes, I'll travel around more these next few days."
On his way back, Yu Ji strolled around a few more streets, bought some ingredients for dinner at the market, and then went back. Carrying the ribs and vegetables, he suddenly thought, "If the shop opens, and I'm in the shop all day long, what will happen when Fang Yu comes home from get off work and comes home for dinner?"
We need to find a place where we can cook, even if it's just a simple place to boil noodles or heat up some food, so that my daughter can come over after get off work and have something hot to eat.
The aroma of sweet and sour pork ribs filled the small house during dinner. While serving Fang Yu some food, Yu Jihong talked about finding a restaurant, specifically mentioning the requirement that it should have a kitchen.
Fang Yu chewed on the ribs, smiling and waving her hand, "Mom, no need to go to so much trouble. I eat lunch at kindergarten, and I get off work early in the afternoon, so I can cook lunch for you when I get home. You can bring a thermos in the morning, pack your lunch in it, and take it with you to eat."
Looking into Fang Yu's bright eyes, Yu Jihong felt a surge of warmth in her heart. This child has grown up so much without her even realizing it; she can take care of herself now.
That night, Yu Jihong lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, her mind filled with thoughts of money.
After opening the shop, I don't have enough money to buy a house. Should I continue renting here and buy a house after making money from the shop? But I really like that house; it has its own bathroom, which makes showering and using the toilet much more convenient.
As the night deepened, Yu Jihong sighed. The shop absolutely had to open; she needed to earn money. She also wanted the house—was there any way to have the best of both worlds?
With the kindergarten reopening, the principal brought back one of the caregivers who had previously applied for a job but had been turned down due to having enough staff. Yu Jihong no longer needed to work at the kindergarten, and she also finalized her shop lease.
The shop was about 20 to 30 square meters. Yu Jihong stood at the door and gestured for a moment, deciding that the words "Jihong Clothing Store" on the signboard were just right. The floor inside was cement, and the corners of the walls were a bit blackened, but it was very clean.
What pleased her most was that there was indeed a small cubicle at the back of the shop, big enough to fit a stove, a small cutting board, and some miscellaneous items. It was more than enough for her to cook something simple.
Although the shop was simple, Yu Jihong stood in the empty space, her heart filled with hope. She imagined painting the walls white to make it brighter, hanging colorful clothes, displaying the latest styles at the entrance, and having Fang Yu help her mind the shop after school while she cooked a steaming bowl of noodles in the small cubicle…
Once the house was rented, Yu Jihong started working, hoping to open for business sooner and start earning money sooner.
First, she started by painting the entrance. She dipped a brush in the paint and started applying it. At first, it went well, but after a while, her arm became so sore that she couldn't lift it. The paint was uneven, with some areas thick and others thin, making it look very rough.
She stopped, rubbed her aching shoulders, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If her third brother were still alive, she wouldn't have needed to do this kind of work.
Yu Jihong wiped the sweat from her forehead, suppressing the grievances in her heart. She smiled at the air, "It's okay, I can do it myself." After saying that, she dipped the paint in again and continued painting.
Fang Meili came to see Yu Jihong and felt a pang of sadness when she saw Yu Jihong climbing up and down all by herself.
"Sister Jihong, wait here. I'll go back and call Xinkang over to help you. He's strong and can do these things quickly."
"No need, Mary, just paint the inside white, and you won't be able to tell when the clothes are hung up."
Fang Meili ignored her and turned back into the shop. "Xin Kang, go help Sister Ji Hong paint the walls! She's doing all this work by herself."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Damiao came out from the inner room. "I'll go. I've worked on construction sites before, and I'm familiar with painting walls."
Fang Meili was taken aback, and suddenly felt a little uneasy. She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let Xin Kang go instead."
Fang Damiao said "Oh," a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face, but he still insisted, "It's okay, I'll go, it'll be done in no time."
Fang Meili looked at him and knew he genuinely wanted to help, but she was still worried. After thinking for a moment, she said to Yuan Xinkang, "You watch the shop first, we'll go help Sister Jihong together. The shop isn't busy right now, so more people will help."
Yuan Xinkang nodded, "Okay, you can go ahead." The three of them knew what Fang Meili was thinking.
Fang Meili and Fang Damiao rushed to Yu Jihong's shop. "Meili, why did you call Damiao here too? It's too much trouble for you."
"Why are you being so polite with us!" Fang Meili picked up a brush. "Quick, let's divide the work and try to finish this in the afternoon."
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