After slurping her lunch, she continued to sort out the goods she had brought back. Shen Haiyang came in to help, and then asked, “You need to apply for a business license first, right?”
”Do I need a business license to set up a street stall?”
”I almost don’t care about small things, but I think you are going to do something big. If you want to develop in the future, a business license is still necessary.”
”Okay then. I’ll do it.”
This period was very chaotic. The country was transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy. There were gray areas in many aspects. It was said that it was not allowed, but in reality no one cared. If it was not investigated, it would be fine. Once it was investigated, it might violate the law. However, she was not a parallel importer, so it would not be a big deal even if she was investigated.
”Li Xia, what kind of goods have you bought?”
Business came to her even before she opened her stall. The neighbors looked at her goods curiously. A daughter-in-law fell in love with a solid-colored dress and couldn’t let it go. She tried on red, white, pink and other colors.
”How much is this dress?”
”Twelve yuan and eighty cents. I’ll give you the lowest price.”
The clothing market in the 1990s was full of mixed goods, and bargaining was the theme of this period. Li Xia knew that in the 1990s, bargaining was a way to double the money sold by cutting the price. She couldn’t do that in the 1980s, because department stores in that period were all priced at the actual price, and the goods were not so high-end, so you couldn’t fool people. If she dared to use the 1990s tricks, customers would be scared away.
”It’s a bit expensive.” With a monthly salary of more than 30 yuan, it was a bit painful to spend more than 10 yuan on a skirt. “Sister-in-law, can’t you make it cheaper? I heard that clothes are cheaper in the south. We are such close neighbors, why don’t you give me a discount?”
The woman who was eyeing a pair of polyester pants also agreed: “Yes, sister, we are so close, you have to give it a discount.”
Li Xia smiled bitterly and pretended to be embarrassed. “Don’t just listen to what others say. In fact, clothes in the south are also made stitch by stitch. Materials, labor, water and electricity, factories, machines, these are all costs. How much lower can it be? And these fabrics are all good. I am a small business, and I don’t know if I can sell all these clothes. This is all because of the suppressed costs. If it is too low, I can’t sell it.”
She was selling things, her words were half true and half false. After she finished speaking, she slapped her thigh in embarrassment: “We are neighbors, I won’t waste words. I will reduce the price of each piece by 30 cents. You can take this skirt for 12.5 yuan. It is ready-made, and the workmanship and fabric are first-class. Dacron material costs 1.1 yuan per foot in department stores. This skirt is more than 8 or 9 feet long, plus the labor fee of 3 yuan, you can calculate the cost yourself.”
It’s not expensive after all. The Dacron in the department store is not as good looking as this one. The workmanship is good and the style is right. Seeing that she was still hesitating, Li Xia took out another skirt.
”It’s made of cotton, half the price of Dacron. If you can’t bear to part with it, just buy this. I buy a lot of decent clothes like this. Most people buy clothes at a bargain. I see that you make money, so I took out these few good clothes first.”
The woman compared them and still preferred the new material Dacron. “No, I’d rather buy the good one. I earn my own money, so I can wear something good.”
After decades of planned economy, ordinary people had no idea about the profits of doing business. After hearing what Li Xia said, they thought she didn’t make much money, because there were department stores selling clothes, and if they calculated it, they would think she worked hard but didn’t make any money. For a while, they didn’t say anything more. Several people bought the clothes they liked and left. After leaving, they were still talking about Li Xia.
”This woman is really brave. See, there are so many goods. How much will she lose if she can’t sell them?”
”Of course not. This woman is just stupid. She refused the stable job she was given. Now she has to live in the open air to do business. It’s scary to have so much money tied up in her pocket.”
”Yes, the dress in the department store is about the same price. But hers looks better than the one in the department store. The purchase price must be higher.”
Everyone was worried about losing money because they had the goods from the department store to compare. But Li Xia was calculating how much she could earn after selling this batch of goods, and how much goods she could sell to get back all her capital. Large factories and large-scale production reduce costs to the lowest level, but they don’t calculate that way, and it’s not the retail price of department stores that they know.
She only knew the simple abacus, which her teacher had taught her in primary school. At this moment, she was moving the beads on the abacus, with the corners of her mouth curled up and she couldn’t close her mouth. Shen Haiyang came in and told her to go to bed, and she followed him out.
I carefully checked the house for fire prevention, and locked the door tightly when she got out. “Is the house door closed?”
”closed.”
Looking around, the lights in the east and west wings were already off. “Why didn’t you watch TV today? The kids went to bed early.”
Shen Haiyang raised his wrist to show her the time: “Is it still early? It’s almost midnight.”
Li Xia took a look and realized it was really that late. She smiled at the man and took his arm: “Next time, don’t worry about me and go to bed first.”
Shen Haiyang smiled and shook his head, “Really? You are obsessed with money, right? Your eyes light up when you mention making money.”
”Isn’t it good to make money?”
A gentleman loves money but gets it in a proper way. Although the ancients said so, there are still some people who are willing to live in poverty. Could he be the outlier? Then their three views will collide fiercely this time.
”It’s not bad.” Shen Haiyang went into the room, took off his pants and went to bed. Li Xia went to the washbasin to wash. He continued, “I think money is good as long as it’s enough. I have a job, a steamed bun shop, bank savings, and a house in Beijing. These are more than 99% of families. You don’t have to work so hard.”
Li Xia washed her face and applied night cream, “I’m not tired.”
”Okay, as long as you like it.”
She didn’t say that money will depreciate severely in the future. You think a lot at this time, but by then, there will be little left. Although she has invested in real estate, the money in the bank can also be invested in real estate in the future, then she will definitely not worry about her life. But she does business not only to make money. Accomplishing something brings her great spiritual satisfaction.
After returning home and having a good sleep, she went to apply for a business license the next day. After returning, she checked the business of the bun shop and found that it was basically the same as before. In order to reward everyone for their hard work, she rewarded everyone with a pair of Decca pants just in time for salary payment.
”Oh my, I really became the boss now.”
”Deka pants, these pants have straight seams and look really good when worn.”
Everyone was delighted. Li Xia smiled and said that this was a half-year bonus. “In the future, we will give everyone bonuses based on quarterly performance, and you can choose any clothes of the same price. So sisters, don’t relax. The better the business of the bun shop, the more benefits you will get.”
The food business has only been profitable in the past few years, so don’t miss out. Reform and opening up have been rapid, and compared to other commodities, the growth rate of food is too low. If you want to make a lot of money from it, you have to do it on a big scale.
”Oh, then I have to work hard in the future.”
”Well, you have to work harder.”
After winning over the employees of the steamed bun shop, she rode her bike to the street to set up a stall the next day.
Near her home. The three kids were very excited about this and helped her set up the stall.
T-shirts, shorts, long pants, short sleeves, and all kinds of clothing were hung on bamboo poles with hangers, and passers-by couldn’t help but look over here. This street has a lot of traffic, and the stall opened in less than ten minutes.
The short-sleeved shirt with a purchase price of 3.1 yuan was sold for 8.2 yuan, with a net profit of 5.1 yuan per piece.
”Huihua, go home and find your dad, and ask him to help mom write a wholesale and retail board.”
”Okay.”
”The board should be bigger.”
Suddenly, she remembered that everyone thought she was selling goods on the street, and no one would ask about wholesale. She had to write down her intentions, so that she could attract people who also wanted to sell goods on the street.
Soon the little girl came back with a cardboard, followed by Shen Haiyang. The cardboard had words written on it according to her request, and Shen Haiyang asked her if it was good.
”If it’s wrong, I’ll change it now.”
Li Xia picked it up and looked at it. There were a few big words written on it with paint. The minimum order is 20 pieces. The price can be negotiated. She nodded to the man and put the cardboard in a conspicuous place in the stall.
Looking back, she saw Shen Haiyang was still there, so she pushed him home. “Leave quickly, it won’t be good if someone you know sees us.”
”It doesn’t matter, actually.”
”No, just go home quickly.”
”Then I’ll go. I’ll make lunch and bring it to you.”
”Let the child go home and get it, don’t come over here.”
He was a public officer, so Li Xia was very careful. The man nodded and went home, and she continued to promote her business. The novel style attracted the attention of young people, and business began to flow in after the opening.
The three children helped to watch out for people stealing, while she kept bargaining with customers. Her mouth was dry all morning, so she had a simple lunch and rested for a while before continuing in the afternoon. She sold more than 100 pieces a day, so her business was definitely booming.
Her clothes are slightly cheaper than those sold in department stores at the same quality, and many of the styles are not available in department stores. These two factors have already attracted the attention of consumers. Those who have money can buy the expensive chemical fibers (Dacron, Deca, etc.) and those who can’t afford them can buy cotton. Cotton is not as stiff as chemical fibers, but the factory she found this time has good workmanship.
When she was about to close the stall, she looked back and didn’t see Yi Yi, so she quickly asked the two older ones, “Where’s your brother? When did Yi Yi disappear?”
The two children looked around and responded to her. “He was just here, how come he disappeared in the blink of an eye?”
Shen Hui shouted, “Yiyi, Yiyi, where are you? Come out quickly.”
Huihua walked eastward, where a new small shop had opened. “Yiyi, come out quickly, or I’ll beat you up.”
She told him not to run around this morning, why won’t he listen? Li Xia looked around and saw a man leading a child in the alley to the east. She saw him from the corner of her eye and turned back with anger in her eyes.
”Fang Zhongcheng, do you have a plan? Why didn’t you tell me before you took the child away? Do you know how worried we were when you took the child away so suddenly?”
Fang Zhongcheng felt a little annoyed and embarrassed by her yelling, but seeing how hard she was working to set up the stall, her face turning pale and red, her breathing rapid and her eyes even a little red, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath and decided not to bother with her.
”Someone stole your short-sleeved shirt, and I happened to run into him when Yi Yi ran after him.” The man handed her a white short-sleeved shirt and said, “Don’t get angry at every turn. Your child is so young and has worked hard with you to set up a stall. As a mother, don’t you feel guilty? Who said you would take good care of the child? Now, look at them…”
”dad,”
”Don’t talk about my mother.”
Huihua also came back at this time, and the siblings held hands and interrupted him in unison. Fang Zhongcheng looked at the child’s eyes full of protection for his mother, and he didn’t know what it felt like. He gave up the child himself, but seeing them so close to their mother, and not even letting him say anything to blame, he felt bitter in his heart.
Li Xia reached out and pulled the three children over. The children had already defended her, so she did not argue with him in front of them. She gave the children money to buy popsicles. She lowered her head to clean up the stall, while Fang Zhongcheng stood there awkwardly, then walked away.
The man lowered his head, his teeth were clacking. As he walked, he muttered, “I really don’t know what you are after. You can obviously go to work and get a stable job with a pension after retirement, why do you have to work so hard to do small business? You used to speculate and profiteer, but now even if you let it go, people still look down on you. What’s in your mind, woman?”
Li Xia didn’t care what he thought. She counted the remaining clothes while she was packing up. After she finished, she loaded the clothes into the cart and took them home. She took out her wallet and started to count the money.
The daily turnover was over a thousand yuan. After checking the account book to see what clothes were sold, she estimated the net profit to be around five hundred yuan. Her hands were shaking with excitement as she counted the money.
My God! For a small vendor in the 1980s, this east wind was definitely strong enough. If Fang Zhongcheng knew that she made so much money, would he still dare to look down on her?
In fact, she was definitely the boss among the small vendors. The group of people who bought goods together came from all over the country, and she had the most funds and bought the most goods. The clothing factory sales department remembered her and made appointments with her for business next season.
”Mother,”
”Mom, did you make money?”
The three children each had an ice cream cone. Huihua tore off the paper on a red bean ice cream cone and handed it to her. “I’ve given Dad’s to him. This one is yours.”
”Thanks.”
After taking a lick of the ice cream, the coolness and sweetness instantly permeated her heart. She smiled at the children, stretched out her hand and pulled Yi Yi to her side. She looked the child up and down, and then touched his little head.
”Mom, thanks you for all the help. My son is amazing.”
The little guy thought his mother was going to scold him, but it turned out to be a compliment. He was so happy that his face was not visible and he jumped a few times on the ground.
”You, do you know how dangerous your behavior is? Mom knows you have good intentions, but do you think you can catch up with an adult with your small body? And what if the other party is a bad guy and kidnaps you as well?”
He was scolded by his mother just when he was showing off. The little guy immediately became as wilted as a cucumber that had lost its water. He turned around to look at his brother and sister, but the two unscrupulous ones pretended not to see him. He immediately became listless and looked up at his mother, blinking pitifully.
Li Xia reached out and hugged her son. Although she was scolding him, there was not much anger on her face. So the child was not afraid of her, but was confused and a little aggrieved for a moment. Because there was no fear, his brain was not frightened and he could still think normally. He looked at his mother without saying anything, and carefully pondered the previous words. Then suddenly his eyes lit up, like little stars in the night.
”Mom, are you afraid that someone will take me away from you?”
”Yes.” Li Xia reached out and rubbed his little head. “You must tell mom where you are going and let your brother and sister go with you. If you encounter someone stealing things again, just shout and let mom handle it. Don’t be reckless and chase them on your own with your short legs. It doesn’t matter if you lose a piece of clothing. If someone steals you, mom will cry and can’t even find your grave.”
The mother made no secret of her concern for the child. The little guy was so moved that he reached out and hugged his mother. He thought his mother was scolding him because he didn’t take good care of his things, but she was afraid that she would lose him. Moreover, his mother said that it didn’t matter if the clothes were lost, because he was much more important than the clothes.
”Mom, you’re so nice.”
The little guy hugged her neck tightly, and Li Xia reached out and patted his back to calm him down. The two older ones on the ground also looked at her, and she smiled and took the opportunity to spread safety knowledge to the children. Although they were not the age that human traffickers liked the most, they still took it seriously just in case.
”The same goes for you two. Although you are older than Yiyi, you are still children. If you encounter danger, protect yourself first. Don’t worry too much about other things. Tell your mother where you are going, otherwise the adults will worry. Do you understand?”
The two children nodded obediently: “Got it.”
After she finished speaking and saw her daughter nod, she looked at Shen Hui again: “Remember? If you encounter danger, don’t worry about your property. Nothing is worth mentioning compared to your life.”
”Okay we remember.”
Life is the most important thing. This seed has been planted in their hearts since childhood, and has influenced them subtly. No matter what happens, you can’t gamble with your life. No matter what it is, it is as light as a feather compared to life. You can’t do anything stupid for material things. Shen Hui, you must not be stubborn anymore. For anything,, you must not be stubborn.
It’s not worth sacrificing yourself.
