Chapter 269 - 266: A Lead
Lin Lan took a step forward, striking a dramatic pose as if marching ahead. She grinned at the two of them. "We were born in the New China and raised under the Red Flag. New ventures call for new methods. The best way to ensure good fortune is to cast aside all superstitions."
"Ha... haha..." Yang Xiaoman laughed so hard she doubled over. "Sister Lin, you sound like you’re taking an oath."
Yao Xiuyun and the two sisters, Little Xue and Little Mei, couldn’t stop laughing either. Smiling, she asked Lin Lan, "You still have to pick a date, though. That way we can buy some firecrackers to set off and liven things up a bit."
Lin Lan considered her schedule. The fixtures for the general store would be installed this afternoon. They’d finish hanging the clothes in the boutique today, which meant she could probably get the general store stocked tomorrow. She looked at them and said, "The day after tomorrow is the 23rd, the sixth of the twelfth lunar month. I plan to open on the sixth."
Yao Xiuyun nodded. "The number six brings good fortune. Opening on the sixth is an excellent idea."
Speaking of which, Lin Lan suddenly remembered the Su family. "Xiuyun, have they found their child yet?"
Yao Xiuyun said with relief, "There’s a lead. Wang He and two detectives from the Public Security Bureau have gone to rescue the child."
Lin Lan’s face lit up with joyful surprise. She clasped her hands together. "Amitabha! That’s wonderful news. The officers at our Lexing Police Station are so efficient." Then she suddenly remembered something else. "Did they manage to save Old Mrs. Su?"
Yao Xiuyun shook her head, her expression dimming. "The old woman didn’t make it."
"Ah..." Lin Lan sighed. "At least Old Mrs. Su can rest in peace now."
Yao Xiuyun patted her hand and picked up a hanger. "Sister Lin, I have to warn you about something. Once the shop opens, you need to be prepared for theft. There have been a lot of burglaries these past two years."
"Thanks! Xiangyang is planning to have Zhigang stand guard here at night. We still haven’t figured out who will watch the shop across the street." Lin Lan looked at the two of them. "You should suggest to your superiors that they organize a night patrol. It’s too unsafe otherwise."
Yao Xiuyun spread her hands. "The station wants to, but the problem is we just don’t have the manpower!"
With their help, the work went much faster. Soon, they had all the women’s clothing hung up.
Once the women’s clothes were on display, the shop instantly came to life. The men’s garments had all been ironed perfectly straight, hanging crisp and smooth with an exceptionally stylish cut.
Yang Xiaoman looked around the shop. "Private boutiques always have such bright colors and stylish designs. The department stores just have black, army green, and red. Everything looks so drab. Compared to the dull military green and those worker-peasant colors, I much prefer vibrant shades."
Lin Lan smiled. "Little Man, don’t knock military green. In the countryside, having a piece of clothing in that color is something to brag about."
Yang Xiaoman thought about what she’d seen and heard on her trips to the countryside for work. "That’s true! Just because we’ve had our fill of them doesn’t mean everyone else feels the same. There’s still a huge gap between the countryside and East Market."
While the three of them chatted for a bit, Little Mei and Little Xue had already put the ironing board and electrical cords away in the storeroom.
Seeing that the work was done, Yang Xiaoman and Yao Xiuyun grabbed their car keys and shoulder bags. "Sister Lin, we’re heading back now."
Lin Lan pulled out the wool sweaters the two of them had been admiring earlier and pressed the sweaters into their hands. "Take these. Wear them and do a little advertising for me. And have Ding Bang and Dongzi come by to pick one out, too. They can wear them to their offices and spread the word."
Neither of them was shy about accepting. They smiled and nodded. "Deal. I’ll wear it tomorrow and be your walking advertisement."
After seeing Yang Xiaoman and Yao Xiuyun off, Lin Lan returned, found the style numbers for the two sweaters in her ledger, and made a note. She then said to Little Xue and Little Mei, "Tomorrow I’ll go buy some tags to price everything. We’ll open the day after tomorrow."
The two sisters nodded. "Got it, Auntie Lin."
"Did you remember the names of the fabrics I told you about today?" Lin Lan asked, pointing to a Zhongshan suit made of a blended fabric. "Is this a blend or pure wool?"
Little Xue stepped forward, looked at it, and felt the fabric. "It’s a blend."
Little Mei was a little unsure. She hesitated before stepping forward to touch it. "It’s a blend."
Lin Lan thought for a moment, organizing her thoughts before explaining to the two of them, "Look at the color. Pure wool has a natural, soft color, while blends are a bit duller. Wool feels smooth and soft, not stiff at all."
"Blends feel a bit stiffer, and the weave looks a bit looser. When you’re selling to customers, you should compare the two products for them and explain the differences. That’s how you’ll earn their trust. You also need to tell customers that woolen clothes can’t be washed in hot water..."
Lin Lan had learned how to identify wool from a friend in the clothing business. If you light pure wool with a match, it doesn’t burn quickly. The flame is small, it smells like burning hair, and it goes out as soon as it’s moved away from the fire. The resulting ash crumbles into a powder when you rub it between your fingers. A blended fabric, when burned, forms gummy pellets. The more hard, pellet-like residue there is, the higher the proportion of synthetic fiber.
Lin Lan noticed that Little Mei was listening much more intently this time. She then had them distinguish between cashmere, wool yarn, and blended yarn. As for fabrics like gabardine and khaki, she herself wasn’t very clear on the differences.
It was actually the wholesaler she’d bought from this time who had told her: gabardine has a good drape and feels hefty in your hand, while khaki fabric is lighter and doesn’t drape as well...
Li Xiangyang and Shuiqing were standing at the entrance. They waited until Lin Lan had finished her explanation before pushing up the rolling shutter and entering the shop. "Little Lan, Brother Shuiqing is here to take Little Xue and her sister home for dinner."
As he spoke, he brought in the single cot and bedding that had been left at the entrance.
Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "Brother Shuiqing, let me tell you about Little Xue’s and Little Mei’s wages."
Shuiqing quickly waved his hands dismissively. "You’re just starting out, who knows how it’ll go! Let’s talk about it once the business is up and running."
Lin Lan laughed. "That won’t do. I can’t have these two girls working for me for free. I’m confident that even if the business isn’t a massive hit, we won’t have to worry about making a profit. It’s just a question of how much."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "I’ll tentatively set the base salary at thirty yuan a month, with a five-jiao commission for every hundred yuan of sales. The more they sell, the more they earn."
Shuiqing shook his head. "That’s too much! I only make thirty-five a month! And what’s this about a five-jiao commission on a hundred yuan in sales?"
Lin Lan thought for a moment. "It’s a commission. The higher their sales volume, the higher their salary will be."
Shuiqing was still a bit confused. Little Mei tugged at his arm. "Pa, I get it. It means for every hundred yuan of clothes we sell, Auntie Lin will give us an extra five jiao."
’Those woolen clothes cost dozens of yuan each,’ she thought. ’If I sold five hundred yuan worth in a day, that would be an extra two and a half yuan. In a month, my own wages alone would be enough to buy medicine for Mom, with money to spare...’
Little Mei’s eyes sparkled as she looked at her sister. Little Xue looked back at her. The two sisters made up their minds: they would work hard to help Auntie Lin sell clothes so they could send their mom to the provincial capital for treatment sooner.
Little Xue took Little Mei’s hand and said to Lin Lan, "Auntie Lin, we’ll definitely put our hearts into selling these clothes. We’ll go home and memorize everything you taught us."
Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "Good. If you sell well, Auntie Lin will give you a big red envelope for the New Year, and I’ll even let you each pick out an article of clothing you like as a gift."
The two sisters nodded emphatically. Shuiqing looked around at the clothes in the shop. ’It’s not a guarantee these will be big sellers,’ he thought.