Chapter 274 - 271: Agreement
After returning home, Lin Lan and the others got busy making pastries for the next morning.
Before bed, Lin Lan said to Lin Yuezhen and Qiaohui, "At the end of the month, we’re moving to the south-side shop to make the pastries. I want to tell you about my plans moving forward."
Lin Yuezhen and Qiaohui looked at Lin Lan. "Go on, Cousin," they said.
Lin Lan looked at Lin Yuezhen. "Yuezhen, after we move over there, I plan to pay you thirty-five yuan a month, plus five percent of the profits."
"I’m dividing the shop into ten shares. To give you an example of the profit sharing, if I earn five hundred yuan, a ten-percent share gets fifty yuan, so your five-percent share would get you twenty-five. Talk it over with Brother Yong, and if you think it’s fair, we’ll sign a contract."
Lin Yuezhen had a rough idea of how much money Lin Lan was making each month. Once they moved into the new shop and had stalls running in several markets, she would only earn more.
She waved her hands frantically, gesturing: ’Little Lan, there’s no need to discuss it with Brother Yong. Five percent of the profits is too much. If you insist on giving me a share, make it half of that! Otherwise, I’d be too ashamed to accept your salary and a share at all.’
Lin Lan could tell from her expression that she was sincere. She thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, let’s do this. Talk it over with Brother Yong tomorrow, and after your wedding, we’ll sign the contract."
Lin Yuezhen stood up and bowed deeply to Wu Shufen and Lin Lan. "Thank you, Aunty. Thank you, Little Lan. Without you, the grass on my grave would be taller than me by now."
Wu Shufen took her hand. "Yuezhen, please don’t say that. When your parents were still with us, they helped your uncle and me a great deal, too. We’re family! We help out where we can and lend a hand when needed. Think of it as storing up good karma for the younger generation."
With her eyes welling up, Lin Yuezhen nodded again and again.
Lin Lan then turned to Qiaohui. "Cousin, you’ve only just arrived and haven’t learned much yet. I have two options for you. Are you more interested in learning to make pastries, or would you rather be a salesperson in the shop?"
Qiaohui answered without a moment’s hesitation. "Cousin, my mom always says that learning a trade is the most important thing. Plus, I love delicious food, so I’d rather stay in the pastry shop."
Lin Lan smiled. "Great. From now on, you’ll also get a salary of thirty-five yuan a month. Once your skills are as good as your cousin Yuezhen’s, I’ll give you a share of the profits, too."
Qiaohui nodded emphatically. "Okay! I’ll be sure to apply myself and learn."
With the shop business settled, Lin Lan turned to Wu Shufen. "Mom, Zhigang is coming tomorrow afternoon to help us butcher the pig. I’ll have Qiaohui come back to help you stuff sausages and cure the pork belly and other meats."
Wu Shufen said cheerfully, "We’re butchering the pig tomorrow, so we have to host the butcher’s feast. Then on the eighth, we have to fry crispy pork, steam the pork knuckles, make sweet steamed pork belly... and we’ll need fish, too. You’ll need to get all the ingredients ready ahead of time."
"I know," Lin Lan replied, then looked at Lin Yuezhen. "Cousin, you won’t need to make your own cured pork and sausages. I’ll make a batch for you here."
Lin Yuezhen didn’t stand on ceremony and simply nodded in agreement.
By the time everyone washed up, it was after midnight. They slept until five-thirty, then got up to bake pumpkin cakes and roll kidney bean logs. At seven-thirty, Wang Zhixue and his brother arrived to pick up the goods, and Lin Lan invited them to come back for the butcher’s feast that afternoon.
Wang Zhixue smiled and agreed. "Okay. You’re busy at the shop, so this afternoon, as soon as we close our stall, we’ll come over and help Grandma stuff sausages and cure the meat."
Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "I was just worrying about everything piling up. We have to stuff all those sausages, cure the pork, and prepare food for tomorrow’s banquet. I was worried Mom and Qiaohui wouldn’t be able to handle it all. Having you two to help will be a huge relief."
Wang Zhixue laughed. "Don’t you worry, we’ll have plenty of helping hands."
After tidying up the house and taking Douzi to school, Lin Lan and the others went to the shop, where Li Xiangyang and Old Li were already waiting.
They opened the shop, and customers started arriving before they even finished cleaning.
Business today was even better than yesterday. The general store section sold three tape recorders in a single morning, and wall clocks, hair dryers, and digital watches were the top sellers.
At the clothing store, customers from the previous day returned with friends, hoping to earn enough points from their purchases to get a free silk scarf. Some people even placed pre-orders with Lin Lan for electric irons.
One family, shopping for their son’s wedding, bought a tape recorder, a watch, a hair dryer, and a wall clock. Then they went to the clothing store across the street to buy his wedding outfit.
The mother happily commented on the great selection at Lin Lan’s shops, promising to go back and spread the word so all her relatives and friends would come to shop there.
But no one was happier than the three saleswomen. They felt that if things kept going like this, their salaries would be even better than those with "iron rice bowls" at state-owned enterprises.
Lin Lan was carrying a suit she had just ironed for a customer and heading toward her general store across the street. Just as she stepped outside, she saw Li Jing on a bicycle, coming around the corner from the main department store. Seeing the look of shock on Li Jing’s face, Lin Lan shot her a contemptuous glance and crossed the road to her other shop.
Li Jing squeezed her brakes to a stop. She turned her head just in time to see Li Xiangyang and Old Li chatting happily with Lin Lan. Instantly, her face darkened like the sky before a storm.
After a moment, she dismounted, turned her bicycle around, and pedaled off toward Yucai Road.
Lin Lan had no intention of telling Li Xiangyang and Old Li that it was Li Jing who had reported her. Instead, she just smiled and said, "Xiangyang, it looks like we’ll have to make another trip to Yangcheng City before the New Year."
Not wanting to see her overwork herself, Li Xiangyang said gently, "I’ve already spoken with Uncle Da. I’ll go to Yangcheng City with him in a few days. You should stay home this time. I can handle it alone."
Lin Lan recalled that Li Xiangyang had shown a good eye for quality when they were last sourcing goods in Yangcheng City. She looked at him and nodded. "Alright. Just make sure to pick items with good workmanship and high-quality fabric."
"Okay," Li Xiangyang replied, his eyes filled with a smile as he looked at her. "Don’t worry, I know your standards."
As Lin Lan was leaving the shop, Zhou Xiaohong spotted her from her own store. She came out to stop her, walking over and asking in a low voice, "Little Lin, how’s business been since you opened?"
She felt she had made the absolute right decision in changing her line of business. Yesterday’s revenue and profit had shocked both her and Chen Dongming. At this rate, the stock they had just brought in would be sold out within a few days.
Lin Lan saw her smiling so wide that the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes stood out. She grinned and nudged her playfully. "And how about you?"
"Not bad," Zhou Xiaohong said, lowering her voice. "We don’t have much capital, so the stock we brought in is almost gone. I’m planning to make another run to Yangcheng City this afternoon."
Lin Lan nodded. "Good idea. You go ahead. Xiangyang isn’t leaving until Sunday afternoon."
"Tell Xiangyang to stock up. Business before the New Year is only going to get better." Zhou Xiaohong added with an envious look, "I wish we had as much capital as you do."
Lin Lan patted her shoulder. "Sister Zhou, you’re already way ahead of most people. Take it slow. You can’t get fat with just one bite."
Zhou Xiaohong thought about the people who used to look down on her family, still crammed into their tiny courtyards, and she smiled and nodded. "You’re right. You can’t get fat with just one bite. I’m heading back to my shop." With that, she gave Lin Lan a spirited wave and turned back toward her store, full of renewed energy.
After lunch, Lin Lan brought out two outfits from the storeroom and handed them to Lin Yuezhen. "Cousin, take these. You can wear them for your wedding tomorrow."