The door was pushed open, and Jiang Weiguo's eyes lit up when he saw Chen Lishu enter: "Hello Comrade Xiao Chen, long time no see. Come in and sit."
"Manager Jiang," Chen Lishu greeted him with a smile, then sat down opposite him. "I've come to ask if Manager Jiang still has any of the previous batch of clothing for sale."
Jiang Weiguo shook his head. "Such matters depend on the higher-ups' decision. I don't have any at the moment."
Chen Lishu felt a pang of disappointment upon hearing this.
"There's no clothing, but I do have some fabric for making clothes. Would you be interested?" Jiang Weiguo asked after some thought.
Fabric?
Chen Lishu's spirits immediately lifted. "Do I need coupons?"
Jiang Weiguo chuckled. "If I needed coupons, would I be asking you?"
Chen Lishu conceded the point. "I don't know what kind of fabric it is, and what's the price?"
"Labor cloth, one yuan per chi."
Labor cloth was a good material, durable and sturdy, commonly used for work clothes. However, upon hearing the price, Chen Lishu hesitated.
Labor cloth was also sold in stores, priced between one and one-point-two yuan. Due to its thickness, unlike fabrics like Dacron or others where coupons offered discounts, it always required actual coupon allocation for its full measure.
Chen Lishu thought for a moment and then said to Jiang Weiguo, "Manager Jiang, this price is too high. I originally intended to buy more finished clothing this time. If I buy fabric at this price, I could only earn some processing fees by making it into finished garments. But you know the current policies; who would openly let outsiders know about speculation and profiteering? I've traveled all this way, incurring manpower and material costs. Perhaps I should just forget about it."
Although very tempted, Chen Lishu did not show it. Instead, she slightly furrowed her brows, feigning that the deal was not very profitable.
Jiang Weiguo was unsure whether Chen Lishu was genuinely indifferent or playing hard to get.
However, her words suggested she could take a significant amount of goods. If the deal went through with just her as a client, it would prevent any further complications.
The reason Jiang Weiguo had chosen Chen Lishu wasn't solely because she bought many goods; he had wealthier clients. But a crucial factor was that Chen Lishu was not a local, meaning any trouble would be unlikely to implicate him.
Therefore, after a moment of deliberation, Jiang Weiguo finally said, "Nine mao. This is the lowest price I can offer you. If it's not acceptable, then we can only cooperate another time."
Upon hearing his offer, Chen Lishu quickly calculated. An adult's work clothes would require about ten to twelve chi of fabric. At nine mao per chi, a set would cost around ten yuan. The factory's supply and marketing store sold work clothes for fifteen to eighteen yuan. After deducting costs and labor, she could earn about three to five yuan per outfit.
She had over two thousand five hundred yuan. With this trip, she should be able to earn at least a thousand yuan. Most importantly, she would also earn fabric coupons.
Having figured it out, Chen Lishu smiled and said, "Thank you for the consideration, Manager Jiang. How much stock do you have?"
Seeing that she had agreed, Jiang Weiguo relaxed. "How much do you need?"
Chen Lishu felt reassured by his question and said, "How about ordering twenty-five hundred yuan worth of goods first?"
Jiang Weiguo was fairly satisfied with her figure. "I don't have that much ready stock. I can give you a portion first, and the rest will be available in about three days."
Chen Lishu nodded. "Alright, I'll pick up some today, and come back for the rest in three days."
Three days would also give Chen Lishu some buffer time; otherwise, taking so many goods at once would be overwhelming for her alone.
Jiang Weiguo only had twelve bolts of fabric in his warehouse. This time, Chen Lishu had learned her lesson and found a hand-pulled tricycle outside before picking up the goods.
The twelve bolts of fabric filled four large nylon bags.
When mailing the items, Chen Lishu specifically called home. Gu Xingping had already started school, and her family was likely busy with the autumn harvest. Chen Lishu had only called on a whim. If no one answered, she would have informed the team and called again tomorrow. Fortunately, she was lucky, as Gu Xingye was returning to the village with grain, saving her another trip.
"Hello, third sister-in-law, you're calling?"
Chen Lishu responded and said, "Fourth brother, I've mailed some things home. I listed the town address, and they should arrive in about four to five days. There are quite a few items, so please help me collect them. These things are very important to me. Please keep an eye on them until I get back."
It wasn't convenient to elaborate over the phone, so Chen Lishu spoke vaguely. Finally, she asked Gu Xingye, "Fourth brother, do you understand what I mean?"
Chen Lishu had been doing business, and Gu Xingye had a general idea. He readily agreed and promised, "Third sister-in-law, don't worry. I'll go to town tomorrow and wait. I guarantee I'll receive and secure your items for you."
After they hung up, Chen Lishu bought some vegetables and eggs at the market before heading home.
Upon reaching the military family housing area, she happened to see Wei Gang's wife playing with Wei Xiaoya downstairs. Seeing her approach, especially with items in hand, Wang Yufeng immediately pulled her daughter over.
"Sister-in-law, you went to the city?" Wang Yufeng initiated the greeting.
Chen Lishu smiled. "Yes, I went to buy some groceries."
Wang Yufeng noticed that she not only had vegetables but also eggs in her hands, and her eyes flickered. "Sister-in-law is so capable. I arrived even earlier than you, and I don't dare to go to the city by myself."
"I just wandered around, and happened to find something to buy." Chen Lishu's hands were full and heavy, and she was in a hurry to get home, not wanting to talk further. She offered a smile and started to leave.
Wang Yufeng also shifted her steps, her gaze falling on the eggs in Chen Lishu's hand. "Sister-in-law can find places to buy vegetables wherever she goes. I can't. I don't know many characters and I'm afraid of getting lost. With a useless mother like me, it's difficult for Xiaoya to eat anything she wants."
Since she was generous enough to give Xiaoya milk candy, she thought giving two eggs should be alright, right? Wang Yufeng secretly harbored some hope.
Chen Lishu followed her gaze and lifted the bag in her hand. Wang Yufeng thought she was going to give her eggs, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.
"What's the big deal?" Chen Lishu said with a smile. "If Brother Wei is resting and not on duty, ask him to take you around more often. Sister-in-law, my things are heavy, so I'm going back now."
After speaking, Chen Lishu left directly with her belongings, leaving Wang Yufeng standing there. She replayed Chen Lishu's words in her mind, wondering if she hadn't seen through her intentions.
Chen Lishu carried her things home. Seeing that it was getting late, she washed her hands and began preparing dinner. She decided to make Jin Bing for dinner.
She first kneaded the dough and placed it in a basin to rest. Then she took out potatoes, peeled, washed, and shredded them to make green pepper shredded potatoes. She also prepared bean sprouts, chives, and shredded meat, and stir-fried some preserved eggs in sauce.
When Gu Xingdong returned, he smelled the aroma of cooking dishes from his kitchen as soon as he reached the bottom of the building, and his steps involuntarily quickened.