Before going to sleep, Su Caiqing recalled how Wang Chaoying had showered her with exaggerated praise over the phone, and she could not help but laugh.
It was no wonder Wang Chaoying had been so astonished. A single order of fifty thousand pieces, even after deducting costs, still amounted to an enormous sum. In this era, households with ten thousand yuan were already rare.
Yet with the two of them working together, they had managed to reach six figures. Even though they had not yet received the full payment, it was already within reach. No wonder Wang Chaoying had been completely stunned.
After her moment of happiness, Su Caiqing quickly began thinking about what lay ahead, such as how to transport those clothes to Shanghai, and how to find sales channels for the remaining hundreds of thousands of pieces.
After pondering these matters for a while, she fell asleep.
Early the next morning, she got up at four, washed up, and headed out. Su Xiaozhuang would be arriving by train at dawn, and she needed to pick him up.
The two porters she had found the night before were already waiting outside the guesthouse. Laborers like them were not hard to find in Shanghai. With its booming commerce, there was always demand for such physical work, giving rise to this kind of service.
When the time was about right, Su Caiqing entered the train station.
Although there were more green trains than before, delays were still almost inevitable.
At around six-thirty, the train finally arrived. It was not too late, and Su Caiqing let out a breath of relief.
As she walked along the platform, she saw someone in a sleeper carriage throwing bundles out of the window. Looking closely, she realized it was Su Xiaozhuang.
“Xiaozhuang!” she called out.
He looked up, his face lighting up. “Sis! It’s me!”
“Throw all the clothes down!” she shouted.
He responded and worked even harder.
There were five or six large bundles, and it had clearly not been easy for him to manage the journey.
After getting off the train, he said, “I didn’t dare close my eyes all night, afraid someone would steal the goods. There were so many people on the train, and too many pickpockets.”
Su Caiqing nodded and asked, “Are you tired? Hungry?”
He nodded shyly.
Back at home, he had always eaten a lot and often got scolded by his sisters-in-law and younger sisters. But after coming to his sister’s house, food was no longer so strictly rationed, and he was often encouraged to eat his fill. So although he felt embarrassed, he admitted that he was indeed exhausted and hungry.
“Let’s get something to eat first,” Su Caiqing said. “After we deliver the goods, you can go back to the guesthouse and rest.”
He nodded.
She bought him a bowl of meat wontons along with several meat buns. After eating, he felt immensely satisfied, as though the hardship of the night had been worth it. Seeing that he still seems hungry, she bought him a scallion pancake as well.
After breakfast, they loaded up and rode two small carts toward the department store.
By the time they arrived, it was already nine in the morning.
Yu Zhixin was surprised at how quickly they had come. Su Caiqing explained, “My brother took the train overnight and arrived early this morning. We came straight here.”
“That’s quite a rush,” he said, still incredulous.
“The earlier we deliver, the sooner you can stock and start selling. Every minute counts,” she replied.
“You’re right!”
“By the way, you could print photos of Xingzi from the TV drama and hang them at the entrance and in the clothing section. That way, people will know you have Xingzi shirts in stock at a glance.”
Yu Zhixin’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea! I’ll have someone take care of it right away!”
He and his staff began checking the delivery. It took two hours to count and store the five thousand pieces.
Although the department store had ordered fifty thousand, they would not require everything at once, as that would take up too much storage space. This was also why Su Caiqing dared to sign the contract before all the goods were ready.
Once the quantity was confirmed, Yu Zhixin paid immediately and reminded them, “This is not a small sum. Be careful.”
Su Caiqing nodded. “I understand, thank you.”
After finishing up, it was almost noon. She left Su Xiaozhuang at a restaurant to eat while she delivered forty pieces to her first client.
This time, the man was no longer arrogant. Perhaps he had realized she was not someone to underestimate.
After lunch, Su Caiqing bought Su Xiaozhuang a full set of new clothes, including underwear. When he learned how to wear them, his face turned bright red.
She arranged a separate room for him to wash up and sleep.
Just as he closed the door, he suddenly reopened it and said, “Oh right, Sister Chaoying asked me to ask you whether we should increase orders for the Xingzi shirts. Please give her a call.”
Su Caiqing nodded.
When she called Wang Chaoying, the first thing she said was to stop increasing orders.
“Why?” Wang Chaoying asked, puzzled.
“Because too many people are producing them now. If we place new orders, the goods might only be ready in one or two months. By then, every factory in the country will be making Xingzi shirts, supply will exceed demand, and prices will drop. Besides, the weather will be cooler by then, and apart from the south, who would still want to wear them?”
Wang Chaoying found her reasoning convincing. “How can you see so far ahead all of a sudden?”
“It’s a skill that takes time to develop,” Su Caiqing said with a smile. “Alright, I’ll be here for two more days. Keep a close eye on production.”
“Got it! Don’t worry!”
That afternoon, Su Caiqing continued looking for clients, while Su Xiaozhuang rested.
She secured two more orders, though smaller in quantity, with delivery scheduled in two days. She called Wang Chaoying to arrange shipments via the Jiayang freight route.
Su Xiaozhuang followed her around, mostly helping with small tasks. She did not expect much from him, only that he observed and learned.
The next day, she called Yu Zhixin to ask about sales.
He sounded delighted. “In just one day, we’ve sold over a thousand pieces! We need to restock quickly. The sales are still increasing. The staff told me that eight out of ten customers who come in ask about Xingzi shirts!”
“That’s good,” she said with a smile.
The more popular they were, the more it proved her judgment.
Yu Zhixin sighed in amazement. “People are flooding into the department store like a tide, heading straight for the clothing section. Some don’t even try them on before paying, because the fitting rooms are full. It’s even more intense than buying televisions.”
Hearing this, Su Caiqing’s thoughts stirred. “Manager Yu, do you have internal purchase quotas for televisions?”
He understood immediately. “I do, and a batch is arriving soon.”
Her eyes lit up. “Then I won’t beat around the bush. It’s hard to buy televisions in Jiayang. Since I’ve come to Shanghai and met someone like you, I was hoping you could help me get one.”
He hesitated briefly. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Though not a firm promise, she still thanked him sincerely and explained how having a television would help her keep up with trends.
That hint made him realize it was not just a favor, but a mutually beneficial opportunity.
“I’ll do my best to get one for you,” he said.
“Thank you. I’ll look forward to your good news.”
Their cooperation grew even closer after that.
Over the next two days, shipments from Jiayang finally arrived in Shanghai. Buyers came directly to her with contracts and cash, collecting their goods on the spot.
By the time all one hundred thousand pieces had been delivered, Su Caiqing stretched her sore limbs.
Soon after, she returned to Jiayang with Su Xiaozhuang.
When they arrived, Wang Chaoying and others were already waiting.
Seeing the truckloads of goods, Wang Chaoying exclaimed, “Caiqing, did you bring all of Shanghai back with you?”
Su Caiqing laughed. “There are so many good and cheap things there, I couldn’t help buying more.”
The children gathered excitedly, especially when they discovered the television.
“Mom! You bought a TV?” Zhang Yunbing shouted.
“Yes,” Su Caiqing said. “It wasn’t easy to get.”
The children jumped with joy.
Later, after everything settled, Su Caiqing and Wang Chaoying stayed up late calculating accounts.
When they finally finished and divided the profits, Wang Chaoying held the money in disbelief.
“I never thought I’d become a ten-thousand-yuan household just like that!”
Su Caiqing smiled. “Keep some for yourself. Don’t let anyone know. Consider it your private savings.”
Wang Chaoying laughed. “Spending all this money at once won’t be easy.”
“If you go to Shanghai, you could spend it all,” Su Caiqing teased.
After settling the accounts, Su Caiqing finally felt at ease.
She then turned to Su Xiaozhuang and said, “You saw how I bought a lot of things in Shanghai. Not all of it is for us. I plan to sell some. How about you take a bicycle and try selling them? I’ll pay you for your effort.”
Remembering the five yuan she had given him before, he agreed eagerly.
Soon, he set off with a box of goods tied to the back of his bicycle.
Not long after he left, Liang Qiheng came by.
“Caiqing, when are you going back to the photo studio?” he asked. “There are two wedding photo orders we can’t delay any longer.”
Su Caiqing frowned slightly. “Did you try negotiating with the clients?”
“I did, but they refused. They said if it weren’t for our unique outfits, they would have gone elsewhere.”
Seeing how other studios had already begun copying them, the pressure was mounting.