However, without a designer like Su Caiqing who could make clothes, and without someone with her makeup skills, even though Liang Qiheng’s photography was quite good, achieving such high-quality photos was far from easy.
She had been “absent from work” for so many days, yet Liang Qiheng had only made a couple of lighthearted jokes and had never truly blamed her. On the contrary, when the clothing business needed help the most, he had gone over to lend a hand.
Given how much he had done, she could not be too unreasonable.
With that in mind, Su Caiqing said, “In a few days, I’ll be going to Shanghai again to deliver goods, and I might be tied up for several days. I’ve been handling some miscellaneous matters these days. If they can make time, could we try to do the photoshoot within these next few days?”
Liang Qiheng had not expected her to agree so quickly. He nodded eagerly and said, “Sure! I’ll have Wen Chenggang contact them and set a time as soon as possible.”
Seeing how overjoyed he was, Su Caiqing felt even more apologetic. He really was too easy to satisfy.
Because of this, she tried to push most of the clothing business matters to the evenings, spending her days at the photo studio to complete the wedding photography work.
With Su Caiqing’s help, they quickly selected the outfits they liked.
On the day of the shoot, Su Caiqing brought Su Yaomei along. “I brought you here so you can learn about makeup and styling.”
She had already noticed that her seventh younger sister was quite vain. Without the right conditions, that tendency might turn into empty vanity, but now that there was an opportunity to guide her, she could try developing in this direction.
Su Yaomei looked puzzled. “Why should I learn this?”
Su Caiqing led her to look at the wedding outfits and said, “Because you like dressing up. If you follow this interest and develop it further, it could become something you make a living from in the future.”
Su Yaomei blushed, not expecting her fifth sister to have seen through her vanity.
Seeing her embarrassment, Su Caiqing reassured her, “Don’t feel ashamed. Who in this world doesn’t love beauty? As long as you don’t do anything wrong because of it or go down the wrong path, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Su Yaomei nodded lightly, indicating she understood.
“In fact, aesthetics is a vast field of study,” Su Caiqing continued. “It’s just that there aren’t many related specialties in the country right now, so for now, you’ll mainly learn from me.”
Whether it was makeup or clothing, both could be studied systematically, and Su Caiqing had learned them before. If she wanted Su Yaomei to develop in this direction, she would have to invest more effort in teaching her.
She explained the general classifications of body types and used the outfits in the studio to demonstrate which styles suited which figures.
While they were busy, the young couple who had booked the shoot for that day arrived hand in hand.
Su Caiqing discussed the day’s plan with them so they would understand the process.
Listening from the side, Su Yaomei found everything fascinating.
After explaining some precautions, Su Caiqing tried a makeup look on the bride.
“This bride has a very small, delicate oval face, and her features are refined and beautiful, so heavy makeup doesn’t suit you. A light, soft, rosy look would be more appropriate.”
The bride nodded repeatedly.
Based on her face and eye shape, Su Caiqing adjusted her eyebrows, trimming and lightly filling them in. Instantly, they looked much more refined.
“Oh! Just fixing my eyebrows a little makes such a big difference!” the bride exclaimed in surprise.
Su Caiqing nodded. “Your eyes and brows are delicate, so a slender, willow-leaf brow suits you. But your natural brows are a bit scattered and light, which doesn’t match your features. I only tidied them up and deepened the color slightly, and now they look much more refined. Eyebrows are very important to a person’s appearance.”
Not only the bride, but Su Yaomei also looked at Su Caiqing with admiration and envy. This was a real skill.
As soon as Su Caiqing turned to organize her makeup kit, Su Yaomei hurried over. “Sis! Sis! I want to learn this from you!”
“You’re not just here to learn how to draw eyebrows,” Su Caiqing said. “There’s a lot to learn. While you’re with me, listen carefully and watch closely.”
Su Yaomei nodded vigorously.
“I’ll see if I can find some suitable materials for you later. You still need to study reading and writing seriously, and you can’t neglect arithmetic either.”
Su Yaomei pouted. “What does arithmetic have to do with this?”
Zhang Yunyang had also said that among the aunts and uncles, Seventh Aunt was the worst at arithmetic, and Su Yaomei herself disliked it.
Su Caiqing patiently explained, “Because once you understand arithmetic and the golden ratio, you’ll realize that all beauty has mathematical principles. When that time comes, you’ll be able to judge precisely how beautiful something is and how to make it even better.”
Su Yaomei felt dizzy. Golden ratio? Mathematical principles?
Su Caiqing stuffed the makeup case into her hands. “Carry this for me. When I do the bride’s makeup or touch-ups, follow closely. It would be best if you can memorize all the shades of eyebrow pencils, lipsticks, and powders today.”
With the heavy makeup case on her back, Su Yaomei suddenly felt that loving beauty was not such an easy thing after all.
The sun was blazing that season, so Su Caiqing had made herself a hat that covered all sides and wore long sleeves and pants, not only to avoid tanning but also to prevent sunburn. Sunscreen was still a rare commodity these days.
Once work began, Su Caiqing had Su Yaomei running all over the place, helping with makeup and lighting alike. She became the busiest person on set.
Su Yaomei loved looking pretty, but she was also somewhat proud and a bit lazy. Without tempering her, she would never learn anything properly. Su Caiqing was deliberately making her experience the hardship.
After running around for most of the day, Su Yaomei suddenly felt that inspecting finished clothes and counting quantities at the garment factory was not such a hard job after all.
The wedding shoot lasted until sunset, when the light was no longer bright enough, and they finally packed up and left.
On the way back, Su Yaomei asked, “Fifth Sister, is this the only kind of work you can do after learning this?”
She still found outdoor shoots too exhausting.
“Not at all,” Su Caiqing replied. “As society develops, people’s aesthetic demands will grow and become more refined. In the future, not only wedding photography will require makeup, but actors in TV dramas will need it too. Even ordinary people going for job interviews, meetings, or gatherings will have such needs. You should know that there are many people like you who love beauty. Where there is demand, there is a market to make money. Do you understand?”
Su Yaomei nodded, half understanding.
When Su Caiqing got home, she saw Wang Chaoying waiting at the door.
“Why are you waiting outside instead of going in? There are quite a lot of mosquitoes here.”
“I had something to discuss with you and wanted to see you sooner,” Wang Chaoying said. “Honestly, why don’t you install a telephone at home? If I could call and ask Aunt Wu, I’d know when you’d be back instead of waiting here for so long.”
Installing a phone was expensive, and Su Caiqing had only just set up a television.
“I know, I’ll get to it soon. What did you need?”
As they walked inside arm in arm, Wang Chaoying said, “Two things. First, Manager Yu from Shanghai called, asking if we could deliver goods as soon as possible. I feel like he sounded a bit disappointed when he heard it was me and not you.”
For convenience, Su Caiqing had given Yu Zhixin Wang Chaoying’s number.
Su Caiqing smiled. “Don’t tease me. I already have enough on my plate with the kids. Did he mean the clothes are selling quickly and they need to restock?”
They had sent twenty thousand pieces last time. Could they already be running out?
Wang Chaoying nodded. “He said they’re selling three thousand pieces a day and will run out soon.”
Probably because that department store was the first to sell Xingzi shirts, so many customers preferred it.
“Alright, I understand. Tell him we’ll deliver in a couple of days.”
Wang Chaoying asked with a grin, “You’re not calling him back yourself?”
Su Caiqing rolled her eyes inelegantly. “You’re also responsible for this business, not just me. Don’t stir up trouble.”
Although she was only in her twenties, with proper care and dressing, she stood out in any crowd. But she had no interest in such matters right now.
To steer the conversation away, she said, “I think we should register a company. It would make things much more convenient.”
They had registered a brand before, but not an actual company.
“That means we won’t just make a quick profit and leave, but keep doing this long-term,” Wang Chaoying said.
“What, you don’t want to?” Su Caiqing asked.
She had a whole family to support, so she had to find ways to keep earning money. Even though she had already made some, it was far from enough.
Wang Chaoying was different. She had a relaxed, well-paying job. Even without this business, she could live comfortably.
Su Caiqing did not want to lose her as a partner. Wang Chaoying was ideal, educated, quick to learn business operations, completely trusting, supportive even when she did not fully understand, and with a strong family background that made things easier.
“If you want to start a company, Sister Caiqing, I’ll follow you,” Wang Chaoying said. “If I don’t do it, plenty of others would be willing.”
So she was worried about being replaced. Su Caiqing found it both amusing and exasperating.
“Have you thought about what you’ll do with your job?” she asked.
“Not really. Let’s try this first,” Wang Chaoying said. “Either way, I won’t lose out.”
She had seen Su Caiqing’s ability first hand. Even just learning from her would be invaluable, and her family thought the same.
“Since you have no objections, we’ll go register tomorrow,” Su Caiqing said enthusiastically. “Before heading to Shanghai, we’ll also open a bank account under the company’s name.”
“I’ll follow your lead,” Wang Chaoying replied.
As they discussed the company, Wang Chaoying added, “If we do that, we’ll have to pay taxes.”
Many small businesses operated without paying taxes due to lack of regulation.
Tying on her apron, Su Caiqing said, “So what? We can consider it a contribution to the country’s development. The nation needs funds for construction everywhere, so paying some taxes is only right.”
Wang Chaoying drained her glass of water. “Sister Caiqing, your awareness is really high.”
Su Caiqing smiled as she poured hot water into the pot to clean it. “On major principles, we should be clear. By the way, you said there were two things. What’s the other?”
At the mention, Wang Chaoying’s face fell. “That Chunyan Department Store we had an agreement with for two thousand Xingzi shirts suddenly canceled the order today!”
That was certainly not good news.
Su Caiqing continued scrubbing the pot. “That’s it?”
“You’re not angry?”
“I am, but there’s no point dwelling on it. Are we lacking sales channels? No. In fact, our supply is still tight. Besides, if we sold those two thousand pieces in Jiyang, we’d have to give them a very low price, whereas in Shanghai, that price would require an order of at least twenty thousand pieces. When you think about it, we didn’t lose anything. They, on the other hand, lost credibility. Nothing to be upset about.”
As she spoke, she had already cleaned the pot efficiently and asked Wang Chaoying to light the fire.
Wang Chaoying felt much better and nodded. “Exactly, they’re the ones losing out, not us.”
“If we were a company, we could have demanded a penalty for breach of contract,” Su Caiqing added. “By the way, did you find out why they suddenly backed out?”
Wang Chaoying got the fire going and said, “No. I suspect they’ve found a cheaper supplier than us, otherwise there’s no reason for them to do this.”
Su Caiqing replied, “If you can, you should look into it. It’ll help you avoid losing orders for the same reason in the future.”
This time, Xingzi shirts were selling easily, so they didn’t need to worry too much, but it might not be the case for other clothes later on.
The two of them talked at length about business matters. The longer Wang Chaoying stayed, the less she wanted to leave, so she simply stayed and shared a meal.
That evening, when things quieted down a bit, Su Caiqing asked the children about school.
“It’s alright. Recess is way more fun than class, it’s just too short.”
All of them were trying hard to adjust to not being able to talk or move around freely during lessons, and to listening attentively.
Zhang Yunqing said, “You can make new friends at school. Since my sister and I are twins, everyone’s really curious about us.”
In this small area, twins were rare, and among children their age, only the two sisters were twins.
Compared to the quiet and reserved Zhang Yunqing, Zhang Yunbing was more outgoing and always thinking about playing during recess.
“Have you all finished your homework? That’s something you must do,” Su Caiqing said.
She didn’t expect the children to bury themselves in studying right away, but paying attention in class and finishing homework after school were non-negotiable.
Doing homework not only reinforced what they had learned, but also helped cultivate the habit of finishing tasks on the same day. Su Caiqing placed great importance on this.
“We finished it, we finished it! We did it as soon as we got home.”
“You have a pinyin dictation tomorrow. Have you memorized it?” Zhang Yunqing asked Zhang Yunbing.
Zhang Yunbing’s eyes flickered evasively. “I’ll take another look later.”
Su Caiqing picked up their textbooks and asked, “Are you learning pinyin now?”
Pinyin was something that had only been introduced in recent years. When Zhang Min was in school, it hadn’t been popular, so he didn’t know it well and naturally hadn’t taught the children much. As a result, they were unfamiliar with it.
“Yeah, we learn a few every day. It’s exhausting,” Zhang Yunbing said unhappily.
Su Caiqing patiently explained, “Pinyin is very useful. When you come across characters you don’t recognize, adding pinyin will make them easier to remember. You’re all like your father, with good memory and understanding. As long as you study properly, there’s nothing you won’t be able to learn.”
Zhang Min had taught the children some basics early on, probably worried they wouldn’t get the chance to go to school and would remain illiterate, so he did his best to teach them characters. Now that they were in school, they knew more characters than their classmates, which gave them a sense of superiority and made them feel they didn’t need to work hard.
That kind of pride could easily affect their attitude toward learning. If they didn’t develop the right mindset and habits early on, it would have a lasting impact.
To Su Caiqing, how they learned now was less important than how they entered the right state of learning and developed good habits.
Encouraged by her words, the children were delighted. Their mother never lied. If she said she would make new clothes, she did. If she said they could go to school, they went. If she said she would buy a television, she bought one. So if she said they were smart, it had to be true.
The three of them believed her without hesitation.
Still, mastering pinyin was indeed important.
After thinking it over, Su Caiqing went out the next day to buy large sheets of white paper and various paints. She then drew several charts of initials and finals for the children, similar to the educational posters commonly seen later, adding simple, recognizable illustrations linked to each sound to help them remember.
Her drawing skills were quite good, and with her sense of color, the charts turned out beautifully.
She mounted them on cardboard and hung them on the wall.
When the children came home from school that evening, they immediately saw the three charts.
“Wow!” they exclaimed in amazement.
“Mom! Where did you get these drawings?” Zhang Yunbing shouted toward the kitchen.
“I drew them myself. Not bad, right?” Su Caiqing replied.
The little heads nodded rapidly like pecking chickens.
“This makes it much easier to remember. Ah… oh… eh…” They began reading along with the charts, and it truly was easier.
Su Caiqing watched them with a smile for a moment before returning to the kitchen.
Recently, she had been in a good mood. The company registration had gone smoothly, and they were among the first to register. Now she was thinking about designing a logo so that all their clothes would carry the company’s mark.
Although skipping registration and trademarks could save money, Su Caiqing was used to doing things by the book. When nothing went wrong, it might not matter, but if something did happen, regret would come too late.
And just as she was busy counting and moving goods in the warehouse, a group of people stormed in aggressively, shouting without even asking a question, “Speculating and profiteering! Everything here will be confiscated!”
Su Caiqing stuffed her notebook into her bag and rushed forward. “What are you doing?”
The man wearing a red armband lifted his chin arrogantly and said, “Someone reported you for speculation and profiteering. Everything will be confiscated, and you, the ringleader digging at the foundations of socialism, will be taken away!”
She had expected trouble, but not people so adept at throwing around such accusations.
“Hold on. Speculation and profiteering? I’m conducting honest business. What speculation? What profiteering? Are you still living in a dream? The central government has already issued documents encouraging individual businesses and requiring local governments to issue business licenses. What, do you not read newspapers or watch the seven o’clock news?”
Her rapid-fire words left them momentarily stunned.
“How could that be?”
“That wasn’t allowed before.”
“This widow must be lying.”
The leader glared at her with cloudy eyes, rolled up his sleeves, and said, “You think you can fool us illiterates? Seven o’clock news? If we weren’t doing this kind of thing, where would we get money for a television? If this business were really allowed, how come we’ve never heard of it?”
The more Su Caiqing listened, the more suspicious she became. These people were unreasonable and had no intention of listening. The accusation was just an excuse to pin on her. She had already learned from elders like Director Zhao and Aunt Wu how terrifying that charge had once been, when fear ran rampant.
But times had changed. The market was opening up, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many people selling buns and vegetables on the streets.
Even if they didn’t read or watch the news, they should have known the situation. If not, they would have gone after street vendors instead of targeting her.
She and Wang Chaoying had been making money lately, which must have attracted attention. These people had found an excuse to come and extort benefits.
Confiscate the goods? They would just take them and sell them themselves, profiting without effort.
Once she understood, she felt less afraid.
“If you haven’t heard, it’s because you’re ignorant and backward, not loyal enough to the Party and the government. If you dare touch my goods, I’ll report you, and when the police arrest you all for robbery, you can go to prison!”
Her words made a couple of them hesitate, but the others showed no sign of backing down.
She hadn’t expected a few words to scare them off, only to test their limits.
Seeing they had no intention of leaving, she flexed her fingers. It had been a long time since she had fought. Hopefully she hadn’t grown rusty.
Suddenly, the leader lunged at her. She bent to dodge, slipped behind him, and struck his lower back with a punch.
The others, seeing him move, rushed forward to grab the bundles of clothing.
Alarmed, Su Caiqing grabbed a carrying pole used by the workers and swung it at the legs of the fastest one.
The man cried out in pain, his knee buckling as he dropped to the ground clutching his leg.
She didn’t have time to deal with him and charged at the next.
The pole whistled in her hands, and in no time, all of them were knocked to the ground, groaning.
Leaning on the pole with one hand on her hip, she stood like a general who had swept through the battlefield.
In truth, she had once served under a female regent, and her most essential skill had been combat.
Dealing with these few men was effortless.
The workers helping with the loading were stunned by the dazzling scene. This widow was unbelievably formidable.
Su Caiqing smoothed her hair, handed the pole to the nearest worker, and said, “Keep moving the goods. I’m going to make a call.”
She dusted off her sleeves and headed to the warehouse office nearby to use the phone.
First, she called Wang Chaoying and explained in three quick sentences, “Someone tried to seize our goods under the accusation of speculation and profiteering. I’ve knocked them all down. Bring our registration and tax documents.”
After getting a response, she hung up and immediately called the police station, reporting a robbery.
After paying a few cents for the call, she returned.
Soon, the police arrived on bicycles. Seeing the men lying on the ground, they asked what had happened.
Su Caiqing stepped forward. “Hello, officers. I’m the one who reported the case. I’m the one who knocked them down.”
The officers looked surprised. A single woman had taken down several grown men?
The workers all nodded in confirmation.
The officers’ expressions changed.
“Why did you attack them so severely?”
Though she had expected it, Su Caiqing still felt a trace of discomfort at being accused first. She kept her tone calm.
“Officer, please let me explain. These people tried to rob me under the pretext of speculation and profiteering. I explained patiently that the state now encourages private business, and that my goods are legitimate and contribute tax revenue. They refused to listen and insisted on taking everything. Should I not resist? If I can defend myself, should I instead kneel and beg? Our government protects the weak, it’s not like the old regime that sided with bullies.”
Her words left the officers momentarily speechless.
This era valued connections and often handled disputes without distinguishing right from wrong, but Su Caiqing was not one to accept injustice.
“This isn’t something we can sort out here. All of you, come to the station and give a full account.”
“Then I assume I can bring witnesses?” she asked.
They could hardly refuse.
Turning to the workers, she said, “Put everything back where it was. You’ll be paid for a full day. Those who come to the station with me can return to work tomorrow.”
“Just go when you’re told. Why bother moving things?” someone complained.
Taking a deep breath, she turned back. “Officers, I trust you are here to protect the safety and property of ordinary citizens. If these goods are left here and stolen, the loss won’t just be mine, but the nation’s. Every piece of clothing here will generate tax revenue when sold. That money builds railways and factories, and supports modernization.”
The implication was clear. Refusing to let her secure the goods would mean hindering national development, a charge no one dared bear.
No one spoke again.
Soon, Wang Chaoying arrived. Seeing several officers, she was a little shaken.
Su Caiqing didn’t say much, only squeezed her hand reassuringly. After checking that the warehouse was secured and the loaded goods properly tied down, she took the documents Wang Chaoying had brought and went with the police.
Perhaps because they sensed she wasn’t easy to deal with, and though she hadn’t caused a scene, her eloquence made them cautious, they didn’t treat her harshly.
At the station, questioning began.
Su Caiqing was thoroughly familiar with government directives and policies, speaking fluently and confidently, even more so than the so-called model citizens.
“I know the state’s policies and regulations clearly. I read newspapers and watch the news every day to keep up with national progress. The country is opening up the market and allowing ordinary people like us to do business. We’re responding to that call. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”
The officer across from her had to admit, “You’re right, Comrade Su. You are indeed an active contributor to national development.”
“Of course. I even gave up my position at the machinery factory to find a more suitable path. I’ve registered my company, obtained a business license, and paid taxes. How could that be called speculation and profiteering? That doesn’t make sense, does it?”
She hadn’t expected that following proper procedures would become such effective protection.
All her documents bore clear official seals, leaving no room for doubt.
No matter how the police investigated, they found no issues.
“But about you injuring them…”
Judging by their condition, some might even have broken bones.
“That was justified,” she replied. “In legal terms, it’s self-defense. If someone tries to rob me, I have the right to resist. It’s like when people resisted oppression in the old days. These men are social parasites. I’m resisting them and eliminating harmful elements.”
If they could throw labels around, so could she, and she did it better.
Even the police officer taking the statement was sweating, completely unprepared for how eloquent Su Caiqing could be.
But her logic was flawless. She ran her business legally, paid her taxes to the state, and had done nothing wrong. Those people had deliberately come to cause trouble, not only disrupting her business and affecting her ability to pay taxes, but on a larger scale, undermining the construction of the Four Modernizations and sabotaging the socialist cause. That was no different from standing against the entire country and its people.
Su Caiqing stayed at the police station for three or four hours, until night fell, before the police finally decided to let her go.
Originally, they had wanted her to pay some compensation to smooth things over, but Su Caiqing said directly, “If they want me to pay, I’ll go straight to court and sue them for robbery. Then they can go to prison and treat their broken bones there.”
The moment they heard her words, those men no longer dared to ask for compensation. All they wanted was to hurry home.
This time, Su Caiqing had achieved a complete victory without receiving any punishment.
As she walked out of the Public Security Bureau, she happened to run into Wang Chaoying and Director Wang coming out of the courtyard as well.
“Sister Caiqing! You’re out!”
Wang Chaoying was pleasantly surprised when she saw her.
Su Caiqing asked curiously, “Why did your father come?”
Lowering her voice, Wang Chaoying said, “My dad is on good terms with the bureau chief. They often drink together and such. I asked him to come.”
Knowing that Wang Chaoying had brought her father over for her sake, Su Caiqing felt a little touched.
She walked up to Director Wang and said, “Thank you, Director Wang. I’m sorry to trouble you to come all this way.”
Director Wang replied, “No need to be polite. I’ve already understood what happened today. Those men are just hooligans who freeload wherever they go. You weren’t intimidated by them, and you didn’t let them take advantage of you. That shows real ability. People like them deserve to be taught a lesson.”
Su Caiqing smiled. “There’s nothing to be afraid of when it comes to evil forces.”
Director Wang had already admired her decisiveness and intelligence before, but he hadn’t expected her to be this formidable. In a situation where she had no preparation at all, she still managed to turn things around and beat those men at their own game. Such wit and courage were truly rare.
“It’s good that everything’s fine. If anything happens in the future, you can come to me for help. Chaoying, take her home. I’ll head back first.”
“Thank you, Uncle,” Su Caiqing said sincerely.
Director Wang waved his hand with a smile and walked away with his hands behind his back.
Wang Chaoying rode her bicycle and took Su Caiqing home.
“That was really dangerous today. If I had been there, I might’ve actually believed them,” Wang Chaoying said, still shaken.
Su Caiqing disagreed. “Not at all. You’re brave and smart. Even if you didn’t react immediately, you would’ve noticed something was wrong sooner or later. You just don’t have my fighting skills.”
At that, Wang Chaoying grew even more impressed. “Sis, how are you so good at fighting? I’m seriously in awe of you. You took down several grown men!”
Of course, Su Caiqing couldn’t tell the truth, so she simply said, “Women from the countryside are all good at fighting. You’ll understand in the future.”
Wang Chaoying didn’t doubt it at all.
She kept showering her with praise. “Sis, you always surprise me. How can someone like you even exist? It feels like there’s nothing you can’t do and no problem you can’t solve!”
Su Caiqing accepted the praise calmly.
She didn’t tell the children at home about what had happened, afraid it might scare them. She only told Su Xiaozhuang and the others.
“There are really people like that?!” Su Xiaozhuang and the others were all shocked.
“Of course,” Su Caiqing said. “For money, many people will do anything. When there’s a chance, I’ll tell you more about these things so you can broaden your horizons. Xiaozhuang, how’s your business going lately?”
Su Xiaozhuang had been sent by Su Caiqing to sell items like soap and face cream from Shanghai. The goal was for him to learn about human interactions through small-scale trade, to toughen his skin and sharpen his speaking skills.
There were many things Su Caiqing could teach him, but even more had to be learned through real experience.
“It’s going well,” Su Xiaozhuang said. “Sales are pretty good. Once people hear it’s from Shanghai, quite a few want to buy it. There are some troublesome situations too, but I’ve handled them.”
He wanted to perform well and leave a good impression on his sister.
In the past, he had been lazy and idle, either lying around when he had the chance or wandering aimlessly, simply because he hadn’t found anything interesting to do. Now, riding his beloved bicycle through the streets and alleys to sell goods, although it was hard work and had felt difficult at the beginning, he was starting to see the benefits.
Su Xiaozhuang had tanned quite a bit and lost weight, and his appetite had grown.
But all of these were signs that he was growing.
Seeing such significant progress in such a short time, Su Caiqing was pleasantly surprised. She understood better than anyone how hard it was to change a person’s bad habits, which made her admire Su Xiaozhuang even more.
From this perspective, he was actually a promising talent worth cultivating.
Recently, Su Yaomei had been learning to recognize different cosmetics, as well as the eye shapes, eyebrow styles, lip shapes, noses, and face shapes that Su Caiqing had drawn for her, studying the differences in people’s facial features.
As for Su Genmei, she was still at the warehouse, checking clothes and counting inventory.
“Eighth Sister, I haven’t arranged anything else for you yet because I haven’t found something suitable.”
Su Genmei hurriedly said, “Sis, don’t say that. I understand. I’m not like the Sixth Brother, who can ride a bike and hawk goods, and I’m not like the Seventh Sister, who has always been good at dressing herself up. But I believe you’ll find a good path for me.”
For her youngest sister, Su Caiqing understood her personality somewhat. She might seem a little slow-witted, but she was actually simple and pure, yet still intelligent. She quietly absorbed many things and kept them in mind.
Su Caiqing wasn’t in a hurry to assign her anything, only thinking about finding the right direction for her. As for arranging new work for Su Xiaozhuang and Su Yaomei, given her intelligence, she wouldn’t misunderstand.
“You three will all be my capable helpers in the future, so you must hurry and learn your skills!” Su Caiqing said, holding her two younger sisters’ hands as she spoke to all three of them.