Ever since the last time she and Gu Ye used the tactic of retreating to advance to get closer, their interactions had become more harmonious and natural.
Even sharing the same bed had gradually become a habit.
And so, a few more days passed quietly.
One afternoon,
Lin Wan was holding a small watering can, carefully watering the little seedlings that had just begun to sprout tiny green shoots, when she heard someone calling from outside the yard:
“Comrade Lin Wan, are you here?”
The voice sounded a bit familiar.
Lin Wan straightened up, looking toward the sound, and was a little surprised to see who it was—
It was Boss Zhao from the small shop.
He stood outside the yard gate, rubbing his hands nervously, a rare hint of unease on his face.
“Boss Zhao? What brings you here?”
“Come in quickly.”
Lin Wan put down the watering can and smiled as she went to greet him.
Zhao Weiguo followed her into the yard, his eyes naturally scanning the newly built yard wall and the neatly arranged vegetable plots.
He secretly sighed—this Gu Ye family was truly different.
Lin Wan had intentionally left the gate open so the front door stayed wide.
“We can just talk here in the yard.”
He glanced at the tightly closed house door, feeling it wouldn’t be appropriate to enter the young couple’s home.
“All right, have a seat here.”
Lin Wan guided him to a small stool under the eaves and went inside to pour a cup of warm tea to hand to him.
“Take a sip and tell me slowly.”
Zhao Weiguo accepted the tea, thanked her, and held the cup as if drawing some courage from it.
He wasn’t the timid type, but asking a favor—especially from a young woman—was a first for him.
Clearing his throat, he seemed to steel himself:
“Comrade Lin Wan, I won’t beat around the bush. Last time… after listening to your advice, I rearranged my shop a bit. Guess what?”
A genuine smile appeared on his face.
“Recently, many old customers said it’s easier to find things, and I even managed to sell a few pieces of old stock! Business is… indeed slightly better than before!”
Lin Wan already understood, but on the surface she showed a pleased expression:
“That’s great, Boss Zhao. It shows your shop has a solid foundation; a few adjustments are enough to see results.”
“Great, what’s great about it…”
Zhao Weiguo’s smile faded, replaced by worry.
“To be honest, my little shop has been running for quite a few years. In the earlier years, everyone was tight on money, but business was okay. But in recent years, with policies improving and miners’ wages rising, my business has actually gone downhill.”
“I tried adding some new items, but there wasn’t much improvement. If this continues, I’m really afraid I’ll have to close shop.”
He looked at Lin Wan, eyes filled with a desperate hope:
“Comrade Lin Wan, you’re knowledgeable. Just a couple of words from you last time opened my eyes.”
“I’ve been thinking… could you… give me some more guidance? Can you see if there’s still hope for my shop?”
Lin Wan understood.
This was a man who had run out of options and saw a glimmer of hope, looking to her for a way forward.
She didn’t respond immediately, pausing to think carefully.
After a moment, she spoke slowly, her tone tentative:
“Boss Zhao, I understand your difficulties. But advice alone isn’t enough. Some ideas require taking risks and also need some capital.”
At this, Zhao Weiguo’s eyes lit up—there was a way!
He immediately said: “I’m not afraid of risk! What business has no risk? Capital… as long as it’s not too much, I can manage!”
Lin Wan said, “Well, I do have an idea. Your shop doesn’t have many items for young women or children. I was thinking… I could bring some new-style hair ties and hairpins as sample items to sell on consignment and test the waters.”
“If they sell, you give me a little commission. If they don’t, I’ll take care of the stock myself. You won’t lose anything.”
“This would also increase customer traffic in your shop. Once you have traffic, selling depends on vision and creativity.”
Zhao Weiguo frowned slightly.
He put down his tea cup and spoke as someone experienced:
“Comrade Lin Wan, I appreciate your kindness, but to be honest, I’ve stocked these kinds of items before… but they didn’t sell well.”
“Most of the women miners, even those from the Gu family, are reluctant to spend much on themselves.”
“I just worry you’ll go through the trouble and end up losing money. I’d feel bad.”
Lin Wan, hearing this, wasn’t surprised and smiled:
“Boss Zhao, wait a moment.”
She went inside and soon came back with a few hair ties, placing them in front of Zhao Weiguo.
“Take a look at these.”
Zhao Weiguo examined them carefully.
The base was just ordinary plastic hair ties, but the weaving was different—some had small, colorful wooden beads at the ends, some had simple patterns woven from different colors. They looked far more delicate and appealing than the plain ones in his shop.
“This design… is quite good. Where did you get these?” he asked curiously.
Lin Wan smiled: “I bought them from your shop a few days ago. I had some free time, so I modified them myself. What do you think—as samples?”
Zhao Weiguo was stunned. Holding the hair ties and turning them over, he realized these were the dusty, unsold items from his shop?
Astonished, he thought—being able to transform old stock like this shows real skill and thoughtfulness.
His hope, which had only been three parts before, instantly jumped to six or seven.
Yet he still maintained some caution, reminding her: “The design is good, but… female miners are still mostly frugal.”
Lin Wan looked at him, her gaze clear, her tone calm but firm:
“Boss Zhao, have you ever considered… it may not be that they don’t like spending, but that… there’s nothing that makes them feel the money is well spent or enjoyable?”
She paused, her voice soft but reasoned:
“No matter the era, people always underestimate the women’s market. But think carefully—who handles the money at home, counts every expense? Usually the women, right?”
Zhao Weiguo felt a jolt. He opened his mouth but found no words to refute her.
He thought of his own wife—tight with money, yes—but when she really liked a fabric or wanted new clothes for the child, she bought without hesitation.
He drew a deep breath, looking at Lin Wan with newfound respect: “You have a point.”
“But even if we bring in new stock, those female miners don’t come to the shop often. Selling them will still be a problem.”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Lin Wan said.
She had been busy these past days, thinking about how to change the situation after realizing her passive position last time.
Humans are social creatures; it’s necessary to build a network. Otherwise, in a situation like hers with Gu Ye, if something happens, having no support behind you leaves you at others’ mercy.
She had also asked Gu Ye about the mining area. There were female miners, mostly in auxiliary positions above ground—support roles for production.
For example, logistics, production support, and administrative services.
Female miners earned less than underground male workers but slightly more than temporary family workers.
Even so, it was enough to cover personal basic needs.
If basic needs are met, there’s room for personal wants.
As the saying goes, “A thousand gold cannot buy a willing grandpa,” but to Lin Wan, it should be “a thousand gold cannot buy a willing sister.”
She was still thinking about how to proceed when Boss Zhao offered a way.
Looking into Lin Wan’s clear, intelligent eyes, he no longer hesitated:
“All right! Let’s do it the way you suggested—consignment! Bring some samples, and we’ll try!”
Seeing him agree, Lin Wan slowly moved into the next stage of “maneuvering,” smiling like a young fox just showing its cunning:
“The samples are fine. But Boss Zhao, relying solely on my little tweaks won’t save your shop.”
“The key is keeping the shop fresh, meeting everyone’s needs.”
“I can regularly help you decide which stock to bring in, which to remove, and how to display items to sell faster.”
“But—”
She drew out the word: “This ‘consulting’ work is time-consuming and thoughtful. It can’t be free forever, right?”
Zhao Weiguo’s heart skipped a beat—he knew the point was coming.
He cautiously asked: “So… what do you mean?”
“Simple,” Lin Wan said. “If we follow my advice on stock, layout, and sales, and it sells well, you give me ten percent of the extra profit as an ‘information fee.’”
“If it doesn’t sell, my advice is free. I’ll handle the stock for you. Fair, right?”
Ten percent of profit!
Zhao Weiguo calculated quickly in his mind.
It didn’t sound like much, but if the business picks up, even ten percent is free money!
If it fails, there’s no extra loss.
Looking at the transformed hair ties in her hands, he bit his lip and slapped his thigh:
“Done! Let’s do it your way! Here’s to… a happy partnership!”
Lin Wan reached out and shook his hand lightly, her smile radiant:
“Happy partnership, Boss Zhao.”
“May we… both get rich.”