Uncle Du Wei-qiang’s house was in the Glass Factory Workers’ Residential Compound in the southern part of the city.
Unlike the single-story houses in the other residential compounds, this one consisted of old six-story apartment buildings.
After climbing to the fourth floor, they entered a small living room. A mustard-yellow fabric sofa was pushed against the wall. Across from it, a 14-inch color television sat on a cabinet, with a pair of large porcelain vases beside it.
An abacus, account books, and various everyday items were scattered across the coffee table.
It was obvious that Uncle had some money, but he was not particularly good at keeping things tidy.
Du Wei-qiang’s uncle was named Xiao Dejin. He was around forty years old and not very tall. He had once worked at the glass factory, but after offending one of the factory leaders, he was constantly given a hard time. The glass factory had also been struggling financially over the past two years, so he eventually took an unpaid leave from his position and went out to try his luck.
Unexpectedly, he managed to make a name for himself.
Xiao Dejin was home alone, apparently working on his accounts.
After the introductions, he looked at Xiao Hongyao in surprise and asked Du Wei-qiang, “This is the big boss who wants to buy three thousand yuan worth of goods?”
Du Wei-qiang grinned. “No, she’s the big boss’s relative. She’s been entrusted to handle everything for this purchase and sale.”
Oh…
Xiao Dejin assumed the actual boss probably did not want to appear in person, so he did not ask any further questions.
“Sit, sit. Your aunt isn’t home, so the place is a bit messy.” Xiao Dejin picked up the teapot to make some tea.
“It’s fine, Uncle. Don’t trouble yourself.”
But he insisted. “I brought some good tea back from Guangzhou last time. Let you two have a taste.”
While Xiao Dejin was making tea, Xiao Hongyao, sitting on the sofa, quickly noticed a document on the coffee table. She looked at it several times.
It was a permit issued by the county textile company to a self-employed businessman named Zhang Dabao, stating that he was “approved to operate a retail business selling textiles and cloth.”
This was exactly the permit she needed!
Du Wei-qiang noticed it too and gave her a meaningful look, as if saying, There’s hope.
Xiao Dejin brought over two cups of tea.
“I heard from Qiang that you two plan to sell the goods yourselves this time?”
“Yes, we plan to sell them ourselves.” Xiao Hongyao did not want to reveal too much. They had not yet solved the sales problem and still needed his help.
Xiao Dejin was curious. “How are you planning to sell them?”
“I’m not sure about the details yet. I’m not the one responsible for that part.”
“What relation is the boss to you?”
“A distant relative.”
“Oh. Have some tea. Have some tea.”
Seeing that Xiao Hongyao did not want to say more, Xiao Dejin tactfully changed the subject.
Xiao Hongyao took a sip of tea. “Uncle De, I heard the roads haven’t been very safe lately. How are you going to take so much cash with you to Guangzhou?”
“I’ll use a postal money transfer. Besides your payment, I’m carrying money from other people too. Altogether, it’s more than five thousand yuan. What if I carried all that cash and got robbed or had it stolen? What would I use to compensate everyone? Of course, I’ll charge you a small fee for the money transfer. We’ll split the cost among everyone, so it won’t be much.”
A postal money transfer was the safest option.
Xiao Hongyao smiled. “The fee is fine.”
Xiao Dejin said, “Did you come here today just because of this? Are you worried about the money? Don’t worry. Once you give me the money, I’ll write you a receipt. When the cloth arrives, I’ll give you the goods, and you’ll give me my commission. I’ve made countless trips these past two years. I only earn money through hard work, and everyone I’ve worked with has been satisfied.”
The original story had never mentioned Xiao Dejin. Even though he was Du Wei-qiang’s uncle, this was their first business deal, so Xiao Hongyao still did not dare hand over such a large amount of money without thinking it through.
She looked at Du Wei-qiang.
Du Wei-qiang quickly said, “I guaranteed to her that you’re trustworthy, Uncle De. But Uncle, let me go to Guangzhou with you this time. I want to see how things are done.”
In reality, Xiao Hongyao and Du Wei-qiang had discussed this beforehand. For safety, he would personally accompany his uncle on the trip.
“You don’t have to work?”
“I’ll switch shifts with someone. Taking a few days off won’t be a problem.”
Having another person to help was convenient, and Xiao Dejin could save the money he would otherwise have spent hiring someone.
He did not refuse.
“Then come with me. It’ll be good for you to get some experience.”
Xiao Hongyao said, “If we make money this time, we can cooperate long-term.”
Long-term cooperation would naturally be better. The corduroy this time was cheap and in high demand, so Xiao Dejin could guarantee that he would buy and resell it all. But for other types of cloth in the future, he would not necessarily be able to guarantee sales.
Someone like Xiao Hongyao, who had her own sales channels and could sell the goods herself, was actually the best kind of business partner.
Xiao Dejin said, “After this Guangzhou textile factory gets rid of this batch of corduroy, it will introduce foreign production technology and start making the latest denim, polyester blends, and printed cotton fabrics. I won’t be able to guarantee sales for those. If your relative has a way to sell the cloth herself, I can help you buy more in the future.”
Xiao Hongyao immediately realized that Du Wei-qiang had misunderstood the situation earlier.
His uncle could only guarantee the purchase and resale of this particular batch. He could not do so for previous or future deals.
No wonder.
Otherwise, a risk-free investment like this would have people fighting to get in.
She casually said, “I also have a local relative who owns a clothing store. If she applies to expand her business scope, I heard she might be allowed to sell cloth too.”
“That’s possible. But it’s troublesome. You need an approval document from the county textile company. Without it, the Industrial and Commercial Bureau won’t approve the expansion of your business scope.”
As he spoke, Xiao Dejin picked up the document from the table.
“It’s just this piece of paper. A friend asked me to help him get it, and it cost five hundred yuan.”
Five hundred yuan?!
That was an entire year’s salary!
There was no way it actually cost that much.
Xiao Dejin had seen that they were prepared to spend three thousand yuan on goods and that the person handling the matter was a young girl who knew little about business. He was trying to treat her like an easy target and make a huge profit from her.
Xiao Hongyao answered honestly, “That’s too expensive. I don’t think my relative can afford that much. I’ll go back and discuss it with her first.”
“You can discuss it first. If you need help, come to me. My classmate is a section chief at the county textile company, and he handles this matter. I had to pay five hundred yuan to get him to help me. If someone else asked him, even eight hundred yuan might not be enough.”
Xiao Hongyao could see through him.
Xiao Dejin not only had the greed of a small businessman, but also the habit of boasting and exaggerating.
They chatted for a while longer when a knock came from the door.
Xiao Dejin went to open it.
“Oh, I was just thinking of having someone tell you to come back tomorrow.”
“Is it still not done?”
The visitor was a bald man around fifty years old.
“The approval has already been written, and the leader has signed it.” Xiao Dejin picked up the document from the table and handed it to him. “Look, all the signatures are here. The administrative office at the textile company was empty that day, so they couldn’t stamp it.”
It seemed the bald man was Zhang Dabao.
He said, “I already made an appointment with the people at the Industrial and Commercial Bureau to process the license. The bureau officials are only free tomorrow morning.”
Xiao Dejin clicked his tongue. “Then what do we do? I have something to take care of later, so I won’t have time to go to the textile company.”
“Can I go get the stamp myself?”
Xiao Dejin hesitated.
Clearly, he did not want his buyer to have a chance to meet his own supplier directly.
Xiao Hongyao quickly nudged Du Wei-qiang and gave him a meaningful look.
Du Wei-qiang stared blankly at her, completely failing to understand.
She had no choice but to whisper, “You go.”
Du Wei-qiang finally understood.
“Uncle De, I’m free this afternoon. I’ll go handle it for you.”
Xiao Dejin turned around and frowned slightly. He did not immediately agree.
To ease his suspicions, Xiao Hongyao stood up.
“Uncle De, you two can continue with your business. I have something to take care of, so I’ll leave first. I’ll bring the payment on Sunday.”
“Sure. Go ahead if you have something to do. I’ll be home all day Sunday.”
Xiao Hongyao turned to Du Wei-qiang, who still looked slightly surprised.
“I’ll go first.”
After going down four floors and leaving the glass factory residential compound, Xiao Hongyao spotted a street stall selling roasted sunflower seeds near the entrance.
She bought a bag and then stood nearby chatting with the older woman running the stall, saying that she was waiting for someone.
Before long, the bald man came out and left in another direction.
About five or six minutes later, she heard the sound of a bicycle.
Xiao Hongyao walked a little farther toward the entrance so that Du Wei-qiang would see her as soon as he came out.
Sure enough, Du Wei-qiang rode his bicycle out of the compound and immediately spotted her.
“Why did you come out first?”
“I asked your uncle about the approval document just now. If I stayed there, your uncle definitely wouldn’t have wanted you to help me get the stamp. He was afraid you’d help me.”
“That makes sense. You really are clever. My uncle is something else, though. He immediately asked for five hundred yuan—that’s a whole year’s salary! He’s really asking for the moon. When people ask for help, isn’t a carton of cigarettes and a bottle of good liquor usually enough? Does he think he’s helping someone get a job?”
“Exactly.” Xiao Hongyao could not help muttering in agreement.
“Twenty yuan at most. Even that’s almost half a month’s salary. I’d hate to spend twenty, let alone five hundred. I’m going to find Uncle De’s classmate to get the stamp. I’ll have to think of a way to get this approval for you.”
Du Wei-qiang glanced at his watch. It was almost three o’clock, and he was getting anxious.
“I also need to go back and find someone to cover my shift. I don’t even know if I can find anyone.”
Xiao Hongyao wanted to meet this important connection at the county textile company herself.
“How about I go?”
“You?”
“Yes. I’ll go get the stamp. I’ll figure something out. If I can’t get the approval today, I’ll try again another day.”
That was what she said, but deep down, Xiao Hongyao had already made up her mind.
She absolutely had to get that approval.
Her determination to return to her original world and save her sister gave her more courage than she had ever had before.
Du Wei-qiang was actually relieved.
He was afraid that he would fail the task and disappoint Xiao Hongyao. Since she was willing to go herself, that was even better.
He immediately handed her the envelope he was holding.
“This is the approval document. Go to the Business Section and find Section Chief Li Bin. After you get it stamped, take it to Zhang Dabao’s house in the southern part of the city.”
He also gave her Zhang Dabao’s address.
“Take my bicycle too. It’ll make things easier.”
“Okay. Thanks, Qiang.”
Xiao Hongyao decided to go home first.
Du Wei-qiang accompanied her to the East Compound and gave her his bicycle so she could handle the matter more conveniently.
When she got home, Xiao Hongyao asked Grandma for the cigarettes Pan Yun-song had given them.
“Who are you giving them to? A whole carton? When you need someone to help with something, two or three packs are more than enough.”
“Grandma, I’ll tell you when I get back tonight.”
Taking the whole carton would look too conspicuous, so Xiao Hongyao opened all the packs and put the cigarettes into a small cloth bag inside her handbag.
Before leaving, she also grabbed a handful of Beijing milk candies that her second sister had bought for her.
Then she went to Liang Zhen’s clothing store to get the business license number before hurriedly making her way to the county textile company.
On the second floor, she entered the Business Section office.
There was only a young woman wearing glasses inside.
The woman’s attitude was somewhat cold.
“Who are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for my uncle, Li Bin.”
To make it seem as though she was very familiar with Li Bin, Xiao Hongyao simply claimed that he was her uncle.
Hearing her call Section Chief Li her uncle, the woman’s attitude softened considerably.
“Section Chief Li is in a meeting. He may not be back anytime soon.”
“Will he come back later?”
“His briefcase is still here, so he’ll come back. But the meeting will probably last until after work. What do you need him for?”
What bad timing.
Whether she could get her own business done today or not, she could not delay someone else’s urgent matter.
“I need him to stamp something.”
As she spoke, Xiao Hongyao took out Zhang Dabao’s approval document.
“Uncle Bin already signed it. The administrative office was empty last time, so they couldn’t stamp it.”
She looked at the woman with pleading eyes.
“Sis, could you help me take it over and get it stamped? I’m afraid the administrative office will close before he comes back.”
Looking at the young girl’s clear, watery eyes, the woman could not help softening.
She took the document, confirmed that the signature was indeed Section Chief Li’s, and finally said, “All right.”
“Thank you, Sis. What should I call you?”
“Just call me Sister Ping. Wait here for a while. There’s a chair over there. You can sit wherever you like.”
In this era, office workers might seem difficult to deal with at first, but once you started talking to them, as long as you were polite and respectful, most people were actually easy to communicate with.
A few minutes later, Sister Ping returned with the official stamp on the document.
Xiao Hongyao carefully put it away and thanked her repeatedly with a bright smile.
“Thank you, Sister Ping. Luckily I met you today, or I wouldn’t have made it in time.”
As she spoke, she placed a handful of Beijing milk candies on Sister Ping’s desk.
“Have some candy, Sister Ping. They’re really delicious.”
Who could refuse delicious candy from such a sweet and well-behaved young woman?
Sister Ping smiled.
“You’re too polite.”
Xiao Hongyao was not willing to leave just yet.
Seeing that Sister Ping was in a good mood, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Sister Ping, could I trouble you to give me another copy of the application form for this approval?”
Sister Ping looked at her.
“What do you need it for?”
“I need to apply for another approval document. I want to fill out the form in advance, so Uncle Bin only needs to sign it when he comes back. That way, we can save his time after work.”
It seemed the girl still needed to wait for Section Chief Li to return.
It was not a difficult request.
Sister Ping went to the cabinet at the back, rummaged through it, and handed Xiao Hongyao a blank form.
“In the past, private individuals weren’t allowed to sell cloth. That changed last year. Since then, quite a few approvals have been issued, both in the county town and in the surrounding townships.”
Xiao Hongyao smiled and nodded.
“It certainly is more convenient to buy cloth now.”
“It is more convenient, but it’s expensive. Much more expensive than at the department store. Even so, plenty of people buy it.”
In this era, people did not spend their money on houses. Most of their income went toward food and clothing.
Xiao Hongyao filled out the form.
She waited until four-thirty, when Sister Ping was preparing to lock up and leave for the day, but Li Bin still had not returned.
So she could only wait outside the office.
Sister Ping kindly brought out a chair for her.
“When Section Chief Li comes back, you can bring the chair inside.”
“Thank you, Sister Ping.”
After four-thirty, people from the offices on the second floor gradually began leaving work, and the surroundings slowly became quiet.
The sound of a meeting could still be heard from upstairs.
Xiao Hongyao wandered along the corridor, looking through the windows at the various offices.
On the blackboard in one office, several lines were written:
“Short of corduroy, labor cloth, and nylon cloth. Small surplus of polyester fabric and cotton cloth.”
Xiao Hongyao took out her small notebook and secretly wrote the information down.
When she got tired of walking, she sat down.
Around five-fifteen, the meeting upstairs finally ended.
Not long afterward, footsteps came from the stairwell.
Several people came down.
One middle-aged man stopped in front of the Business Section office.
Xiao Hongyao quickly stood up and greeted him.
“Are you Section Chief Li? My Uncle Xiao Dejin asked me to come and see you.”
The man secretly looked her over.
She was a rather stylish young girl.
“Xiao Dejin sent you?”
“Yes. He had something to take care of this afternoon and couldn’t get away.”