Tang Jin, holding the key to the small courtyard, happily went to find Wu Xiulan.
Wu Xiulan had just finished dinner and was washing dishes when she saw Tang Jin arrive. She quickly told Zhang Guang to finish the dishes.
“Sister-in-law, great news! The small courtyard next to the residential compound—we can use it. No more climbing up to the fifth floor every day. It’s mainly for scraps of fabric; hauling them up is such a hassle,” Tang Jin said excitedly, waving the key in her hand.
“That’s wonderful! Tang Jin, how did you get the key? Did your Mu Heng help you?” Wu Xiulan asked.
Tang Jin shook her head, “I asked Chief Lu for it myself.”
Wu Xiulan was startled. She realized Tang Jin had guts—actually going directly to Chief Lu like that.
“Never mind how you got it. The key’s with me. Let’s go see the courtyard,” Tang Jin said eagerly.
“Alright.”
The two went downstairs together. Using the key, they opened the courtyard gate. Inside, the place was overgrown with weeds, clearly neglected for a long time.
But the courtyard was quite large, over 200 square meters.
The row of five rooms along the side each had 40–50 square meters of cemented floor. One room stored some miscellaneous items; the rest were empty.
Both agreed it was a good place—they just needed to clean it up.
“It’s a shame the yard is overgrown. Later, we could plant some vegetables, flowers, even fruit trees,” Tang Jin said. She had always loved first-floor homes with courtyards. Seeing this neglected space felt like a waste.
She knew that while land wasn’t valuable now, by 2023, it would be prime real estate—first-floor homes with courtyards would be highly sought after and expensive.
“We’ll need to clean the rooms and clear the weeds in the courtyard. It will probably take two days,” Tang Jin said.
“Sure, we can start this afternoon,” Wu Xiulan replied. Being from the countryside, she was used to hard work.
“I also need to go to the city to buy some fabric for a few clothing orders. You gather the other sisters here. Once I return, we’ll go to your place and plan the courtyard cleanup for tomorrow.”
“Alright, tomorrow we’ll all clean together. It’ll be faster,” Wu Xiulan said.
“Let’s split up. I’ll go to the city; you gather everyone,” Tang Jin said.
“Okay.”
Tang Jin took the shuttle to Nankun City’s department store. She picked fabrics suitable for young girls, then chose two pieces for middle-aged women, and hurried back.
Meanwhile, Wu Xiulan had gathered over ten military wives at her home, all chatting idly while waiting for Tang Jin. Wu Xiulan herself was wearing a qipao Tang Jin had made for her and went door to door praising Tang Jin.
Some of the military wives had bought dresses from Tang Jin on the shuttle before. Others were still skeptical, but out of respect for Wu Xiulan, they came with a cautious, observant attitude.
Tang Jin returned home, dropped off the fabrics, and then carried over a huge bag of fabric scraps to Wu Xiulan’s place.
Even though she had been running every day for the past half month, carrying a ten-plus kilogram bag up five floors still left her breathless. The bag was bulky and hard to handle.
Upon opening the door and seeing over ten sisters gathered, Tang Jin was a bit surprised. She had expected to gather only seven or eight. Wu Xiulan’s popularity was real.
Gasping for air, Tang Jin bowed to all the wives.
“Sisters, I’ve made many mistakes in the past. Today, I want to say ‘sorry.’ I hope you can forgive my youthful ignorance. From now on, I will behave properly and work together with you all to earn money.”
The military wives saw her sincerity. Recently, she hadn’t been causing trouble, so they let bygones be bygones.
“The past is the past,” one said.
“Yes, nothing serious—just trivial matters. It’s all behind us,” another added.
“We’ve all made mistakes,” another agreed.
“Exactly. You’re young; recognizing mistakes and correcting them is commendable,” someone said.
The group relaxed and forgave Tang Jin.
“Thank you, sisters. Military wives truly have big hearts. Now, let’s get down to business,” Tang Jin said, dumping out the bag of fabric scraps.
“Your task is to make full use of these scraps. Small floral pieces can be made into hair ornaments; silk can be used for camisoles; cotton for underwear; lace can become hair clips—or even bras. And this one…”
Tang Jin gestured at each type of fabric in turn.
She continued, “Simple pieces pay five cents each. Slightly more complex pieces pay ten cents. You could make 20 simple pieces a day—one yuan. Ten complex pieces a day—also one yuan. That’s two yuan per day, sixty yuan per month.”
“Sixty yuan is like my husband’s salary! Amazing!” one wife exclaimed. Tang Jin recognized her as Wang, who had once hurriedly shut the door when Tang Jin passed by.
“Yes! We can earn our own money, it’s fantastic,” Li added excitedly.
“We just make them, no need to sell, right?”
“Will this work be steady?”
Tang Jin reassured them, “I’ll handle the sales channel. You just focus on earning wages. There will always be work. I’ll also cut out clothing for you to make later—one yuan per piece. Everyone needs to bring their own sewing machines. We’ll move them to the small courtyard next to the residential compound.”
“Wages will be paid daily, after quality check. Poorly made items will need reworking. Wu Xiulan will handle inspection and issue pay immediately. Any questions?”
Tang Jin finished speaking, her throat dry and parched.
“Are we sure we can use the courtyard?” Li asked.
“Yes, the key’s with Wu Xiulan. Tomorrow, if everyone’s free, we’ll help clean it. The day after, we move in the sewing machines and start work. I’ll personally teach you some cutting and sewing techniques,” Tang Jin replied.
“I’m free tomorrow.”
“Me too.”
“Same here.”
The military wives, mostly from rural backgrounds, weren’t afraid of hard work. Knowing they could earn money made them eager and energetic.
Tang Jin felt delighted seeing everyone so motivated. Her small workshop was about to take off.
The next step was to open a clothing store where they could sell these items, along with Tang Jin’s other creations.
Tomorrow, she planned to secure the mother-daughter pair she had met in the city—the address was in the municipal party committee compound. Landing them as clients meant gaining high-end customers.
She also planned to look for a suitable storefront while in the city.