Chapter 18: Stocking Up

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Ding Maocai fell silent. He desperately wanted to tell the other party to leave and give up on this deal. But with so much stock sitting idle in the warehouse, if he didn’t sell it, the factory’s funds simply wouldn’t circulate. With raw material costs and wages looming unpaid, in another two months the factory would be finished. He had considered finding buyers himself, but every merchant was shrewd, driving prices so low it made him want to cry; forget ten yuan, some wouldn’t even pay eight.

“Xiao Lu, I’m not trying to deceive you. The cost for each shirt is twelve yuan, which is indeed pricier than ordinary shirts. You said just now you wanted me to give you the cost price, so let’s settle on twelve yuan per piece. You’re asking me to at least break even.”

“Boss Ding, can a businessman afford to sell at a loss? Unless your factory is on its last legs. I’ll stick to my original offer, ten yuan. If you agree, let’s give it a try and see how quickly I can sell the first batch. Next time, I might buy in bulk.”

“How many do you plan to take next time?”

“That depends on the first batch’s sales and customer acceptance. If they sell out in a day, I’ll dare to order ten thousand pieces.”

Ding Maocai’s face twitched involuntarily at those words. If they could move ten thousand pieces, he’d recover one hundred thousand yuan, enough to keep the factory alive for at least another half year.

“Alright, since you’re so straightforward, I’ll be your friend even if it means taking a loss.”

“Old Huang, pack up 200 pieces and prepare an invoice. Let the young man pay at finance.”

Warehouse manager Old Huang pulled out the delivery note. Just as he was about to write it up, Lu Fan suddenly said, “Ah, I came in such a hurry this time I didn’t bring much money. Two hundred pieces cost two thousand yuan, not a small sum. This trip alone will be quite a hassle.”

“Boss Ding, how about this? Next time when I restock, I’ll bring the money for you all at once.”

While Ding Maocai pondered, Bai Lu stepped forward. “Boss Ding, don’t worry, you’ll definitely get your money. Our family is from this village—we won’t run.”

“Heh, hearing you say that, I’m just wondering how you plan to carry away these two hundred pieces of clothing. It’s okay to pay me the two thousand yuan next time, I trust you.”

The two had arrived pushing 500 fake collars and left pushing away 200 shirts. Two hundred pieces fit neatly into two cardboard boxes placed on the back seat, with Lu Fan pushing and Bai Lu steadying from the side.

Ding Maocai watched their figures and frowned slightly. He felt this deal was somewhat farcical, but he had no choice—he had to treat a dead horse as if it were alive. Since Lu Fan had mentioned being able to take ten thousand pieces next time, he had already regarded Lu Fan as his last lifeline.

Now, he could only hope the 200 shirts Lu Fan took would sell quickly.

...

Although Bai Lu trusted Lu Fan deeply, her heart was still uneasy. This feeling came from having put her family up as collateral to take two thousand yuan worth of goods.

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Such a large sum was beyond what her conscience could bear, even though her family’s worth was fifty thousand yuan.

The two traveled home in silence.

Near their home, Lu Fan asked, “Doesn’t my aunt work at this clothing factory?”

“No, she works at Meilin Clothing Factory in the district. The boss here isn’t very discreet. They usually hire people from outside the village. I once heard of a girl who worked here and got pregnant for no reason. The boss took her to a hospital for an abortion and then sent her away with just a few hundred yuan. Also, the boss’s concubine—the one who gets beaten—is his second wife. His original wife hasn’t divorced him yet and comes to cause trouble from time to time.”

Lu Fan nodded. These days, having good character made it impossible to do business.

“You don’t even ask how I plan to sell so many clothes? You just trust me like that?”

“Yeah. You’re capable. I believe nothing can stop you.”

“What if I can’t sell them and you end up with a debt of two thousand yuan?”

“We’ll pay it off slowly. If I find a factory job, I can earn five or six hundred a month and pay it off in a few months.”

Lu Fan chuckled, “Better watch out or I’ll sell you off while you’re still counting the money.”

“It’s fine. It’s all our family’s money.”

They exchanged a glance and laughed.

Back at Bai’s house, Lu Fan climbed onto the toilet roof, took down a bundle of bamboo poles, and selected a dozen or so straight and long ones. He had Bai Lu wash them thoroughly with clean water and set them aside to dry.

He unpacked a carton, found a brush head, dipped it in soot from the stove, and scribbled some calligraphy on the poles.

After finishing, the two went to the market to buy a pound of pork and some vegetables. Lu Fan broke his last fifty yuan into small change.

“We’ll set up a stall tonight. I’ll show you how to make money.”

Bai Lu asked curiously, “A night market? There are big markets in Dongping during the day but no night markets.”

“We’re going to Baoshan District. That’s the old city with the largest night market in Jiangcheng.”

“Oh, what time do we leave?”

Lu Fan paused briefly before saying, “We’ll go back and finish cooking, leave a note for your mom, then head over. If we go too late, I’m afraid we won’t get a good spot.”

“Okay, then we’ll leave early. Baoshan is over ten kilometers away, and we’ll have to cross a cornfield.”

“Aren’t you scared coming back at night?”

“Not if I’m with you!”

“Really? I was hoping you’d protect me!”

Bai Lu paused, then laughed quietly.

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After returning home, they divided the tasks: Bai Lu picked and washed vegetables, Lu Fan cooked. In no time, they prepared three dishes. Though not very hungry, they each ate a little and saved the rest for Liu Yue’e and Bai’s father.

Bai Lu wrote a note on her homework paper: “Mom, Lu Fan and I are going to Baoshan District’s night market. We’ll be back after nine. Don’t worry. The food is in the pot, heat it up before eating.”

When leaving, Lu Fan was a little worried—there was quite a lot to carry: over a dozen bamboo poles, 200 pieces of clothing, and Bai Lu needed to ride on the bike too.

After some thought, they tied the bamboo poles to the crossbar, took the 200 shirts out of the boxes, packed them into a large bag hanging from the bike frame, and Bai Lu sat on the back seat.

Lu Fan sighed in relief—luckily, this was a sturdy old road bike. An ordinary mountain bike wouldn’t have carried so much.

After riding a short distance, Lu Fan noticed Bai Lu shifting uncomfortably behind him.

He stopped and asked, “Bai Lu, is it uncomfortable sitting?”

Blushing, Bai Lu nodded slightly.

She wasn’t sitting directly on the back seat but on top of the bamboo poles. The poles were too long, sticking out far in front and behind the seat. Lu Fan had tied them in three places, including the back seat.

“Here’s the plan: we won’t bring the bamboo poles. You go home and get two ropes. We’ll find two trees, tie the ropes between them, and hang the clothes there instead.”

“Okay!”

Bai Lu then covered her backside and ran home.

Curious, Lu Fan sat on the back seat and pedaled twice, then shouted and jumped off.

These poles weren’t just uncomfortable—they were downright painful and cramped.

Bai Lu... she...

Lu Fan thought for a moment, then pushed the bike and followed her home. He couldn’t help but keep an eye on her.

...

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