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Back to the 80s: A Cherished Marriage
Due to overwhelming excitement and impatience, Zhao Jin pulled Qi Zheng along to the county.
Finding Tao Tao didn't require much effort, and when she took out the piece of clothing that Tao Tao had specially sent, even the well-informed Tao Tao couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"Sister-in-law, this is amazing! This price could definitely be marked higher; there will surely be customers who like it," Tao Tao said, giving Zhao Jin a thumbs up.
He knew that Zhao Jin was learning to make clothes. Previously, when Zhao Jin and Qi Yuehong brought in their garments, Tao Tao had helped set a pretty good price for them.
That was only because Zhao Jin and Qi Yuehong were meticulous and had tight stitching. Tao Tao had specifically consulted an experienced supervisor at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, confirming that they could indeed sell at that price.
This time, without needing to consult the supervisor, Tao Tao could already determine that they would sell for an even better price than before.
"Come with me, Sister-in-law; I'll introduce you to someone," said Tao Tao as she took the clothing from Zhao Jin and turned to lead the way.
Tao Tao was considered half an insider now. Zhao Jin trusted her and allowed her to take the clothes while she followed behind with Qi Zheng.
"Lan Sister, this is my Sister-in-law. Last time I showed you the clothes my Sister-in-law made by hand. This time, I’d like you to take a look again; it's really beautiful," Tao Tao said. She was quite well-connected at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Not only because of her status but also due to her years of experience there, she had developed quite a knack for charming people and making friends.
At that moment, the Lan Sister that Tao Tao approached was named Yu Lan, responsible for sales at the entire Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Approaching forty years old, she had a strong personality and was a true career woman. However, she was easily swayed by Tao Tao and treated her quite favorably.
If it were someone else bringing in clothes, Lan Sister might not have given them a second glance. But with what Tao Tao brought in, it was a different story.
Previously, Lan Sister had been very satisfied with the clothes Zhao Jin made. The price back then was one she had suggested for Tao Tao to set and had approved herself.
As it turned out, her judgment was correct. Those few pieces of clothing sold out almost immediately after being placed on the counter. Later on, customers even came specifically to inquire at the counter, clearly indicating they were well-liked and there was no shortage of clientele.
The two Lan Sisters had been pondering this matter, considering whether to ask Tao Tao to discuss a long-term cooperation agreement with Zhao Jin.
Unexpectedly, just as she was about to reach out to Tao Tao, Zhao Jin was brought right in front of her by Tao Tao. Even more surprisingly, she brought along an unexpected delight.
This time, Zhao Jin's outfit was undoubtedly of a higher standard compared to the last one. The Lan Sister nodded in approval, showing no hesitation in expressing her admiration and fondness for the outfit.
"If you can ensure a continuous supply of clothes for our Supply and Marketing Cooperative, I will specially allocate a dedicated counter just for your clothing," the Lan Sister directly addressed Zhao Jin, bypassing Tao Tao as the intermediary, which showcased her sincerity.
"That's no problem. Thank you, Lan Sister." Zhao Jin believed that Tao Tao had brought her here with this intention in mind. She just hadn't expected the Lan Sister to propose it herself.
In other words, the Lan Sister genuinely recognized the quality of the clothes she made. This affirmation was invaluable to Zhao Jin and served as a significant motivation for her to continue moving forward.
Zhao Jin's decisiveness immediately earned the appreciation of the Lan Sister.
Nodding in satisfaction, the Lan Sister rarely showed a smile to unfamiliar people: "Alright, let's settle this matter. You should speed up and produce more outfits. It doesn't need to be a large quantity, but the quality must be excellent and the styles must be beautiful. What I want is a selling point; do you understand?"
"I understand." Zhao Jin quickly nodded, her bright eyes shining with excitement. She understood perfectly. The Lan Sister wanted high-end, high-priced items; even selling just one would be worth ten times that of ordinary clothing.
"That's good to hear." The Lan Sister was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to communicate with Zhao Jin. She had initially worried that Zhao Jin might be too eager to make money and focus on producing more clothes for profit.
However, it seemed that Zhao Jin resonated well with her ideas; their philosophies aligned perfectly.
Having encountered such a like-minded person was rare, prompting the Lan Sister to elaborate further: "Our Supply and Marketing Cooperative isn't lacking clothes to sell; however, truly high-quality garments are scarce. Although most customers may not be able to afford expensive clothing, that doesn't mean there isn't a market for it. Recently, several customers have expressed that they can't find clothes at our Supply and Marketing Cooperative. It's not that we don't have enough clothes; it's just that they don't like them."
Zhao Jin nodded in understanding. The customers mentioned by the Lan Sister were clearly those with ample money and discerning tastes.
"I plan to gradually introduce your clothes to these customers. If all goes well, once your clothes gain some fame, they will become the most prominent brand of our Supply and Marketing Cooperative." Lan Sister visited the City last month and gained some perspective. Compared to the clothes from the City, their offerings here are indeed lacking in more than just a few aspects.
However, if they were to directly purchase those expensive clothes from the City, one has to wonder how many customers in a county like theirs could actually afford them. Just the procurement list for their Supply and Marketing Cooperative would add a significant expense.
Lan Sister had done her research; due to the high demand in the City, any orders would need to be placed in large quantities. This was a tricky issue that their Supply and Marketing Cooperative had to consider carefully.
If the clothes arrived but became unsellable due to high prices, it would result in substantial losses for the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
At this moment, Zhao Jin appeared like a timely rain, solving the problem that Lan Sister was struggling with.
There was no need to worry about order quantities, and she could ensure the quality of the clothes, perfectly meeting both of Lan Sister's needs, which naturally made her very welcome and valued by Lan Sister.
"Everything will be according to Lan Sister's wishes." Zhao Jin was very self-aware. The opportunity given by Lan Sister was rare and fleeting. If she did not seize it firmly, such chances might not come again.
Thus, Zhao Jin nodded readily and agreed to Lan Sister's arrangements.
"Then it's settled. I will take this piece of clothing to the counter and display the price as well. Just like last time, we will split the profits evenly; is that alright?" The last four words from Lan Sister were asked gently. Clearly, if Zhao Jin had any objections, they could negotiate further.
However, Zhao Jin was not greedy. Without hesitation, she shook her head and replied to Lan Sister, "No objections."
She truly had no objections. It is well known that items at the County Supply and Marketing Cooperative are all sourced from outside. Someone like her, who could sell her handmade clothes at the counter, was undoubtedly unique.
The reason behind this was not only due to Tao Tao's influence but also because of Lan Sister's confidence in her.
Zhao Jin was grateful that Lan Sister was willing to provide her with such an opportunity and platform, without any doubts whatsoever. Moreover, splitting profits evenly was particularly fair; the Supply and Marketing Cooperative did not take advantage of her.
Otherwise, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative could easily buy her clothes at a low price and sell them at a high price. The huge price difference would have nothing to do with her.
Currently, Sister Lan is willing to split the selling price with her, which is an opportunity that Zhao Jin cannot obtain even if others ask for it.
Moreover, Zhao Jin has no channels and cannot sell at the price marked by Sister Lan.
This is how relationships work. If Zhao Jin raises any objections, Sister Lan would negotiate the profit distribution with her, but that would be all. From then on, the only connection between Sister Lan and Zhao Jin would be profit and money.
However, Zhao Jin sincerely shook her head, which made Sister Lan like her even more. This added a touch of humanity that is invisible and intangible but very important, and it would certainly benefit Zhao Jin in the long run.
"Don't worry. The half-split is just temporary. Once your clothes gain a good reputation in the market, we at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative are willing to accept a 60-40 or 70-30 split," Sister Lan said, proving her point in the next moment.
Sister Lan truly made exceptions for Zhao Jin repeatedly, leaving Tao Tao beside them astonished several times.
He remembered how much effort he had put in and how many smiles he had forced just to establish a relationship with Sister Lan so that she would be willing to talk to him more.
Who would have thought that this was the first time meeting Sister-in-law, and Sister Lan would look at her with such admiration? It was simply impressive!
"It's okay. I have no objections to these matters; I will leave everything to Sister Lan to help and arrange," Zhao Jin indeed needed money and wanted to earn more. However, she understood the importance of taking things step by step and always kept it in mind.
"Alright. If there are any issues in the future, I will take charge and help my sister out." For Sister Lan to actively call her "sister," Zhao Jin must be considered the first person.
Zhao Jin herself was unaware of this special treatment and did not realize it. However, with Tao Tao around, she would eventually understand.
Nevertheless, it was precisely because Zhao Jin did not understand that she treated Sister Lan with more calmness and normalcy. After thanking Sister Lan again, Zhao Jin did not rush to ask for an advance on the payment for this piece of clothing and left the Supply and Marketing Cooperative with Qi Zheng.
Tao Tao was in a daze as he sent Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin out of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. It was undeniable that he had been quite startled today.
Just as the two were about to turn and leave, Tao Tao finally regained his composure and gave Zhao Jin a thumbs up: "Sister-in-law, well done! You even managed to win over our Lan Sister, impressive!"
"Huh? Lan Sister is very easy to get along with! Is there a problem?" In Zhao Jin's eyes, Lan Sister was indeed easy to deal with, and she spoke her true feelings.
However, to Tao Tao, such words were shocking: "That's because you haven't seen how many people at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative want to please Lan Sister but end up failing repeatedly, and some even end up worse off than before."
Worse off than before? Tao Tao really wanted to use this phrase on Lan Sister? Zhao Jin blinked, being kind enough not to interrupt Tao Tao's lament but quietly listened instead.
"I had to put in a lot of effort just to win over Lan Sister back then. I was quite proud of myself, but after seeing Lan Sister's attitude towards Sister-in-law today, I think I should just keep my distance!" With his head down, Tao Tao moved aside, his expression particularly mournful. "Lan Sister even took the initiative to negotiate a share for Sister-in-law. The split went from half to forty-sixty, thirty-seventy—completely disregarding me, the grandson of the president!"
Tao Tao's expression was quite amusing, which made Zhao Jin laugh. Before she could speak, Tao Tao continued: "Alright, I admit it; I really don't oppose Lan Sister's proposal."
Hearing the smug tone in Tao Tao's voice made Zhao Jin even happier.
In this life, she was very lucky, and everyone she met was wonderful!
However, all her luck was thanks to Qi Zheng standing beside her. Without Qi Zheng, there would be no current version of her.
So ultimately, the person she should be most grateful to was still Qi Zheng.
After bidding farewell to Tao Tao, Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng headed towards Uncle Tao's Lumber Mill.
The batch of furniture that Qi Zheng had previously entrusted to Uncle Tao had already been delivered. Additionally, Uncle Tao was planning to send the second batch of wood over to Qi Zheng.
Originally, Uncle Tao wanted Qi Zheng to work at his Lumber Mill. He had even prepared a large workshop for Qi Zheng, spacious and convenient for him to supply wood anytime, achieving two goals at once.
However, Qi Zheng refused.
Even though making furniture in Willow Leaf Village was far less convenient than at Uncle Tao's Lumber Mill, Qi Zheng insisted on staying busy in his own yard.
The real reason was undoubtedly to be close to Zhao Jin.
Seeing Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin, Uncle Tao was very happy. He warmly welcomed the two and specifically took them to his current office.
Indeed, while delivering the first batch of furniture, Qi Zheng also fulfilled his promise to Uncle Tao from their first meeting. Now, Uncle Tao's office was filled with office furniture such as desks and bookshelves that Qi Zheng had personally made.
"To be honest, Qi Zheng, you are really impressive!" After patting the exceptionally sturdy round wooden table, Uncle Tao's admiration for Qi Zheng was evident. "If it weren't for your strong opinions, I would really want to recruit you as a technical backbone in my factory."
In response to Uncle Tao's praise, Qi Zheng smiled slightly and replied, "We can also be friends."
Qi Zheng did not define his relationship with Uncle Tao as "business partners," but rather positioned it as "friends," which made Uncle Tao extremely happy.
Nodding, Uncle Tao did not say more and began discussing the completion timeline for the next batch of office furniture with Qi Zheng.
Qi Zheng's first batch focused on home furniture, a category he excelled in. Office furniture, on the other hand, was relatively a weakness for him.
The set of office furniture given to Uncle Tao was Qi Zheng's first attempt. Judging by Uncle Tao's attitude, it seemed that Qi Zheng's attempt was quite successful.
Uncle Tao truly had high hopes for Qi Zheng and even specially asked someone to help prepare some blueprints. This time, he conveniently brought them to Qi Zheng.
Serious people are always the most charming. Such individuals are destined not to be perpetually unlucky. Light always follows the storm, and this is especially true for Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng, who have endured hardships.
At present, they are both ambitious and hardworking. With smiles and a positive outlook, they embrace a new life together, unafraid of difficulties or setbacks.
The rewards that fate returns to them are equally positive. From this point on, Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin's lives gradually began to get back on track.
After receiving Uncle Tao's blueprints and expressing their gratitude for his efforts, Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin boarded the vehicle transporting the second batch of timber and headed back to Willow Leaf Village.
Upon returning to Willow Leaf Village and unloading the timber, it was already close to noon.
Before Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng could sit down for a drink, Zhou Ju informed them that they needed to return to the Zhao Family.
"I heard your Fourth Uncle's family has been having some unpleasantness with your Maternal Family recently," Zhou Ju said, addressing Zhao Jin. Then, turning to Qi Zheng, Zhou Ju instructed, "Qi Zheng, accompany Jin back and see if there's anything you can help with."
Zhou Ju had only just heard about this matter by chance today. Although it was merely gossip from fellow villagers, there was some truth to it.
After listening carefully, Zhou Ju immediately felt that Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin should go back to take a look.
The Zhao Family had always treated their family well, and Zhou Ju remained grateful for that.
Hearing that the Zhao Guofu family was causing trouble again made Zhao Jin's expression darken. Nodding in agreement, he immediately stood up with Qi Zheng and headed towards the Zhao Family.
"Wait a moment; Mom has prepared some things to bring back to our in-laws." Before Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng returned, Zhou Ju had already packed items with Grandma Qi. They were not precious but represented their sincere intentions.
"Thank you, Mom." Zhao Jin did not expect Zhou Ju to take the trouble to prepare these items and accepted them without refusal.
This is her in-law family's heartfelt gesture towards her maternal family. Zhao Jin does not want to refuse, nor will she. On the contrary, she hopes for a harmonious relationship between her in-law family and her maternal family, wishing for them to get along well.
"Why be polite? It's only right. Qi Zheng, help Jin carry this; it's a bit heavy, don't tire her out," Zhou Ju said, genuinely caring for Zhao Jin and unceremoniously directing Qi Zheng.
Qi Zheng nodded and took the items as instructed.
Only then did Zhou Ju smile with satisfaction, urging Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin to set off immediately, not to waste time and risk being late.
Qi Zheng and Zhao Jin did not walk slowly. By the time they arrived at the Zhao Family's home, the family was having dinner. Or rather, they had nearly finished eating and were preparing to leave the table.
"Ah! Jin and Qi Zheng are back! Come, come, quickly sit down to eat. I'll go stir-fry a couple more dishes," Qian Minmin immediately stood up upon seeing Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng, ready to busy herself in the kitchen.
At this moment, regardless of whether their family had finished eating or not, there was no reduction in the warmth and enthusiasm with which they welcomed Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng.
This is what it means to be a family. Just thinking about it brings a sense of warmth.
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