Liu Yu and her companions had been busy for several days, searching for distributors during the day and designing sample garments by lamplight at night. They cut the fabric and left it for the seamstresses to work on the next day. After three days of intensive work, they produced seven new sample garments. The promotion of the “Joy of Jiangnan” line in nearby towns was also quite successful, though they encountered some disdain and harsh words along the way. Still, they managed to secure around fifty percent interest, with another twenty percent showing hesitation.
Liu Yu was in a hurry to go to Hongdu Prefecture to procure more supplies, so she only visited nine nearby small towns and fifteen embroidery shops in three days. On October 15th, seven of these shops participated in the selection of designs.
In seven out of the nine towns, Liu Yu successfully secured distributors. She also sent a message to Cui Erniang through a messenger. On the morning of October 15th, Ruyi Embroidery House welcomed the arrival of eight shopkeepers from various embroidery shops.
Among these eight shopkeepers, at least five had quietly visited Ruyi Embroidery House before, to preview the designs. Initially, they felt a bit embarrassed, but since Wei Shi dealt with so many customers daily, she didn’t remember those who visited once or twice without making a purchase. This helped ease their embarrassment. Some of them were initially uneasy about the idea of buying ready-made garments from another embroidery shop, but their anxiety subsided by about seventy to eighty percent once they entered Ruyi Embroidery House.
A few days before, while Liu Yu was busy finding distributors, Wei Shi and Liu Yanqing had already set up a display room in a previously empty room in the backyard, using leftover display cases from the Lin couple. The first batch of winter garments from the “Joy of Jiangnan” line was a success. The eight shopkeepers who came ordered all ten designs, with each design ordered in three sizes, totaling thirty garments per shop. This order amounted to 240 garments.
It was impossible to deliver 240 garments in just a few days, so Liu Yu promised delivery by the end of the month. Since a large amount of fabric for the same designs needed to be purchased separately from Hongdu Prefecture, the shops paid a 30% deposit, placed their orders, and would pay the balance upon delivery at the end of the month.
Among the group, the happiest person was undoubtedly Cui Erniang. The size issues had been resolved, which was excellent news for her. She ordered all ten designs from the “Joy of Jiangnan” line and privately ordered seven designs from the “Fang Fei Yin” series from Liu Yu.
It was only at this point that Cui Erniang realized that the ready-made garments at Ruyi Embroidery House also had series names—”Fang Fei Yin” and “Mi Xian Ji.” She also learned that the “Fang Fei Yin” and “Mi Xian Ji” series from the Liu family were exclusive to Ruyi Embroidery House. No matter how much other embroidery shops coveted these designs and requested five or six to enhance their offerings, Wei Shi and Liu Yu consistently replied that these two series were exclusively sold at Ruyi Embroidery House.
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Mbl alypsd Uwk Oadkydt nswze rwanbypl vblx oyp pszlzu ewl vs bla rypv pwrrsav qsa vbl Nkw qyxkzu.
Uwk Oadkydt wdelapvsse vbkp olzz yde ekpnwpple okvb Nkw Zw vbyv kq Swuk Oxcaskelau Tswpl lhla srldle y caydnb, pbl oswze pvsr plzzkdt vbl “Wydt Wlk Zkd” plaklp, fwpv zkjl svbla pbsrp. Tsolhla, pbl aliwlpvle Nkw Zw vs yee xsal elpktdp vs vbl “Ksu sq Kkydtdyd” zkdl.
Lyvwayzzu, Nkw Zw ytalle. Mbl dwxcla nyznwzyvle cu Nw Ubldtmkys oyp sdzu y aswtb lpvkxyvl. Rd alyzkvu, elhlzsrkdt vbl cwpkdlpp oswze vyjl vkxl, yde vblu dllele vs xydytl sdl vsod yde sdl ekpvakcwvsa yv y vkxl, xyjkdt kv kxrsppkczl vs lmryde vs y bwdeale pbsrp shladktbv. Fs, Nkw Zw rzyddle vs tayewyzzu kdnalypl vbl dwxcla sq elpktdp—alzlypkdt vld vs qkqvlld dlo elpktdp yv y vkxl, voknl rla plypsd. Mbkp oyp fwpv vbl kdkvkyz rbypl, yde vblu oswze yefwpv cyple sd pyzlp rlaqsaxydnl zyvla.
Gqvla pldekdt sqq vbl pbsrjllrlap, Nkw Zw kdhkvle Uwk Oadkydt vs pvyu qsa zwdnb clqsal pbl blyele cynj. Mbl xykd vlyx clbkde vbkp ldelyhsa—Elk Fbk, Nkw Zw, Nw Fbwydt, yde Nkw Zyd’yd—tyvblale kd vbl cynjuyae vs vyzzu vbl ynnswdvp. Uwk Oadkydt vynvqwzzu lmnwple blaplzq, blzrkdt swv kd vbl pbsr yv vbl qasdv okvb Yap. Hbydt qasx vbl nwvvkdt assx.
Elk Fbk nyznwzyvle vbyv vbl lktbv lxcaskelau pbsrp bye saelale 240 tyaxldvp, rzwp vbl yeekvksdyz “Wydt Wlk Zkd” plaklp saelale cu Uwk Oadkydt, vsvyzkdt shla 260 tyaxldvp.
Fkdnl vblu cswtbv qycakn yv y zsola raknl vbyd vbl pxyzz lxcaskelau pbsrp, yde lynb tyaxldv bye y rasqkv xyatkd sq 20 vs 30 old, vblu nswze xyjl y rasqkv sq yaswde 150 vs 160 old rla tyaxldv. Mbkp saela yzsdl nswze uklze y rasqkv sq dlyazu 40 vylzp sq pkzhla, yde vbkp oyp fwpv qasx lktbv lxcaskelau pbsrp.
Omnlrv qsa Nkw Zw, obs yzalyeu bye y tsse pldpl sq vbl dwxclap, Elk Fbk, Nw Fbwydt, yde Nkw Zydyd olal yzz lmnkvle.
Nkw Zydyd, obs oyp bszekdt vbl saela pzkrp, clnyxl iwkvl lxsvksdyz. Gqvla y xsxldv sq nsdvlxrzyvksd, bl pyke, “Zw’la, R osd’v ts vs Tsdtew Valqlnvwal vbl eyu yqvla vsxsaaso. Jlqsal vbl okdvla elpktdp sqqknkyzzu ts sd pyzl, R’zz vyjl vbl pyxrzl tyaxldvp usw xyel yde hkpkv vbl vsodp kd vbl pwaaswdekdt nswdvklp vs vau vs plnwal xsal ekpvakcwvsap.”
Liu Yanan didn’t dare to overestimate the numbers. With eight shops in Anyi County, he planned to visit the surrounding four counties before heading to the Liangzhe region. If he could secure thirty more distributors, then each new release of the “Joy of Jiangnan” series could easily bring in 200 taels of profit. With two new releases per season, that would amount to 400 taels, and with four seasons in a year, they could earn over 1,000 taels!
One thousand taels, just by running around and securing embroidery shops willing to sell their ready-made garments!
Liu Yanan had never felt so passionate. Holding that stack of order slips, he could clearly see the promising future of the “Joy of Jiangnan” series, even if the first round of profits was only 40 taels.
Trading in the Liangzhe region was profitable, but perhaps because Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping were always ahead, Liu Yanan only needed to assist them, making the job easier. Moreover, as a traveling merchant, success often depended on speed and flexibility; it was hard to predict what the third step would be after taking the first. Many times, they themselves didn’t know what goods they would buy or sell at the next port.
Expanding “Joy of Jiangnan,” however, was different. It was more predictable, replicating a successful model repeatedly, and gradually increasing the volume with smaller quantities.
Take the eight shopkeepers who visited this time: aside from Cui Erniang, who was already a familiar partner, the other seven each ordered only thirty garments. They were given wholesale prices that prioritized volume, leaving the bulk of the profit to the shopkeepers. In reality, each shopkeeper only earned about five taels from this round of business.
However, Liu Yan’an understood that these five taels could be replicated by increasing the number of distributors and expanding the range of garments. The potential was enormous.
He felt a surge of passion that was entirely different from what he experienced as a traveling merchant. Here, he had clear, achievable goals ahead, and he could see himself overcoming one challenge after another.
It was new and highly challenging.
So, Liu Yanan decided not to go to Hongdu Prefecture. Instead, he would focus on securing more distributors.
Liu Yu thought it over and agreed. “Alright, Third Brother, you can take charge of this. Just remember, the other counties may not be as easy as Anyi County. Our success in Anyi is partly because Ruyi Embroidery House has already made a name for itself here. Expanding in other counties might be more difficult.”
Liu Yanan waved off her concern. “No worries, the real key is the quality of the garments you’ve made and the prices we’re offering.”
They had done something similar on their way back from Liangzhe, searching for buyers along the route. To Liu Yan’an, there wasn’t much difference.
With the plan settled, they had the brand, the sample garments, and Liu Yanan was responsible for expanding the distributor network. The next step was production.
Having gone through the rush for their grand opening, gathering enough manpower to produce over 200 garments now didn’t seem too difficult. If “Joy of Jiangnan” took off, these workers wouldn’t just be temporary help but would need to be hired long-term.
After leaving the sample display room, Liu Yu and the others went to find Mrs. Zhang and a few embroiderers. Most of the temporary embroiderers and seamstresses they hired last time were friends and relatives of these women. So naturally, Liu Yu thought of this group first when planning to hire new workers.
They discussed the matter with everyone and asked them to go home after work to see if the embroiderers and seamstresses who helped out last time would be interested in working at Ruyi Embroidery House.
Liu Yu also planned to hire one more cutter, Mrs. Zhang’s daughter, whom she had taken a liking to. She privately asked Mrs. Zhang to speak to her daughter, offering her the same pay and benefits that Mrs. Zhang received.
Additionally, they needed five more embroiderers. Unlike before, when they required highly skilled embroiderers, this time even junior embroiderers would do, as many of the “Joy of Jiangnan” series patterns could be completed by them. As for pay, like before, it would be based on the difficulty of the work, so mid-level and senior embroiderers would work on the “Mi Xian Ji” and “Fang Fei Yin” series, while junior embroiderers would handle “Joy of Jiangnan,” ensuring that everyone had work suited to their skills.
Liu Yu also planned to hire ten seamstresses.
Compared to the rush in July, they were hiring slightly fewer workers this time. Liu Yu didn’t want to expand too quickly and wanted to balance the workforce, increasing the number of seamstresses while slightly reducing the number of embroiderers, as the “Joy of Jiangnan” series had simpler and fewer embroidery patterns. Liu Yu planned to leave for Hongdu Prefecture in a few days and expected to return around the end of October. With nearly thirty people working on cutting, embroidery, and sewing, they should have enough time to complete the 240 garments. If time became tight, they could work an extra hour at night to make up for it.
The treatment of the embroiderers and seamstresses at Ruyi Embroidery House was excellent. Wei Shi treated them well, making sure they were well-fed and cared for. But more importantly, the pay was high.
Mrs. Zhang received a base salary and commission, while the embroiderers and seamstresses were paid by the piece. Because Ruyi Embroidery House’s business was thriving, the workers earned far more than they did at other embroidery shops.
The embroiderers who had been working there for nearly three months knew they had found a good employer, and the relatives and friends they had brought in as temporary workers had heard about the excellent treatment at Ruyi Embroidery House and often envied them.
Ever since Liu Yu and Lu Chengxiao had mentioned opening a branch and expanding the “Joy of Jiangnan” series a few days ago, the embroiderers and seamstresses who overheard the conversation had been eager to recommend their relatives and friends for jobs.
So, when Liu Yu mentioned hiring, they quickly responded, not even waiting until the evening. Since lunch was provided, and they had a half-hour break after eating, they decided to use that time to go home and ask around.
They were eager to secure these good jobs for their relatives and friends before anyone else could.
Even Liu Datian and Liu Qingshan’s wives, who hadn’t been approached yet, were interested. They had been quietly discussing it for days.
Over the past few months, the two women had earned a lot of money working for the Liu family. Since there weren’t many seamstresses, and both of them were hardworking and diligent, they often started working at dawn, refused to take breaks at noon, and would have even worked late into the night if they weren’t concerned about using up the Liu family’s oil for lamps. Because of their dedication, they never fell behind on any tasks, despite there being five embroiderers and only two seamstresses. Liu Yu never felt the need to hire more help.
Doing more work naturally meant earning more money. On particularly good months, each could bring home over two taels of silver, something they had never dreamed of before. Their families practically treated them like queens, and everyone in the village envied them.
Every time they returned home, they were always approached by someone asking if the Liu family’s embroidery house was hiring. Among those inquiring were, of course, sisters-in-law from their husband’s families and sisters from their own families.
Now that Ruyi Embroidery House was hiring again, Liu Datian and Liu Qingshan’s wives couldn’t help but be interested. After all, who wouldn’t want to help their relatives earn some money? Moreover, their families kept urging them to ask. Liu Datian’s wife wanted to bring her sister into the business, while Liu Qingshan’s wife had been asked by her mother-in-law to recommend her sister-in-law, who was skilled and lived in a household that hadn’t yet split, so an extra income would benefit everyone.
However, it was clearly more suitable for the Liu family to hire women from the county rather than from their village. Hiring local women only required providing lunch, whereas hiring women from the village would mean providing all three meals and accommodation. Because of this, neither of the wives had the courage to ask Wei Shi or Liu Yu.
At lunchtime, as they watched Mrs. Zhang and the five embroiderers eating quickly, obviously rushing to get home and bring back more people to apply for the jobs, Liu Datian and Liu Qingshan’s wives grew anxious. They were so worried that even the delicious food in front of them lost its appeal.
That day, Wei Shi and Liu Yu were hosting Cui Erniang. Because there were many female workers and all the Liu brothers were home, the family had to set up two dining tables: one in the main hall and one in the flower hall. The Liu family and Cui Erniang dined in the main hall, while the female workers ate in the flower hall.
After lunch, the county women cleaned their dishes in the kitchen and hurried off to find people to apply for the jobs, leaving Liu Datian and Liu Qingshan’s wives feeling helpless, anxiously pacing outside the main hall.
Cui Erniang was discussing business with Liu Yu, expressing her enthusiasm for the “Joy of Jiangnan” series. She was excited about the new way of doing ready-to-wear business and even asked Liu Yu if they could expand the range, offering to order as many designs as Liu Yu could produce, regardless of how many other shops ordered.
Cui Erniang believed that once other shops experienced the success of selling these garments, they would also want to expand their orders. For example, she now wanted to exclusively sell Liu Yu’s designs in her shop, so it was only a matter of time before others would make the same request.
Liu Yu was sitting with her back to the door, so she didn’t notice Liu Qingshan and Liu Datian’s wives pacing outside. However, Wei Shi, being the elder and seated facing the door, noticed them several times.
Wei Shi was a perceptive person. At first, she didn’t think much of it when she saw the two women. But when she saw them looking into the main hall for the second time, she pondered for a moment and quickly guessed what was on their minds.
Both women were relatives, and Wei Shi was well aware of their family situations. She knew that their family’s success was largely due to the support of their relatives and fellow villagers. Without the credit extended to them by these people, they wouldn’t have been able to open the embroidery house so quickly.
So, she quietly mentioned it to Liu Yu, saying, “Why don’t we hire a few seamstresses from our village?”
Liu Yu, realizing her oversight, patted her forehead and said, “I’ve been neglectful. We should have thought of our own people first. We may not have skilled embroiderers in the village, but we do have good seamstresses. Aunt, could you ask Sister Chunshan and Sister Datian if they have anyone to recommend? We need to hire ten seamstresses this time, so we can accommodate a few more people in the shared living quarters.”
Hearing this, Wei Shi smiled, “We’ve all been so busy that it slipped our minds. We’ve received a lot of support from our village and relatives, so I’ll go ask them right away.”
~
The hiring process at the embroidery house went smoothly this time because they were dealing with people they had worked with before. After Wei Shi spoke to Liu Datian and Liu Qingshan’s wives, they reserved two spots for people from Liu’s village. By noon, they had already secured Mrs. Zhang’s daughter, the five embroiderers, and eight seamstresses. The next evening, Liu Qingshan’s wife returned to her village to spread the news and brought two women to apply the following day. They agreed that all sixteen new workers would start together after Liu Yu returned from Hongdu Prefecture.
On the other side, Lu Chengxiao, Liu Yanping, and Babao split up to cover more ground, each taking a different route. Over a few days, they managed to visit nine nearby counties, seeking intermediaries to help them find suitable shops. However, due to time constraints and their upcoming trip to Hongdu Prefecture, they hadn’t yet visited the more distant Yuanzhou City and six other counties. They planned to stop by Yuanzhou City on their return trip, then visit those remaining counties along the way.
Shortly after the three returned that evening, Liu Yanqing came back from the yamen with good news.
“I’ve been asking around about a location for the weaving and dyeing workshop. Today, Qin Shuban from the household office gave me a suggestion. He recommended that we buy some land and build it ourselves. There’s a piece of wasteland in the western outskirts of the county, owned by the wealthy Zhang family. The land isn’t fertile and doesn’t yield much produce. The Zhang family owns multiple estates, so this piece has been left idle. Qin Shuban is acquainted with Mr. Zhang and could help facilitate the purchase if we’re interested.”
In all of Anyi County, no one knows more about the land and who owns it than Qin Shuban, whose job it is to manage such matters.
Lu Chengxiao was pleased but also hesitant. “Would the Zhang family be willing to sell?”
In these times, wealthy families usually acquire more land rather than sell it. Selling land is often seen as a sign of financial trouble or mismanagement. Even if the land isn’t fertile, few are willing to part with it unless they’re in urgent need of money.
Liu Yanqing smiled. “I asked about that too. Qin Shuban said that Mr. Zhang is very shrewd and won’t do a deal unless it’s profitable. The land in question was actually taken as payment for a debt he couldn’t collect about five or six years ago. He didn’t want it, but had no choice but to accept it. Since the land doesn’t produce anything and is just sitting there, he sees it as a loss. It’s also several miles from the county town, making it unsuitable for farming or building a house. He’s had trouble selling it. Our need for a large plot of land for the weaving and dyeing workshop might just be the perfect match. Selling this land could allow him to invest in something more profitable. However, Qin Shuban did mention that even with his introduction, Mr. Zhang might not be very flexible on the price.”
Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping didn’t mind and laughed, saying, “Whether he budges on the price or not doesn’t matter. If we can buy this land and build the workshop, it will be much easier than finding a place in town, and the plot will definitely be bigger.”
Without waiting for the next day, they pulled Liu Yanqing along to go see the land, despite the approaching dusk.
Liu Yanqing, half-amused and half-exasperated, said, “I don’t even know the exact location yet. Since you’re heading to Hongdu Prefecture tomorrow, I’ve already discussed it with Qin Shuban. When you return, we can go together to take a look. If it seems suitable, we’ll arrange a meeting with Mr. Zhang, with Qin Shuban acting as the intermediary.”
Realizing they were getting ahead of themselves, Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yanping laughed, “We’re just excited, but that sounds like a plan.”
Everything was progressing well. That evening, back at the Lu family home, Liu Yu, Lu Xun, and Lu Chengzong sat down to discuss their upcoming procurement plans. The next morning, they set off early with Lu Shuang, Lu Chengxiao, and Liu Yanping, hiring a fast boat to head to Hongdu Prefecture.
Sansukini: I love how business seems so easy in these slice of life/business novels. Sorry for posting the chapter late. My left eye has been ticking a little too much since the day before yesterday, I thought I’d take a little break from the computer. And today was a little busy so I just posted now.
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