Chapter 134: Xin Xin Clothing Store
Chapter 134: Xin Xin Clothing Store
Although Lu Jiaxin had ample funds, she didn't like the idea of only spending and not earning. So, after the New Year celebrations, she called Lu Jiajie over and asked about his plans for the coming days.
Lu Jiajie replied, "The clothes on High Street are cheap. I plan to buy some and resell them."
Lu Jiaxin glanced at him and said, "I plan to open a clothing store. I'll be busy with classes and won't be able to run around. I'll need help for the first month. You can help me and learn how to choose clothes at the same time."
Lu Jiajie nodded and said, "You have a good eye for fashion, and the clothes you pick are always nice. We'll definitely make money if we open a clothing store."
When they were in Yangcheng, Lu Jiaxin had considered partnering with him to open a clothing store. But he had a loose tongue, and Ma Lili was always thinking about her family. If they partnered, Ma Liji, with her shameless character, would definitely try to take the clothes for herself. So, just like the last time, he would work for her, and she would pay him for his help.
She was clear about the financial arrangements between them and said, "I'll pay you a wage of 200 yuan, plus a bonus of another 100 yuan?"
Lu Jiajie thought it was too much, but he knew Lu Jiaxin's temperament. "I'll do as you say."
After running around for three days, Lu Jiajie reported to Lu Jiaxin, "Xin Xin, I found a place that sells clothes for 20% less than others. I went to check it out, and the quality of the clothes, shoes, and socks is pretty good."
"What about the styles?" Lu Jiaxin asked.
Lu Jiajie indicated that the clothes looked nice.
The next day, Lu Jiaxin went to inspect the goods herself. Luckily, she hadn't gotten her hopes up. While the clothes were vibrant in color, the styles were outdated, and many pieces had flaws. It truly reflected the saying, "You get what you pay for."
"Let's go," Lu Jiaxin said, disappointed.
Two days later, through Su Heming's connections, Lu Jiaxin found a wholesaler named Tiger Brother. The clothes, shoes, and socks that Tiger Brother sold were of good quality and had modern designs, but the prices were slightly high. It was better to make a smaller profit and sell high-quality, beautiful clothes.
After inspecting the samples, Lu Jiaxin was quite satisfied and selected 1,800 pieces of clothing, as well as 800 pairs of socks and gloves.
As she placed the order, Lu Jiajie's forehead broke out in a sweat. He pulled Lu Jiaxin aside and said, "You're ordering too much. Let's just take 200 to 300 pieces for now. If we sell out, we can always come back for more since it's not far away."
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "The clothes I've chosen are of good quality and style. They will sell. It's just a matter of how much profit we make."
Seeing that they were placing a substantial order, Tiger Brother was very generous and said, "Since you're friends of Heming, I'll give you a 10% discount."
Lu Jiaxin wasn't satisfied with just a 10% discount and haggled further. In the end, she managed to get a 30% discount off the original quoted price. However, the wholesaler had a condition—unsold goods couldn't be returned, and the payment had to be made in full upfront.
Lu Jiaxin readily agreed.
On their way back, Lu Jiajie said, "Jiaxin, what are we going to do about transporting the goods tomorrow? We haven't even rented a shop yet!"
"There's no need to rent," Lu Jiaxin replied. "I bought a shop on Xiushui Street, and I've already had it renovated. But for this batch of goods, let's first take them to Guoming Road."
Lu Jiajie was stunned and asked, "Jiaxin, when did you buy the shop, and when did you have it renovated?"
"I bought it in November last year and had someone fix it up and leave it vacant. It's in a great location—the fifth shop from the entrance of Xiushui Street," Lu Jiaxin explained.
As they were talking, they heard Pan Chun's loud voice from outside, "Jiaxin, someone called you and said they'll call back in ten minutes."
Lu Jiaxin acknowledged, and Pan Chun left.
Then Lu Jiajie remembered what A Sheng had told him a few days ago. "Jiaxin, I heard that quite a few people have been calling you lately. Who's been calling you so often?"
In the past, she would have explained things to Lu Jiajie, but now Lu Jiaxin chose to keep things to herself. "I've had a lot on my plate recently. Fifth Brother, you don't need to worry about these things. I can handle them."
Regarding her plans to go to Hong Kong, she wouldn't let anyone know until she had finalized the details. It was needless to say that everyone would definitely object.
Seeing that she didn't want to talk about it, Lu Jiajie didn't press the matter further.
Lu Jiaxin felt that it was inconvenient to keep running out to take phone calls, so she said, "Fifth Brother, I'm thinking of installing a phone at home. What do you think?"
Having a phone installed would make it more convenient to stay in touch with the outside world, and she could also keep in contact with Xue Mao and Xiao Qiu once she moved to Hong Kong.
Lu Jiajie said, "To install a phone, you first need to apply at the telephone office. Even if your application is approved, you'll still have to wait for a technician to come and install it. Many people are applying these days, so if you don't pull some strings, you won't get it installed this year."
"I'll go and apply tomorrow," Lu Jiaxin said. "With a phone at home, I won't have to go to the convenience store to take calls. I can't talk freely there for fear of being overheard."
Lu Jiajie smiled and said, "Since you want to install one, go ahead and apply. I'll also try to pull some strings and hope that we can get it installed by spring."
"No need," Lu Jiaxin said. "Let's just follow the rules and wait for our turn. When it's our turn, a technician will naturally come to install it." She knew that Lu Jiajie would likely try to get Lu Jiaguang to help, and she didn't want to trouble him for every little thing. Besides, this wasn't an urgent matter, so a little wait wouldn't hurt.
The storefront that Lu Jiaxin had bought not only had a prime location but was also quite spacious, covering an area of 46 square meters. During the renovation, they had partitioned off 10 square meters and the rooftop space to be used as warehouses.
Xue Mao and Xiao Qiu were already waiting in the store and quickly came forward to help when they saw the three of them. It was already past one o'clock by the time they had unloaded and moved everything into the store, and Lu Jiaxin's stomach was rumbling from hunger. "Fifth Brother, Xue Mao, let's go eat first. We can come back later to tidy up."
After the meal, Lu Jiajie asked Lu Jiaxin to go home and rest. "You can't take too much strain. We'll sort things out here, and you can come by tomorrow to teach us how to match outfits.
Lu Jiaxin was indeed tired, and she didn't push herself either. She headed home with Xiao Xiao.
Once the clothes were delivered to the store, Lu Jiajie assumed they would open for business immediately. However, Lu Jiaxin had other plans. She invited Aunt Chen and her sister-in-law to come over. Aunt Chen's sister-in-law ironed the clothes while Aunt Chen altered them according to Lu Jiaxin's instructions. Xue Mao and Xiao Qiu, who had no prior experience, learned alongside them.
After the alterations were completed to Lu Jiaxin's satisfaction, she proceeded to teach Xiao Qiu how to pair and match the outfits, a process that took nearly half a month to finish.
Lu Jiajie suggested finding someone to choose an auspicious date for their grand opening, but Lu Jiaxin wanted to get started right away and decided on the upcoming Sunday.
Aunt Chen felt that this was too hasty and advised, "Little Lu, you can't do this. It's best to choose an auspicious day for the grand opening."
Lu Jiaxin casually replied, "I checked the almanac, and Sunday is a suitable day for opening a business." Aunt Chen couldn't argue with that.
Lu Jiaxin smiled at her and said, "Aunt Chen, some customers may need alterations. Xiao Qiu and Xue Mao can manage the store, but they won't be able to handle alterations or mending clothes. If you're willing, I'd like you to stay and work at our store."
Some adjustments might be necessary, such as hemming pants or taking in a waist. Lu Jiaxin intended to offer these alterations for free as a hidden benefit to her customers, especially since labor was relatively inexpensive at the time. It wouldn't be as cost-effective if it were like in later years.
Aunt Chen was eager to take on this work but didn't have the time.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "You don't need to be at the store all day. Just come by from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Any alterations needed for the new clothes sold from our store will be free of charge. If customers bring in their old clothes for alterations, you can charge them a fee."
Since Aunt Chen would only be working four hours a day, Lu Jiaxin intended to pay her thirty yuan, excluding meal and transportation expenses.
Aunt Chen's eyes lit up at the offer. It would only take her about half an hour to get from her home to Xiushui Street. She could finish her household chores in the morning and then have the afternoon free to help out at the store.
Aunt Chen considered the offer and felt it was manageable. She said, "Little Lu, I'll discuss it with my husband tonight and give you an answer tomorrow."
"Sure," Lu Jiaxin replied.
Lu Jiaxin then turned to Xue Mao and Xiao Qiu and said, "Today is Thursday, and we plan to open the store on Sunday, which is in two days. During these two days, you two will go out and distribute flyers."
"Flyers? What kind of flyers?" Xiao Qiu asked.
Lu Jiaxin showed them the flyer she had written the day before. Since Xue Mao didn't know many characters, Lu Jiaxin read it out loud: "Buy one piece of clothing and get a free pair of socks. Buy three pieces of clothing and get a free pair of gloves. Get a 10% discount on purchases of 300 yuan and above, and a 15% discount on purchases of 500 yuan and above."
The clothes she had selected were of good quality and featured trendy designs, hence the higher prices. The cheapest item was 18 yuan, while the most expensive was 198 yuan. However, these discounts and gifts were only available for the first three days after the opening; after that, they would no longer be offered.
Xiao Qiu listened with a bewildered expression.
Xue Mao, being the quickest to react, asked, "So, if we spend over 300 yuan, do we get a discount and a gift?"
"You'll get the gift and then an additional discount on top of that," Lu Jiaxin explained. "The more you buy, the more you save and the more gifts you get."
Qian Xiaoxiao felt that this method of calculation would be prone to errors. "This is too troublesome. Why don't we just give gifts or offer discounts directly? Doing both might lead to confusion."
Lu Jiaxin thought about it and agreed that they might need an extra person at the cash register to handle the gifts. "On Sunday, Lu Zhang and Zhen Zhen won't have classes, so we can ask them to help out."
Lu Zhang was in the first year of middle school, while Zhen Zhen was in the fourth grade. Unlike in later years, children at that time didn't have to attend cram schools, and their homework load was lighter. The siblings wouldn't have any problems helping out, especially Zhen Zhen, who was quick at math.
Xue Mao didn't think this was a good idea.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "What's wrong with that? Lu An is busy with high school, but Lu Zhang and Zhen Zhen aren't. It will be a good learning experience for them."
She was actually the same age as Lu An, but the original owner of her body had been exceptionally intelligent and started school at the age of five, later skipping a grade. Otherwise, she would still be in the same grade as Lu An.
Of course, she needed to get her parents' consent for this plan, so she called Wang Xiaojie directly to ask for her permission.
Wang Xiaojie naturally agreed, seeing it as a valuable experience and exercise for the children. However, she was concerned that Lu Zhang and Zhen Zhen might not be much help and might even get in the way.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and reassured her, "It's fine. I'm actually more worried about customers stealing clothes, so I want Lu Zhang to keep an eye on them. As for Zhen Zhen, she can help customers select their purchases."
"It doesn't matter if she makes a mistake," Lu Jiaxin continued. "The socks are only worth ten cents, and the gloves are fifty cents."
Hearing this, Wang Xiaojie's concerns faded, and she said, "Xin Xin, I have to work on Sunday, or I would come by to help."
"It's okay," Lu Jiaxin smiled. "With Lu Zhang and Zhen Zhen, there will be six of us. The store isn't that big, so we'll manage."
Wang Xiaojie smiled and asked, "Jia Xin, what's the name of your store? I'll recommend it to my colleagues so they can shop there. You don't know this, but they all complimented the outfit you bought for me and said you have a good eye."
They were referring to the work attire she usually wore, but she had also worn that outfit to a colleague's promotion celebration dinner, and everyone had praised her sense of style and asked where she had bought it.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "The store is called Xin Xin Clothing Store. It's not the 'Xin' from my name but the character with three golds, signifying prosperity and wealth."
Wang Xiaojie thought it was a great name, as anyone doing business hoped to get rich.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
