Chapter 139: Lu JiaGuang's Promotion
Chapter 139: Lu JiaGuang's Promotion
A month after its opening, the clothing store made a profit of 6,200 yuan, after deducting rent, utilities, and labor costs. Xue Mao and Xiao Qiu received a monthly salary of 80 yuan each, while Lu Jiajie earned 300 yuan.
Due to the good business, some envious people tried to cause trouble, but Lu Jiajie handled them all. He even stayed at the store at night to keep watch. If only he were more tight-lipped and resolute, the business could have been entirely his.
After receiving his pay, Lu Jiajie shared his plan to travel to Guangzhou to source a new batch of goods. He believed that doing so could potentially double their profits.
While Lu Jiaxin didn't trust his eye for fashion, she didn't stand in his way. Lu Jiajie possessed strong capabilities and social skills, but he had been spoiled his entire life and had never experienced any hardships. Now that he was venturing out on his own to do business, she thought that perhaps stumbling a few times would help him get rid of his bad habits and become more mature and steady.
After some thought, Lu Jiaxin said, "With your taste, it's basically impossible to double your profits with your selections. If you want to make more money, spend some money to hire someone with a good eye to help you choose the merchandise."
"Okay," Lu Jiajie replied.
Previously, Lu Jiaxin had given out bonuses, and Lu Jiajie had only repaid Lu Jiaguang's money, not Lu Hongjun's. It wasn't that he was trying to skip out on his debt, but he had been planning to start his own business since last year. With this month's salary and some extra earnings from a side gig with a friend during the Lantern Festival, he now had 3,000 yuan.
This amount was still insufficient. However, due to the incident with Ma Lilli, he didn't have the face to borrow more money from Lu Jiaxin, so he turned to a few close friends and borrowed 2,000 yuan.
With a total of 5,000 yuan, Lu Jiajie prepared to head south, but since Ah Sheng had some matters to attend to, Lu Jiajie only brought Ah Le with him. They didn't send the children to the Ma family, as Ah Le's aunt had come over after the Lantern Festival, as his mother had mentioned.
Just as Ah Le's mother had described, her older sister was diligent, hygienic, and an excellent cook, to the extent that even Ma Lilli couldn't find any faults.
Once everything was arranged, Lu Jiajie and Ah Le set off. Half a month later, they returned with 580 sets of clothing. Upon their return, Lu Jiajie first asked Lu Jiaxin to take a look at the clothes.
Lu Jiaxin was impressed by the selection. The clothes were not only of good quality but also featured trendy styles that were easy to match.
Lu Jiajie explained, "When I was in Guangzhou, I made quite a few connections, and they helped me find someone with a good eye for fashion. A friend's sister happens to be in the clothing business, so I asked her for help. Jiaxin, what do you think of these clothes? Will they sell well?"
Lu Jiaxin nodded in approval. "They're very nice. I'll take them all at the same price as Tiger's shop."
Lu Jiajie quickly waved his hands. "No need for that. Just adding a 20% markup to our cost price will do."
Lu Jiaxin wouldn't take advantage of him like that. "Clear boundaries between public and private matters. Your trip to Guangzhou for sourcing merchandise must have incurred expenses for transportation, accommodation, and meals, and Ah Le's labor also needs to be compensated. A 20% markup will definitely result in a loss for you. I can't earn money while you lose it; we have to follow the rules. If you're unwilling, then I won't take this batch of goods."
Knowing her stubbornness, Lu Jiajie said, "Tiger's prices are too high. This batch of clothes cost 9,800 yuan. You give me 12,000 yuan, and we're even."
"You only had 5,000 yuan on hand. Did someone lend you money?" Lu Jiaxin asked.
Lu Jiajie smiled and said, "I still benefited from your help. Su Heming provided a guarantee for me, so I only had to pay half the money. The remaining half will be sent after the goods are sold."
Su Heming hadn't mentioned this to her, and Lu Jiaxin didn't haggle further. "The clothes cost 9,800 yuan. I'll give you 12,000 yuan. You'll be losing your pants with this deal. For 25,000 yuan, I'll take all the clothes."
Lu Jiajie felt that was too much. "How about 20,000 yuan? Even at that price, I'll still have doubled my profit."
"After deducting the costs of transportation, accommodation, meals, and Ah Le's labor, he made a profit of over 10,000 yuan on this deal. He decided to rest for a few days before heading south again to restock."
Lu Jiajie's batch of goods was purchased by Lu Jiaxin at double the cost price, which was still nearly half the price of Tiger's goods. No wonder many people were engaging in smuggling; it was incredibly lucrative. However, Lu Jiaxin had no intention of entering this trade; it was too dangerous and not worth the risk.
Lu Jiaxin hired two people to help iron the clothes and then taught Xiao Qiu how to pair them. Xiao Qiu was amazed as she watched Lu Jiaxin put together outfits: "Little Aunt, how are you so good at this?"
This batch of clothes sold exceptionally well as soon as they were put on display. With a cost of 20,000 yuan, they made a profit of 46,000 yuan, resulting in a net gain of more than 24,000 yuan after deducting labor and store costs.
Lu Jiaxin had a busy schedule with her classes and had to manage the store, leaving her overwhelmed with tasks.
One day, Lu Jiajie came over, beaming with excitement: "Jiaxin, Jiaxin! Big brother got a promotion! He moved up a rank."
Lu Jiaxin was delighted: "Really? Who told you?"
Lu Jiajie smiled broadly: "Since I made some money, I called Big Brother to invite him and his wife to dinner. He told me about it. Jiaxin, Big Brother said I should come and pick you up on Sunday so we can all go together."
A promotion and a pay raise were always cause for celebration, no matter the time. Lu Jiaxin smiled and agreed: "Alright, Xiao Qiu and I will be there."
It wasn't that Xue Mao and Xiao Xiao were excluded, but someone had to mind the store. Sundays were their busiest days, and closing the shop for a day would mean losing out on hundreds of yuan in profits, which neither of them was willing to do.
The next day at noon, Lu Jiaxin received a call from Lu Jiaguang: "Your brother mentioned your promotion. Congratulations! I'll definitely come on Sunday."
Lu Jiaguang paused before continuing: "Jiaxin, you don't have to come on Sunday. Next Sunday, your brother-in-law and I will buy some ingredients and cook at your place."
Lu Jiaxin was initially taken aback but quickly understood. Smiling, she replied: "Alright. Zhenzhen mentioned that she wanted roast lamb. I'll buy a lamb leg, and we can make roast lamb for dinner."
Her father must have wanted to bring that woman, or else her brother wouldn't have said this. If she went, the meal would be tense and uncomfortable for everyone. A promotion was supposed to be a happy occasion, and she didn't want to ruin her brother's mood.
"Okay."
On Sunday, Lu Jiaxin was chatting with Xiao Xiao in the courtyard when Lu Jiajie pushed open the door and entered. With Xiao Xiao's martial arts skills, she didn't bother locking the door during the day.
Lu Jiaxin glanced at her watch: "It's only 1:05. Why are you here so early?"
Lu Jiajie plopped down on a stool and grumbled: "Who cares about lunch now? It's a good thing you didn't go. You would've been furious. He actually brought that woman and Zhao Siyu."
He continued to complain: "And Big Brother and Sister-in-Law just welcomed them with smiles. If it were me, I would've kicked her out immediately. Who does she think she is?"
Lu Jiaxin found his reaction amusing: "If you had done that, what would the neighbors think? That woman may not be a good person, but she's still your elder now. Also, it's important to respect your elders. Big Brother worked hard for this promotion, and kicking her out would be disrespectful to him as well."
Doing what Lu Jiajie suggested would be foolish. She wasn't pursuing a political career, and her father's connections would undoubtedly benefit Lu Jiaguang. For the sake of his future, it was important not to sour their relationship. Social resources were more valuable than money for those climbing the career ladder.
(End of Chapter)
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