Shujun’s eyes were gradually getting better. At first, everything she saw was sowhat blurry, but as ti went by, her vision improved and things beca clearer.
On the twelfth month, on the day of Laba Festival, Shujun and Liang Zhichen went out together. When they returned, they brought back several lease contracts for shops.
At noon, while everyone was enjoying their Laba porridge, Shujun said, "Big brother and I went to Balibao, and I discovered that although Balibao is a small place, much poorer than Taihang Town, its geographical location is very good, occupying the transportation hub between Pingchang Prefecture and Qingfeng Prefecture."
"There are three guesthouses in Balibao, which often have people stopping by to stay, but there aren’t many rooms, and because there are too few local residents, they don’t thrive."
"Big brother and I took over these three guesthouses. We can do business with the passing travelers, and I have another idea."
"My dear, you have excellent dical skills, like the Scar Removal Ointnt you made before, which could definitely bring in a huge profit if sold. San Nian has a great talent for fragrance mixing, and she could make rouge and face powder. We need a woman to manage our business openly, and I wouldn’t want you to tire yourself out. I think Mother Dong and Er Yuan are very suitable for this."
On the day of the Laba Festival, the Liang and Dong families gathered together, along with Yun Ge and Hong Fei.
Upon hearing this, the mbers of the Dong family showed expressions of trepidation, especially Mother Dong, Dong Xinyuan, and San Nian, who were about to be entrusted with important responsibilities.
Shujun then smiled and looked toward the four fathers of the Dong family, led by Xu Wenzhou, "Father-in-law, I noticed a while back that Er Yuan’s clothes were torn, and you repaired them for her.
Plus, your craftsmanship was very good. Later, I accidentally found out that all four of you are skillful with your hands. Since ancient tis, clothing has always been a major aspect of business. If you are willing, why don’t we also open a shop and venture into this business?"
Liang Shujun was helping everyone find work. The courtyard where the Dong family lived was nad "Nianshan Courtyard," which was nad by Xu Wenzhou. But which mountain was he pining for with the na Nianshan? Needless to say, it’s hard to leave your holand; they longed for their ho, Taihang Mountain, Taihang Town—that’s where ho was, the foundation for everyone. But because it was an unspoken understanding, knowing that the current situation was special, both families had left their hotowns. Even though life here was relaxed, without the need to hunt on the mountains or worry about the crops, after being busy for most of their lives, suddenly having nothing to do, Mother Dong and the fathers felt sowhat bored.
In short, not working made them feel uneasy. Today, nearly all the wood-chopping work in "Purple Garden" was monopolized by Mother Dong and Dong Xinyuan.
Xu Wenzhou objected, "Our sewing can’t compare to those of the professional embroiderers. Can... can these clothes we make actually sell, will anyone buy them?" He was aware of his limitations; tailoring clothes for personal wear was one thing, but selling them in a shop for profit was quite another—he doubted there would be any buyers.
Shujun pondered for a mont, "This problem does need so thought. Play to our strengths and compensate for our weaknesses; we can make up for the lack of embroidery skills with design."
"Design?"
Under his breath, Xu Wenzhou thought that the common people’s clothing all looked similar, with maybe just different colors at most.
At this point, Dong Huiying suddenly said, "I think I can be of use in this regard." She stopped drinking her Laba porridge, took up pen and ink, paper and inkstone, and soon, a drawing of an ancient-style finished garnt took shape on the paper.
"Oh?" Upon seeing it, Xu Wenzhou admired the design, finding it very clever. The style looked particularly novel, yet the changes were not significant. However, for the people of the ti, even minor changes in detail could bring delight.
All things considered, this drawing stood out as inventive yet easily acceptable. If they could really make clothes like these, as long as there was a market, they could certainly make a good profit.
User Comments
0 comments from readers