Chen Lishu gave a wry smile. "Even if it's hard to sell, we have to find a way to sell it. After all, nearly a thousand yuan is tied up in it."
The two of them transported the fabric back to the warehouse. The fifteen bolts of seersucker from last time hadn't been touched, and now ten more bolts had been brought back, totaling twenty-five bolts. The quantity looked very substantial.
Finally, after storing all the fabric, Wang Aixiang wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Sister, are we still keeping this batch of fabric to make clothes?"
"The profit from making clothes isn't that high, and it's troublesome to go back and forth. Let's try to sell it first at one yuan fifty per foot."
The polyester fabric in the store was also priced at one yuan fifty per foot. While this fabric was a bit thicker, people's pockets were tight these days. If they didn't see it as a really good deal, they wouldn't spend money ahead of time.
...
"Zhao Hong, are you still walking home?"
Zhao Hong heard the voice and turned around, realizing it was Sister Liu from her group. She nodded a little sheepishly.
"Didn't you have a stomachache when you first came? Your home is so far away. It will take forever to walk home. You should take a bus."
Zhao Hong's face flushed. She forced a smile. "It doesn't hurt anymore. A walk is fine."
Since her entire salary was handed over to Lu Mu, Zhao Hong only had the ten-odd yuan she had saved previously. Lu Chengming didn't take care of anything, so she dared not spend a single cent carelessly.
They were from the same group, and Sister Liu knew a bit about her situation. After thinking for a moment, she moved closer and whispered, "I know a relative who has a way to get cheap fabric. We can make a lot of money just by reselling it. But they don't sell it in small quantities; it's at least one bolt. Are you interested in getting some stock together?"
A bolt of fabric cost at least dozens of yuan, so the two of them could share some of the risk.
Zhao Hong's eyes lit up when she heard her words, but quickly dimmed again. "But Sister Liu, I don't have that much money on hand."
"It won't cost much. My relative got it for only a few dozen yuan before. You can try to scrape together more when you get back, or I can chip in more."
Hearing her say that, Zhao Hong was tempted.
By the time she walked home, it was already past seven in the evening.
The family had already finished dinner. When Lu Mu saw her come in, she lifted her eyelids slightly before turning back to the work in her hands.
"Mom," Zhao Hong called out. She first went back to her room. Seeing that Lu Chengming hadn't returned yet, she changed out of her work uniform before going to the kitchen.
Only half a steamed bun was left for dinner. Zhao Hong was already used to it. She picked it up and ate it with cold water, then washed the bowls and chopsticks before returning to her room.
Around nine o'clock at night, Lu Chengming came back from outside. He had finally "conquered" the pride of the workshop today and was in a very good mood. He even uncharacteristically reached into Zhao Hong's quilt and touched her. "Why aren't you asleep yet? Missing me?"
Looking at his handsome face, Zhao Hong's heart trembled, and her voice softened. "Chengming, Sister Liu's son from my group is getting married..."
Hearing that she wanted money, the enthusiasm on Lu Chengming's face faded considerably. "Your unit is always up to something."
Zhao Hong felt a little hurt. This was the first time she had asked him for money.
"Fine, I don't have much either, only five yuan. If it's not enough, ask Mom."
Saying that, he took out five yuan. His previous thought was gone, and Lu Chengming directly turned his back to her and lay down with a cold face.
Seeing this, Zhao Hong's eyes turned a little red. As she reached out to turn off the light, she thought, "When I start earning money, Lu Chengming's attitude towards me will surely change."
The next day was a night shift. Zhao Hong got up early, made breakfast for the whole family, and after breakfast, she found an excuse to go out and meet Sister Liu.
...
With Chen Lishu's words, Wang Aixiang had already alerted a few of her close friends the day before. After breakfast, she loaded two bolts of fabric onto the tricycle, packed a ruler, and headed to a usual alley for transactions.
Fabric at one yuan fifty per foot was not cheap; a bolt cost over a hundred yuan. Many people were hesitant to tie up so much money. This time, Wang Aixiang decided to sell as much as possible, even if they bought less.
Including the five yuan given by Lu Chengming, Zhao Hong took out twenty yuan in total. Sister Liu contributed nearly a month's salary, and together they scraped together sixty yuan.
When they arrived, they saw a woman sitting on a foot-pedaled tricycle, cutting fabric for someone. The two exchanged glances and quickly went over.
Wang Aixiang was unfamiliar with the two and appeared very wary. Only when she heard they were introduced by a friend did she relax and cut sixty yuan worth of fabric for them.
...
Li Zhiwei poked Chen Lishu and Zhang Xue with his pen. "Hey, the competition is tomorrow. What events have you two signed up for? Fatty and I will come specifically to cheer for you."
Zhang Xue turned sideways. "Four by one hundred meters, long jump, eight hundred meters, and fifteen hundred meters."
Li Zhiwei clicked his tongue. "So many?"
Zhang Xue was unfazed. "It's alright. I've been good at sports since I was a child. The events I participate in have never gone to anyone else."
Li Zhiwei stared at her blankly, then managed after a while, "As expected, a true man."
Zhang Xue raised her hand as if to hit him. Li Zhiwei quickly begged for mercy, "Slip of the tongue, my dear grandma, slip of the tongue."
Chen Lishu explained for Zhang Xue, "Xue'er said there are exactly four events. If we win prizes, the four of us can each get one, and no one will fight."
The school would reward participating contestants. The top three would receive prizes. Although they were small items like socks and handkerchiefs, it was still a gesture from Zhang Xue.
"Chen Lishu, the department head wants to see you in his office."
As they were talking, a student suddenly shouted in their direction, drawing the attention of many classmates.
Huang Jianjun was reading a report. Seeing her enter, he pointed to the chair opposite him and motioned for her to sit down first. "The issue of academic atmosphere you previously submitted has been deemed by the school leaders to have guiding significance for the school's work. Also, the 'English Corner' has been proven through practice to effectively and quickly help students improve their spoken English ability, and it has also attracted many students from other schools to visit and learn."
Huang Jianjun looked at Chen Lishu, feeling very pleased and fond of her. His face was full of smiles. "Next week, the newspaper society will send people to interview the school. The school leaders and I intend for you to accept this interview, and we hope you can establish a good, positive, and upward-looking image for the school."
Chen Lishu felt a little nervous when she heard she was going to be interviewed, but seeing Huang Jianjun's encouraging gaze, she smiled and nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Director, for giving me this opportunity. I will definitely cooperate and not bring shame to the school."
After leaving Huang Jianjun's office, Chen Lishu finally realized, as her nerves relaxed, that her palms were slightly damp.
"Lishu, what did the director want you for?" Zhang Xue asked curiously when she saw Chen Lishu return.