These days the heavy snow blocked the door, and Sun Wu didn't go anywhere. He had a rare period of leisure, spending his days playing cards and drinking a little wine with friends.
He had been up too late yesterday and was sleeping at home when he suddenly heard someone knocking on the door. Groggily, he got up and opened it, finding a strange man standing at the entrance. He frowned and asked, "Comrade, who are you looking for?"
"Are you Comrade Sun Wu? I'm from the provincial capital. Can I come in to talk?"
Sun Wu sized the man up, yawned, and stepped aside to let him in.
"This is a cashmere sweater I brought from the provincial capital. If you're interested, we can discuss it further," Liang Chunsheng said, taking out the sweater and handing it over.
Sun Wu raised an eyebrow at his words.
He had been in the resale business for two years, always finding his own sources of goods. He never expected someone to come to him today.
The moment he held the cashmere sweater, he knew it was a good product. In their area alone, it was cold for half the year, let alone in the Russian territories. This cashmere sweater offered excellent warmth and protection from the cold, so sales shouldn't be an issue.
"Sit, please sit," Sun Wu said, gesturing for Liang Chunsheng to sit down. He then asked, "What is the price of this cashmere sweater?"
Seeing his interest, Liang Chunsheng smiled and said, "Our price is determined by the quantity you order. Retail is fifty yuan per piece. If you buy wholesale, the minimum is fifty pieces, at forty yuan each. For over a hundred pieces, it's thirty-eight, and for over two hundred, it's thirty-five. If you pick it up yourself, it can be even cheaper."
"What if I order over three hundred pieces?"
Three hundred pieces? Liang Chunsheng's heart skipped a beat with excitement. Remembering what Chen Lishu had told him, he said, "Then it's thirty yuan, but we won't be responsible for delivery, only self-pickup."
The cost price was twenty-eight yuan. Thirty yuan was the minimum. If they also had to cover shipping, it would essentially be a charitable act.
Sun Wu nodded. He had only asked casually. Three hundred pieces would be nearly ten thousand yuan. He had the money, but he couldn't act rashly without understanding the situation. Previously, he had dealt in items costing only a few yuan or a little over ten, such as socks, thermoses, undershirts, and underpants. Now, this cashmere sweater was not cheap, and he wasn't sure if the Russians across the border would be willing to pay for it.
After a moment of contemplation, Sun Wu looked up and asked, "How many pieces do you have on hand now?"
Liang Chunsheng didn't quite understand his meaning but replied, "I only brought four pieces with me this time, but there are definitely more in the provincial capital."
"I need to see how well it sells. I'm planning to go out in a couple of days anyway. How about this: you give me the goods, and I'll return in about a week. If it sells well, I'll order more. What do you think?"
"This..." Liang Chunsheng hesitated for a moment. Four cashmere sweaters amounted to over a hundred yuan. Not to mention the risk of Sun Wu not paying, just waiting an extra week would incur an additional seven days of expenses. If it didn't sell well in the end and Sun Wu didn't want them, he would have waited for nothing.
"I need to report this to my superiors."
...
That afternoon, Chen Lishu had just borrowed two books from the library and was planning to read them at home. As she entered her house and hadn't even taken off her outer clothes, the old man at the community entrance's telephone booth called out to her, "Girl, there's a phone call for you."
Not long after Chen Lishu arrived at the phone booth, the phone rang again. As soon as she picked up the receiver, Liang Chunsheng's voice came through, "Chen Lishu?"
"Yes," Chen Lishu replied. "It's me."
Given how expensive phone calls were, Liang Chunsheng got straight to the point, quickly relaying Sun Wu's request. Finally, he asked for Chen Lishu's opinion, "Should I wait or not?"
In those days, those with courage and ambition to cross borders were rare. Furthermore, it was just a few cashmere sweaters and a week's time. If they could establish a connection with Sun Wu, these were insignificant matters.
After hanging up the phone, Liang Chunsheng gave Sun Wu his answer. Upon returning to the guesthouse, he renewed his accommodation for another week.
...
"I heard that working long hours at the battery factory is bad for your health. Since we don't need your salary as a supplement at home, why don't you just quit your job and focus on having a baby?" Jin Kun said to Zhao Hong, discussing it with her.
They had been dating for over a month and both felt they were compatible. Last month, they had registered their marriage and held a wedding banquet.
Because he was quite fond of Zhao Hong, Jin Kun had restrained himself significantly after marriage, reducing his outings to drink and fight with his friends.
Zhao Hong lowered her head, not entirely happy about quitting her job. "The people at my factory are all very nice, and I haven't noticed any negative effects."
"That's because you don't know. For workshop workers like you, the harm to your body is the greatest. A few years ago, a female employee got pregnant, and the child born had bruises all over their body, which remained like birthmarks for several years and never faded. I specifically inquired, and it also increases the risk of miscarriage and infertility. After leaving the job, you need to wait at least half a year before trying to have a child. Neither of us is young anymore, so we can't afford any mistakes in this regard."
Zhao Hong nodded without speaking.
Sensing her reluctance, Jin Kun thought for a moment and said, "If you still want to work, I'll ask around for you during this time. Anyway, the battery factory job is a contract position, so there's nothing to regret about quitting."
Hearing that he could help her find a job, Zhao Hong's face finally lit up a little. "Alright, I'll do as you say."
...
A week passed quickly. Before Liang Chunsheng could visit, Sun Wu主动 came to him. In the few days they hadn't seen each other, he looked considerably haggard, unshaven, with bloodshot eyes, clearly lacking rest.
"It's not convenient to talk here. Let's go to my place."
Liang Chunsheng nodded and got up to leave the guesthouse with him.
Sulu, like the domestic economic situation, also practiced a planned economy. However, due to different development priorities, they focused heavily on heavy industry and military weapons. Coupled with geographical location and climate limitations, light industry development was constrained and extremely slow.
Although he had anticipated that the cashmere sweaters would be popular, Sun Wu hadn't expected that the first two he took out would be snatched up by two elderly Russian women.
"The cashmere sweaters are selling quite well. I'm planning to order more."
As soon as Sun Wu spoke, Liang Chunsheng's anxious heart finally relaxed. At least his week of waiting hadn't been in vain.
"However, I don't have that much money. This time, I've brought back a lot of wool and 'Wushanka'. Oh, Wushanka is a ushanka hat, but mine is lined with fur. If you take these to the provincial capital, I guarantee they'll sell for a good price."
Liang Chunsheng understood his meaning. So, he wanted to barter. He had come to promote cashmere sweaters, but Sun Wu wanted to exchange goods. Liang Chunsheng's expression immediately soured a little.
Sun Wu got up and went into the inner room, bringing out a piece of wool fabric and a fur hat shining with soft fur. "I'm a very honest person and never deceive anyone. This piece of pure-colored mink fur alone would cost at least five hundred yuan. And this hat, if you take it to the provincial capital, it will sell for at least sixty or seventy yuan."