Chen Lishu almost thought the manager had been replaced, had she not been certain that the person before her was the same one who had been indifferent to her last year.
"I'd like to purchase some cotton-padded clothes, about four to five hundred pieces. Pre-ordering finished products isn't necessary."
"Yes, we have them in stock right now. Four to five hundred pieces are no problem. How about I take you to see them first?"
Chen Lishu was clearly taken aback by his words. Last year, he had been too busy to even spare her time, yet this year the warehouse actually had stock.
Sensing her doubt, the man sighed, "The cotton yield was abundant this year, which should have greatly alleviated the factory's raw material shortage. But now, isn't the government encouraging competition between different economic systems? The factory's orders are significantly less than last year. Alas, it's a long story."
The implementation of a dual-track system had its pros and cons. Previously, people could only order cotton-padded clothes from the factory. Now, things were different; there were more choices, and business naturally dispersed.
Chen Lishu followed the man to the warehouse. When she saw the styles the staff brought out, she was very disappointed. Not only was the variety of cotton-padded clothes limited, but the styles were also outdated, mostly the same old patterns from years past with hardly any changes.
She thought to herself, no wonder such a large state-owned factory couldn't compete with smaller factories outside. They had been too complacent for too long. Moreover, accustomed to being the sole provider in the past, their thinking was stagnant and unwilling to adapt. It was no longer the era when the upper levels produced whatever they wanted, and the lower levels simply accepted it.
Seeing her frown, the man explained, "Although the styles are a bit plain, our workmanship is good, and we use ample materials. Feel it yourself, unlike some factories that cut corners. Just having good styles is useless."
Chen Lishu picked one up and felt it. It was indeed thick, and the warmth was undoubtedly guaranteed, but the styles were truly uninspiring.
"The price is also negotiable. Twenty-five yuan per piece, what do you think?"
Twenty-five yuan? If the styles were a bit more attractive, she might be able to sell them. But with their current appearance, people would probably rather buy the fabric and cotton themselves and find someone to process them.
"Manager Fu, can I provide the samples and have the factory process them?"
Manager Fu's smile faltered, and he hesitated, "If you provide samples, our师傅s will have to revise the patterns, and we'll need to restock fabrics and other materials, which is quite troublesome. Moreover, with an order of only four to five hundred pieces, it's really not cost-effective."
Four to five hundred pieces was considered a small quantity?
"Then how about one thousand pieces? What do you think?" It was just enough to supply the county stores in addition to the provincial capital.
One thousand pieces was a large order. If they accepted this job, the welfare benefits for the factory employees could be upgraded by a notch before the year's end.
Manager Fu nodded, "Alright, bring the samples over, and we'll discuss the details then."
After finalizing the agreement with Manager Fu, Chen Lishu left the state-owned cotton mill and first went to the store to buy fabric and cotton. Back home, she began cutting.
For this batch of cotton-padded clothes, she planned to make them in a jacket style. They wouldn't look bulky from the outside, and spring and autumn-style jackets sold well, so cotton-padded jackets should be no exception.
For the outer lining, she chose denim, which was thick and durable. People now expected to wear a cotton-padded jacket for several years. Just having good styles wouldn't be enough if the quality wasn't good.
After spending two consecutive days rushing the cotton-padded clothes, Chen Lishu went to the state-owned cotton mill again.
This time, the two parties discussed the price and specific delivery times in detail. They finally settled on a price of twenty-five yuan per piece, including labor and materials. Five hundred pieces would be delivered within ten days, and the remaining five hundred pieces within twenty days.
"I don't have that much cash on hand right now. I can pay a deposit of two thousand yuan first, and I'll pay the remaining balance once all the goods are delivered. What do you think, Manager Fu?"
As soon as Chen Lishu finished speaking, Manager Fu's smiling face instantly turned grim, "Comrade Xiao Chen, are you joking with me? All matters have been settled, and now you're telling me you don't have the money?"
"You've misunderstood. It's not that I don't have money, I just want to pay a smaller portion upfront. If it's difficult for you, I can pay three thousand first."
Her funds were limited at the moment. Three thousand yuan was the maximum she could afford. It was already early November, and with snow expected soon, it would be the peak season for selling cotton-padded clothes, which was why she was so anxious.
"Comrade Xiao Chen, our factory still has over a thousand employees to support."
Manager Fu sneered, "Besides, if you don't have money, why come to discuss business? Do you really think I have nothing better to do than to entertain you here? Take your clothes and leave now."
When individuals negotiated business with state-owned enterprises, unless there was a connection like Chen Lishu and Han Shenglin, they generally had to pay in full. There was absolutely no concept of credit.
Seeing him get agitated, Chen Lishu didn't get angry. She admitted that she hadn't clearly explained the situation beforehand, so she said apologetically, "Manager Fu, I know that the state-owned cotton mill's strength is among the best in the province, which is why I sincerely want to cooperate with you. It's just that my funds are really tight right now."
"How about this? I have a shop on Commercial Street, 'Shuse' Clothing Store. You must have heard of it, right? I can temporarily mortgage the store to you, and I guarantee that I will pay all the money in full when I collect the last batch of goods."
Seeing that she was willing to mortgage her store and that her demeanor was indeed very sincere, Manager Fu's expression softened considerably.
"As a business matter, our factory has never offered credit to individuals. Moreover, one thousand pieces is not a small quantity. If I cooperate with you, I would be taking a significant risk."
Chen Lishu assured him, "Don't worry, Manager Fu. I plan to do this business for a long time and will never do anything that damages my reputation."
In the end, in addition to the upfront payment of three thousand yuan, Chen Lishu signed a mortgage contract with Manager Fu. If she couldn't clear the remaining balance by the time the last batch of goods was delivered, the store and all the goods would be forfeited to the state-owned cotton mill.
After leaving the state-owned cotton mill, Chen Lishu's account balance was reduced to a meager two-digit remainder.
In the following period, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. Chen Lishu also settled down and focused on her studies, occasionally teaching Rui Rui English. On weekends, she would return to the military dependents' area to accompany Gu Xingdong. Her days were relatively relaxed and pleasant.
In mid-November, when the first snow began to fall, the first batch of custom-made cotton-padded clothes from the state-owned cotton mill was delivered.
A total of five hundred pieces. Chen Lishu, Wang Dazhu, and Liang Chunsheng went together to inspect the goods and then transported all the merchandise to the clothing store by tricycle.
The weather was cold in winter, with outside temperatures already below minus ten degrees Celsius, and their exhaled breaths turned into white mist.
The three of them returned to the store, and Wang Aixiang quickly came out to help. They quickly unloaded one cartload of goods, and Wang Dazhu and Liang Chunsheng made another trip to bring back all the remaining cotton-padded clothes.