The plan was a great success.
In a world where clothing styles and colors were mostly monotonous and dull, the bright colors and stylish outfits they wore instantly caught the attention of most female comrades passing by on the street.
Song Wei wore a fitted floral dress in a soft yellow color with white, snowflake-like spots.
Her shoulder-length hair, paired with a headband, accentuated her natural beauty, making her look even more youthful and vibrant.
Even other girls couldn’t help but be impressed at first glance.
“These clothes are so pretty!”
“Are the outfits you’re wearing sold in this store?”
Song Wei smiled generously. “Yes, the dress I’m wearing is new in both style and color. These clothes are all from the south, where female comrades dress so fashionably. Isn’t it nice? This beautiful dress costs only twenty yuan.”
For most people living in the city, twenty yuan was an amount they could afford with a bit of determination.
Aside from Song Wei, the other young people were initially a bit nervous and struggled to promote the clothes smoothly.
But later, following Song Wei’s lead, they grew much more confident.
They introduced the clothes, accessories, and shoes they were wearing to the customers and then guided them into the store to make their own selections.
“There are many styles in the store—everyone is welcome to come in and take a look. Besides what we’re wearing, there are other trendy styles too. Several sets are even popular according to fashion magazines. If you don’t like the colors we’re wearing, there are other color options available.”
More and more people went into the store to look around, and once inside, the female comrades found it hard to leave.
What girl doesn’t love beautiful things? Even older women enjoyed wearing new clothes.
The store had a wide variety of clothes with stylish designs, making it easy for anyone to find something they liked.
Of course, some found the prices a bit high.
Song Wei immediately responded, “Look at the colors and the craftsmanship. The clothes in our store are top-quality in terms of both fabric and workmanship. They won’t fade easily, even after many wears, and they won’t get damaged unless you tug at them forcefully. Even if you went back home and tried to make something like this, you wouldn’t achieve the same style. Besides, you’d need a sewing machine to make it quickly…”
Song Wei was very persuasive, and in the end, most people ended up buying something.
That day, the store had a steady stream of customers almost without interruption.
They even had to take turns eating meals.
Song Wei was also surprised. She knew that selling products like these would be popular, but she hadn’t expected them to be this well-received.
However, this was only the first day, and theirs was the first clothing store and variety store to open in the area.
Next door, because they sold a wide and miscellaneous range of products, the store was directly named Brothers Variety Store.
There was also a considerable flow of people there, mostly male customers.
The preferences of men and women were really quite distinct in this regard.
By the end of the day, everyone was so exhausted that they sat on stools, burying their heads in their meals.
They were absolutely starving.
Although tired, their spirits were still high and excited.
“We sold at least two hundred clothing items today!”
This didn’t even include the smaller accessories like hair ornaments.
A set of clothes, including pants and a top, cost at least thirty yuan, while a dress cost around twenty.
In just one day, they had sold at least five thousand yuan worth of merchandise!
After deducting costs, they had still made a profit of over two thousand yuan for the day.
And that was just from the clothing store. The profit margin at the variety store was also high.
With calculations like these, everyone’s breathing grew heavy with excitement.
Jiang Wenwu was so excited that his hands trembled. “Just one day! We made so much money in just one day!”
This was something he had never dared to imagine before.
Lin Zhen was also excited, but he remained more composed and didn’t lose his calm.
“This is just the beginning. Everyone is curious right now, so the foot traffic will definitely be high for the first few days. We also picked a great location, close to schools and large factories. But after the initial rush, the number of customers might decrease.”
Jiang Wenwu said, “But we’ve already made so much!”
Lin Zhen analyzed, “Our business is doing well, and others will notice. I expect it won’t be long before people start copying our model. So, for our next trip south, we need to find reliable suppliers…”
They were having a small meeting, and Lin Zhen took the lead to share his thoughts. Others also chimed in with their opinions.
They noted down useful suggestions, and soon everyone was filled with motivation.
Song Wei and her cousins had originally planned to help out for just a day or two before returning home.
But their effectiveness as models was so remarkable that Lin Zhen decided to pay them a daily wage.
Five yuan per day, until the clothing store’s situation stabilized.
They would be paid for each day they worked.
Lin Zhen paid the modeling fees to the girls that very day, including Song Wei.
She took the money with a beaming smile. “I get paid too?”
Lin Zhen said earnestly, “Of course. This was your idea in the first place.”
Although Song Wei managed the household finances, Lin Zhen’s business was just starting and required a lot of liquid capital, so most of the money remained with him.
Only the fixed household savings were with Song Wei.
Since Lin Zhen paid her for her work, she naturally accepted it.
The other girls, who had initially come just to help, never expected such a pleasant surprise. They were all overjoyed.
For the next several days, both stores continued to attract large crowds of customers.
It wasn’t until half a month later that the foot traffic gradually began to taper off.
Once the customer numbers stabilized, Song Wei and Lin Zhen’s cousins returned to Ping’an Brigade.
Though they had only been away for half a month, they returned with the first substantial sum of money they had ever earned in their lives.
However, after returning to the countryside, they felt somewhat restless and distracted.
“Sis, I don’t want to spend my whole life digging in the dirt in the countryside. Do you think I could find a job to earn money?”
One day, the youngest girl from Grandpa’s family, who was of the same generation as Lin Zhen, came to see Song Wei.
“I’m not asking you or Brother Lin Zhen to find me a job. I just thought since you’re smart and well-read, you might have some advice. Besides selling clothes, are there other ways to make money?”
“Yes,” Song Wei replied. “There are quite a few ways to make money now, but it depends on what you enjoy doing.”
The young woman was wearing a beautiful dress, and her skin looked noticeably fairer than before. Her hair was styled in an attractive braid.
Song Wei thought she had a good sense of style.
The outfit had been a gift from the clothing store.
Lin Zhen had given clothes to all the young women who had worked as models.
“I… I really enjoy experimenting with clothes, hairstyles, and things like that.”
“Are you interested in the hairdressing industry?”
“Hairdressing?”
Song Wei nodded. “Yes, but it requires specialized training. Once you’ve learned the skills, you could open your own hair salon.”
The young woman’s eyes lit up.
“Sis, I’m interested! Where can I learn this?”
At the time, there were no specialized schools for hairdressing, but the concept of professional hairstyling already existed in more developed cities.
“I’ll ask your Brother Lin Zhen to look into it for you.”
“Okay, thank you, Sis! Thank you, Brother Lin Zhen! I’ll repay your kindness in the future!”
She spoke with genuine sincerity.
Song Wei had a soft spot for people who were neither greedy nor complacent and who actively sought to improve themselves.
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