Chapter 528 | Chapter 529 | Chapter 530
Chapter 528: Massive Monthly Profits from the Clothing Store
“Boys or girls, it doesn’t matter. With a reliable mother like Old Third’s wife educating them, they won’t turn out bad in the future.”
Mother Gu nodded in agreement upon hearing his words. With a smart mother like her third daughter-in-law, things definitely wouldn’t go wrong.
“Just make sure you don’t keep nagging about grandsons in front of Old Third’s wife.”
“She isn’t someone who favors boys over girls.”
“We also want to avoid Yi Yi listening to it too much and taking it to heart.”
Hearing this, Mother Gu turned her head to look at Yi Yi, who was holding Sheng Wanyan’s hand, a lingering fear rising in her heart.
“Yi Yi is only two and a half. She wouldn’t remember, right?”
Before finding out it was twins, Mother Gu had rarely mentioned these things in front of Yi Yi, basically calling the unborn children “little brother or sister.”
But right after finding out it was twins and hearing Yi Yi say it was two little brothers, she had instantly let herself get carried away.
Father Gu shook his head at Mother Gu’s words. In his view, Yi Yi was an incredibly smart child.
A child who could find her own hobby at two and a half and stick with her lessons—based on that self-discipline alone, she wasn’t a child an ordinary kid could match.
Coupled with Sheng Wanyan’s guidance and the family environment, one could only imagine how she would turn out when she grew up.
“She remembers exactly who gave her each of her hundreds of toys and gifts.”
“Every single toy and gift is different, and some are things you bought before she was even born.”
“As long as Third Daughter-in-law has told her, she can remember it. What do you think?”
Mother Gu’s heart skipped a beat at Father Gu’s words, leaving her feeling utterly restless.
“The child just doesn’t say it out loud. We might be getting old, but our minds can’t grow muddled along with our age.”
Mother Gu patted her chest in lingering fear. Thank goodness Father Gu had tagged along today and given her a reminder.
Otherwise, wrapped up in her own joy, she might have failed to guard her mouth in front of Yi Yi, which would surely have broken the child’s heart.
“It’s a good thing you’re here.”
“Yi Yi is still a two-and-a-half-year-old child. By the time the twins are born, she’ll only be three and a half.”
“A three-and-a-half-year-old child is at the exact age to be properly educated and instilled with correct ideas. She absolutely cannot be neglected.”
“Old Third’s wife might be stretched too thin then, so as elders, we must keep a close eye on things too.”
It was rare for a rough-around-the-edges man like Father Gu to say so much. Even though Mother Gu usually called the shots at home, the moment Father Gu firmly voiced his opinion, Mother Gu would be the first to agree.
“You’re right.”
Mother Gu felt a lingering trepidation. Thankfully, Father Gu had snapped her out of it. Without his wake-up call, she really might have inadvertently hurt her little granddaughter’s feelings.
Father Gu drove them back to the courtyard near Peking University, staying behind to have dinner before heading back.
“Come pick us up in half a month. Wanyan and Yi Yi will return to live in the military compound then, and we’ll come back when school starts.”
Mother Gu gave a few instructions, which Father Gu noted down before departing.
After eating her fill and taking a bath, Yi Yi went to play with her toys. Seeing those toys, Mother Gu couldn’t help but recall Father Gu’s words at the hospital earlier that day.
“Yi Yi, Grandma will play with you.”
“Okay~”
Sheng Wanyan went to take a bath and rest. Since it wasn’t Yi Yi’s bedtime yet, she would usually play for a while.
Mother Gu played with the little toy drum with her—the very drum she had grabbed during her one-year-old catch-the-object ceremony.
“Yi Yi, who gave you this toy?” Mother Gu asked casually.
Without even needing to think, Yi Yi answered, “From the catch ceremony~ Mama gave it~”
Mother Gu’s heart tightened at her words. She was terrified that Yi Yi had taken the things she said at the hospital to heart.
“Does Yi Yi like having a little brother or sister?”
“Like~”
Without a single moment of hesitation, Yi Yi declared her liking. She deeply wanted a little brother or sister to play with her.
Mother Gu let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this, making a firm resolve in her heart.
Once her third daughter-in-law gave birth to this batch, she would focus her attention on Yi Yi first, lest Yi Yi feel that her grandmother no longer loved her as much now that the twins were here.
“Grandma loves Yi Yi too.”
Hearing this, Yi Yi’s eyes crinkled into a joyful smile. She knew Grandma loved her best~
News of Sheng Wanyan carrying twins quickly reached Grandfather Sheng, Grandma Sheng, and Mother Sheng.
Mother Sheng grinned from ear to ear upon finding out, immediately penning a letter to Father Sheng.
“You must take careful note and not overwork yourself.”
Although Mother Sheng was happy, she also harbored some worries. After all, carrying two children wasn’t easy, and giving birth was even more dangerous.
“You and Little Gu living in two separate places long-term isn’t a solution either.”
Mother Sheng looked at her with concern. Her daughter was pregnant, and without a man anchored at home, what would they do if any mishap occurred?
Although Mother Gu was currently here, she would eventually have to return to work. When that time came, her daughter would be carrying two children while taking care of a toddler all by herself; how could that possibly work?
Mother Sheng let out a heavy sigh. Knowing what she was worried about, Sheng Wanyan quickly comforted her.
“Mom, don’t worry, I’m only three months along.”
“Forget it, forget it. From now on, don’t cook at home, I’ll cook for you.”
After mulling it over, Mother Sheng still felt she had to rely on herself. By helping her daughter shoulder more of the burden, her daughter’s life would be much easier.
Children were a lifelong debt; she couldn’t escape it, and she couldn’t bring herself to stop worrying either.
“I don’t know what your dad is thinking, or if he can come to the Capital.”
Seeing Sheng Wanyan’s business footprint growing larger and larger, Mother Sheng had also come to see the current economic trends clearly after staying in the Capital for so long.
It was currently the end of June, and the general store had been open for nearly a month and a half. Since she tallied the accounts every single day, she knew exactly how stellar the general store’s revenue was.
Even though Sheng Wanyan brought the cash back home every single night, she kept a meticulous log of everything, which made the profits clear at a glance.
“Dad can’t bear to let go of that job.”
Who would be willing to give up a position as a deputy factory director these days? Only a fool would be willing.
Mother Sheng figured that was true, but with their daughter pregnant now, if Father Sheng came to help her, it would take a massive weight off her shoulders.
Furthermore, Father Sheng himself had mentioned quite a few times in his letters that business at the steel mill wasn’t great this year, orders were scarce, and he was already bored out of his mind.
The more Mother Sheng thought about it, the more she felt it was better for Father Sheng to come to the Capital. Thus, the very next day, she penned an extra letter and mailed it out.
Sheng Wanyan was entirely oblivious to these moves. Time quickly marched to the first of July, which was payday.
The business at the clothing store over here in the Capital was actually even better than the one back in Bingcheng. Most importantly, the Beijing Dance Academy was right next door!
Those female students were exceptionally willing to spend money on dressing up, coming over to buy a set of clothes every now and then.
The average daily sales volume actually managed to reach 70 pieces, with the average price coming out to 27 yuan per item.
With 30 days in a month, that amounted to 56,700 yuan. After deducting employee overhead, material costs, and equipment depreciation…
Every single one of the older aunts in the workshop received a salary of at least 50 yuan. In an era where the average income was 25 yuan, this was a massive sum of money.
The three employees in the clothing store earned even more; on average, each person actually brought home nearly 100 yuan in wages.
Selling 2,100 pieces of clothing in a single month at a commission of one dime per item meant that when split equally among the three of them, each person received 70 yuan in commissions alone, on top of their 30-yuan base salary.
Chapter 529: Getting Rich Together
The clothing store was personally supervised by Sheng Wanyan, so no blunders would occur.
Yet even so, the person with the lowest salary among them made more than a group leader in a state factory.
The general store’s profits from the previous month were not a single bit less than the clothing store’s, with so many people from around the area coming to buy things every day.
Sheng Wanyan looked through the account books Mother Sheng had brought over. Mother Sheng had recorded everything in meticulous detail.
Even the snacks they usually ate to pass the time in the general store were clearly logged.
The profits from the general store over the past two months gave Sheng Wanyan quite a shock. Most importantly, the students from the nearby universities had frequented the shop quite a bit.
The profits from just these two months straight up reached 50,000 yuan.
A massive portion of this was contributed during the initial grand opening period. During that time, with the ‘buy ten, get one free’ promotion, the surrounding neighbors came back to shop over and over again.
Basically, every household would drop by several times a day, and every single visit started at a minimum of 15 yuan.
When they first opened, at least 150 customers came to buy things every day. Later on, as their reputation spread, even more people came to shop.
Although they didn’t buy as much at one time, it still added up to a significant sum.
Some of the items in the general store were sourced by Sheng Wanyan directly from factories. The quantities weren’t massive, and after deducting all overhead costs, the net profit for the general store over the month and a half reached 48,000 yuan.
Sheng Wanyan brought out the money and counted it all once. After confirming that the amounts were correct, she took the employees’ wages and headed to the clothing store and the workshop.
Knowing that she was heading out, Mother Gu naturally tagged along with her.
Over the past few days, Yi Yi had been picked up by Aunt Hu to practice dancing at her house, leaving Mother Gu to enjoy a nice bit of leisure.
Sheng Wanyan and Mother Gu went to the workshop first. The older aunts had long been craning their necks in anticipation. After all, they knew better than anyone else exactly how much money they had earned.
“The boss is here!”
Hearing this, the crowd hurriedly lowered their heads to work diligently, though it was plain to see that their minds were completely elsewhere.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t chide them upon seeing this; she could understand. Once everyone grew accustomed to earning this much money every month down the line, they wouldn’t act like this anymore.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t waste words either, directly calling them into the room one by one to collect their wages.
“Everyone, put down the work in your hands for a moment and collect last month’s wages first.”
Hearing this, the aunts immediately put down their work and raised their heads to look at her.
“Line up and come in one by one.”
Sheng Wanyan shook her head with a smile. The aunts all burst into smiles upon hearing her, lining up neatly outside the room door.
Sheng Wanyan wouldn’t let them know how much each other’s wages were. Those were matters of personal privacy, and there was no need to make them common knowledge.
Mother Gu helped her count and verify the cash from the side. As a group leader in the finance department, she was a complete professional in this regard.
“This is the wage confirmation sheet. Once you verify that it’s correct, sign your name and leave a thumbprint.”
Although the aunts were illiterate, they recognized numbers perfectly well. After all, having entered the workforce, who didn’t keep a careful tally?
“It’s correct, perfectly correct.”
The aunts brought out their own logbooks one by one to match the numbers. These figures were unlikely to have errors.
After all, for every piece of clothing each person made, a cloth tag would be tied to the seam displaying their name before it was delivered to the clothing store.
The employees over at the clothing store would count the stock when logging items into the warehouse, noting down the names during the process, so both sides had a record.
Clutching their wages, the aunts smiled so wide their mouths couldn’t close. They were already thinking about making even more clothes this month so they could bring home a bigger envelope next month.
“Everyone, please take extra care when making the clothes. A few new styles will be rolled out in two months, and your workload will become heavier.”
The aunts were thrilled to hear this. A heavier workload meant more money; they couldn’t wish for it more.
“Understood, Boss.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t tarry long at the workshop, heading over to the clothing store with Mother Gu.
The three employees at the clothing store were busy. Although there weren’t many university students around during the summer vacation, there were plenty of family members living in the residential compounds of those universities.
Furthermore, it was currently the summer holidays, which was exactly when many families brought their children back to visit relatives.
Sheng Wanyan called them into the warehouse one by one to hand out their wages, and the three employees were overjoyed.
This much money was already far more than what their husbands earned.
“Thank you, Boss.”
“You earned it.”
“I won’t be around here for a period of time, and I’ll only return when school starts. You all need to pay extra attention to the store’s situation.”
“Match the daily accounts with my mom, and just go find my mom if anything pops up.”
“Make sure to properly log the inventory going in and out for the clothes delivered from the workshop.”
The employees nodded. They knew the general store next door also belonged to the boss, and they knew Mother Sheng was the boss’s biological mother.
“We’ve noted it all down, Boss.”
Sheng Wanyan felt at ease. After all, running a business required trusting one’s employees. If she groomed these three salesgirls well, they could become store managers for future branches down the line.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t stay long either, heading straight to the general store after handing out the wages. After all, Grandfather Sheng, Grandma Sheng, and Mother Sheng needed to be paid too.
Grandfather Sheng and Grandma Sheng stated they only wanted 30 yuan, refusing to take a single penny more.
“No, no, we only want this much.”
Grandfather Sheng sat on a stool enjoying the cool breeze from the fan, holding an ice pop in his hand as he ate, looking incredibly relaxed.
He felt that coming to the general store was pure enjoyment—blowing a fan during the sweltering heat and eating an ice pop every now and then.
He felt that not a single old man could compare to the life he was living.
When the delivery men arrived, they would even carry the goods into the warehouse and stack them properly. All he had to do was use his voice to guide a few customers as they shopped.
Having something to do made the elderly couple feel much more grounded staying in the Capital.
“Fine, suit yourselves.”
Sheng Wanyan shook her head with a smile. At times, the two elders were just like children, refusing to listen to advice.
Mother Sheng’s base salary was 100 yuan, though Sheng Wanyan intended to give her a raise.
Not only did Mother Sheng help watch the general store for her, but she would also occasionally drop by the workshop and the clothing store to inspect things on her behalf, being even more meticulous than she was.
Her partnership contract with Xu Guihua stated that she couldn’t hire her own family members to work at the clothing store, but she could pull money out of her own pocket to give to Mother Sheng!
“Mom, Yi Yi and I are moving back to live in the military compound in a week. Remember to bring the clothing store’s revenue back with you.”
Mother Sheng waved her hand; these were minor matters, and even if her daughter didn’t mention it, she would still handle it.
“Don’t worry.”
Sheng Wanyan pulled her to the side to bring up the matter of the wage increase. The moment Mother Sheng heard it, she rejected it without a second thought.
“Mom, I’m pregnant now, so I can only rely on you to help ease my burden down the line.”
“If you refuse, I’ll have no choice but to handle everything myself in the future.”
“It’s just an extra 50 yuan. A factory supervisor’s salary is around this amount too.”
“They only watch over a single workshop, whereas you help me look after three different places.”
Hearing this, Mother Sheng found it impossible not to comply. How could she just sit back and watch her pregnant daughter worry over everything?
“Fine, fine, fine, I can’t out-argue your stubbornness.”
After coming to the Capital, Mother Sheng had discovered that her daughter had become exceptionally strong-willed; at times, she couldn’t win an argument against her at all.
Chapter 530: Returning to the Military Compound for Summer Vacation
Besides, this was her own boss. How could she not listen to the boss’s words?
With Mother Sheng’s preparations in place, Sheng Wanyan also let out a sigh of relief. This was the first time she had seen anyone complain about earning too much money.
During this remaining time at the Peking University courtyard, Sheng Wanyan first made sure to fully stock the inventory for the general store and the small workshop. She filled up the rented warehouse as well as the store’s warehouse, and put a large amount of fabric inside.
She gave a copy of the warehouse keys to Mother Sheng so that whenever they ran out of stock, she could directly have someone haul the goods over from there.
“You need to take all the money from the house with you.”
“I heard that for a family at the end of the village, their youngest son just got out of the detention center.”
“He was put in there exactly for stealing things.”
Mother Sheng shared her firsthand news. Hearing this, Sheng Wanyan nodded. Her cash was always kept in her space, so there really weren’t any valuables left at home.
“All the neighbors around here know you’re a business owner, so it’s inevitable that some people will be green with envy.”
“What’s more, we aren’t natives of this village, which makes us target for resentment even more.”
Mother Sheng understood the social dynamics perfectly well. Don’t think she didn’t know that many people in the village were envious of her family.
Endless people remarked that working in her daughter’s shop was pure bliss—eating and drinking for free, with an endless supply of goods, and even being able to use her daughter’s things to subsidize her son’s family.
They all envied her for having such a capable daughter. Mother Sheng wanted to spit in their faces whenever she heard those comments.
She had never taken a single item from the shop back to her own home. Even for the snacks Huzi usually ate when he came to the general store, she paid for them out of her own pocket.
When Pan Yue came to buy things, she also followed the rules, paying exactly what was due, at most receiving a family discount.
But no one would believe it even if she said it out loud; others would just think she was boasting.
“Mom, I’ve already deposited all the money. Don’t worry.”
“That’s good then.”
Mother Sheng felt at ease. Sheng Wanyan gave her a set of keys to the house so she could drop by to check on it from time to time.
“It’s good for you and Yi Yi to return to the military compound. You’re pregnant, so it’ll be convenient to go for checkups.”
Mother Sheng didn’t feel overly reluctant to see her go. Mainly because after staying in the Capital for so long, it wasn’t like before when they only saw each other once a year.
Right now, rather than missing her grandchildren, she actually missed Father Sheng back in Rongcheng more.
“Take more provisions with you when you go back, and bring some meat back for the two elders of the Gu family to eat.”
“Mom, I’ve prepared everything already.”
“That’s settled then.”
Seeing that her daughter had everything handled, Mother Sheng stopped nagging and went out to dote on her granddaughter properly.
Sheng Wanyan watched her retreating figure and shook her head with a smile. After all these years, Mother Sheng was still a constant worrier.
Once she finished sorting out the store’s affairs, Sheng Wanyan returned to the military compound with Mother Gu.
When Grandfather Gu and Grandma Gu saw her return, they hurriedly pulled her over to sit down. Right now, Sheng Wanyan’s belly was three and a half months along, but it looked as large as a five-month pregnancy.
“You’re finally back.”
“How is your body? Is the baby being rowdy?”
Grandma Gu took her hand and asked a flurry of questions, which Sheng Wanyan answered one by one.
“Don’t worry, Grandma. I don’t feel much discomfort normally, and the baby is very well-behaved.”
Hearing this, Grandma Gu felt a significant weight lift from her mind. The look in her eyes as she gazed at her belly was indescribably affectionate.
“That’s good. The children aren’t being rowdy because they love you and are aching for you.”
Sheng Wanyan stroked her stomach with a smile. Saying the babies weren’t rowdy was a lie; it was just a white lie to keep the elders from worrying.
The two babies in her belly fought constantly, and when fetal movement occurred, it felt like a minefield exploding.
Sheng Wanyan felt uncomfortable every single time. Whenever Yi Yi saw her belly move, she would directly let out a loud shout to intimidate her little brothers or sisters.
Amazingly, it was quite effective. The moment Yi Yi shouted, the two little ones in her belly would immediately quiet down.
“Third Sister-in-law, your belly looks almost bigger than mine already.”
“You must take careful note.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu’s current seven-month pregnancy was quite large, but Sheng Wanyan’s belly was so round it literally looked different by the day.
Carrying one child was already exhausting enough for Eldest Sister-in-law Gu; she couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable Third Sister-in-law must be carrying two.
“Don’t worry, Eldest Sister-in-law, everything is fine.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu felt relieved upon hearing this, though just looking at it still made her heart leap with anxiety.
“Yi Yi seems to have grown taller. Come over quickly and let Great-Grandma see if it’s true.”
Yi Yi ran over to let Grandma Gu look. Yi Yi had indeed grown taller, appearing noticeably more slender.
“You really have grown a lot taller.”
“Yup~”
Yi Yi went to dance classes, and there was a height chart at the studio, so she knew the changes in her height better than anyone.
Grandma Gu affectionately stroked her face. How is it that she grew taller, yet didn’t lose an ounce of baby fat…?
Grandma Gu gave her cheeks a gentle squeeze. Only after feeling thoroughly satisfied did she let her go play with her older brother and sister.
Yi Yi headed straight for the backyard to look for them. The three children of the family shared an excellent bond, which made the elders happy to see.
“By the way, is Old Third back from his mission yet?”
Gu Tingxiao had been out on his mission for a month now, and there hadn’t been a single word of news.
“How could it be that fast?”
Grandfather Gu didn’t worry about these things. Such was a soldier’s duty; since he chose this path, he had to walk it through to the end properly.
“You old man, really, you don’t worry at all.”
“What is there for me to worry about? He’s a grown man.”
Grandfather Gu responded to Grandma Gu with a completely defensive tone. The moment Grandma Gu set down her water cup, Grandfather Gu hurriedly thumped his cane and headed to the backyard to whisk Yi Yi out the door.
When he couldn’t win an argument, he made a strategic exit… He wouldn’t be foolish enough to stay behind and take a beating from the old lady.
Yi Yi’s hands were covered in mud. The little house she was building with her older brother and sister wasn’t even finished yet before her great-grandfather abducted her.
Grandma Gu let out a cold snort at the sight of Grandfather Gu walking out. If you have the guts, don’t you dare come back!
Watching the two elders battle their wits and courage like this, Sheng Wanyan couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle. Was this not a form of happiness in itself?
“You two go rest. Take an afternoon nap and wake up in time for dinner.”
Grandma Gu’s affectionate smile returned when she faced Eldest Sister-in-law Gu and Sheng Wanyan. Sheng Wanyan exchanged a look with Eldest Sister-in-law Gu, and they hurriedly headed upstairs.
“Slow down, watch your step.”
Seeing how fast the two of them walked, Grandma Gu quickly instructed. Eldest Sister-in-law Gu and Sheng Wanyan responded in turn.
“We know.”
Back in the room, Sheng Wanyan neatly organized and hung up her and Yi Yi’s clothes, changed into her pajamas, and finally got into bed to rest.
It was only when she lay down that she noticed a change—a ceiling fan had actually been installed in the bedroom.
With the ceiling fan blowing, sleeping during the scorching summer would be much more comfortable, and her body wouldn’t be sticky with sweat.
Fanned by the breeze, Sheng Wanyan quickly drifted off to sleep, only waking up when Mother Gu came to call her at dinner time.
With this pregnancy, she was even more prone to sleeping than when she carried Yi Yi, not to mention her food intake; with three mouths to feed, it was impossible to eat little.
When Eldest Brother Gu returned and saw her belly, he still couldn’t entirely process it. Was carrying twins really this terrifying?
In his heart, he was already silently mourning for Gu Tingxiao. Just raising Gu Jinfang alone had nearly driven him to bankruptcy, and he had only barely managed to save a bit of money.
Now that his second child was on the way, he could only dip into his old savings and had to keep working hard to save more money.
