Chapter 235: Win-Win

Chapter 235: Chapter 235: Win-Win

"Really... I can’t thank you two enough!"

Song Yao clinked their bottles.

"Oh, come on, no need for thanks! The more you enjoy selling, the more I earn. It’s a win-win!"

She took a big swig. The bubbles tickled her nose, making her burst out laughing.

Yu Nana waved her hand dismissively.

"It’s not as simple as you make it sound! Anyone else with this kind of supply line would be counting money until their hands cramped up every single day."

She tilted the bottle back and poured the last of the soda into her mouth.

After swallowing, she let out a long breath, her chest heaving slightly.

"Count money? You bet we will!"

Song Yao beamed.

"From now on, whether we earn a lot or a little, we’ll count it together!"

She reached over and set the empty bottle in front of Yu Nana upright.

Yu Nana’s eyes instantly reddened, a lump forming in her throat.

"Okay! We’ll count it together!"

’Coming out here to make a living, I’m only just now realizing the sky is blue.’

’I can look up and see fluffy clouds floating high above, not weighing me down.’

’And people’s hearts... they can be this warm, too.’

At three in the afternoon, Yu Nana did her third inventory check and discovered the last two baskets had been reserved.

When she returned for more stock, she was beaming with excitement.

"Song Yao, guess what? Xiao Xi built a pushcart himself and went over to West Street to hawk his wares! He’s selling like crazy and just came back with empty baskets again!"

Xiao Xi squatted at the doorway, wiping away sweat.

"You still got any stock here?"

Song Yao was in the middle of cutting new fabric. Her scissors sliced through the red velvet. SNIP.

"We do! Of course, we do!"

She pressed the piece of fabric onto the cutting board and grabbed a piece of chalk to draw a line.

"I’ll pull an all-nighter if I have to to get these done!"

Just as she was wondering whether to hire someone to help out, Li Hanchen called.

"Song Yao, Li Ying is on summer break. She’ll arrive in Beijing early tomorrow morning."

Song Yao blurted out.

"This is perfect timing!"

She held a needle in one hand and clutched the phone in the other.

"I was just worrying about this mountain of work."

Li Hanchen: "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Business is booming. The stock sells out as soon as I put it on display. We’re desperately short-staffed!"

Song Yao’s foot pumped the sewing machine pedal, making it clatter rapidly.

"Just the two of us are running around like crazy, we can’t handle it all."

"Let me come help make the hair flowers!"

Song Yao waved a hand dismissively.

"No need to sew by hand. We have a sewing machine; it’s much faster!"

She opened a drawer and took out a spool of silver nylon thread.

"This thread is durable and feeds through the needle smoothly. It’s better than cotton thread."

"Then I’ll learn how to use the machine! You can teach me!"

Song Yao paused and blinked.

"You sure love a good project."

She put down her scissors and pulled over a chair.

"First, learn the parts. Then, adjust the stitch length. Finally, you feed the fabric. You can’t skip a single step."

Li Hanchen straightened his back and nodded.

"That’s right. A person can’t let their mind go idle. As long as you’re living, you should be learning."

Song Yao looked at him, and an idea suddenly struck her.

’Making those twisted bracelets... that’s the perfect job for him.’

The whole family, young and old, joined the fray, working desperately to rush the orders. The most dedicated of all had to be Wei Guilan.

She was already on her little stool before the sky had even turned a pale morning blue.

At night, if Li Hanchen and Song Yao didn’t take turns convincing her to rest, she’d work until she was nodding off, still refusing to stop.

Song Yao couldn’t help but try to stop her.

"Mom, your health is our family’s real cash machine!"

"A machine has to be in good shape to churn out money every day. If it breaks down and you’re laid up for a few days, the work will pile up, and the money will just fly away, right?"

Wei Guilan waved a hand.

"Oh, don’t you worry! I’m tough as nails. A little wind and rain won’t knock me down!"

By now she was already familiar with the sewing machine. She was either pedaling the machine to make bows or stretching fabric strips to sew hair flowers, her hands never stopping for a moment.

In the midst of this bustling activity, Li Ying arrived for her summer break.

The very afternoon she arrived, she was pulled into the production line.

Wei Guilan pulled her over.

"Come, come, start by stringing beads with me!"

’But filigree work would be a better fit for her,’ Song Yao thought. ’That way, when I’m pregnant and have to take a break, the skills will carry on.’

Wei Guilan made the decision on the spot.

"Alright! Your sister-in-law and I will man the stall. You’ll string beads at home in the morning, and in the afternoon when your sister-in-law gets back, she’ll teach you filigree, step-by-step!"

Li Ying nodded, her eyes shining.

"Sister-in-law, you sell all of these?"

Wei Guilan immediately puffed out her chest.

"Of course! Your sister-in-law’s sales are on fire. She doesn’t just run her own stall; she also supplies other sellers!"

"You’ve barely walked in the door, and she’s already got gifts ready for you!"

After speaking, she turned, went into the house, and came out with a dress, handing it to Li Ying.

"Look at this, isn’t it smart! It cost dozens of yuan. It’s expensive!"

"I told your sister-in-law it was too much, but she just smiled and said, ’Only the best is good enough for her. I’ll be happy seeing her look pretty!’"

After saying that, she reached out and tidied a stray lock of hair at Li Ying’s temple.

"You hear me? You have to work hard and do a good job. Don’t let this opportunity go to waste!"

After Song Yao finished speaking, she gently patted Li Ying’s shoulder.

Li Ying was wearing a pair of blue cloth pants that had been washed until they were faded gray, and on top, a short-sleeved shirt with a blue and white floral pattern.

That was something Wei Guilan had a tailor at the market make for her.

But at Ning City University, compared to her classmates who wore bell-bottoms, she looked particularly plain.

However, Li Ying never engaged in pointless comparisons.

’But what seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl doesn’t dream of being beautiful?’

Her face immediately flushed, and she lowered her head and said softly, "Th... thank you, Sister-in-law."

"Oh, don’t be so polite!"

Song Yao raised a hand, her gesture crisp and decisive.

"It’s just a small trinket. No need for thanks."

Before her voice had even faded, she had already turned and headed for the kitchen.

Li Ying quickly took out the gift she had prepared from her bag.

A pair of blue-soled sandals, the kind that were currently in fashion.

These shoes had cost her three yuan.

But as soon as she took them out and placed them next to the pile of things her sister-in-law had given her...

They were instantly out of place, like a humble cornbread muffin on a platter of fluffy white-flour buns.

"I was out shopping with a classmate and saw these... I thought they looked nice, so I picked up a pair... I don’t know if they’ll fit you."

Song Yao’s eyes lit up instantly.

"You picked these out just for me?"

"Thank you, Xiao Ying! I really, really like them! I absolutely adore them!"

"Thank you!"

Seeing her genuine smile, the nervousness in Li Ying’s heart dissipated.

"Oh, they weren’t expensive. It’s worth it as long as you like them!"

Without another word, Song Yao kicked off the old cloth shoes on her feet right then and there, put on the new sandals, and click-clacked around the room a couple of times.

"What’s the point of comparing how expensive things are? You came all this way from our hometown and were still thinking of me. That thought is worth more than gold!"

"Tonight, your sister-in-law is treating. We’re eating out!"

"No, no, no, you don’t have to!"

Li Ying quickly waved her hands.

"My second brother just took me to eat at the state-run restaurant for lunch."

"That’s fine! We’ll eat out tomorrow, or the day after! Your sister-in-law has money in her pocket!"

Song Yao turned to walk to the kitchen, her skirt sweeping past the doorframe, then looked back and added,

"Whatever you want to eat, just tell me in advance!"

She subconsciously turned to look at Wei Guilan, her eyes pleading for help.

"Mom..."

But Wei Guilan didn’t even lift an eyelid. She was busy chewing on melon seeds, a smug look on her face.

"Your sister-in-law is the hot ticket item right now! People are lining up every day to place orders. What she earns in one day is more than you make in a whole year!"

Li Ying: "..."

"Then... then let me help you work!"

As soon as she said that, Wei Guilan nodded vigorously.

"Yes, yes, yes! Go help! Your sister-in-law has so many orders she can’t even get enough sleep. She’s completely swamped!"

...

Yao Yuzhen and Ruan Xinxin had a falling out yesterday.

The two of them gave each other the cold shoulder at the street corner and went their separate ways. Ruan Xinxin didn’t wander back home until late at night.

Yao Yuzhen wanted to boil some water to drink?