TPW – Chapter 114

ith the factory about to open, Yu Fan’s private life was no longer the focus of Xu Haizhou and his wife.

They had over forty workers to feed at the factory now. If they didn’t secure orders quickly, it would be hard to ensure the loans in hand could last even a few months.

Learning from the downfall of Hongxing Garment Factory, Anqiao’s strategy focused on product innovation and closely tracking market trends.

Whatever consumers liked, they produced. And if consumers didn’t yet know what they liked, they would create it and actively market it to offer choices to buyers.

Hongxing had once had a stable customer base, but over time, it couldn’t keep up with market demands. After its collapse, its former loyal customers turned to other factories.

When Anqiao’s new factory opened, two former loyal customers of Hongxing came by to check it out.

They had initially assumed the new factory director was a naive, rich young person playing around just to scam government subsidies.

But once they saw the tidy factory, the white walls freshly painted, and all kinds of new equipment… they realized this team was serious.

They were invited into the office to sit down. Xu Haizhou’s newly hired assistant, Comrade Xiao Zhao, served them tea. After about one cup’s worth of small talk, Xu Haizhou got up to take the two customers on a tour of the workshop.

“These were produced just two days ago by our workers. We’re planning to send them to two Ziqingting stores. There’s still some stock left—probably enough to supply two or three more stores. We don’t have any large orders yet, but there are plenty of small vendors placing orders. Added together, it’s almost like having a big one.”

“The main issue is that freight costs are a bit high.”

“So in the half-month since the factory opened, every worker has had steady work. The only uncertainty is whether we can smoothly secure new orders after this period.”

“Hmm, not bad. The workmanship is meticulous. Haven’t seen these styles on the market.”

“These were all independently developed by Anqiao’s design department. The price is a little higher,” Xu Haizhou explained, leading them into the production workshop. “These here are common styles in the market. They’re cheaper, but we maintain strict quality standards. Please have a look.”

Learning from the cautionary tale of Hongxing, Anqiao had established a product design department from the start. Their mission was to create original styles not yet seen in the market. Once the business grew, they could even participate in trade fairs in Shanghai and promote Anqiao across the country.

The customer took a garment, carefully rubbed and examined it, then couldn’t help praising it: “The quality’s solid. What about the price?”

If Anqiao’s purchase price was affordable and the quality acceptable, long-term cooperation wasn’t out of the question. Helping out these young entrepreneurs wouldn’t be a bad thing.

People of the older generation often had a soft spot for the younger one.

“You were a loyal customer of Hongxing. If you’re willing to buy from Anqiao now, we’ll definitely give you a special friendly rate,” Xu Haizhou said, raising three fingers. The customer immediately understood, set the garment down, and strolled leisurely around the workshop with hands behind his back.

After a long pause, he said, “Alright. Skip the common styles—I want the designs your department developed. Give me thirty of each. Can you deliver in two days?”

Getting a slightly larger order like this was rare. There was no way Xu Haizhou would say no. Even if it meant pausing supply to their own shops, they had to fulfill this loyal customer’s order.

“Yes, absolutely.”

With the new order secured, the workers began preparations in an orderly fashion.

Meanwhile, Xu Haizhou secured a few more small orders, and Qiao Lu wasn’t idle either.

She had been playing mahjong with Mrs. Li for a few days, building rapport and strengthening their relationship. Things were progressing smoothly.

When Mrs. Li heard that Qiao Lu and her husband had taken out a loan to start a garment factory, she went home and directly told her husband to help them get some orders.

It wasn’t a discussion—it was a command.

“I finally made a friend I really like. You’ve got to help me out with this, no matter what.”

Li Guofu didn’t say he wouldn’t help, but his wife’s commanding tone left him a bit speechless.

Seeing her husband’s silent frustration, Wang Qi chuckled and carried a wooden chair over to sit beside him. “Hey, Guofu, do you know how much their store earns in a month?”

Li Guofu of course didn’t know. He shook his head, sipped some tea, and sighed, signaling for her to continue.

Wang Qi held up four fingers.

Then she smiled brightly. “I’ve already discussed it with her. After I finish coaching this batch of middle schoolers through their exams, I’m going to quit and open my own clothing shop—selling Ziqingting’s clothes. Oh, right—Qiao Lu says it’s called ‘franchising’. They’ll design the store for me; I just have to invest the money. She’ll take care of everything else. Once it’s decorated, I can step right in as the store manager. If business is good, I could even hire two employees. I’ll easily earn two or three thousand a month! Isn’t that better than what you’re making, Director Li?”

As she spoke, she even started teasing her husband.

“What? Quit your job to go into business?” Li Guofu frowned disapprovingly. “You? You’ve been working at a school since graduating university. Do you even know what business is like? It’s not something you can just jump into.”

He completely doubted his wife’s ability to do business. This was nonsense to him.

What kind of teacher gives up a stable job to dive into business?

He knew about Qiao Lu and her husband’s background. They came from poor families—doing business was their only option.

But Wang Qi came from an educated family, pampered by her parents since childhood, made it smoothly through to a teaching degree, and had lived a protected life since marrying him. Now she suddenly wanted to quit and run a business? Who could agree to that?

“Why can’t I do it? I’ve had in-depth conversations with Qiao Lu. It doesn’t sound that hard. Besides, the market’s just opened up in recent years. Qiao Lu says the gaps in the market are huge. As long as you’re persistent, you can make money doing anything.”

“Well, that’s true…” Having dealt with businesspeople for years, Li Guofu agreed with that perspective.

It was bluntly stated, but it wasn’t wrong.

China was a vast country, and these were prime years of opportunity. As long as you were hardworking and willing, buying a house within a year wasn’t out of reach at current prices.

“But we’re not exactly short on money. Is it really necessary…”

“Necessary, necessary! I make forty a month right now, but Qiao Lu—though she shares her store—earns over a thousand herself!” She sighed with a bit of melancholy. “Before I met Qiao Lu, I always thought few families could compare to ours. But look at her—selling clothes and earning more than us, and now starting a factory. You’d better maintain a good relationship with them!”

“What do you mean earning more than us? I make way more than they do.” When it came to earning power, Li Guofu wasn’t going to back down.

He had started working right after junior high and clawed his way to his current position—it wasn’t just luck.

Only he himself could truly understand the hardships he had gone through, which was why he didn’t want his wife to give up her iron rice bowl job and jump into the business world.

Making money through business was certainly easier, but it was also exhausting.

“I can ask a few of my friends about the orders, but as for your resignation, don’t be impulsive. Think it over again.” In a society built on relationships, one more friend meant one more path. Right now, it was Li Guofu helping Xu Haizhou. But in the future, if Li really became successful, who knew who would be helping whom?

No one ever complained about having too many friends. Since they were all neighbors anyway, even if Wang Qi hadn’t brought it up, he would’ve still considered lending a hand.

At least her husband didn’t completely reject the idea. Though Wang Qi still felt a bit dissatisfied in her heart, she nodded and agreed.

“Alright, I’ll look into it more.”

Thanks to Li Guofu’s introduction, Anqiao Factory successfully secured a partnership with a large textile factory, which agreed to supply them with fabric at a 20% discount below market price.

Although it wasn’t a huge amount, at least they didn’t have to worry about sourcing materials, and larger volumes could save a lot in the long run.

And because it was Li Guofu’s friend who made the introduction, that friend in turn introduced another friend.

Before long, the factory received its first large order through the textile factory’s director!

It was a big order that required a separate truck to transport the goods. The timeline wasn’t too tight; a deposit would be paid first, and a batch would be made to test the waters. If it sold well, the order would be increased—this initial batch alone was enough to keep the workers busy for a full week!

The most urgent issue of getting the factory off the ground was temporarily resolved. Xu Haizhou and his wife immediately invited the Li couple over for a home-cooked dinner to express their gratitude.

The dinner table was lively. The two men talked about the factory, the two women chatted about opening stores and clothing sales techniques. Wang Qi’s eight-year-old son was exchanging funny school stories with six-year-old Qiao An.

Only little baby Qiaoqiao lay in her cradle, playing with a fabric doll her dad bought her. Two small bells were tied around the doll’s neck, producing a crisp jingling sound when shaken. It was so amusing that she giggled with her mouth wide open.

At four months old, she had already learned to roll over and crawl. So Xu Haizhou had no choice but to buy a slightly bigger baby bed with taller railings to prevent her from falling out while climbing.

Dinner went very well. When it was time to leave, little Li Jiahao stood at the front door, unwilling to let go of Qiao An’s hand.

“I wish we went to the same elementary school. Then we could go to school together.”

Qiao An sighed and regretfully told him, “My mom said School No. 1 is too far from our home, so I go to School No. 3. It’s really close. I can get there in a flash on my bike.”

“That’s okay. School No. 1 is far, yeah, but my dad has a car. He can take me,” Li Jiahao said as if it were only natural.

“But my dad doesn’t have a car.” Qiao An shook her head in disappointment.

“Then ask your dad to buy one! Isn’t your dad a factory director too?” In Li Jiahao’s mind, factory directors were all rich people—just like his dad, who drove a car.

In the whole of School No. 1, there probably wasn’t another parent richer than his dad. On this point, Li Jiahao had absolute confidence.

The two little ones immediately turned to look at Xu Haizhou.

Meeting his son’s hopeful gaze, Xu Haizhou chuckled, scooped him up, and pinched his cheek. “Wait till Daddy saves a bit more money, then we’ll buy a little car to take An’an to school, okay?”

Eyes sparkling, Qiao An cupped his dad’s face and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Okay, I like little cars.”

And I like Daddy even more!

As the first batch of orders officially began production, Xu Haizhou gave a strict order: quality must be guaranteed, even if it slowed down the process. For the factory’s first year, quality was paramount.

Once the factory was properly set up, and without even catching a break, Xu Haizhou turned his attention to helping his wife set up a branch store.

They planned to open a larger clothing store near the department store. This time, the store would be independently run, and of course, the supplier would be their own Anqiao Garment Factory.

They calculated the remaining loan. With frugality, it was still enough to rent and renovate a storefront.

“If we’re going to rent, we have to find the best. Preferably two connected store units, or a landlord who’s willing to let us break the wall and turn two shops into one big store.”

“Why?” Li Hongjun didn’t understand Qiao Lu’s reasoning. But since they still had enough funds, renting an extra space wasn’t a big burden—just a bit more in renovation costs.

“I want to properly renovate. A small shop just doesn’t allow for much creativity. Besides, our Purple Dragonfly is a pretty well-known brand in Lian now, right? Two units give us more presence. That Baiyun Street place, they call it a shop, but its vibe is completely different from ours. Our new store has to be done right.”

Right now, there wasn’t really any truly famous clothing brand in Lian. Purple Dragonfly was the first of its kind.

If they did it well, it might even become a household name like Li-Ning or Metersbonwe in twenty or thirty years.

Start small, think big—it was time to plan ahead.

“Haizhou, sis-in-law, you guys go ahead first. If it goes well, I’ll get a store too and renovate it the same way—like a second branch, right?”

“Sure! Let’s treat it as a franchise. But I won’t charge you a franchise fee.”

“Hahaha, sis-in-law, you’re amazing! Haizhou, you’re a lucky man, seriously—haha!”

Qiao Lu didn’t feel at ease letting Xu Haizhou search for the store alone. She insisted on going with him to ensure they found the best possible location.

After searching around, they finally chose the busiest commercial street in Lian City.

This area had a state-run restaurant, the biggest department store, and at the end of the street, a Friendship Hotel and a guesthouse. No other street had more foot traffic.

It only took two days to find the right spot. The landlady was easygoing—no problem breaking down the wall, as long as they paid her twenty extra yuan.

That wasn’t an issue. Xu Haizhou and his wife had already prepared to pay more for a good location.

Especially since it was right across from the department store’s main entrance, about 80 meters away, with no residential buildings blocking the view and an open layout—totally worth it.

The rent was fifty yuan a month, and they signed a five-year lease. The two connected units totaled 150 square meters, making it the largest privately-owned clothing store in Lian.

Once the storefront was settled, they started looking for a renovation crew. Qiao Lu drew up the design plans herself. They didn’t need to be too detailed—just colored sketches that the workers could understand.

Construction began quickly. First, the workers cleared out all the old clutter, then laid tiles, painted the walls white, and did waterproofing and anti-damp treatments, letting it dry for a week.

Meanwhile, the workers didn’t sit idle. They custom-built tables, chairs, and storage cabinets for Qiao Lu.

The cabinets were made of light-colored solid wood in a unified color scheme. The main colors for the paint were white and pale yellow, creating a bright, airy space. Even without lights, the room was well-lit.

Of course, lights were still a must—day or night. They bought plenty: spotlights, downlights, and even a ring of LED light strips around the edges.

These items weren’t easy to find in the local market, so they asked Yu Fan’s ex-boyfriend for help. It took a week to “purchase” them through Hong Kong connections.

They were expensive, which made Qiao Lu wince.

The cashier counter was placed opposite the main entrance, against the inner wall. A massive custom Purple Dragonfly logo, ordered from a plastic factory, was installed on the white wall behind it. LED strips were placed around the logo’s edges on the back.

Once lit up, the whole background glowed. Anyone who saw it would exclaim: “Damn, that’s awesome!”

The fitting rooms were the second most important design feature after the merchandise area. To save costs, they didn’t install doors but used curtains instead. Curtain hooks were nailed to both sides of the doorway, and customers could hook the curtain shut themselves.

Lastly, they spent a hefty sum to commission a giant, eye-catching signboard—“Purple Dragonfly Fashion”!

Compared to the standard black-on-white signs of other stores, theirs was far more striking and aesthetically pleasing. Each of the five large characters had backlighting too. At night, these two shops would be the brightest things on the entire street.

Seriously, money in the ’80s was worth a lot—this whole operation cost less than 20,000 yuan!

By mid-to-late January, after two months of renovation, the store was finally complete. Seeing the final result, not just Xu Haizhou and his team, but even the workers who participated in the renovation felt amazed.

Especially in the evening, when they suddenly turned on all the lights—neighbors from near and far swarmed over, drawn by the glow. The room was filled with gasps.

“What’s this? Purple Dragonfly Fashion? Selling clothes?”

“Damn, so bright! How many light bulbs did they install?”

“It’s gorgeous, just beautiful…”

Everyone took turns admiring the glowing sign and logo, the neatly arranged counters and tables inside, and the floral fitting room curtains. There was so much to take in—it dazzled the eyes.

Oh right, there were no roller shutters or wooden doors in the store. Just a glass door and a giant floor-to-ceiling window!

Actually, the most expensive part of the renovation was that floor-to-ceiling window for the neighboring store unit. That one massive pane of glass cost 2,000 yuan in cash!

Such a big investment. Qiao Lu herself felt the sting and silently prayed it wouldn’t get damaged.

Fortunately, the final effect was fantastic. Judging by everyone’s reactions—she had succeeded.