Chapter 68: Collaboration
Yiyi still hadn’t found her mother and them yet, but she first saw Zheng Xiangqiao, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time.
"Yiyi, what a coincidence, I didn’t expect to run into you here."
As soon as Zheng Xiangqiao saw Yiyi, she greeted her immediately, then said with a tone of reproach, "Yiyi, I heard about what happened with your family. Why didn’t you tell me about your parents getting divorced? And I heard you’ve moved to town, is that true? Where are you and your mom living now?"
Yiyi didn’t expect to meet Zheng Xiangqiao on the street either, but she had no interest in talking much with her.
"There’s nothing much to say about that. I have something to do, so I have to go now."
Hearing this, Zheng Xiangqiao’s face showed some displeasure, but she still managed to force a slight smile, "Yiyi, there’s no need to hide it. Aren’t we the best of friends?"
Even though she said that, jealousy was almost spilling out from her heart. Originally, they were both from the countryside, so why did Mo Yiyi suddenly transform into someone from the city?
Of course Yiyi wouldn’t tell Zheng Xiangqiao her address, so she directly changed the topic and asked, "Why did you come to town today?"
"I’m here to see my friend."
When Zheng Xiangqiao mentioned her friend, a hint of pride appeared in her eyes, but she didn’t give up on probing into Yiyi’s affairs, "Yiyi, don’t dodge the question, hurry and tell me where you’re living now, so I can visit you later."
"We’re living in South City."
After saying this, Yiyi didn’t linger, and said directly, "I really have something to do, so I must go now. Let’s talk more slowly when we meet next time." With that, she left without looking back.
Watching Yiyi’s departing figure, Zheng Xiangqiao stomped her foot in anger.
She didn’t know when it started, but the Mo Yiyi who used to trust her completely and follow everything she said had changed. She seemed totally indifferent now, with a distant attitude.
"Humph, what’s so great about it? Just because she moved to town, doesn’t she realize her parents are divorced? She should be ashamed."
After saying this, Zheng Xiangqiao felt a little better and continued walking forward.
When Yiyi finally found Ding Yuejun and them, they were packing up their things. Seeing this, Yiyi walked up with a smile, "Mom, are you closing up the stall?"
Seeing her daughter come over, Ding Yuejun’s face was full of smiles, "Yiyi, why are you here? We’ve almost sold out everything, so Shanshan and I are packing up to go back."
Seeing the joy on Ding Yuejun’s face, Yiyi couldn’t help but ask, "Mom, how was business today?"
Speaking of this, Ding Yuejun’s face was full of excitement.
"Today’s business was pretty good. Although the sales were a bit slow, even the wallets were sold, and quite a few young girls liked them. Next time, I’ll make one for you too."
Hearing this, Yiyi nodded with a smile and said, "Great, I look forward to mom’s wallet."
After packing up, Ding Yuejun was ready to take her daughter and granddaughter back, but they hadn’t gone far when someone came running up to them.
Yiyi had a good memory and recognized the person as the owner of the small goods store they had visited earlier.
"Hello, hello, I’m Yu Keren. We’ve met several times before."
Upon hearing this, Ding Yuejun quickly nodded and said, "Yes, we’ve met before. You’re the owner of the small goods store where I buy the plain handkerchiefs."
"I’m glad you remember me. Can we find a place to talk?"
Seeing Yu Keren’s warm expression, Ding Yuejun was a bit puzzled, but remembering that the owner and his wife were nice people, she nodded and said, "Sure."
Seeing Ding Yuejun agree, Yu Keren was very happy and quickly led the three to a nearby teahouse.
"I’m a straightforward person, so I’ll get right to the point. I came today to discuss a business opportunity with you."
Hearing this, Ding Yuejun was even more puzzled.
"What business?"
She didn’t think there was any business she could discuss with anyone.
"Here’s the thing: I see you’ve been selling embroidered handkerchiefs and wallets on the street lately. I’m thinking you could sell them in our store, so you wouldn’t have to work hard setting up a stall in the street."
Hearing this, Yiyi couldn’t help but glance at Yu Keren, then said, "My mom sells the handkerchiefs for a dollar each. If you’re going to sell them in your store, how much are you planning to pay for them?"
Yu Keren had been focusing on Ding Yuejun, but hearing Yiyi’s words, she looked at Yiyi with some surprise. She didn’t expect this little girl to be so shrewd, wanting to focus on the profit right from the start. However, she and her husband had already discussed it beforehand.
"I’m thinking of paying eighty cents per handkerchief."
After stating the price, Yu Keren quickly added, "I know there’s a twenty-cent difference between eighty cents and a dollar, but your mom won’t have to buy handkerchiefs anymore; we’ll provide plain ones for her embroidery. Does that work for you?"
Ding Yuejun didn’t say anything and instinctively looked at her daughter.
Even though this deal sounded like it could be profitable—after all, she used to spend quite a bit just buying the plain handkerchiefs, and now she wouldn’t have to, earning eighty cents per piece, which was more than what she made selling on the street—she still wanted to hear Yiyi’s thoughts. If her daughter didn’t think it was a good idea, she wouldn’t agree either.
Seeing Ding Yuejun’s reaction, Yu Keren realized that Yiyi was the decision-maker, so she directly asked Yiyi, "What do you think, young lady?"
In truth, Yiyi thought it sounded good too, but she didn’t immediately agree. Instead, she continued, "Not everyone will buy handkerchiefs. My mother has started embroidering other things, like hand-stitched coin purses. Will those also be sold in your store? How much will you offer for them?"
"To be honest, I only found out today that you were selling wallets, too. I need to discuss this with my family."
Seeing Yu Keren’s honest demeanor, Yiyi had a good impression of her. "We agree to the terms for the handkerchiefs, but let’s discuss the other items after you’ve talked it over. We can go to your store to get some plain handkerchiefs today."
Hearing this, Yu Keren nodded quickly, "Sure, let’s go now."
When Ding Yuejun brought home twenty handkerchiefs, her face was full of smiles.
"I didn’t expect so many people to like my embroidered handkerchiefs. Even the owner of the small goods store wants to sell them."
Seeing her mother so happy, Yiyi felt good too.
"Mom, your embroidery is beautiful, so naturally, many people like it. In the future, you can place your items in the store for sale and won’t have to wake up early and stay up late to set up a stall. However, we can’t price other embroidered items like handkerchiefs. We could consign them to the store and take a percentage of the actual sales price, aiming for a ninety percent share."