"There’s more money in the first lunar month, ten yuan a day," Ji Shuyuan replied. He had found this job of selling dolls through a stroke of luck.
"Then tell me, how much does the person who hired you to sell dolls make in a day?" Xu Nian’an asked again.
Ji Shuyuan was silent for a moment before saying, "Today, I sold 51 dolls, three yuan each, that’s 153 yuan in revenue. Calculating with a cost of two yuan per doll, there’s a profit of one yuan for each, so for 51 dolls, I made fifty-one yuan."
"You calculated that very accurately." Xu Nianhua wasn’t bad at math but disliked calculating such things.
Especially before the New Year, the calculations had given him a headache.
"No, if it were in Ningbei, these dolls could be sourced for just over one yuan. If you buy in bulk, the price could be even lower." Xu Nian’an had visited that wholesale market, seen a lot, and liked to ask for prices to get a general idea.
Ji Shuyuan’s eyes brightened. He had long wanted to go into business for himself but couldn’t find a source for stock, and with small quantity purchases, he couldn’t make much profit or risked being unable to sell them.
Take the dolls Ji Shuyuan was selling, for example. In fact, they were only sold for a few days during the first lunar month. The boss had hired several people, and in busier spots, each person carried dozens of dolls. Even if they made fifty-one yuan, after paying out a ten-yuan wage, the boss could still make forty-one yuan.
Forty-one yuan might not seem much for one person, but the profits add up with more people.
Of course, apart from them, the boss also had his own people to collect the money.
"Last year, before the New Year, I wholesale purchased a batch of hair clips and scarves and sold them near the school. In less than two months, I made over five hundred yuan."
Xu Nian’an didn’t say one thousand yuan, because truthfully, he had spent a lot of time selling, enduring the wind and snow. In the coldest times, he would shiver uncontrollably.
Five hundred yuan in two months?
Xu Nian’an’s words left Ji Shuyuan stunned.
Before, he had worn his shoulders raw just to earn a few dozen or a hundred yuan in wages.
"But right now, I only have thirty yuan saved up," Ji Shuyuan said with some difficulty. He didn’t know how much stock thirty yuan could get and felt it was very little. Perhaps the wholesalers wouldn’t even allow him to purchase.
"It’s okay, I was planning to open a shop anyway. I’ll get more stock and share some with you. For the first batch of goods, I can front them to you, and after you make a profit, you can pay me back."
Xu Nian’an wanted to help Ji Shuyuan, and by helping him, he could also please his grandfather.
"This, that doesn’t seem right," Ji Shuyuan felt it was not proper. How could he take the goods without paying and then pay back after making money?
"Nian’an, I’ll go home and discuss it with my dad first."
Ji Shuyuan didn’t accept the offer right away. He always felt like he was taking advantage of Xu Nian’an.
Xu Nianhua whispered to Xu Nian’an, "Second Brother, Auntie will definitely not agree."
She might even think that Second Brother was trying to deceive Ji Shuyuan.
Once Ji Shuyuan got home and brought up the topic, Deng Juan immediately disagreed, saying, "Shuyuan, have you lost your mind, or is Xu Nian’an trying to swindle you? I don’t agree, I have no money."
Deng Juan spread her hands out, clearly stating her stance, "It sounds nice, ’pay for the goods later when you make money.’ But if the goods don’t sell, wouldn’t that mean a loss? What’s he really up to?"
"Mom, Nian’an sold in Ningbei himself and made five hundred yuan in just two months. How could he be trying to swindle me?" Ji Shuyuan felt that communicating with his mother was impossible.