Reborn as a Rich Woman in the Eighties
Chapter 163 - 162: Win-Win

Chapter 163: Chapter 162: Win-Win

In fact, Lin Xia had suspected from the beginning that it was Sister He who had talked, because she never mentioned her family situation to any of the other vendors.

When it was confirmed that it was indeed Sister He, Lin Xia felt somewhat disappointed.

But since Lin Qiu was still apprenticing at her aunt’s, Lin Xia maintained a cordially distant relationship with her, no longer confiding in her as casually as before.

Sister He naturally noticed the change in Lin Xia’s attitude towards her, and she felt wronged. If Lin Xia had been upfront about her family situation from the start, she wouldn’t have been fooled by that woman!

"Xiaolin! Do you have any complaints against me? I didn’t know she was your stepmother at the time!"

"Sister He! Let’s not talk about the past. It’s over!" Right then, customers came to Lin Xia’s stall to buy goods, and Lin Dong was also helping out at the side.

Seeing that both were busy and ignoring her, Sister He sheepishly returned to her own stall.

The skirts were selling well, so Lin Xia went to the store and bought up all that fabric.

Mrs. Tao and Lin Qiu couldn’t keep up with the demand, so she found someone else to help make them.

Lin Xia found herself inadvertently doing both wholesale and retail, but she sold to Lin Qiang at the cost price of four yuan a skirt.

Soon, before Lin Xia’s wholesale business had really taken off, there were already others in the market who had procured the same fabric and were wholesaling and retailing it.

It was quite normal for this to happen, and although Lin Xia was a bit annoyed, she couldn’t stop it.

When Lin Xia went to the store to buy more fabric, she found that it was all sold out.

The sales clerks had a good relationship with Lin Xia, as she always brought them tasty treats and was great at making conversation, so they were willing to help her out.

They told Lin Xia that another place had purchased four bolts from their store a while back, and if she wanted to buy it, they could inquire for her.

Lin Xia was more than eager!

If it was available, she would definitely buy it!

It turned out that a shop in Hezhou had tried to make shirts from that fabric but couldn’t sell them, so they agreed to return them.

After thanking those who helped her, Lin Xia calculated the money she had on hand. Although she had been quite busy with her ventures lately, some of the money was still tied up in products that hadn’t been made yet.

Because each bolt contained nine lengths of fabric, and there were four bolts in total, she was sure she wouldn’t have enough money, even without knowing exactly how much fabric was left.

Lin Xia hurried to find Jiang Mingyuan.

Jiang Mingyuan was just about to close his stall for the day; his goods were stored at the home of an elderly lady nearby because it was close and convenient, so he didn’t move them to Lin Xia’s place.

Seeing Lin Xia approaching hurriedly on her bike, her forehead glistening with a thin sweat, he asked, "Xiaolin? What brings you here? Is something the matter?"

"There is something! Big brother! Let me help you close your stall first! We’ll talk in a bit!"

Lin Xia helped him close the stall, knowing this wasn’t the right place to talk.

After delivering the items to their destination, Lin Xia finally discussed her idea with Jiang Mingyuan.

"Big brother! You know how well those skirts are selling! Even though there are others making them now, some still want to buy wholesale from me.

But now I’ve run out of fabric, and although I know where to get some, I don’t have enough money. So, I want to propose a partnership with you!"

Lin Xia sought a win-win situation with her big brother; he had helped her a lot in the past, and Mrs. Zhao had always been so kind to them. She also saw it as an opportunity for him to earn some extra money and repay their kindness.

It’s said that debts of money are easy to pay back, but debts of gratitude are hard to repay; she always felt uncomfortable owing someone.

Jiang Mingyuan couldn’t help but laugh, "What cooperation? If you don’t have enough money, can’t I just lend you some?"

Lin Xia shook her head vigorously, "No! That’s not how it works, second brother! Let’s still go into partnership! There are four pieces in total! When we make money, we’ll split it evenly!"

Jiang Mingyuan knew that the fabric would definitely sell for a profit once it was brought in and wholesaled, but he didn’t want to take advantage of this situation.

He said seriously, "Xiaolin! You really don’t need to worry! If you and Lin Dong are concerned about trouble on the road, can’t I act as your bodyguard? As for the money, take as much as you need from me!"

Lin Xia wouldn’t have it, "If you don’t agree, second brother, I’ll just sell the goods I have and that’s it. As for those fabrics, whoever wants to go get them, let them!" She really wanted to repay the favor.

How regrettable it would be to miss out on making money!

Lacking alternatives, Jiang Mingyuan could only reluctantly agree.

"Alright then! But I don’t have my money on me, I need to go home and get it!

Let’s catch the train right after and hurry over there, lest someone else gets there before us."

Lin Xia smiled happily, "Okay! Then I’ll go home first to find Dongzi, and where shall we meet up afterward?"

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Mingyuan said, "Xiaolin, why don’t you come with me to get the money? Then we can buy the tickets and get on the train from there! That way we don’t have to run around!"

Lin Xia hesitated for a moment; she hadn’t been back there since that time.

Jiang Mingyuan saw what was on her mind, "Xiaolin! Don’t worry! I’m here! We still need to hurry up, I remember that the train leaves in the afternoon!"

"That’s settled then! We can also see how Aunt Zhao is doing!" Lin Xia didn’t dawdle any longer, knowing they needed to act fast. If someone else caught wind of the opportunity, the money might end up in someone else’s pocket.

Without any delay, the two went to her house first.

As soon as Lin Dong heard they were taking him to get the stock, he almost jumped for joy and quickly started changing his clothes.

Lin Xia cautioned him, "You can come! But behave yourself on the train, don’t cause trouble!"

"Don’t worry, big sister!" Lin Dong was all too happy to comply with whatever Lin Xia said.

Lin Xia busied herself looking for paper and a pen. Since both of them were going and couldn’t say for sure what time they would return, she had to leave a note for Lin Qiu.

Along with the note, she left ten yuan; she was worried that if things didn’t go smoothly and they ended up not being able to come back right away, they didn’t have anyone else here to rely on.

So, Jiang Mingyuan, Lin Xia, and Lin Dong took a passenger vehicle back to their home.

Upon getting off, Lin Xia felt a shadow over her, instinctively checking her surroundings for anyone she might recognize.

Lin Dong was also looking around; it was here that he and his big sister had encountered Lin Qiang and that kid last time.

Jiang Mingyuan laughed at their behavior, "Don’t be scared! I’m here! Even if we do run into them, it doesn’t matter!" He didn’t take that Lin Qiang seriously at all.

Lin Dong scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "I’m not scared! Just looking!"

Lin Xia joined in, "Right! Just looking to see if there’s anyone we know! Second brother! Who taught you how to fight like that?"

While walking, Jiang Mingyuan told them, "My grandpa! Back when he was still alive, he had been training me since I was a child.

I didn’t think much of it at the time, just wanted to strengthen the body and have some self-defense. Now it seems learning it was indeed beneficial!"

"Of course! With those skills, you can go out and do anything with confidence!" Lin Xia felt envious; if she had such skills, she would have subdued those people long ago and wouldn’t need to carry a knife with her everywhere.