CHAPTER 558: CHAPTER 542: ZHANG SHUHUA IS BACK

"Is Liang Weixiang planning to return to her hometown this time?" She just saw Liang Weixiang and her daughter carrying bundles.

"Probably. They barely have fifty bucks now; if they don’t go back, they’ll starve here."

"Liang Weixiang knows our address. Once she returns, I’m afraid she’ll talk to your dad about us. What should we do then?"

Ye Qing suddenly realized this issue too. Given Liang Weixiang’s tendency to talk, she’ll definitely mention having kids when she returns to the village. Her dad will immediately understand why she asked her mom to come over. If he really comes over, it could backfire badly.

Mei Langchi mentioned a few days ago that he was coming over. Maybe wait until he arrives, and then talk to him about registering the marriage? She doesn’t want to keep dragging this on.

"Mom, don’t worry, I’ll think of something."

As Su Ling was pushing a sewing machine and bicycle out, the mother and daughter were worried about hometown affairs and didn’t notice her. If Ye Qing had seen it, he might’ve been furious.

Shortly after Su Ling left, two policemen returned. Lin Wan gently closed the door and went to the police station with them.

After giving her statement and coming out, Su Ling was already waiting at the door with clothes. "How did it go?"

"It’s resolved. The main issue is that we don’t know where those two are now. But I gave them the hometown address, so if they can’t be found here in a month, the local police will take care of it. They can’t escape the debt anyway."

"Great. Let’s quickly go back and see how to handle these clothes."

"Okay."

When Lin Wan and Su Ling got home, they visited Sister-in-law Zhang’s house and told her about Liang Weixiang’s situation, saying they won’t rent the house anymore so she can clear out the rooms.

At home, Lin Wan instructed Su Ling to soak the clothes in water immediately. Using hot water and laundry soap, they scrubbed them once and then cooked a large pot of rice.

They smeared rice over the spots that couldn’t be washed off. With over two hundred items and just the two of them, they called Shi Lan and Yin Peibai to help, tackling the task together.

The clothes with the sewing defects were handled with much care during washing, yet several got ruined.

"Do we have any place here that sells overlocking machines?" Lin Wan asked.

"In our city, aside from garment factories, I guess there’s nowhere else selling these; probably they sell them in Shanghai or Guangdong," Yin Peibai replied.

"That’ll be troublesome." They couldn’t make a special trip for an overlocking machine over there, especially not knowing anyone or any locations.

"Let’s inquire first to see if there’s any garment factory-specific shop. If there is, we can buy one."

"Sure."

Of these over two hundred items, there were quite a few khaki pants, around eighty-nine, washing them quickly left eighty-eight.

Once they’re dry tomorrow, they can be ironed on one side and directly sold. But Lin Wan doesn’t want to do it like this.

She plans to alter them by cutting off two to three inches, making them Capri pants. A slit on the outer seam of the pants would change the style and make them look better, easily selling for eight bucks each.

For the rest, they’ll wait for the overlocking machine to arrive before re-adjusting.

The four worked from morning till evening. At noon, they ate simple white rice with Shilan’s house sauce, solving the meal. Finally washed over two hundred clothes, spreading them all over the yard.

Looking at the yard full of clothes, Su Ling laughed heartily sitting on the chair.

"If these over two hundred clothes sell well, we could easily make a couple thousand bucks out of them."

"A couple thousand for sure. See this khaki pants—after I modify them, we’ll sell each for eight bucks. And these tops, we’ll continue pairing them with our pants to sell, over a hundred items, except for the labor costs, it’s all pure profit. I guess an overlocking machine wouldn’t cost over three or four hundred bucks."

"Can those khaki pants really sell for eight bucks each? Wouldn’t that be too expensive?" Yin Peibai frowned.

"You better believe it, I can turn this into a bestseller at eight bucks each. Once I’ve modified them, I’ll give one to each of you. Next batch, we’ll size them better, not only for medium-sized people, but also for fat and skinny folks."

"That would mean stockpiling, right?"

"Stockpiling is normal in the garment business. What’s left unsold this year, we’ll sell next year, slightly cheaper if old, but not a loss for us."

Lin Wan and the others sat in the yard resting, feeling satisfied with their achievements.

Meanwhile, Liang Weixiang and Zhang Dandan had anxiously hidden for a day outside, thinking they couldn’t stay in S City anymore. They intended to smuggle back home the sewing machine and bicycle under the cover of darkness.

Yet, arriving inside, everything was empty, even the bedding and those clothes with dye had vanished.

Only Ye Qing would want those dyed clothes; they hadn’t imagined anyone else.

Liang Weixiang was so angry that her nose bled. Passing Ye Qing’s door that night, she spat disdainfully. Still unsatisfied, she went into the yard, scooped up a shovel-full of dung and dumped it at their entrance.

As she walked away, she muttered curses about Qiu Lan Hua and Ye Qing’s ancestors under her breath.

The two of them, with their tails between their legs, took the night train back to their hometown.

Liang Weixiang and her daughter finished cleaning up, and aside from losing Director Wang as a big client, the business was otherwise fine.

After seeing a few people off, Lin Wan rode her tricycle to bring Little Star back from Aunt Jin’s house.

"As long as it’s okay, that’s what matters. I haven’t been eating or sleeping well these past few days."

It was originally just a matter of bad competition in business, yet it worried her friends and family. Lin Wan was genuinely touched, even if she didn’t admit it.

"Aunt Jin, there’s nothing to worry about with this matter. Situations like this won’t be rare, and I can handle them."

"I know your abilities," Aunt Jin suddenly laughed. "So, my husband and I indeed have something we’d like you to advise us on."

"What is it?"

"A friend of your uncle says there’s a store for sale over on Central Street. He asked if your uncle wants to buy it. We were thinking of buying it, so your uncle wouldn’t have to endure the weather outside all day. But we don’t know how the foot traffic is over there."

Lin Wan laughed when she heard about Central Street, "Where is it exactly, and how big is the place?"

"Not far from the intersection, right on the pedestrian street. The location is quite good, but it’s too big, over one to two hundred square meters, and they’re asking for five thousand. We don’t need such a big place for selling pastries."

"Two hundred square meters for five thousand?" Seems like Uncle Jin’s friend is really close.

"Yes indeed."

"Aunt Jin, such a big place at that price isn’t expensive. Who says you can’t use a large storefront for pastry business? How about I go with you tomorrow to take a look?"

"Sure. My husband and I also wanted you to have a look. If it’s suitable, we’ll buy it. Over the years, the two of us have saved up some money."

After leaving Aunt Jin’s house, Lin Wan went to sit for a while at Grandma’s. Who knew Grandma wasn’t home? Sister-in-law said Grandma’s old cold legs have gotten worse. The medicine she took home this time hasn’t worked after many days.

A few days ago, my second uncle knew about this and took Grandma away, saying he’d take her to H City for a check-up.

I was so busy with my own affairs these days that I didn’t even notice Grandma’s condition. It was careless of me.

After getting home, Lin Wan was thinking of calling my second aunt tomorrow to ask about the situation.

Just as she was holding Little Star and entering the door, Mom came back, smiling as she took Little Star, saying, "My precious is back from Grandma Jin’s. Did you have fun?"

"Na...na na," Little Star giggled, waving his hands and feet.

"Oh... can you call ’grandma’ now? How about ’grandma’? Let me hear you say grandma."

"Wow. Po."

"Oh my, my Little Star is so amazing. Come, Grandma will steam you an egg custard, okay?" Liang Hongmei said, suddenly turning her head, "Why are there so many clothes in the yard?"

"Mom, I’ve got something to tell you, don’t get too excited."

"What could make one so excited?"

"My aunt and cousin have left."

"Left? Where to?" Liang Hongmei paused.

"Of course, they went back to the hometown," Lin Wan didn’t keep Mom in suspense and told Liang Hongmei what happened yesterday and today.

This made Liang Hongmei really happy, "Heavens be praised, those two finally went back. Xiao Wan, you did well. This is how it should have been done. They needed to learn a lesson. Tomorrow, call your eldest uncle to let them know, so they won’t make trouble by talking nonsense when they get home." Last time, Liang Zhi said that Liang Weixiang and her daughter said bad things about her back home.

"Mom, don’t worry, I’ll call Auntie tomorrow to communicate over the phone." Besides Auntie, no one hates Liang Weixiang and her daughter more at home. With Auntie around, Liang Weixiang can’t say much.

"By the way, guess who came to the store looking for you today?" After finishing this matter, Liang Hongmei suddenly smiled mysteriously.

This made Lin Wan pause in surprise, she thought for a moment and said, "Did Sister-in-law Zhang come?" Besides those sisters-in-law from the military base, she really couldn’t think of anyone else who would come to look for her.

Liang Hongmei just shook her head.

Lin Wan frowned slightly and guessed again, "Did Godmother come?" After saying it, she doubted it too, if Godmother came, she would definitely come to the house.

"It was Zhang Shuhua who came looking for you. That girl came back from Z City, just recently returned."

"Zhang Shuhua came back? Mom, why didn’t you let her come home?"

"I told her, and she said she would come early tomorrow."

"Oh, she hasn’t been in touch for so long, what has she been doing in Z City?"