Traveling back to 1952, starting a comeback from a relief station

Wang Anping visited Xue Ru Silk Shop again.

Standing on the street, I saw that the store had posted a notice that it was temporarily closed.

He pushed open the door and went in. Chen Xueru was guarding the shop alone. As soon as she saw him, she quickly came to greet him.

"Anping, you've finally arrived! Come in and have a look around!"

Let's give it a try.

"I've already secured the backyard, and all the paperwork is done. How should I decorate the shop?"

"I'm contacting the construction team right now. Where do you think the door to the backyard should be located? How should the front counter be arranged? And how should the backyard be tidied up?"

Chen Xueru's personality is indeed decisive and efficient.

Feeling that Wang Anping's suggestion was feasible, they immediately took action, preparing to launch a major offensive.

There was no one else in the shop at the time, so the two went into the small office inside.

Wang Anping also learned about the situation.

He was astonished to hear that Chen Xueru had bought the courtyard with seven or eight rooms where the enemy agents had lived for only 1,500 yuan. He hadn't expected that house prices were so cheap these days.

But on second thought, I can understand.

At this time, the average person's monthly salary is only twenty or thirty yuan.

1,500 yuan seems like something a person could save up in four or five years without eating or drinking.

In reality, most families struggle to make ends meet and have to borrow money every month to get by. For ordinary people, saving money is almost impossible.

For those with slightly better financial conditions, it would take several years to save up to buy a bicycle, let alone a house or yard.

Moreover.

These days, there's no such thing as real estate speculation.

Houses are for living in, so they naturally rarely command a premium.

Seeing Chen Xueru's expectant look, Wang Anping took out a simple diagram and laid it flat on the table.

The drawing is a bit ugly.

After all, Wang Anping had never studied this before.

However, simple lines and annotations can roughly convey his ideas.

While drawing this picture, Wang Anping unexpectedly mastered the skill of "Illustrator," which is related to drawing, but it's still at the beginner level.

Wang Anping wasn't trying to increase his proficiency, so it wasn't very effective.

Chen Xueru stared at the somewhat abstract picture for a long time, then looked up at Wang Anping with a blank expression in her eyes.

Wang Anping coughed lightly and pointed to the blueprints, explaining them one by one:

"Look."

"This is a simple layout."

"The front counter will still be set up as I previously suggested, in a large circular shape in the middle, displaying only various fabric samples. The rest will be stored in the back warehouse."

"You can hang samples of best-selling fabrics or finished garments on the outside walls."

"Let's knock down this wall facing the street and leave two large floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides."

"If Liulichang could make solid, thick glass, then we would install a whole large pane of glass on this floor-to-ceiling window; if not, then we would make a wooden-framed glass display window."

"Firstly, it will make the store brighter, and secondly, passersby outside will be able to see inside the store."

"The shop window can also display mannequins showcasing ready-to-wear clothing."

"As for the backyard..."

"Just keep two rooms as storage."

"Your relative Chun Tao, she rents a place outside, right?"

"We can set aside one room in the house in the backyard as a dormitory, and we can also keep an eye on the shop at night."

"In the remaining rooms, you can set up a few sewing machines, open a small workshop in the back, and hire a few tailors to make clothes."

"You make several trendy styles of clothing and display them in the shop window. The workshop will produce these styles, and if customers like them, they can buy the finished garment directly."

"Although there will be unsold inventory, there may still be some left unsold after the season ends."

"But sales will definitely increase significantly."

"They should earn more."

As Wang Anping recounted each of his stories, Chen Xueru's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

These ideas were completely beyond her expectations, but upon closer examination, she realized that if she really made these changes, her shop would definitely be the most eye-catching and impressive among the fabric shops on Qianmen Street.

Chen Xueru was the kind of person who never wanted to fall behind, and she was already itching to try it after hearing it.

However, she still had one concern:

"This change would definitely be better."

"But... the investment is quite substantial."

"You said before that all the privately owned shops on Qianmen Street will be subject to public-private partnerships in the future. The more we invest, the more we'll lose, right?"

Wang Anping smiled:

"Currently, public-private partnerships are mainly targeting large factories and large stores."

"The higher-ups are also waiting to see the results of the joint venture."

"It will take at least two or three years before it really affects small businesses like yours."

"If your business model develops quickly enough and the business is doing well, you can probably recoup your investment within a year, and maybe even make a profit."

"You can even take over other shops and open branches."

He lowered his voice and said:

"Everyone is worried about the public-private partnership now, and there will definitely be store transfers."

"If you still have funds, you can take it over later."

"The value of the shop, the cost of renovation, and the purchased machinery will all be included in the shop's assets when calculating the public-private partnership."

Chen Xueru nodded in agreement.

However, he said with some distress:

"I wish it could really be like that."

"I still need to think carefully about the trendy clothing styles. I'll ask my friends in Russia about it later!"

Wang Anping's eyes flickered slightly:

"Well... I'll think about it for you later."

Chen Xueru was taken aback:

"You even know about this?"

Wang Anping:

"I know a little bit!"

After discussing the matter with Chen Xueru, Wang Anping came out of the silk shop, got on his bicycle, and hadn't gone far when he saw He Daqing walking out of the Zhimei Building next door, his face beaming with joy.

He Daqing looked up and saw him.

Wang Anping spoke first with a smile:

"Uncle He, did you find work?"

He Daqing paused for a moment, then smiled smugly:

"That's right! Our skills speak for themselves."

"Have you heard of Tan Family Cuisine? It used to be something only chefs in the palace and grand mansions could make! Finding a job there would be a piece of cake."

"By the way, what are you doing here?"

Wang Anping waved his hand behind him and said:

"I'm here to visit a friend."

After saying that, he took a step closer and joked in a low voice:

"You can even cook dishes that only high-ranking officials and nobles of the previous dynasty could eat. Your status is quite extraordinary, which doesn't quite match your background of three generations of poor farmers."

He Daqing then realized he had let something slip, and his face changed instantly.

Seeing his terrified expression, Wang Anping happily rode his bike around.

The weekend arrived in the blink of an eye.

Early in the morning, Wang Anping led Qin Huairu to Deshengmen.

They are going to Changping today.

This was also the first time Qin Huairu had returned to her parents' home after getting married.

In earlier years, it was customary for the bride to return to her parents' home a few days after the wedding. However, after the war, those old customs were no longer so strict, and there was no fixed rule in Qin Huairu's hometown.

Only one custom remains—the newlywed's first visit to her parents' home after marriage should not involve spending the night there.

So the two of them made a point of taking the early bus, planning to go and return on the same day.

Before leaving, Qin Huairu had already written a letter home to inform her family.

The journey took nearly two hours, filled with bumps and jostling.

As soon as the car arrived at the station, Qin Youcheng and Qin Youcai were already waiting by the roadside, with a little tail following them.

As soon as Wang Anping and Qin Huairu got out of the car, Xiao Jingru, who had been waiting anxiously, spotted them immediately. She toddled over with her short legs, calling out in a clear voice:

"Brother-in-law! You've finally arrived."

Qin Huairu paused in her steps as she was about to greet the girl, and couldn't help but purse her lips as she looked at the little girl.

Well, so it turns out I've been a useless older sister all along.

This girl is too attached to her brother-in-law.