Lin Ning rented a small courtyard near the street. One of the rooms had a window facing the road, and she planned to open a small shop there in the future.

When the time came, Lin Ning went to the garment factory. Director Cao had set aside 200 bath towels for her; the rest had already been taken by the factory’s sales team, eager to claim a share of the market early.

Carrying 100 bath towels on her back, Lin Ning headed to the People’s Bathhouse. The best place to sell bath towels was, of course, a bathhouse!

Entering the bathhouse, Lin Ning pulled out a shiny green bath towel. “Sister Hong, let me show you something great.”

“What’s this?”

“A bath towel! A new product from the garment factory!”

The name explained itself, and Sister Hong asked, “For bathing?”

“Exactly. I bought some to sell and wanted to try them out here at the bathhouse. Sister Hong, this one’s for you. Would you like me to demonstrate how to use it?”

People love freebies, and Sister Hong was no exception. She smiled, “How could I accept it for free? How much is it? I’ll pay.”

Lin Ning smiled too. “Come on, we’re good friends. I sell them to others for fifty cents each, but I’ll charge you nothing!”

Under Lin Ning’s persuasion, Sister Hong accepted the bath towel and followed Lin Ning into the bathhouse. They decided to do a live demonstration while the place was crowded.

Before long, Lin Ning was back to her old job as a bathhouse worker. But this time, she didn’t have to wrap towels or use rubber bands. Instead, she slipped her hand into a small piece of fabric, wet it, and started scrubbing Sister Hong.

Sister Hong felt an itchy, tingling sensation as if ants were crawling on her. The sound of “scritch-scratch” filled the air.

After a few scrubs, the result became obvious. From the side, someone exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, look at all that dirt!”

Every stroke Lin Ning made sent a shower of dirt particles flying. The onlookers gasped in amazement.

In those days, having a lot of dirt scrubbed off during a bath was a point of pride. If you could remove a pound of grime, it meant your bath money was well spent.

Lin Ning intentionally exaggerated her movements, flinging dirt particles in wide arcs to impress the crowd.

When she finished, Sister Hong stood up and looked at herself. Her skin was slightly red, but she felt noticeably cleaner than when she used a towel. Stubborn old skin had been scrubbed away, leaving her pores open and her body refreshed.

“This bath towel is amazing! It cleans so well!”

The crowd, unable to hold back their curiosity, began asking questions. “What is this? A bath towel?”

“Yes! It’s a new product from Dong’an County’s garment factory, specially designed for bathing. You all saw how quick and effective it is—much better than a towel!”

Someone immediately asked, “Where can we buy one?”

“I have them here! They’re fifty cents each, available in all sorts of colors. One towel lasts for years, saving you money compared to a regular towel.”

The crowd hesitated. After all, it was a new product, and fifty cents wasn’t cheap. Lin Ning added, “The first three buyers will get a free bath! If you don’t like it, you can return it on the spot!”

A bath normally cost twenty cents, so buying a towel could save them money immediately. Three people quickly shouted, “I’ll take one!”

Each of the three picked a towel and lined up for Lin Ning to scrub them. The others watched closely.

Lin Ning got to work. With her strength and scrubbing expertise, combined with the bath towel’s efficiency, she finished scrubbing each person in just over ten minutes. The scene of dirt flying everywhere amazed the crowd.

When the three were done, they stood under the showers, marveling together.

“This cleans so well!”

“Exactly! Towels would leave my skin red without feeling clean, but this bath towel makes my skin shine!”

Their glowing reviews encouraged the rest of the crowd. Sister Hong helped collect money while Lin Ning continued selling.

One by one, everyone in the bathhouse bought a towel, leading to 29 sales in one go.

The female bath workers were equally impressed. “Lin Ning, this is fantastic! It’s so convenient and saves effort.”

They were right. There was no need to wrap towels or tie rubber bands anymore. Just slip on the bath towel and start scrubbing. It cleaned thoroughly without needing much force, even in hard-to-reach areas.

The bath workers loved the product, which improved their efficiency and reduced their workload. Lin Ning sold ten more towels to them. Sister Hong took some to the men’s section and sold another thirty. By the end of the day, Lin Ning had sold 69 towels, earning 34.5 yuan!

This small business was far more profitable than a regular job. Each towel cost her 30 cents to buy but sold for 50 cents. With nearly 14 yuan in profit, she had made half a month’s salary in one day.

The first outing was a smashing success!

Later, Lin Ning took Sister Hong aside and handed her two yuan. “Sister Hong, this is for you. Thanks for your help today.”

Sister Hong hesitated briefly before accepting it with a smile. She had enjoyed a free bath, a free towel, and two extra yuan—what a lucky day!

Lin Ning then proposed, “Sister Hong, how about selling these bath towels for me here? I’ll give you five cents for every towel sold.”

This was part of Lin Ning’s plan. She couldn’t stay at the bathhouse every day, so she needed someone reliable to manage sales. Sister Hong was the perfect choice, covering both the men’s and women’s sections while Lin Ning focused on restocking and collecting money.

Sister Hong agreed immediately. “No problem! Bring them over, and I’ll sell them all for you.”

Lin Ning left 30 towels with her and took the remaining unsold ones back.

After the success at the People’s Bathhouse, Lin Ning visited another bathhouse, Dazhong Bathhouse, the next day. Using the same strategy, she demonstrated the product and sold it through an agent.

This time, sales were even better. The Dazhong Bathhouse was larger, and it was the weekend. She sold all 100 towels she had brought.

When Lin Ning returned to the People’s Bathhouse, Sister Hong was waiting impatiently. “Do you have more towels? Those 30 sold out in no time!”

Lin Ning laughed. “Not today, but I’ll restock tomorrow.”

This was the beauty of a blue ocean market. The market has not been developed yet, and the demand is extremely high. Every piece can be sold quickly.

That night, Lin Ning tallied her earnings. Out of 200 bath towels, she had sold 198 and gifted two. With a cost of 30 cents each and a selling price of 50 cents, her profit was 39.6 yuan. After deducting 2 yuan for incentives and 1.5 yuan in commissions, she had a net profit of 36.1 yuan—more than her monthly salary!

Holding a handful of small bills, Lin Ning couldn’t help but smile. The satisfaction of earning money was truly delightful!