The next morning, Lin Ning headed to the Dong’an County Garment Factory, where even better news awaited her.

“What? You sold 20,000 units?”

Director Cao burst into laughter. “Yes, Comrade Lin Ning. Hard to believe, right? When I first heard the news, I couldn’t believe it either. But it’s true—we sold 20,000 pieces in just two days.”

As they spoke, Director Cao’s phone rang again. He picked it up. “Hello, Old Shi? What? You want to order another 10,000 pieces…”

Lin Ning’s brain raced to calculate. According to the contract, she earned a 2% commission on each sale. With a uniform price of 50 cents per unit, her share was 0.01 yuan per piece. Selling 20,000 units earned her 200 yuan!

In 1982, 200 yuan was an astronomical sum. Most people’s monthly wages ranged from 20 to 40 yuan. With 200 yuan, you could buy a high-quality watch, two bicycles, or even get married.

Earning 200 yuan in just two days was remarkable. If she continued at this pace, she could earn 3,000 yuan a month—enough to buy a house!

Director Cao was still on the phone, while Lin Ning suddenly felt uneasy. Would the garment factory really pay her so much? Would they try to withhold the money?

When Director Cao finished his call, his expression turned serious. “Comrade Lin Ning, we need to hold a meeting to discuss some urgent matters.”

Once again, officials from the Dong’an County Committee, the garment factory, the textile factory, and Lin Ning gathered in the meeting room. It was the same group as before.

Director Cao announced three pieces of news—one good and two bad.

The good news was that the bath towel was in extremely high demand. In just two days, they sold 20,000 units. He had just received another order for 10,000 pieces. The product had not only gained recognition but also brought fame to Dong’an County.

The first piece of bad news was the emergence of counterfeit products. In other parts of Yongzhou City, other garment factories were already producing knockoff bath towels. For experienced garment workers, the production process was straightforward—one look, and they could replicate it.

However, these knockoffs were inferior. Using nylon or coarse fabric, they couldn’t match the dirt-scrubbing efficiency of Lin Ning’s special fabric, twisted nylon fabric. As a result, the knockoffs couldn’t compete.

The key still lay in the fabric. All eyes turned to Lin Ning, marveling at her ingenuity. Choosing to treat the twisted nylon fabric with hot water was a stroke of brilliance.

Lin Ning smiled. She silently thanked the anonymous aunt who had unknowingly inspired her. Destiny had a hand in this.

County Secretary Dong Yikuan spoke with enthusiasm. “Comrades, selling 20,000 units in two days with a total revenue of 10,000 yuan proves how popular this product is!

“Currently, no other fabric product sells as quickly as this bath towel. In the foreseeable future, it will undoubtedly become Dong’an County’s signature product, supporting our economy through taxes and foreign exchange.”

The room buzzed with excitement. It was clear to everyone—this bath towel was a golden goose that needed protection.

Dong Yikuan continued, **“Comrades, as you all know, the critical component of this bath towel is the fabric. Eventually, some skilled textile workers will figure out the secret. When that happens, we’ll lose our exclusivity.

“But the longer we keep this secret, the more money we can make. Therefore, comrades, we must ensure confidentiality. Anyone who leaks this secret will be a traitor to Dong’an County and face criminal charges!”**

His stern gaze swept across the room, and everyone shuddered. It was intimidating.

The attendees pledged their loyalty once more. This was a rare opportunity for Dong’an County, and no one wanted to ruin it.

The second piece of bad news was that the garment factory’s production capacity couldn’t keep up.

In addition to producing bath towels, the factory had other manufacturing tasks. With demand potentially reaching tens or even hundreds of thousands of units per day, their current workforce of a few hundred couldn’t meet the requirements.

County Secretary Dong Yikuan decisively said, “Report this to Yongzhou City!”

Director Cao hesitated. “But such a big opportunity—can’t we handle it within the county?”

“We can handle it now, but not for long. Soon, everyone in the country—and even the world—who takes baths will want a bath towel. A factory with only a few hundred workers can’t supply that many products.

“Additionally, counterfeits will soon flood the market. We must expand production to dominate the national market before that happens.”

Reluctantly, Director Cao nodded. It was hard to let go of such a lucrative opportunity.

Dong Yikuan encouraged the group to brainstorm further. Lin Ning suggested, “I recommend giving the bath towel a catchy brand name and registering a trademark. This way, regardless of how many counterfeits appear, consumers will immediately recognize our product.”

“Excellent idea, Comrade Lin Ning! We’ll implement it immediately!”

The meeting ended with everyone feeling energized. The success of the bath towel would drive Dong’an County’s economic growth, improving everyone’s lives.

Before wrapping up, Dong Yikuan reminded Director Cao, “Don’t forget to pay Comrade Lin Ning her commission. She’s our hero.”

“Don’t worry, Secretary Dong. I won’t forget!”

As they left, Director Cao said to Lin Ning, “Initially, we planned to settle accounts monthly. But with so much revenue coming in, let’s settle weekly instead.”

Delighted, Lin Ning replied, “Great! I’ll stop by this weekend!”

She then requested 600 bath towels from Director Cao, packed them up, and returned to her rented courtyard to continue selling.

After replenishing the stock at the People’s Bathhouse and Dazhong Bathhouse, Lin Ning visited seven more bathhouses. By now, she had covered nearly all the bathhouses in Dong’an County.

The more places she visited, the more people she encountered. One day, while promoting bath towels at Tianquan Bathhouse, Lin Ning unknowingly ran into someone familiar—Chen Caohua.

Chen Caohua recognized Lin Ning instantly, though Lin Ning didn’t recognize her. Standing under the shower with shampoo lathered in her hair, Chen Caohua’s eyes burned with resentment. Seeing Lin Ning reminded her of the humiliation of being forced to drink bathwater.

Lin Ning sold 42 bath towels at Tianquan Bathhouse, earning 21 yuan. Watching Lin Ning collect a pile of small bills, Chen Caohua’s eyes turned green with envy. Money! So much money!

She couldn’t believe Lin Ning, the “wretch,” had become so capable, earning so much so quickly. Recalling how Feng Tianqi once praised Lin Ning for her frugality, Chen Caohua was consumed with jealousy and hatred.

Struggling under her mother-in-law’s strict watch and financial control, Chen Caohua saw Lin Ning’s success as an opportunity. Why couldn’t she sell bath towels too?