They found a state-run restaurant to eat. Since the two of them couldn’t eat much, Ji Meng suggested having noodles, but Meng Ling refused, saying she was tired of eating noodles every day after a few days of this, insisting on ordering dishes. She ordered three dishes and a soup all at once. While waiting for the food, Meng Ling brought up this issue with Ji Meng.

Ji Meng was tired and annoyed.

Su Cheng said he would be back in four or five days, but yesterday he called her and mentioned that he needed to go to Shenzhen to help a comrade with something.

He said that, and he still hasn’t returned. What else could she say? She just replied, “Got it, be safe,” and hung up the phone.

After hanging up, he didn’t call back again.

Ji Meng felt uneasy, it seemed that all those late nights spent watching movies with Sansan were wasted.

Feeling uncomfortable, she went out to inspect the store and ran into some troublesome issues.

“I know about this. Our contract only covers clothes, and it’s only for this summer season. If there are problems with these few stores, we definitely won’t supply them with leather goods anymore. Once the contract is over, we won’t renew it.”

“As for the issue you mentioned, I’ve thought of a solution. We’ll discuss it in next Monday’s weekly meeting.”

“You remember the few companies I invited to the weekly meeting next Monday, right? This is our first time inviting distributors to a meeting, so it should have a bit of a ceremony. The collective is busy, so I’ll need to trouble you to ask your sister-in-law to help us borrow a larger conference room from the factory, arrange it a bit, and get some fresh flowers and fruits, as well as a welcome banner. In addition, they might not be able to come and go on the same day, so we need to arrange accommodations for them at the guesthouse.”

“The few new hires we brought in these past few days won’t be going to production to help out for now since they can’t contribute much. You just take them to handle this. After the meeting, those who perform well can directly transfer to the HR and PR department.”

Ji Meng was quick-witted, often, ^[1]“when others took one step, she had already took three” means that she’s very quick and insightful, able to think ahead and predict what will happen next even before others take … Continue readingwhen others took one step, she had already took three.

The benefit of this situation is that the collective has become vibrant under her management, and the clothing factory has started feeling envious about the quantity of fabric they’re procuring from the textile factory. They are somewhat regretting having contracted the collective to her.

They signed a ten-year contract.

However, there’s a downside: the people below her can’t immediately keep up with her pace. Meng Ling has tried her best to adapt, but it’s still a bit challenging.

Ji Meng is aware of this and has tried to slow down and communicate more with her subordinates. With Meng Ling, she has also made an effort to share any thoughts in advance.

But recently, it’s been so busy, and her mood has been somewhat poor, so she hasn’t been able to focus on this.

As a result, Meng Ling didn’t quite understand Ji Meng’s intentions behind bringing these people on board. She propped her chin on her hand while looking at Ji Meng, then let it drop, finally unable to hold back, and asked her,

“I still don’t understand what you hired these people for. Also, you mentioned decorating the conference room—what kind of decoration are you thinking about?”

Ji Meng rubbed her forehead, realizing that she had forgotten to inform Meng Ling about this, which she was supposed to have done in the morning.

Fortunately, Meng Ling is proactive and asks questions.

So sometimes, having a good partner is really important.

She needs to maintain a good relationship with this partner.

Thinking of this, Ji Meng saw that Meng Ling had finished her soda, so she opened another bottle and handed it to her, saying, “This is exactly what I was about to tell you.”

“You don’t think running around like this is too exhausting, do you?”

“But to be honest, in terms of our free distribution, the others who are trying to sell a little bit are much slower. Why? Because our styles are fully stocked, with a complete range of products and a richer variety of colors. Only the items that are genuinely difficult to sell will be adjusted. Having a rich product selection is the foundation for a store’s good business.”

“So we definitely can’t give up on this.”

“However, it is indeed very taxing on our energy, and we don’t have enough manpower. That’s why I plan to set up a general agency in the Jiahu area.”

“Let them manage this, and every year we’ll give them rebates, which means profit sharing. Of course, they also have to bear the corresponding risks, such as inventory risk and financial account risk…”

“What do you mean?” Meng Ling didn’t understand the terms “general agency” and “general distribution,” but she was intrigued when she heard Ji Meng mention finding someone to manage these aspects.

This matter has a lot of details to explain, so Ji Meng took a sip of soda.

“Right now, we’re providing free distribution to each store and collecting payment for sales once a week, which really consumes a lot of manpower and resources.”

“Originally, if we had the capacity, we could set up a branch operation in each area to solve this problem, but given the current limitations, we need to find a way to increase revenue and reduce expenses, right?”

“Then we can only choose a few from those who are performing well, are reputable, and are capable within these regions to help us implement supervision.”

“We will control the inventory and the amount of goods distributed to each area based on the data we have collected here. They will be responsible for daily data integration and statistics, and then settling payments weekly…”

“I have already prepared a detailed plan for this, and we will also need to sign a contract. I’ve listed the contract details for you to take back and review.”

As they stepped outside, they would have to run around all day. Ji Meng’s backpack was particularly large, packed with everything, and at this moment, she handed Meng Ling several pages of plans she had drafted in her spare time over the past few days.

Meng Ling was also an impatient person, she immediately started reading the pages. After finishing one, she looked up at Ji Meng and asked, “Did you come up with this in just a few days? How did you think of it?”

“This method is really good. How come I didn’t think of it…”

This had become Meng Ling’s usual response whenever she read Ji Meng’s plans. Ignoring the praise, she pointed at the table and asked her,

“Can you find any issues that need to be addressed? You mentioned that the free distribution pilot was good, but now we’ve only distributed to over thirty stores, and in just a month, we’ve already discovered many problems.”

“Although these issues aren’t major and are still within a controllable range, a few ‘^[2]“rotten apples” refers to a few bad or problematic individuals or things within a larger group. It comes from the saying “one bad apple spoils the bunch,” which suggests that … Continue readingrotten apples’ have indeed cost us extra manpower and resources.”

“For instance, with the over reported sales figures, we are fortunate that our supervision is effective, allowing us to identify issues quickly. Otherwise, we would definitely be left with a pile of inventory waiting for us by the end of the season.”

“Although the contract states that the responsibility for underreporting or overreporting falls on us, and we are only responsible for the remaining data of our statistical report, if the final payment doesn’t come to us and the remaining goods are still with them, if they refuse to cooperate and demand that we amend the contract, we will definitely end up in a prolonged dispute, wasting even more energy, right?”

This highlights the difference between those ^[3]“those who are barefoot and those who wear shoes” is a metaphor that contrasts two types of people based on their level of responsibility, power, or vulnerability. It implies a difference … Continue readingwho are barefoot and those who wear shoes. Many times, when dealing with unreasonable people, the larger the company or collective, the more concerns there are.

Upon hearing this, Meng Ling became increasingly serious while reading the report. To her surprise, she noticed two loopholes: “You’ve asked the general distributor to calculate the weekly payments and make remittances. What if they embezzle the money and run away?”

“Money is enticing, the weekly payment for one store isn’t particularly large, but when combined for ten or twenty stores, it could be more than what some people earn in ten years. If they claim the money was stolen when they collected it, or they simply take their goods along with our money and run…”

Right now, with the free distribution, there are guarantors and units involved. If not, a portion of the deposit has been paid, yet there are still concerns about future payments or settling the goods, and this situation raises even more worries.

“I didn’t write that down, but I have considered it.”

Ji Meng took another sip of juice and said, “Didn’t you notice? The few businesses I invited earlier have good credibility and reputation. Moreover, many of them have family members working in government offices. Such people value their reputation and wouldn’t engage in such shady dealings.”

“Even if they did, didn’t I write above that if issues of theft or robbery arise concerning the payment, the responsibility will be 80% on Party B and 20% on Party A?”

“And that 80% won’t be something we wait for them to pay, it will be deducted directly from the deposit.”

“Look at what I have written in the back, there’s a provision for how the deposit for becoming a general distributor will be collected, which is sufficient to cover a week’s worth of payment losses.”

“For major distributors, they will pay a higher deposit, while minor distributors, who are responsible for fewer stores, will pay a lower deposit. Accordingly, the rebates at the end of the season and year will also be lower.”

Meng Ling flipped to the back and found that everything had indeed been considered. It even stated what measures would be taken if the contract wasn’t properly fulfilled.

“Then there’s no problem, it’s just a matter of whether those people will agree.”

Ji Meng smiled and said, “They will agree. These people have already made a good amount of money relying on our goods, and they all want to distribute and sell in other places. They won’t refuse to work nearby.”

Her plan wasn’t something she had just thought up on her own, it was based on actual demands that had come to her attention, and she also had her own challenges, so she decided to go ahead with it.

“I’ve also written another proposal for general distribution, which includes a plan for current account deliveries and shared inventory cooperation. I actually hope that someone will accept this latter option, as it would reduce our inventory risks.”

In the clothing industry, the biggest fear is inventory. Fortunately, there aren’t many sizes in women’s clothing, but if it were children’s clothing, it would be a whole different headache.

“Okay, I understand. We still have two stores left to visit. Let’s have lunch first and then go. Once we’re back, I’ll focus on this matter.”

“Go supervise the production side. They’ve been complaining lately. Even though you’re paying a high overtime wage, many people still envy the salespeople who are out running around. Several of them have come to me saying they want to transfer departments.”

Meng Ling is quite capable in handling affairs. As for management, it’s unclear whether it’s because she is easy to talk to or because she has a youthful face that makes her seem easy to bully, but the people below her are not as respectful as they are towards Ji Meng.

Some complaints always come to her.

However, Ji Meng thinks this is quite good, they are like a duo, one acting as the good cop and the other as the bad cop. She needs to understand the demands and issues from the bottom up through Meng Ling.

Upon hearing this, she nodded and said, “I understand. I’ll handle it.”

With the work matters settled, in the afternoon, Ji Meng and Meng Ling were exhausted when they returned, having also worked overtime at the collective over the weekend.

On Monday, they held a weekly meeting, followed by a meeting with the distributors.

As Ji Meng had expected, the results were great. Out of more than thirty heads, Ji Meng invited ten, and nine of them showed up, all taking a contract back with them. Some of the more ambitious ones even took two copies home.

They also took back the contract for the regional general distribution system that Ji Meng had used ^[4]“To test the waters” means to try something out in a small, low-risk way to see if it will be successful before fully committing or investing. It is like experimenting to gauge the … Continue readingto test the waters.

The meeting ended successfully, and after a whole week of fatigue, Ji Meng didn’t want to work in the afternoon. After accompanying the future distributors for a meal, she took a half-day off and rode her bike home.

When she got home, she realized the place was unusually lively, the gate was open, and the yard was full of people.

Qiuqiu and Qingyu, who should have been in school, were gathered around a roughly 20-inch television on the table. The TV was plugged in but didn’t display an image, the screen was filled with static.

Beside them stood Ji Qinghe and several older neighbors from the alley, engaged in conversation. In addition, a few younger women were milling around a refrigerator under the eaves, wanting to touch it but hesitating.

“Mom, you’re back! Dad is back too! He even bought us a TV and a fridge!” Qiuqiu was the first to notice Ji Meng enter the yard and immediately shouted at her.

Ji Meng didn’t respond to Qiuqiu, her gaze shifted to the man adjusting the antenna on the roof.

Dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants, he looked particularly tall and straight. On this rare sunny day, he stood casually on the roof, almost as if he were glowing.

The man obviously noticed her as well, he paused his hand turning the antenna and looked at her with his deep-set eyes, revealing a smile.

That smile was warm and charming, carrying a hint of allure.

In the next moment, he moved his hand, adjusted the antenna’s position, and the image on the TV screen appeared, playing the opening theme of ^[5]“Huo Yuanjia” (霍元甲) was a renowned Chinese martial artist who became a national hero for his mastery of martial arts and his efforts to defend Chinese honor against foreign … Continue readingHuo Yuanjia.

Ji Meng glanced back at the TV screen carelessly, surprised to see that it wasn’t the black-and-white image she had imagined, but rather in color.

Though the colors couldn’t match the clarity of those from decades later.

Had they struck it rich?

Ji Meng had previously inquired at the department store, and even a sixteen-inch black-and-white TV cost four hundred.

This one, brought back by Su Cheng, was much larger and in color, how much would that be?

Moreover, the color TV at the department store needed to be specially ordered.

Adding in the fridge, it probably wouldn’t cost less than two thousand.

The remittance slip was still with her, where could the money have come from…

Ji Meng glanced at the roof again, but the man was no longer up there. She instinctively looked around the yard, and in the blink of an eye, he had come over to find her.

“You’re back? Dad said you wouldn’t be back for lunch, so I was planning to tidy this place up before going to look for you,” he said.

Su Cheng had just washed his hands and hadn’t dried them, he simply shook them off lightly as he came over to take the bike from Ji Meng’s hand, leading it to lean against the bike shed.

Ji Meng still remembered that he had returned late, and she didn’t initially want to pay him any mind, but with so many people around, she couldn’t act coldly. She forced a faint smile and replied, “Yeah, I’m back,” before heading into the crowd.

Having been back in the provincial city for nearly two months, she was now familiar with the people in the alley. She greeted everyone, and seeing them all gathered around the TV, she went back inside to grab some sunflower seeds.

She joined them, watching TV and munching on the seeds.

After putting the bike away, Su Cheng cast a glance at her graceful figure mingling with the group of aunts. He lightly tapped his cheek with his tongue and couldn’t help but let out a helpless chuckle.

She was angry, how was he supposed to comfort her?

Ji Meng thought: That ^[6]“big pig’s hoof” (大猪蹄子) is a playful and somewhat humorous expression used in Chinese, often to describe someone who has done something wrong or ungrateful, especially when … Continue readingbig pig’s hoof, how could he waste my efforts in watching those movies.