Chapter Forty-Five: A Suggestion

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“What would a child know?” In the eyes of his parents, Zhang Ye was still just a child. While he may have matured somewhat recently, when it came to family matters, they were still accustomed to keeping him out of the loop, not letting him influence anything. Zhang Ye understood as well—when it came to major family decisions, perhaps they would share some details with him, but when it was time to make real choices, he absolutely couldn't have a say. Yet Zhang Ye came from the future, knowing how things would turn out. Naturally, he wanted his mother to make a decision as early as possible.

“I read something in a book,” Zhang Ye said, opening his mouth to share his thoughts, “it said that entrusting your destiny to others is bound to end in sorrow.” He hesitated, then continued, “Maybe this time, Mom, you and Aunt Hui weren’t laid off, but what about next time? Whether the company collapses or survives this crisis, our family’s livelihood is tied to it. The boss’s word alone could turn our world upside down and plunge us into hardship.” Losing one’s job was still a frightening prospect for most people, but Zhang Ye knew it was also an opportunity.

Zhang’s father had always been stubborn, but hearing Zhang Ye’s words, his expression shifted. Entrusting their lives and hopes to others truly offered no security.

Zhang Haiguan looked at Zhang Ye differently now. They’d already started noticing changes in him lately, but he hadn’t expected such words to come from his own son. When had he become so mature?

“Haiguan, I think our son is right. Our company has been losing money for months, and we see no hope ourselves. It’s better to resign sooner rather than later. There’s a substantial severance payout for buying out our years of service; if we wait until the company is bankrupt, we won’t get a dime.” Liu Meiju was bold by nature, but the mindset of the times still made her hesitant.

After all, it was a state-owned enterprise, so direct dismissal wasn’t appropriate. Instead, there was a buyout scheme. Liu Meiju, Zhang Ye’s mother, had worked at the company for fifteen years. Calculating at the minimum wage of two thousand per year, that was thirty thousand yuan. Once she received the payout, she would have no further ties to the company.

“What will you do after you resign? Go into business? Look at Sister Wang next door—her clothing business is losing money, isn’t it?” Zhang Haiguan put down his chopsticks and sighed helplessly.

“We’ll go into the clothing business,” Zhang Ye’s eyes lit up as he suddenly said loudly.

His father’s mention of Sister Wang next door reminded Zhang Ye of something he hadn’t paid much attention to before. But now it came to him: in the latter half of this year, Sister Wang’s struggling clothing shop would undergo a dramatic transformation, all because of leather coats.

At this time, clothing wasn’t yet as diverse as it would be in the future. Often, when a novel garment became fashionable, it sparked a craze. With leather coats appearing in TV ads, a trend swept Li Hua County and the surrounding areas. Adults, especially young people, took pride in wearing leather coats. The glossy black coats, the style they imparted when walking, stirred envy among the youth.

Back then, wearing a leather coat—even if your pants were rough cotton—was still a matter of pride.

It was precisely because of leather coats that Sister Wang’s clothing shop, which had been losing money and teetering on the edge of closure, made a dramatic comeback, earning a fortune that winter. The exact amount was never known, but the fact that her family built a new house the following year was a matter of public record.

So, Zhang Ye immediately wanted Liu Meiju to go into the clothing business, too. Though it was still some time before leather coats would really take off, he knew that even now, another type of clothing was quite popular outside.

“Clothing business? Didn’t you see Sister Wang fretting?” Zhang Haiguan tapped Zhang Ye, annoyed. Just moments ago he’d thought his son mature, now he seemed impulsive again.

“I know Aunt Wang’s family is losing money, but that’s because she hasn’t caught the current trend and her shop’s location isn’t good, so business is naturally poor,” Zhang Ye replied quickly, understanding he needed strong evidence to convince his parents. “But we’re different. I have a classmate whose relatives run a clothing business, and their shop is thriving. He said it’s because they’ve caught the latest trend, selling a style of clothing imported from South Korea, and that’s why their sales are booming.”

Zhang Ye took a sip of soup and continued, “I’ve been paying special attention these days, and I noticed that in Li Hua County, most shops sell ordinary clothes—cheap, barely profitable, and highly competitive. If we follow my classmate’s example and sell South Korean imports, we’ll create an invisible monopoly. It would be hard not to make money.”

“But are those South Korean clothes really profitable?” Liu Meiju was still worried. They’d never seen the clothes themselves—what if they bought them and couldn’t sell them, losing money? South Korean imports sounded expensive; what if their whole savings got wiped out?

“Of course! You haven’t seen the way my classmate shows off those clothes—everyone around him asks for help to get some from his uncle’s shop. I was about to ask you for money myself, but if you’re going to sell them, that solves the problem.” Zhang Ye deliberately downplayed his own request to strengthen his argument.

Seeing his parents’ resolve begin to waver, Zhang Ye pressed on: “I passed South Gate Street today and saw the clothing market there is nearly finished. Now is the best time to secure a shop—if you rent early, it’s cheaper and you can choose a better location. Later, when rents go up, you’ll lose out, and the good spots will be gone. Plus, you know the area—South Gate Street is prime real estate. The market is just opening, rents are low, and even if you don’t run the shop yourself, you could sublease it and make a profit.”

Zhang Ye had gone to the swimming pool that morning and happened to pass South Gate Street. Though Cultural Street was usually bustling, once the clothing market opened, it became the first choice for buying clothes. Later, it turned into a small garment city, with countless merchants settling nearby.

“Alright, let’s open a clothing shop. I’ll resign tomorrow, collect the severance, and start making arrangements,” Liu Meiju decided firmly, her resolve crystallized once she felt Zhang Ye’s plan was feasible.