Chapter 554: Chapter 541: Is it Really Feasible?

“If we talk about a few years back, these fabrics were excellent. They were all from the other side of Songjiang, and they were quite popular at the time.” Cheng Ruize said regretfully, “But now they’ve become like this, I’m afraid it will be rather hard to sell.”

It may not be easy to sell, but it all depends on how it is sold.

Zhuang Qingning’s gaze remained fixed on the fabrics.

“Manager Zhuang, are you interested in these fabrics?” Cheng Ruize teased, seeing Zhuang Qingning’s interest, “Could it be that you have a place where you can unload these fabrics?”

“Manager Cheng, you guessed right. I do have a place where I can use these fabrics.” Zhuang Qingning smiled, “And the profits earned could exceed the original expectations of Manager Cheng.”

These fabrics, being associated with Cheng’s reputation, could not be recklessly given to others. Cheng Ruize had already thought that if it really came to it, it would be better to use these fabrics for lining shoe soles.

“Oh?” Cheng Ruize suddenly showed interest, “So how does Manager Zhuang plan to do it?”

“Sell these fabrics to me.” Zhuang Qingning smiled.

Sell them to her?

Cheng Ruize was taken aback, but seeing the confident smile on Zhuang Qingning’s lips and the gleam in her eyes, he knew that she had a plan and laughed, “If Manager Zhuang wants these materials, then there’s no need to talk about buying. I’ll just give them to Manager Zhuang.”

“Considering the amount of fabric, I suppose it wouldn’t be easy for Manager Zhuang to transport. Why don’t I arrange for someone to deliver them to the desired location?”

This was a probing question, inquiring about what these fabrics would be used for and where they would be transported to.

Zhuang Qingning, not intending to hide anything from Cheng Ruize, candidly replied, “I may as well tell you, Manager Cheng, that I’m planning to send these fabrics to Zhuang’s cloth store.”

“Zhuang’s cloth store?” Cheng Ruize was surprised again. “What does the cloth store need these fabrics for?”

“I won’t keep it a secret from Manager Cheng. Uncle Yutian’s cloth store has fallen into Cao Jiande’s unscrupulous scheme. At the moment, the store’s stock is exceptionally low. Since last winter, the store’s stock hasn’t been able to meet the demand and after the New Year, it got even worse. The shop cannot do business as usual.” Zhuang Qingning briefly explained the reasons.

“I see.” Cheng Ruize nodded slightly, “So you mean Zhuang’s store plans to sell these fabrics? However, if such fabric is sold, reputation may be easily tarnished. I am afraid it would be unwise. If the store is short of stock and can’t find good goods immediately, then I’d better write a letter to Manager Jiang in Songjiang City, asking him to send some fabrics. That could help the cloth store.”

“Dear Manager Cheng, your kind intentions are well received by Uncle Yutian and me. But the goods supplied by Manager Jiang are all top-grade, whereas the ones sold in our cloth shop are moderate to low grade. I worry that Manager Jiang would have to go find other sources to restock, which would not only trouble him but also delay the order and shipment rushing back and forth. Even if done swiftly, it might take more than a month, and there might be unexpected issues in between.”

“During this time, if Zhuang’s cannot do business as usual, then Cao’s cloth store will certainly make a lot of profit. Who knows? Maybe they are celebrating now, and we can’t let them take all the glory.”

Zhuang Qingning said, “Moreover, since Cao Jiande wanted to block the supply for our cloth shop, he can’t just talk. He must have invested in real silver and probably bought more goods than necessary to cut off Zhuang’s business, which would naturally enhance his own. So he would dare to confidently stock up.”

“Once Zhuang’s recovers, the goods at Cao’s will naturally be suppressed. By then, Cao Jiande will just have to grind his teeth and swallow the loss.”

“In doing this, we must work against time. If we delay, it will not only be too late, but the slap in the face could also be less painful.”

Having heard this, Cheng Ruize fell into silent contemplation for a while, “What Manager Zhuang means, I understand, and I recognize your intentions. Still, using this years-old stock to compete with Mrs. Cao, can it really work?”

“Absolutely.”

Zhuang Qingning nodded, sounding confident, “Manager Cheng, you come from a privileged background and probably don’t know how ordinary people live their lives. Wearing the same set of clothes for several years and making a new set only for celebrating festivals is quite common.”

“Moreover, to save some money on daily expenses, every coin must be carefully counted, and the fabric materials for making clothes are no exception. People want to save money while also making clothes with better quality fabric. But usually, higher quality leads to higher prices, so it’s rare to spend less money and get good stuff.”

“But at this time, suddenly there’s a batch of fabric available at only a fraction of the usual price. With the same amount they used to spend on some thin fabric to make clothes, now they can afford a set made from a cotton-silk blend. Do you think they’ll buy or not?”

“True, although these fabrics have been stored for many years and their quality won’t spoil, there’s still some musty smell. Won’t people mind?” Cheng Ruize still had some concerns.

“Once the fabric is bought, it can be washed. Just soak it in soapberry water, and the smell will be gone. Wearing it, it then becomes a set of bright, gorgeous clothes. Who will care about how originally it looked?”

Zhuang Qingning smiled, “Not to mention that common folks typically take pride in frugality, even if some people do mind, they are surely too busy in their daily lives to remember these details. They only need to know that they are now wearing a cotton-silk blend. They like how good the color and pattern look and how good the fabric feels.”

“Rest assured, Manager Cheng, this batch of fabric might not be suitable for sale at Cheng’s, but if it were sold at Zhuang’s, I guarantee it can be sold well.”

“And since Manager Cheng has gifted this fabric to me, it naturally becomes mine. As for how I handle it, that’s solely my business.”

It’s irrelevant to Cheng’s, and it won’t jeopardize Cheng’s reputation.

Naturally, there will be no question of reputation damage to Cheng’s by selling these fabrics.

Having spoken to this extent, Cheng Ruize could find no reason to refuse and simply agreed, “Based on what Manager Zhuang said, I will arrange for these fabrics to be transported to the cloth shop later.”

“Thank you, Manager Cheng,” Zhuang Qingning said, “Then I’ll go inform Uncle Yutian now. As for how to split the profits, Uncle Yutian will discuss that with Manager Cheng.”

“Originally, I was worried about how to handle these goods. Now that they can be sold, it’s solving a problem for me. Why would I want any share of the profit?”

Cheng Ruize said generously, “Moreover, as I just mentioned, this fabric is a gift to Manager Zhuang, so it wouldn’t make sense to demand any money again.”

“Besides, to be honest, I also want to see how these fabric pieces can be sold. If they can be sold without wasting, I will feel relieved.”