Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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Tang Tang was confused. “What can I do?”
The regimental commander’s wife picked up the needle and thread from Tang Tang’s hand, her voice full of excitement. “Look, your handiwork is so good! You could totally open your own shop and make clothes for people. Your clothes are so beautiful, I’m sure many people will like them, and you won’t have to worry about selling them.”
“Huh? Sell clothes?” Tang Tang was still a little confused. “Sister-in-law, isn’t that just doing business? But how can I leave home? Xiao Zhuo and his father still need me to take care of them.”
“You, why can’t you keep up with the times!” Sometimes the regimental commander’s wife really admired Tang Tang. Such a young girl, yet she didn’t like going online, living like an old woman, completely unfamiliar with things online, even less knowledgeable than her, a middle-aged woman.
Tang Tang scratched her head, waiting expectantly for the regimental commander’s wife to continue explaining.
“What I mean is, you could open an online shop, like on Taobao, and then you could customize clothes for your customers. I see those padded jackets and skirts you make are especially beautiful; they look absolutely gorgeous on. And your embroidered shoes are gorgeous too; I’m sure lots of girls would love them.”
“An online shop?” Tang Tang thought of her online shopping experiences. “Is it like those shops I buy things from on Taobao? Can I become a shop owner too?”
The regimental commander’s wife clapped her hands. “That’s exactly what I mean! You print out the patterns, and when a customer needs one, you just record their measurements and make them a custom set. That way, you don’t need to go out at all; you can just stay home doing needlework, and it’ll be no different from your daily routine.”
“Is that even possible?” Tang Tang was intrigued by the regimental commander’s wife’s words. She realized for the first time that her needlework could earn her money in this era, and she wouldn’t even need to go out to find a job— it was perfect for her.
The regimental commander’s wife also thought her idea was brilliant. She clapped her hands excitedly and said, “Opening an online store requires almost no cost. Even if business is bad, we won’t lose anything. We don’t have any inventory; everything is custom-made, so we’re not afraid of losing money. Actually, I had considered starting a clothing business online before, but it’s inconvenient to source goods here, and Taobao stores are very difficult to run now; you basically can’t make any money, so I gave up. But you’re amazing! Your clothes are unique and beautiful, and they’re all handmade and custom-made, which others can’t imitate. You won’t have to worry about selling them.”
“Can it really sell? Are there people willing to wear ancient costumes now?” Wouldn’t people gossip about wearing ancient costumes in public?
“Normally, people wouldn’t wear them, but nowadays a lot of people like to do cosplay, I don’t really know much about it, but Wenwen told me that these people like to buy ancient costumes to wear; also, those who play ancient musical instruments usually wear ancient costumes for their performances, it’s more artistic.”
“Really?” Tang Tang got excited when she heard what the regimental commander’s wife said, but her excitement was quickly dampened by reality. “But sister-in-law, I can make clothes, but I don’t know how to run an online store. I can’t learn that.”
The regimental commander’s wife knew that Tang Tang was a bit tech-illiterate, so she thought for a moment and said, “How about this, Tang Tang, if you trust me, I’ll help you manage the online store, act as your customer service representative, and even handle some shipping for you. I used to do these things a lot when I was in business. Is that okay?”
Tang Tang nodded without hesitation. “Of course, sister-in-law! I trust you completely. I’m so grateful that you’re willing to help me. As long as the clothes sell, I’ll share half of my profits with you.”
The regimental commander’s wife quickly waved her hand. “No, no, I’m just doing customer service work. How can I take half of your profits? If I offered to work for you for free, you definitely wouldn’t do it. So, I won’t be polite. For every piece of clothing you sell, just give me one percent of your profits.”
“One percent is too little, sister-in-law, how about three percent?”
“No, no, no, just one percent. I don’t have to do anything, just talk, one percent is more than enough. If you give me more, I won’t stand for it.”
Seeing the regimental commander’s sister-in-law say this, Tang Tang had no choice but to agree.
The regimental commander’s sister-in-law was an impatient person. After agreeing, she immediately ran home. “I’ll apply for an online store now, and I’ll let you know in a few days. Tang Tang, didn’t you make a few outfits before? Use those as samples. It would be best to find a model to take some photos so customers can refer to them. You can also make some nice-looking clothes as samples during this time.” Tang Tang nodded, “Okay, leave these to me.”
After the regimental commander’s sister-in-law left, Tang Tang was still a little dazed. Her heart was pounding a little fast. Actually, she couldn’t believe that she was going to open a store and do business. She had never thought about this in her two lives.
Could she really succeed? However, why not give it a try? After all, the regimental commander’s wife said there were no costs involved, so even if it doesn’t succeed, there won’t be any loss. Why not give it a shot?
With that in mind, Tang Tang picked up her phone and called Ji Yue. After the call connected, she told Ji Yue about her desire to open a shop and sought her opinion.
Ji Yue was very happy for Tang Tang after hearing this, and repeatedly expressed her approval, “Tang Tang, I can’t speak for others, but if you were to do it, you would definitely have no problem. The clothes you make are so unique, they can’t be compared to those made by machines. If you open a shop, I’ll buy every single one of your outfits!”
Tang Tang was overjoyed by Ji Yue’s words, and her confidence soared. “No need for you to buy them, I’ll give them to you for free.”
“Oh, that’s too kind of you.” Ji Yue only said this as a polite remark before revealing her true colors. “Since that’s the case, I won’t stand on ceremony with you. Just send me all the new clothes you make, and I’ll be your model for free. I’ll have my company’s professional photographer take pictures for you to hang in your shop, saving you the trouble of finding a photographer and model. How about that, am I being generous enough?”
“Really?” Tang Tang was overjoyed. “Ji Yue, you’re so kind! You’re so generous! You have such a great figure and you’re so beautiful. You’ll definitely look amazing in my clothes, and the customers will definitely want them.”
Ji Yue laughed heartily. “Just because you praised me like that, I’m definitely going to be your model. Once your shop is set up, I’ll promote it for you and guarantee your business will boom.”
Tang Tang wanted to kiss Ji Yue now. How lucky she was; everyone she met seemed to be helping her.
Ji Yue suddenly made a suggestion: “Tang Tang, I suggest you make a wedding dress. It will definitely sell well. Many people nowadays prefer traditional Chinese weddings, and the wedding dresses they use are usually provided by photo studios or bought online. The quality isn’t very good, and the styles aren’t very attractive. Many wealthy people have their wedding dresses custom-made, but I don’t think those expensive custom-made ones are necessarily as beautiful as the ones you make yourself.”
“Really? Then I’ll make a wedding dress first and send it to you. You can take pictures of it.”
“No problem. For the men’s wedding dress, I’ll have my husband model it for you. It’ll be like reliving the feeling of getting married with him, haha. Tang Tang, you’d better hurry! I’m eager to wear a wedding dress.”
“Okay, I’ll make the wedding dress first, it’ll be quick.”
If Tang Tang was still a little nervous before making the call, her confidence instantly surged afterward. Ji Yue was so capable; even she said it was no problem, so it must be no problem at all. As long as the dress she made was beautiful, that was all that mattered.
Thinking of this, Tang Tang couldn’t sit still any longer. She immediately took out paper and pen and sketched the patterns for her new clothes. The first thing she drew was the wedding dress. She had seen many wedding dresses before, having seen them several times when her older sisters in the mansion got married, and she had even made one for herself once.
Besides that, she planned to make two different styles of women’s dresses, and finally, a set of ancient costumes for a little boy and a little girl. The little boy’s dress would be made according to Ji Xiaozhuo’s figure, and the little girl’s dress according to Wen Nuo’s figure, so they could be her little models. The two children would definitely be adorable! After finishing the sketches of the wedding dresses, Tang Tang bought all the necessary fabrics from her usual online fabric store and paid extra to have them shipped via the fastest courier.
Next, Tang Tang started drawing two more sets of children’s clothes. The boy’s clothes consisted of a long robe with a small waist belt, paired with matching little boots and a hat— absolutely adorable! There were even more styles for the little girl; she planned to first make a pink long dress with a white gauze overcoat, paired with moon-white embroidered shoes— also incredibly beautiful.
Although wearing ancient clothing in this era was a bit strange, no one would say anything if children wore it; on the contrary, they would find it very cute, especially for birthdays.
Tang Tang couldn’t wait to pull the two little cuties, Ji Xiaozhuo and Wen Nuo, over to take their measurements.
“Mommy, what are you doing?” Ji Xiaozhuo asked, raising his little arms and legs as Tang Tang fussed over.
“Mommy’s going to take your and Nuo Nuo’s measurements and then make you a set of ancient-style costumes. After they’re done, can you two be little models for Mommy’s online shop?”
Ji Xiaozhuo was a child who wasn’t shy or afraid of being the center of attention. Being a model was a novel experience for him, and he immediately nodded enthusiastically, “Sure, sure! I’m so handsome, being a model is great!”
Wen Nuo saw Ji Xiaozhuo nodding, and although she didn’t understand what she was going to do, she nodded without hesitation. She could be a model too.
Tang Tang gave each of them a kiss, and then gave Wen Nuo the finished cloth tiger as a reward, “Nuo Nuo, you’re being Auntie’s model, this is Auntie’s reward for you.”
Wen Nuo’s eyes lit up when she saw the cloth tiger, but she didn’t take it. Instead, she hesitated, looking at Ji Xiaozhuo, because Ji Xiaozhuo hadn’t received any reward.
Seeing this, Tang Tang brought over a pastry she had made and gave it to Ji Xiaozhuo. “This is Xiao Zhuo’s reward.”
Ji Xiaozhuo was very satisfied with this reward and immediately stuffed the cloth tiger into Wen Nuo’s arms. “Okay, you can take it. You can sleep with the cloth tiger from now on. The tiger is very strong. With it by your side, you won’t be afraid at night.”
Wen Nuo nodded, the corners of her mouth secretly curving upwards, revealing two cute little tiger teeth. Her eyes narrowed into crescents, and she lovingly stroked the cloth tiger’s tail with her little hands. Suddenly, she thought of something and turned around and pounced on Tang Tang’s side, unexpectedly giving her a “smack” kiss on the cheek. After the kiss, she shyly buried her face behind the cloth tiger.
Tang Tang burst out laughing, affectionately stroking Wen Nuo’s soft hair. “Nuo Nuo is so cute.”
Ji Xiaozhuo proudly puffed out his chest; he was the one who taught her, it took him a lot of effort to make her so adorable.
Wen Nuo blushed for a moment, then handed the cloth tiger in her hand to Ji Xiaozhuo.
Before Tang Tang could figure out what the little girl was up to, Ji Xiaozhuo waved his hand. “I’m a man, I’m brave enough. I don’t need a cloth tiger to sleep with me. You’re the one who needs it. Take it back and play with it yourself.”
Hearing Ji Xiaozhuo say this, Wen Nuo took the cloth tiger back and hugged it tightly to her chest again.
Ji Xiaozhuo, like a little adult, pulled her hand and led her to the carpet where the two often played. “Okay, come with me, let’s eat some pastries. I’ll share half of mine with you.”
Wen Nuo obediently followed him to the carpet, and just as she was about to eat a piece of pastry, she heard Ji Xiaozhuo frantically clearing his throat.
Wen Nuo paused in her eating, blinking at him with a puzzled look.
Seeing her confusion, Ji Xiaozhuo hummed twice more, then casually poked his cheek with his finger.
Wen Nuo suddenly remembered the way Ji Xiaozhuo had taught her to say thank you these past few days, and realized what he meant. She put down her pastry and leaned over to kiss his chubby cheek to express her gratitude.
Ji Xiaozhuo narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, “Alright, eat up.”
Tang Tang, who was watching in stunned silence, thought, “Isn’t my baby taking advantage of this little girl? Should I give him a spanking?”
The online store application was quickly completed, and when naming the store, the regimental commander’s wife directly named it after Tang Tang: Tang Tang Ancient Costume Customization.
Ji Yue was also very helpful. She wore the same jacket and skirt that Tang Tang had made for her, along with embroidered shoes. She asked the makeup artist to style her hair in an ancient style, and then went into their company’s photography studio. The photographer took many pictures of her, and every picture was incredibly beautiful. With the ancient backdrop, she looked like a fairy in ancient costume.
When the regimental commander’s wife saw the pictures, she excitedly slapped her thigh repeatedly, “Oh my, these are so beautiful! Even I, a middle-aged woman, want to try them on! This will definitely sell well. I’ll go and put this outfit up for sale right now! This is our shop’s first item!”
The regimental commander’s wife was very skilled with computers and quickly uploaded the pictures. However, she ran into trouble when it came to the last step: filling in the price. She asked Tang Tang, “How much should we sell this outfit for?”
“Uh…” Tang Tang was also stumped. She had never thought about this question before. “Sister-in-law, the cost of this outfit, including the fabric and thread, is about two hundred yuan. It will take me about three days to make. What price do you think is appropriate?”
The regimental commander’s wife had been in the clothing business before and knew a lot about this. She thought about it carefully and gritted her teeth, saying, “We’ll sell it for 1,888 yuan!”
Tang Tang was shocked. “Sister-in-law, aren’t we selling it too expensively?” A dress in a shopping mall only costs around a thousand yuan. Generally speaking, clothes online are cheaper than in shopping malls. 1,888 yuan is too expensive!
The regimental commander’s wife, however, had her own reasons. “I think our clothes need to be high-end, not the kind you can just buy anywhere. Besides, your craftsmanship is definitely worth the price; you won’t regret buying them. We don’t rely on volume, we rely on quality!”
“Will anyone be willing to buy them?” Who would be willing to spend so much?
The regimental commander’s wife nodded confidently. “People will buy them. Although not many people will buy them, we don’t rely on volume to make money; we just want to have something to do. If the price is cheap and many people buy them, you’ll be exhausted.”
Tang Tang thought this made sense. Anyway, she was supported by Ji Yan and didn’t rely on this for a living. If a lot of people bought them, she wouldn’t be able to handle it all, and she wouldn’t even have time to take care of the father and son. That wouldn’t do.
In the end, the price of the dress was set at 1,888 yuan.
After the first item was listed, Ji Yue was the first to add the store to her favorites, and then she posted another helpful message on her WeChat Moments: The clothes you asked me to recommend last time are here!
Ji Yue wore this dress and posted it on her WeChat Moments last time, and a huge number of people were clamoring for recommendations. This time, Ji Yue actually recommended it, adding a link to the shop in the comments.
Ji Yue’s WeChat Moments was flooded with comments.
Grandma Zhuo also commented: “Tang Tang’s clothes are really well made, and Ji Yue, the model, gets full marks.”
Gu Chang’an: “With my wife as the model, this shop is going to be a hit.”
Zhuo Ji: “Is this Tang Tang’s shop?”
Ji Yue’s cousin: “Hahaha, you wouldn’t even lend me one for a day last time, now I’m going to buy one myself!”
Subordinate 1: “What kind of shop is this that’s so amazing, managing to get our boss to model it personally? Incredible, I want to go check it out.”
Subordinate 2: “Say no more, I’m definitely adding it to my favorites and getting a set, I want to have a photoshoot too!”
Ji Yue’s WeChat Moments were practically flooded with comments, but it had to be said, Ji Yue’s actions yielded remarkable results. The shop quickly went from one favorite to fifty-four, and then two customers placed orders.
The regimental commander’s wife was as excited as a child, “A fantastic start! Tang Tang, your friend is amazing, bringing us business so quickly!”
Tang Tang was equally thrilled. What started as a spur-of-the-moment decision now seemed to have truly succeeded!
She was going to have her own business too.
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