Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 103 - 102: From Writer Wen to Tailor Wen

Chapter 103: Chapter 102: From Writer Wen to Tailor Wen

In the face of money that was guaranteed to be hers, Writer Wen decisively changed careers and became Tailor Wen.

She dug out her sewing kit, found a measuring tape, and started taking Wang Xixi’s measurements.

Beside her, Lin Nianhe and Wang Shumei stood shoulder to shoulder, watching, their minds whirring rapidly.

Wang Shumei’s thoughts were relatively simple; she was contemplating asking her brother to bring some cotton and fabric after the autumn harvest, and have Wen Lan make cotton clothes for her family’s Damin, Xiaoxiao, and her little nephew – and also for her sister-in-law, she’d need an outfit too.

Lin Nianhe’s thoughts were more distant.

She remembered that during the apocalypse, an uncle had given her a steamed bun, despite it being the only one he had left.

His wife and daughter had died the previous night, and he had intended to join them, but from a distance, he saw Lin Nianhe.

Maybe reminded of his own daughter, he exchanged his only down jacket for a steamed bun to give to Lin Nianhe, hoping she could have a full meal.

"Uncle, can you tell me your name?"

"My name is Tian Ke. You... keep fighting to survive."

When Lin Nianhe saw Tian Ke again, it was after her rebirth.

At that time, Tian Ke was a down-and-out Factory Director whose woolen factory was on the verge of bankruptcy due to stockpiling, while Lin Nianhe was the wealthy second-generation with billions in her hands.

She repaid the favor of that meal; she bought all the inventory in Tian Ke’s factory, left him a large amount of cash, hoping this time he could live well with his wife and daughter.

Back then, Lin Nianhe was obsessed with hoarding supplies, her hamster-like tendencies unleashed, under the mindset of "you never know when it might come in handy." Those two warehouses full of wool were stored by her in her space.

Lin Nianhe had neglected this matter for a long time, she had almost forgotten she still had so much wool fabric.

Until now, when she suddenly remembered.

She looked at Wen Lan, her eyes gleaming slightly.

A woolen coat at the time could sell for over a hundred, but required cloth tickets and industrial coupons. Comrade Old Lin owned one, which he would only wear on important occasions.

To ensure that her own slow handwork and gossip wouldn’t be reported in the newspaper, Lin Nianhe planned to team up with Wen Lan to make money by selling clothes.

She’d provide the material, Wen Lan would handle the production, and Wang Shumei would handle the sales.

What a complete production and sales line!

Wang Shumei was originally idle-chatting with Aunt Li, but suddenly she felt something was wrong—Lin Nianhe had been silent for too long!

Turning her head to glance at Lin Nianhe, she saw her eyes shining brightly as she stared at Wen Lan, as if looking at a fat sheep.

Wang Shumei couldn’t help but shiver.

Was she addicted to scalping, thinking of selling Wen Lan too?

This...this would be too much of a swindle for the buyer.

Wang Shumei nudged Lin Nianhe with her elbow, whispering, "What are you thinking about?"

Lin Nianhe came back to reality, gave her a meaningful look, and said, "Nothing much, just suddenly remembered a problem I’m not confident about; Sister Shumei, could you help me with it for a moment?"

Wang Shumei: "..."

That excuse... would she know how to solve a problem that Wang Shumei herself couldn’t?

Aunt Li, not so familiar with the study situation at the Educated Youth Corps, quickly said, "You two go study, don’t delay things here... oh right, Miss Wen, Daxi won’t be wearing these clothes for over a month, so wait until after your exams to make them, understand?"

"It’s not that I came to rush you today; I’m just worried that if you have something that keeps you busy and we can’t find a tailor later..."

As Aunt Li explained, Lin Nianhe pulled Wang Shumei away.

They shut the door of the small room, and Lin Nianhe raised her eyebrows at Wang Shumei, cutting straight to the point, "Can you get a sewing machine?"

Wang Shumei was taken aback, examining her with a skeptical gaze: "Even if I could, would you know how to use it?"

"Of course, it’s not for my use."

Lin Nianhe pulled Wang Shumei into the inner room, drew the curtains open so they could see the outside to prevent eavesdropping.

She spoke in a low voice, "I have a batch of wool on my side, the material is better than what we have here. If you can get a sewing machine, we pull Sister Lan in and let her make ready-to-wear clothes to sell."

Wang Shumei was somewhat dumbfounded, and after a moment, she couldn’t help but express her astonishment, "You had that in mind just now?"

So just because Aunt Li came to have Wen Lan make a dress, Lin Nianhe already thought about selling ready-made clothes?

Lin Nianhe was too embarrassed to say it was a family heritage; after all, the current Lin Family had nothing to do with business.

She just asked, "Do you think it’s feasible?"

Wang Shumei thought it over carefully and said, "I’m sure there won’t be a problem with the sales on my end. Woolen coats are in high demand. If we don’t take cloth tickets and industrial coupons, I estimate we could sell one for a hundred and seventy or eighty. The only question is whether Xiao Lan would be able to do it, I guess she hasn’t worked with woolen material before."

Lin Nianhe suddenly grabbed her hand, staring into her eyes with the utmost seriousness, "Sister Shumei, to prevent our chatter and procrastination from becoming known to all the national newspapers, you absolutely must persuade her to agree! It’s still making clothes; there shouldn’t be any problems!"

Wang Shumei got a jolt, finally realizing this aspect too.

She nodded vigorously, "I’ll talk to her tonight! I guarantee to complete the mission!"

Many times, a threat is the best motivation.

That night, after Wang Shumei turned off the light and waited until there was no more noise in the other rooms, she woke up the drowsy Wen Lan with a kick.

In the darkness, Wen Lan opened her eyes wide, "What’s up? Are you feeling ill?"

Wang Shumei, feeling a warm sensation in her heart, shushed her before whispering, "Xiao Lan, keep your voice down, I’ve got something to tell you."

Wen Lan lay back down, lazily yawned, and mumbled, "Why not talk about it tomorrow, I’m so sleepy."

Wang Shumei looked at the darkened beams above her and said in a low voice, "It’s about making money."

Wen Lan suddenly sat up again, "Tell me!"

Wang Shumei first asked her, "Do you know how to make a woolen coat?"

Wen Lan shook her head and realizing Wang Shumei couldn’t see her, she added, "Haven’t made one before, no idea. But, I’ve seen woolen coats; they’re just thicker, right? Shouldn’t be too difficult."

"Well then..."

Wang Shumei pulled Wen Lan closer and whispered to her.

"What! Twenty or thirty? For real?"

A cry of surprise jolted the recently asleep members of the Educated Youth Corps awake again.

In the backyard, Lin Nianhe tossed and turned on her small kang bed, covering her ears with a pillow, and groggily whimpering with complaint, "What a curse..."

Wen Lan couldn’t sleep all night.

The thought of earning twenty or thirty yuan as labor cost for making one dress kept her awake.

Twenty or thirty yuan!

Her father’s monthly salary was thirty-six yuan.

She did the math; it would take her two to three days to make one dress.

She could make ten in a month; that’s two to three hundred yuan!

Wen Lan tossed and turned all night and at four-thirty in the morning, she decided Lin Nianhe should develop the good habit of getting up early, so she threw on clothes to go knock on her door.

Lin Nianhe really wanted to pretend she didn’t hear.

But the "effect" of the carrot was rather strong; she heard the knocking all too clearly.

With no love for life, she got up from bed, opened the door, and looking at Wen Lan in front of her, she really wished she could smack her dead with a shovel.

"Hezi, Meizi told me about the thing yesterday, when do we start working?"

Lin Nianhe replied, "Let’s talk after I’m awake."

Wen Lan scooped up a ladle of cold water, eagerly inviting, "Then wash your face."

The scene was such that if Lin Nianhe herself didn’t take action, Wen Lan would probably have been very willing to press her head into the water basin.

Lin Nianhe watched those eager hands and silently trembling took the ladle.

For friendship.