Aoxue, a female worker at a Mengxian textile factory, finally received her first paycheck after working hard for more than a month.
On the seventh day of each month, wages for the previous month are paid.
Aoxue, who was wearing work clothes, held twenty banknotes in her hands, her hands trembling slightly and her eyes widened:
"Twenty silver notes... really twenty silver notes, and it is only my own money...
"I, Aoxue, have lived for twenty years, and this is the first time I have received so much money!"
Aoxue himself is actually quite smart, and his mind and hands are very flexible.
After only studying for less than ten days, I was able to keep up with the progress of the production line and was immediately considered a master.
After more than ten years of training in the high-walled compound, I am good at observing words and emotions, and know how to maintain good interpersonal relationships.
I helped the line leader and team leader with their busy work and got a very high job evaluation.
In the end, in the first month of work, he received twenty silver notes in addition to basic salary, study incentives, and general assessment.
It is equivalent to the wages of an ordinary worker after working for a full month.
Aoxue looked at her money and was stunned for several seconds.
Then he quickly divided the banknote into four parts and put them into different pockets.
With unusually brisk steps, I walked towards the "park product store" in the industrial park.
This park product store is a special store built directly inside the industrial park that only sells products produced in the park.
Zhu Jingyuan once imagined that ordinary workers in the factory could use their own products at a relatively low cost and built a number of such stores.
The prices of the things sold in the store are very close to the cost price, and the sales are basically unprofitable after deducting the wages of the supply clerks.
This is actually an employee benefit.
If workers in the factory really need to use the products in the factory, they will basically come to the product store in the park to buy them, and they will definitely not go to the stores on the street outside to buy them.
Today happens to be the day when wages are paid, so there are many people in every shop.
The overall layout of Aoxuelai's store is convex, and the protruding part in the middle is the hood outside the building.
Under the hood are several long wooden counters, and the most popular products are placed on the counters.
Stretch cotton fabric with a small amount of stretch yarn, and ready-made clothes made from this fabric.
There are underwear and vests that have become popular since the time of Emperor Sejo, as well as the middle coat worn under the traditional crown dress.
Plus the latest invention of circular knitted socks.
Less than 5% elastic yarn greatly improves the feel and wearing comfort of these clothes.
The key is that the actual selling price of these products is slightly cheaper than the non-elastic products sold outside.
Because this is true factory direct sales, there is not much price increase, so the sales are very good.
A whole row of cloths of different colors and thicknesses are placed on the table to be cut.
The most common pure white mid-shirts, mid-skirts, mid-length trousers, and mid-length ready-made clothes are also piled next to them in bundles.
A large box filled with socks was placed open on the table.
Several shop assistants stood around, explaining the use, estimated price, cutting the cloth...
The store entrance is as lively as a rural market in the 1990s.
Some workers tend to buy cloth, apparently planning to go back and make their own clothes.
Some workers have also begun to buy ready-made clothes directly. What they consider is how much money they can make by wasting time making clothes.
However, whether buying cloth or clothes, I will basically think and hesitate, discuss with my companions, and check carefully.
But Aoxue was very decisive and skipped the pieces of cloth to look at the ready-made clothes.
Find the style and color you like, flip to your size, pick up one item, and immediately choose the next one.
Aoxue has been here more than once and is very familiar with everything here.
After I used my previous savings to buy a set of underwear, I immediately decided that I wanted to replace all my underwear and mid-shirts.
After Aoxue finished choosing her underwear and mid-shirts, she walked into the store.
The wall on the left side of the store and the left half of the hall are filled with all kinds of fabrics, while on the right side are ready-made garments.
The deepest wall of the store is lined with other textile-related products such as packages.
There are many people in front of the store, but not many people inside the store. The reason is that the things inside are relatively expensive.
Moreover, these relatively few people were mostly concentrated on the left side of the store, all choosing fabrics.
In terms of underwear and mid-coat, the price difference between ready-made clothing and fabrics is relatively small, because the styles of underwear and mid-coat are very simple.
The gap is even bigger when it comes to outerwear, because outerwear styles are more complicated, and there are designs such as embroidery and printing and dyeing.
The price of ready-made outerwear is much more expensive than that of fabric. Most workers still choose to buy fabric and make it back. Even if it is done by a tailor, it is cheaper than buying ready-made clothes directly.
However, Aoxue still did not consider buying fabrics and went directly to find the ready-made clothes she liked.
She quickly picked out a gown, two skirts, and a bikini, all made of rayon and stretch silk.
The total price of these four pieces of clothing was six silver coins, which cost Aoxue almost one-third of her monthly salary.
Aoxue's shopping was still not over. She walked to the back of the store and picked out a rayon satchel.
I can often sell some rayon outerwear fabrics, and occasionally one or two pieces of ready-made clothing.
But rayon bags...that's something that really no one cares about.
The bags themselves are more expensive than rayon clothing and cannot be worn on the human body.
For most workers, bags and satchels can be just as useful if they are made of cotton.
Even if you are handy, you can cut fabrics from clothing, or cut rayon scraps in the factory, and piece together a functional and exquisite bag.
But Aoxue's consumption ideas are different from ordinary workers.
If she thinks this thing pleases her, she will buy it directly without even asking for details.
When Aoxue was choosing a bag, the female clerk next to her looked at her several times.
It’s hard to understand why this woman wants to buy a bag? She doesn't look like a particularly wealthy craftswoman.
Aoxue picked out her satchel and when she was about to pay the money, she found something else lying next to the package:
"Is this... pantyhose, or something called pantyhose?"
Aoxue works in the knitting workshop. She has seen the production line of pantyhose on site and knows the female workers on the production line there.
The female clerk next to her saw that Aoxue was interested in pantyhose again. She seemed to have doubts about the key, so she took the initiative to introduce:
“Pantyhose are equivalent to a pair of underwear, a pair of trousers, and a pair of socks, three pieces of clothing in one.
"And they use the finest weaving technology, so it's actually more cost-effective..."
Aoxue said with some uncertainty:
"I heard from the workers on the production line that this is Xiyi's men's clothing. How could it be placed in a women's clothing store..."
The clerk immediately shook his head and said:
"Those are all rumors. This is women's clothing designated by our king, so it is sold in women's clothing stores.
"In the new Ming-style formal attire designed by our king, those short skirts must be worn with these pantyhose.
"So it does belong to the new Ming style formal clothing, not our traditional Ming Dynasty clothing."
In the Big Food Country and in the Mengxian Industrial Zone, the name "Our King" is undoubtedly very persuasive.
Aoxue immediately accepted this statement, and at the same time she became more curious:
"The clothes designed by our king? What does the new Ming-style formal suit look like? Where is it hung?"
The clerk immediately said:
"We don't have it in our store. That kind of clothes needs to be custom-made and tailor-made to be effective.
"And...so far, no one in the factory seems to have made this kind of clothes...
Aoxue suddenly became interested:
"No one has done it? Then I want to give it a try. How can I customize it?"
The clerk said:
“Go to the intersection of Zhongxin Street in the county seat and look for Dashi Clothing Store, which is also our king’s property.
"When you order clothes with our work ID card, you can enjoy the same discounts as in the factory store."
Aoxue nodded gently:
"I understand, thank you, I'll go check out...wait..."
Aoxue subconsciously wanted to leave, raised her feet and stopped:
"Are you sure these pantyhose are not men's clothing? And how do you calculate the price?"
The clerk immediately introduced:
"Eighty percent rayon, 20% elastic, a three-yuan banknote.
"Ninety percent rayon, 10% elastic, two dollar bills each.
"Ninety-five percent cotton, half stretch silk, one dollar bill.
“The factory has regulations that no matter what type, each person can only buy two pieces per quarter.
“The one-yuan ones are actually equivalent to elastic cotton socks, and there are some differences in look and feel.
"But the difference between two yuan and three yuan is very small. It's just that the elasticity is smaller. There should be no difference in wearing it..."
After hearing this, Aoxue nodded gently:
"It doesn't seem expensive. Give me two first..."
Aoxue subconsciously wanted to say two three-yuan items, but before she could finish her words, she realized that they were too expensive.
If you don't have to go out to customize clothes, you can just buy two for three yuan now.
But Aoxue didn’t want something of inferior quality, so she thought about it for three seconds and said:
"Let's get a three-yuan one first..."
The clerk almost choked at Aoxue's words.
I was worried that she would dislike the price of three yuan, so I introduced the advantage of two yuan.
In the end, this guy was lucky. He didn't mention the two yuan thing and just asked for the most expensive one.
However, it was up to others to decide how to buy things. The clerk packed the things for Aoxue without saying anything.
When going to the counter to check out, Aoxue finally determined how much money she spent, which was a full thirteen yuan in silver notes.
Aoxue's total wages of 20 silver coins now only have seven yuan left.
Aoxue returned home with her things. As soon as she entered the door, she saw her parents and sister standing in the living room.
Her mother, Xianglan, immediately asked:
"Where have you been? Didn't we agree that after we were paid, we would go to the store to buy cloth and come back to make new clothes?"
Sister Ling Shuang saw several packages in Aoxue's hand:
"She should be going shopping, she may have finished shopping..."
Father Qingsong also reacted:
"Why did you go to the store by yourself? What fabrics did you buy?"
Aoxue shook her head and said:
"I didn't buy cloth, I bought ready-made clothes. I've already bought my own, you just go and buy yours."
Her mother Xianglan noticed the bag in Aoxue’s hand:
"You... actually bought a rayon bag? That thing costs two silver coins! If you change it to cloth, you can make a full set of clothes!"
Aoxue laughed dryly, thinking that the most expensive thing I bought was not even this bag.
But she also knew in her heart that if she said anything about the strange three-dollar bill, there would be even worse consequences.
So Aoxue didn't say anything at this time, just carried her things and walked into the room.
There are only two rooms in this house. Qingsong and Xianglan live in one room, sisters Aoxue and Lingshuang live in one room, and the remaining two brothers sleep directly in the small living room.
Xianglan watched Aoxue remain silent, then noticed the handbags in her hands, and her eyes suddenly felt dark:
"Where's your wages? How much did you spend? How much is left?"
Aoxue still didn't say anything, went straight into the room, and locked the door.
Xianglan went over and knocked on the door a few times, but there was no response at all. She was jumping on her feet outside and wailing:
"You stinky girl are going to piss me off to death!"
This family has long been familiar with Aoxue's character. His father Qingsong waved his hand in disgust and said:
"Find her an in-law to marry as soon as possible..."
After hearing this, Xianglan became even more worried:
"She has such a prodigal character and she is already twenty years old. Who would want to marry her..."
Ling Shuang, as a younger sister, is very tolerant:
"My sister has been like this all her life. It's useless for you, my parents, to worry about her.
“Anyway, she can work now and make money on her own, so she won’t starve to death anyway.
"We should do whatever we need to do, just pretend that she doesn't exist in the family."
Qingsong felt that what his younger daughter said made sense, so he called his wife, son, and younger daughter and said:
"Leave her alone, let's go to the store and buy some meat and vegetables to cook..."
Xianglan had no other choice, and followed her husband with a sullen face, taking her son and little daughter out of the house.
