Chapter 474: Then Don’t Give Me This Money
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
He was clearly the one who wanted to eat, but he still said that he wanted to give Zhao Lanzhi a surprise.
Fortunately, Madam Zhao was in a good mood and agreed readily. “Alright, let’s go buy a cake! Pick the mango flavor that your sister likes.”
No matter what flavor it was, Zhao Erwa liked it as long as it was cake.
He jumped up happily and said enthusiastically, “Mother, the basket is heavy. Let me help you carry it!”
There was nothing in the basket, so Madam Zhao let him do as he pleased.
When he pa.s.sed by the stationery store, he saw someone selling rubber b.a.l.l.s. Zhao Erwa looked interested, and Madam Zhao even generously bought him one.
Zhao Erwa was secretly delighted. He had saved another sum of pocket money that day.
The cake was 12 inches in diameter. The thick cream was filled with tempting mangoes, and a few blueberries were scattered among them, making it look even more exquisite and tempting.
When Zhao Lanzhi returned home, there was a mango cake in the middle of the sumptuous table of dishes. She instantly realized something. “Mother, is the chili sauce very popular with everyone?”
Madam Zhao said humbly, “It’s only the first day. Everyone wants to watch the show. We’ll try again tomorrow.”
Zhao Lanzhi chuckled. “The employees in our factory all say that chili sauce is delicious. Mother, sell me a batch too. I’ll get the canteen cooks to cook with it.”
Madam Zhao agreed immediately. “Then don’t give me this money.”
Zhao Lanzhi said solemnly, “There are so many people in our factory. Even if Mother gives me a cheaper price, you can’t not charge me anything.”
Madam Zhao thought about it and agreed. When the time came, she would not even have money to buy the materials and would have to ask her daughter for them. She might as well accept them generously.
The next day, Madam Zhao and Father Zhao went to the market to sell chili sauce again. The business was thriving, and even the business of the surrounding steamed bun shops was improving.
Madam Zhao and Father Zhao looked at the stall that seemed as if a tornado had swept past and were extremely happy. It seemed that it should be feasible to build a small workshop to produce chili sauce.
Old Master and Madam Zhao planned to apply for a workshop permit. On the other side, Elder Lin was also planning to partic.i.p.ate in the exhibition the following year.
When Elder Lin was young, he often entered the mountains to hunt and catch some deer, wild boars, roe deer, rabbits, and so on.
For deer, the skin had been perfectly preserved from beginning to end. It was even more valuable than deer meat.
Elder Lin learned the craftsmanship of leather making after continuous learning and acc.u.mulated some wealth for the Lin family.
Later on, it was not easy to catch prey. It was too dangerous to enter the mountains, so his three sons only knew a little about this skill.
When he arrived at Carefree City, he happened to discover that the leather used by rich families was much more exquisite than the skills he had painstakingly studied.
He immediately sighed that there was always someone better. He was like a frog at the bottom of a well in Lintian Village.
Leather shoes and boots were popular in the upper-cla.s.s of Carefree City. Lin w.a.n.g was envious of the children in the cla.s.s who were carrying leather bags. Elder Lin immediately had the idea of making leather bags for his grandsons.
He went to the market to buy sheepskin and used the old method to make the leather.
However, the leather he made was not especially beautiful compared to the ones made by other craftsmen. The pores were thick and the patterns were rough.
Elder Lin was a strong-willed person, so he put this sheepskin aside and bought another sheepskin to study.
Unfortunately, even though he did not sleep or eat, he still could not make a piece of leather that satisfied him.
It was not until he happened to hear that the Qinghe Vocational and Technical College had a leather major and would teach the most advanced leather production technology in detail that Elder Lin was tempted.
This was because Qinghe Vocational and Technical College did not have any age restrictions. As long as one paid the fee and pa.s.sed the exam, they could successfully graduate.
Elder Lin wanted to go to Qinghe Vocational and Technical College. His three sons said, “Father, our family doesn’t lack that bit of money. You’re already so old. Don’t torture yourself. Just stay at home and rest in peace in your old age!”
His eldest son and second son planted mushrooms, and his third son raised pearls for aquaculture. Their family was indeed not short of money.
Elder Lin envied the teachers who were the same age as him for still teaching in the academy and having outstanding achievements. “Who said that I can’t do it? I insist on doing it for you to see!”
Everyone really did not think highly of it. After all, no matter how outstanding Elder Lin’s skills were, he could not compete with the workshop skills.
However, no one dared to offend the old man with his temper. So be it. They would just treat it as spending money to find fun.
Elder Lin successfully registered at Qinghe Technical College. After half a year, Elder Lin graduated. If not for the fact that he was too old, he could have directly been a.s.signed to a workshop.
He had learned too much in the past six months in the workshop.
The origins of leather, the craftsmanship of leather, the art of leather, the prospects and development of leather, the style and design of leather, as well as the career path of people in the field.
Before Elder Lin graduated, he had already made all kinds of works.
Leather shoes, leather boots, leather bags, leather jackets, leather pants, leather suitcases, sofa seats, toy decorations, and so on.
After constant polishing, his works became more and more liked by everyone.
His grandchildren were carrying leather bags, using wallets, and wearing leather shoes. They were often the most beautiful children in the crowd.
If his daughters-in-law wanted the same leather boots as the Great Empress, he could replicate them exactly the same. They might even be more exquisite and have all kinds of different designs added.
As a result, Elder Lin received many orders. This also made him think of setting up a studio.
Elder Lin did as he felt. After confirming that leather shoes and boots were the most popular, he crazily designed all kinds of styles and even asked Teacher Xiao, who was dozens of years younger than him, for his opinion.
When Teacher Xiao saw the blueprint, his eyes lit up. He directly proposed to introduce Elder Lin to the design department of the leather workshop.
While Elder Lin was happy to be recognized by Teacher Xiao, he was also determined to establish a studio.
If a girl from Youjia village could become a big boss, he also had to work hard after living for so many years.
Elder Lin wanted to build a design room. Teacher Xiao stared at his blueprint. The more he looked at it, the more he felt that it was promising.
He asked Elder Lin, “Are you going to take the high-end route or the intermediate route?”
Elder Lin already knew what such professional words meant.
He wanted to take the high-end route, but firstly, he did not have any connections, and secondly, he did not have the money to buy expensive rare leather. He thought about it and said, “Let’s take the intermediate route.”
Teacher Xiao immediately looked regretful. “It’s best to take the high-end route with such a good design. Otherwise, the first batch of designs will quickly be replaced by similar designs from the workshop.”
“The price of the studio is definitely not comparable to that of the workshop, but the unique design and exquisite workmanship can firmly capture the hearts of the upper-cla.s.s customers. The profits are also very high. It can also make the studio famous and have a long history.”
Elder Lin said awkwardly, “But I can’t afford expensive leather, nor can I afford to hire someone to do a lot of publicity.”
Teacher Xiao was a direct descendant of the Xiao family in Qinghe and could be considered wealthy. He said, “How about this? If you lack any materials, I’ll help you buy them. If you don’t have enough funds, I’ll go to the bank to attract funds.. How about we open a studio together?”