CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 199 DISCUSSING BUSINESS

Ah Ru’s attitude was very good. From the moment Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng came in with the children to browse to when they changed the styles, she always had a smile on her face.

This reminded Mu Shuangshuang of those modern stores known for their service, where service often determines whether customers immediately decide to purchase, and quality determines if they’ll buy again in the future.

To be honest, Ah Ru’s words did catch Mu Shuangshuang’s attention.

Her hands had only drawn portraits of criminal suspects before. As for those so-called patterns and designs, she hadn’t really tried them, but she could certainly give it a shot.

"If I draw a style, can you help me make it?" Mu Shuangshuang asked again, uncertainly.

"Of course!"

"Then, can you prepare a feather, along with paper and ink for me?"

A brush wasn’t her strong suit, but a feather dipped in ink could be used for drawing.

Ah Ru smiled and confidently went to the backyard, returning with the items Mu Shuangshuang needed in hand.

Mu Shuangshuang didn’t stand on ceremony. She closed her eyes and pondered for a moment, remembering the simple Han Dynasty clothing she had seen in dramas. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she finally finished drawing, though the clothing was for women, and she’d need to draw a male version.

When Ah Ru saw the finished product, she couldn’t help but cover her mouth. Her slightly larger almond eyes were full of astonishment, as she looked up and seemed to take a good look at Mu Shuangshuang.

The girl in front of her had a slim, oval-shaped face, with large, impressive eyes that were hard to ignore.

Yet judging from her attire, she seemed unlikely to be the daughter of a wealthy family. However, the style of clothing she drew was something Ah Ru had never seen before, and it was particularly beautiful.

After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, Mu Shuangshuang finally completed the second drawing. She was somewhat moved, realizing that in ancient times, one truly had to excel in social settings, culinary skills, and combat, as well as earning money.

She managed to utilize everything she had learned during her school years.

Lu Yuanfeng watched Mu Shuangshuang with admiration. Although Shuangshuang seemed increasingly mysterious to him, this mystery didn’t make him feel distant; it actually made him want to get closer to her.

"Shuangshuang, your drawings are really beautiful!" Lu Yuanfeng sincerely praised.

"Of course. If it weren’t beautiful, I wouldn’t have drawn it," Mu Shuangshuang said shamelessly.

Ah Ru nodded beside them. "Miss, actually... if you take this style to the Xue family’s fabric shop in town, you might be able to sell it for a good price."

In the entire Qingshan Town, there were countless fabric shops, but none could compare to the Xue family.

"Thanks, but I don’t plan on doing that." Mu Shuangshuang smiled and shook her head. That Xue Yi was not a good partner for collaboration; he was in his twenties or thirties, yet he was always causing trouble, stingy!

"Are you certain you want me to make these two outfits?"

"Of course. But we can also discuss this business. If I sell these two designs to you, how much are they worth?"

Ah Ru actually reminded herself that these two pieces of paper could be exchanged for money. She didn’t want to go to the Xue family, so this place was also a good option.

Ah Ru stared at Mu Shuangshuang in surprise. Her own shop wasn’t very big, and the goods sold weren’t particularly expensive. Usually, she operated on a thin profit margin. If she made clothes in this style, it might not sell at a high price, or no one might buy it.

"You can try it first, and pay me silver after you make money."

Mu Shuangshuang had already looked around Ah Ru’s shop when she came in. It was in a decent location and belonged to the kind of place people would stroll by when shopping. Starting a ready-to-wear business here could be a good choice.

Most importantly, Mu Shuangshuang liked this girl.

If Ah Ru didn’t agree with such favorable conditions, it would be somewhat foolish. She calculated in her mind before speaking. "How much silver are you asking for before you’d agree to sell these two designs?"

"You get ten percent of the income from each piece of clothing!" Mu Shuangshuang said calmly.

If a piece of ready-to-wear clothing sells for one hundred coins, she’d get ten coins. The more sold, the more she earns.

"Alright, ten percent it is!" Ah Ru readily agreed, as she could see Mu Shuangshuang’s sincerity. Even if others liked these two styles and made money, giving Shuangshuang ten percent wasn’t much.

With the deal simply set and the contract written, Mu Shuangshuang began selecting fabrics.

"Ah Ru, do you have any slightly soft and breathable fabric here? I want to make an outfit for each of my parents, and two for Fengzi, plus one each for the three little ones."

When calculated, Mu Shuangshuang needed to pick a few different colored outfits. She and Little Zhi could wear the same ones.

Lu Yuanfeng, Xiao Han, and Yuanbao could wear the same, while Yu Si Niang and Mu Dashan would wear something different, so there needed to be at least four different colors.

Upon hearing that Shuangshuang was buying fabric including clothes for him, Lu Yuanfeng quickly waved his hand. "No need, no need to fetch fabric for me. I still have clothes, Shuangshuang, you should take some extra and make yourself a couple of nice outfits."

Lu Yuanfeng considered himself a rough man, often needing to do labor, so what clothes he wore didn’t matter.

But Shuangshuang was different; she was a girl, and girls would like dressing up more than boys.

Girls in the village liked wearing pretty clothes and nice hair ties. Even Xia Guagua, whom he didn’t like, frequently switched between new and old clothes.

"Ah Ru, don’t listen to him, fetch the fabric according to what I said."

"Alright~" Ah Ru chuckled. She had already observed Shuangshuang and Fengzi earlier. It was obvious that Fengzi listened to Shuangshuang. Since they started, Shuangshuang had been the one who spoke, while he attentively listened, occasionally nodding.

Despite Fengzi standing quietly by, you could never ignore him, because this man was different from ordinary people.

With business already discussed, Ah Ru became increasingly attentive in recommending fabrics to Mu Shuangshuang, focusing particularly on its color, texture, and other factors.

"Shuangshuang, you and the little girl should pick the same color, this light pink one enhances the skin tone, and this fabric is soft and breathable, not expensive, at just twenty-two coins per foot. Around six to seven feet of fabric can make an outfit, and about three feet is sufficient for a child’s clothes. Get twelve feet for you and this little girl."

"Alright! Please pick some more for the others."

After some discussion, Mu Shuangshuang selected a total of fifty-three feet of fabric. Mu Dashan’s fabric was grey, which was dirt-resistant; Yuanbao, Xiao Han, and Lu Chengfeng were given a dark blue color; Yu Si Niang’s fabric was a mature peach red, which suited her age.

A fabric roll of forty-five feet was already surpassed by Mu Shuangshuang’s purchase.

This trip was truly a splurge, as the fabrics Ah Ru picked for her ranged from twenty-two to twenty-five coins per foot, but all were ultimately priced at twenty-three coins per foot, resulting in a total of 1219 coins.

Mu Shuangshuang instantly felt that all the silver she usually earned paled in comparison to the price of these fabrics!