Chapter 124: Xia Hua Clothing Company

Zhou Feng watched the several people bustling about, his eyes filled with an affection so thick it couldn't be dispelled.

He didn't find helping Su Ruo and them troublesome at all; on the contrary, he loved the lively atmosphere they brought, which made his wife even more vibrant.

The owner of the three‑section courtyard, upon hearing that Bai Xinya had bought the neighboring courtyard, originally felt regretful.

But he also knew that, compared to the surrounding houses, theirs was indeed too dilapidated, making it not easy to sell.

So when he saw Bai Xinya bringing people to view the house, his excitement welled up uncontrollably, and he said that if Li Zhaodi wanted to buy it, eight thousand would suffice.

Upon entering, Li Zhaodi immediately took a liking to this courtyard; first, because it was close enough to Su Ruo's courtyard that opening an archway would give direct access to Su Ruo's courtyard.

Also, this courtyard is large enough; although it doesn't match Su Ruo's courtyard, finding one this large in Kyoto is not easy either.

Although the house is very dilapidated, this is not a problem for Li Zhaodi, because she plans to directly demolish and rebuild the houses here.

Moreover, Li Zhaodi had already planned how the new house would be constructed; she intended to turn the front courtyard into a factory, specifically for hiring workers to make clothes.

The east and west sides of the house would be built into storage rooms and offices, while the rear courtyard would be built into dormitories and her own residence.

For Li Zhaodi, buying such a large courtyard just to live in would be a waste; she wanted to establish a clothing company here.

In these times, just thinking about it made Li Zhaodi's blood boil; she looked at the courtyard before her and exclaimed, "This isn't a courtyard at all! This is my future, it's money!"

So when the landlord said the price was eight thousand, Li Zhaodi immediately made up her mind and said she wanted to buy this courtyard.

That straightforward manner made the landlord wonder if he had asked too little, but the words were already spoken; regretting now would be too late. Missing Li Zhaodi, he didn't know how long he'd have to wait to encounter such a generous buyer.

Because both parties feared the other might regret it, they signed the contract that same day and completed the property transfer procedures.

After finishing all this, Bai Xinya's house‑buying celebration, which had originally been at noon, was moved to evening. At the dinner table, Bai Xinya happily said: "Great, we bought our houses together; from now on we can grow old together. When we're seventy or eighty, we can still lounge in rocking chairs in the courtyard, basking in the sun."

Su Ruo thought of that scene and felt it was indeed quite nice; when she grew old, if she could still have two old sisters together, she wouldn't be lonely.

Li Zhaodi said: "Then we must definitely make good money and live to a hundred years."

Su Ruo and Bai Xinya exchanged smiles; this girl never talks three sentences without mentioning money, a total little money‑grubber.

The two spoke in unison: "Mm, we must definitely make good money and live to a hundred years."

At this moment, they surely couldn't have imagined that decades later they would finally realize this wish, together in a courtyard bathed in sunlight, amidst wafts of floral fragrance, chatting, drinking tea, and freely discussing their lives.

As it turns out, a certain kind of friendship can truly last forever…

Although by then they had become elites in their respective fields, praised by all, their friendship had never changed.

When a journalist interviewed them about the secret of their success, the three simultaneously gave the same answer: as long as they always kept their dreams in mind and persevered, never giving up no matter what happened, they would eventually succeed.

People say small wealth relies on luck, great wealth relies on fate, but they always believed that heaven would never shortchange those who work hard.

After Su Ruo and them bought the house, the task of finding laborers for repairs fell to Zhou Feng, but to him these were trivial matters, not worth mentioning.

Li Zhaodi had no requirements regarding the aesthetic aspect of the house's construction; her only demand was that it be fast, convenient, and practical.

The cost of buying and building the house had already consumed most of Li Zhaodi's money; watching her savings dwindle, she was eager to make money, because only money could give her a sense of security.

Zhou Feng arranged people to build the house for Li Zhaodi, while Li Zhaodi and Su Ruo were not idle either; they each went to buy sewing machines in their respective places.

Although Su Ruo and them had money, they lacked the necessary coupons; after Bai Xinya learned of this, she told them to go ahead and buy, and she would handle the coupon issue.

Su Ruo and Li Zhaodi had to admit that having connections was good; otherwise, just dealing with these industrial circles would be enough to worry them.

After the sewing machines were purchased, the next thing was fabric…

Li Zhaodi had it all planned; as soon as the factory building was completed, she would immediately start making money, making money, making money…

Even Bai Xinya was infected by her enthusiasm, designing over a dozen versions of ancient‑style cheongsams, and personally went to inspect the fabrics and threads; once preparations were ready, production could start immediately.

Seeing how hard the two worked, Su Ruo also put in extra hours and designed several sets of underwear.

Bai Xinya felt a bit shy upon seeing this, after all, people at that time tended to have more reserved and introverted thoughts.

Li Zhaodi, however, had her eyes light up; she possessed a keen talent for business and knew that underwear would surely sell big in the future.

Zhou Feng then registered the Xia Hua Clothing Company for them.

With everyone dividing tasks and cooperating, a month later, as Li Zhaodi's factory building was completed, their clothing company was officially established.

Their company's philosophy is that they hope one day, on the land of China, every girl will be able to wear beautiful clothes, study, learn, and become an independent woman who makes people proud.

Although this idea may seem trivial decades later, in the present era when many people can't even afford a meal, realizing it is difficult.

On the day of opening, Su Ruo and them set off string after string of firecrackers, startling the surrounding neighbors.

At this time, Su Ruo posted a recruitment notice; now everything was ready except for the workers.

Su Ruo hadn't not thought of hiring workers in advance, but previously they had nothing, and being newcomers unfamiliar with the place, whenever they went out to recruit, people always took them for swindlers.

But now it's different; they have their own clothing company, so when they go out to recruit, their credibility is much greater.

Sure enough, as soon as the recruitment notice was posted, many people came forward to inquire.

Su Ruo stated their recruitment requirements: female, able to operate a sewing machine, diligent and hardworking, with preference for those with work experience.

Recruiting only females was a consensus reached by Su Ruo and the three of them; they knew how difficult it is for girls in this era to obtain a job.

Su Ruo and them hoped to use their own strength to help some girls, providing them with job opportunities to help them escape the state of impoverished life.

Although Su Ruo and them's strength is still weak, they believe that as long as they act, there will surely be a day when flowers bloom.

While Su Ruo and them were fervently struggling in their career, an old man rotting all over was secretly observing all this; he was like a venomous snake, always wanting to rush out and deliver a fatal blow to Su Ruo and them.