With the change in renovation style, the budget would definitely exceed expectations. The carpentry work increased, and the tiles laid on the floor were imitation microcrystalline stone tiles, which had a shine that ordinary white porcelain couldn’t compare to, and they were expensive; every piece laid on the floor cost money.
Originally, they had estimated that 6,000 dollars would cover the renovation, but now it could exceed that by double.
“Uncle, don’t worry. Let the workers eat first. I’ll think of a way for the crystal chandelier; next time I restock, I’ll see if I can bring one back from Sablewick .”
It’s normal for renovations to exceed the budget; a large one-time investment could ensure that it wouldn’t go out of style for years.
Whitaker Scarlett kept the idea of buying a crystal chandelier in mind and continued to set up her stall outside the railway bureau’s residential area.
She had William’s house key, and before she could move the goods out, she saw the young woman who had bought a coat the other day looking around outside:
“I thought you weren’t setting up today. Sister, do you have navy blue in stock? The size I bought the other day was too small.”
Summer Scarlett had sold only three pieces of clothing, so she was well aware of the coat sizes.
“Is there stock? Do you want another one, sis?”
The young woman was Harmony.
Cesar had shown off the coat at work, and several young people in the office wanted to buy it. However, Summer Scarlett didn’t set up her stall yesterday and didn’t come this morning either. She thought of directly asking the people living here. William was supervising the renovations, and Amanda had gone out to sell goods in the morning and hadn’t returned for lunch. The door was tightly locked, and she couldn’t find anyone, which made Harmony a bit anxious.
She wasn’t buying for her husband’s colleague; she wanted to buy one for her younger brother.
Her brother was also in his early twenties and was recently looking at potential partners. This coat made a person look particularly spirited. Parker Jace looked good in it, and her man wore it well too. Her brother wasn’t short, so Harmony figured it would look good on him as well.
“If you have a navy blue in a small size, please get me one more.”
With business coming to her, Scarlett immediately perked up:
“You’re a returning customer, so I’ll still give you the same price as yesterday.”
Harmony hesitated, “Can’t it be a bit cheaper?”
What unscrupulous merchant doesn’t have a pair of sharp eyes? Especially in the clothing business, if you show your liking too early, how would the merchant make concessions? Scarlett was very sincere, “I really can’t lower it any further; I sell it for 140 dollars to others.”
Harmony had also asked Parker Jace, who insisted he bought it for 140 dollars to avoid affecting Summer Scarlett’s business.
Harmony paid 138 dollars, which seemed like a mere 2 dollars less, but she felt she had gained a bargain.
After paying, Harmony directly took the coat back to her family home. The female workers at the national cotton factory worked in shifts, so their hours weren’t fixed. Normally, the units wouldn’t be off work at this time.
Summer Scarlett’s business picked up after work.
The railway bureau employees had money, and the train attendants were tall and handsome. Summer Scarlett’s idea wasn’t wrong; this style of coat was practically tailor-made for them.
It was trendier than their uniforms, high-end goods that wouldn’t lose their class in any situation.
People in their 20s liked it more; younger ones found it too formal, while older ones thought it wasn’t serious enough.
Changing locations to one with a potential consumer base, Summer Scarlett gradually sold off her stock of men’s coats. During this process, she felt the impact of the reform and opening up. Although the business capital wasn’t as vibrant as coastal cities, the pace of reform was slower, yet changes were still happening… People were learning to spend money, dress up, and accept new fashions.
Before heading to Sablewick , Summer Scarlett wrote a letter back to Kay.
This time she was prepared in advance. The beef from the black market was quite famous in the business capital, and marinated beef didn’t last long. After buying the beef, Summer Scarlett dried it on a small stove, processing it into fragrant beef jerky before sending it to Kay.
Layered in kraft paper, the jerky was tightly wrapped, and the 870 dollars given by Parker Jace was stuffed in the envelope, along with a piece placed in the package.
After guessing back and forth, the two ended up harboring some resentment, so Summer Scarlett simply asked Kay directly in the letter about the whole situation.
In her letter, she emphasized her preference for an equal and respectful relationship, but she didn’t know how Kay would react.
