Chapter 21: The First Step is Always the Hardest

“Son, lying is not a quality a person should possess!”

The whole day, his son had locked himself in his room, not stepping out once.

When did he receive Liu Qian’s parents’ advice? Was it in a dream? Impossible!

Wu Wanli gazed at his son with a grave expression, his tone heavy.

“Son, I know you’re anxious, but even in urgency, we must keep our feet on the ground,” Zhang Caixia chimed in immediately.

The couple had spent half their lives being kind to others and living honestly. Though the neighbors despised their poverty, there was never any doubt about their character!

Now, their son, in order to persuade them, seemed willing to do anything. Even if they lost the business, even if they went bankrupt, they could not afford to lose the most basic quality of being human… honesty!

If one cannot be a proper person, how can one do business?

Wu Ya felt helpless.

“Dad, Mom, you’re overthinking it. Liu Qian’s parents anticipated that I would have trouble selling the goods, and they wrote their advice on paper for Liu Qian to give to me.”

“The reason I stayed locked up all day, thinking through this predicament alone, was because I wanted to challenge myself and not rely on adults at the first sign of trouble.”

Wu Wanli and Zhang Caixia finally relaxed upon hearing this.

But suddenly, Wu Wanli asked, “Son, so did you come up with this method yourself, or did you have no choice but to accept Liu Qian’s parents’ advice?”

Looking at his father’s hopeful expression, Wu Ya felt a warm surge in his heart.

“Dad, my idea coincided exactly with theirs!”

Wu Wanli’s face blossomed into a smile.

“Hahaha, wonderful! My son actually had the same idea as Liu Qian’s parents. Looks like he was born to do business!”

He was deeply gratified.

Who were Liu Qian’s parents? They were seasoned traders, adept at navigating the business world.

But his son? Only eighteen!

In just a single day, he managed to think what they did. If he’s not a genius, what is he?

“My son is going places!” Zhang Caixia beamed with pride beside him.

They didn’t understand the ways of business. But precisely because they didn’t, they held an unconditional admiration for those who succeeded.

Clearly, Liu Qian’s parents were successful in their eyes.

The ideas they came up with were things ordinary people could never fathom.

So, all doubts evaporated.

Wu Ya finally enjoyed a proper meal.

“Dad, Mom, I’m off to work now.”

With those words, he stood and left the house. There was no time to lose; he had many tedious tasks to accomplish.

Stocking goods required careful investigation. Not only must he consider the other party’s sales volume, but more importantly, their character. Then, their capabilities.

If he rashly approached any stall and started a grand consignment sale, that wouldn’t be seizing opportunity—it would be sheer folly.

At the market.

After wandering for quite some time, Wu Ya finally returned…

“Sister, I’ve come again.”

He once again stood before the middle-aged woman’s stall.

This woman was truly remarkable. In that short time, she had sold another five jackets.

She looked up, her round face instantly clouded.

“You really have nothing better to do, huh? Am I a joke to you? Don’t you know who I am? You think I’m easy to bully, do you?”

A string of angry words spilled from her mouth.

She had spotted him the moment he arrived.

She was certain—he was here out of boredom.

Yet, he kept coming back to amuse himself at her expense.

Was his head filled with water, stuck on just one idea?

Unbelievable!

“Sister, please don’t be angry. I’m genuinely here to discuss business,” Wu Ya said with a persistent smile, unfazed by her attitude.

The stall wasn’t large, but its sales volume was impressive. Especially this woman’s mouth—when she spoke sweetly, you’d happily count money for her.

A true sales expert.

And precisely because her stall was small, it highlighted her lack of resources.

Working with such a person, she would be grateful for any future growth and expansion.

Her loyalty would surely increase.

Moreover, watching her sell, Wu Ya recognized her integrity.

She dealt fairly with all, old and young alike.

Such a person was fundamentally decent and would never do anything dishonest or malicious.

So, Wu Ya chose her as his partner.

“Come on then, tell me how you want to do business. If you’re just here to play games with me, I’ll tear your mouth to shreds today!” Chai Yanfen’s tone remained harsh.

A scrawny kid, coming again and again to talk business?

Fine.

She had nothing better to do; she’d listen to his wild ideas.

If she was amused, she’d let it go. If not, she’d chase him off with a feather duster.

If she couldn’t beat the crap out of him, it must be because he was constipated!

“Sister Chai, it’s still about those student uniforms. Here’s my proposal: I provide the goods, you provide the stall. When they’re sold out, you settle up with me. But this applies only to the first batch! Afterward, it’ll be cash for goods, no exceptions.”

Wu Ya stated his purpose directly, without any detours.

Chai Yanfen was stunned.

Consignment?

That’s great!

Even if the clothes didn’t sell, having them piled up would make her stall look more impressive.

It would attract more customers.

No capital needed, and it would enhance her image!

Why not?

She looked at Wu Ya, her previously gloomy expression softening.

“Kid, where are your clothes? Any other conditions?”

Still, she was half skeptical.

After all, Wu Ya was so young—just eighteen.

Barely grown, and already talking consignment?

That took guts!

Would his family approve?

If they did, surely there would be more strings attached.

“Sister Chai, I have only one condition. If my uniforms sell well, your stall will only sell my goods from then on! Of course, you’ll still have the right to wholesale.”

Wu Ya replied resolutely.

Establishing an exclusive distributor.

Within a day, his idea had evolved further.

Not just stocking goods, but building a sales network centered on Suiyan District.

Laying a solid foundation for future clothing sales.

Every beginning is hard.

Once he took this first step, everything else would follow naturally.

When his student uniforms became popular, wouldn’t all the clothing vendors be scrambling to get their hands on them?

No one would go far afield to restock.

Even the nearest location was six days away.

Six days!

How many pieces could he sell in that time?

That was Wu Ya’s current advantage—

Solving problems close to home!