Courtyard House: A Prosperous and Joyful Life

No matter when or where, ( ) will always be your most loyal reading companion.

The Canton Fair, officially known as the China Import and Export Fair, has been held for 28 years since its inception in 1957. As the highest-level exhibition in China, it is held twice a year, attracting merchants from all over the world, making it a true "treasure trove".

For Wang Jun, this was undoubtedly a windfall. However, with two months until the opening of the Spring Canton Fair, there was no need to rush.

He took a stroll around the cannery and saw his old classmates Guo Hongbing, Li Xiangdong, Luo Xuenong, and Tang Xiaoshan all working diligently. Since they were like family, the jobs Wang Jun arranged for them were naturally easy, and everyone worked comfortably. Huaihua's job was also sluggish; this girl always liked to hang around him and was practically his little fangirl, so Wang Jun naturally had to take care of her.

……

Across the ocean, in the beautiful country.

The Vogue magazine office was filled with smoke in the review room. Mr. Paul stubbed out his cigarette and rubbed his aching eyelids. As the gatekeeper of the world's top fashion magazine, he reviewed mountains of manuscripts every day, but only a handful met his standards.

He casually opened an email from the East, and his previously nonchalant gaze instantly froze.

In the photos, the models are graceful, and the use of light and shadow is perfect. The most amazing thing is the clothing—the cuts are bold yet elegant, and the texture of the fabric is so evident even through the photographic paper.

"My God..." Paul jumped to his feet, his hands trembling slightly as he held the photograph. "The lines, the texture... it's a work of art!"

The more he looked, the more astonished he became. These weren't clothes; they were walking sculptures. The East? That mysterious and backward place actually harbored a fashion design master of this caliber?

"This is the trend for this year! No doubt about it!" Paul paced excitedly back and forth in his office. "Ladies, get your wallets ready, this year's fashion storm is coming from the East!"

Without any hesitation, he signed off on the manuscript in one stroke. Two days later, the latest issue of Vogue was released, and the photos, titled "Oriental Attire," instantly ignited the entire fashion world.

"Oh my god, look at this coat! The cut is absolutely stunning. Wearing it to a ball, I'd definitely outshine everyone!"

"Unbelievable! These are actually Oriental designs? I thought they were new products from Paris!"

"I used to hear my grandfather say that Easterners only wore blue cloth jackets, but now it seems like such a huge joke. Even our local designers would be ashamed to death seeing this design!"

"I want this dress! Right now, immediately! I have to wear it to the party next month!"

The magazine's phone lines were immediately flooded with calls from women frantically inquiring about where to buy the magazine. Unfortunately, the editorial department could only helplessly reply, "We will do our best to contact the designer."

This craze not only swept through female consumers but also allowed shrewd businesspeople to smell a huge opportunity. These aren't just clothes; they're walking cash cows!

Macy's headquarters, New York.

General Manager Barton stared at the magazine for a full half hour, his eyes gleaming with the shrewdness of a businessman. As a retail giant with over fifty stores across the United States, Macy's knew all too well what this meant.

He grabbed the intercom and spoke rapidly: "Book me a first-class ticket to the Eastern capital! And find a reliable Chinese translator, the sooner the better! I'm going there myself to dig up this treasure called 'Huanyu Garment Factory'!"

……

Best Buy Group.

In the 1980s, this was a retail behemoth in the United States, consistently ranking among the top ten in sales. It wielded immense power and influence in America.

Mr. Tony, clutching the latest issue of Vogue, his gaze fixed on the fashion photos from the East, turned and bumped into his female secretary.

The female secretary's eyes gleamed as she pointed at the photos and said, "Boss, look at the cut and design! This is definitely a trendsetter for this year. These clothes are from the East. I suggest you make a trip right away. If we can secure the supply, we'll be set for life."

Mr. Tony slammed the magazine on the table, grabbed the phone without a word, and dialed the airline's number.

"Hello, is this the airline? Book me a ticket to Beijing. Yes, the sooner the better, preferably a flight tomorrow morning, not a minute can be wasted!"

……

"Feed? I need a plane ticket to Beijing, right now..."

In an instant, those foreign merchants, whose sense of smell was sharper than a dog's, were like sharks that had caught a whiff of blood, and they all set off, heading straight for the East.

Today, the staff at Beijing Airport all felt that something was amiss.

Why are so many foreigners pouring out? They're all dressed in suits, followed by stylishly dressed female secretaries and translators carrying their bags, looking rushed. I wonder what they're here for.

This was in the 1980s. Although we had seen foreign guests before, it was the first time we had ever seen them appear in such large groups like today.

"Hey, what's so special about today?"

"I don't know, it's not written in the calendar."

"What are these foreigners doing here, swarming in like dumplings?"

Before long, the news came back—this group of foreigners were all headed for the Huanyu Garment Factory.

"Universal Garment Factory? Where did this come from? I've never heard of it."

"I'm completely baffled. There's such a factory in Beijing?"

"That's strange. When foreigners come here, don't they all go to climb the Great Wall and visit the Forbidden City? Why would they go to the factories? What's so interesting about our factories besides the roar of the machines?"

"Yeah, this is weird."

Just as they were wondering, a staff member suddenly slapped his forehead, as if he had remembered something: "Huanyu Garment Factory...that name sounds familiar! I remember now, isn't that the name printed on the tag of that sweatshirt my wife insisted on buying the other day?"

This made everyone even more excited.

"I remember now! My wife said it's the only factory in China that can make high-end goods; every piece they produce is a masterpiece, and the prices are outrageous!"

"Absolutely! A pair of leggings as thin as paper, and they dare to sell it for 130! And that women's coat is even more outrageous, priced at 599 in the mall—that's highway robbery!"

The staff member shook his head with a wry smile: "Who can argue with me? My wife pleaded with me for a whole month to buy that dress. In the end, I had no choice but to spend three months' salary to buy it for her. My heart was bleeding."

Once he shouted that, everyone immediately found common ground and started chattering away.

"Oh—now I remember! A few days ago, there was a set of photos of beautiful women in that fashion magazine. Their figures and clothes were even better than movie stars! I was wondering where they bought them, turns out they were from Universe!"

"No wonder it looked nice to me! The other day I was shopping with my wife, and she took a liking to a Huanyu brand hoodie. She was obsessed with it and wouldn't budge. In the end, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and spend over three hundred yuan, which is four months' salary of mine! I'll be eating pickled vegetables for half a year when I get home!"

"Hahaha, we're in the same boat! My sister also bought one, over three hundred yuan without batting an eye, and she thinks she got a great deal."

The conversation turned lively, and the previously dull work atmosphere suddenly became lively as everyone chimed in, marveling at how the world has changed.

Someone glanced at the backs of the group of foreigners in the distance and clicked their tongue, saying, "It seems that Huanyu Garment Factory is going to go global and expand beyond its borders. Even foreigners are coming all this way to buy goods."

"Yes, I used to hear people say how fashionable things are abroad, even Hong Kong people follow the Westerners' style of dressing. I never thought that the tables would turn and foreigners would come here to buy clothes. This is the first time ever!"

"Hey, speaking of which, where exactly is this Huanyu Garment Factory? I know all the garment factories in Beijing like the back of my hand, how come I've never heard of this one?"

"I'm wondering the same thing. With such capabilities, it must be a large state-owned factory, probably with tens of thousands of workers."

"That's right. How could they design such a Western-style dress that even foreigners envy if they didn't have a certain scale? It must be a large state-owned factory, no doubt about it."

As everyone was chatting enthusiastically, imagining all sorts of wonderful things about the factory, a young man suddenly chimed in with a grin, "Gentlemen, you've all guessed wrong this time. Huanyu Garment Factory isn't a large state-owned factory at all; it's a privately owned factory."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured into a hot oil pan, instantly causing an uproar.

"Huh? Private?"

"Don't kid me, young man, can a private individual really run a factory?"

"Exactly, where are there any privately owned factories in our country now? They're all state-owned or state-run. Your information is probably unreliable."

"That's nonsense. Privately owned factories? Wouldn't that make someone a capitalist?"

Everyone waved their hands repeatedly, completely disbelieving.

The young man leaned closer mysteriously, lowering his voice but unable to hide his smugness: "You guys are out of touch, aren't you? The winds have changed now, the policies have been relaxed, and private individuals can run factories now. As long as you have the skills, opening a factory for fun isn't a bad idea. Have you heard? That Huanyu Garment Factory is the number one private factory in Beijing, and their wages, wow, they're shockingly high."

These words immediately piqued everyone's interest, and a lively discussion erupted.

"How tall? Taller than our state-owned factory?"

"Yeah, are you just bragging?"

"Fifty yuan is the most you can give, right?"

"Fifty? I doubt it. Private factories don't have that kind of strength. What if they can't even pay wages and everyone goes hungry?"

"Yes, yes, twenty or thirty yuan is more like it, and that's only if people are in a good mood."

Hearing these comments, the young man slapped his thigh with delight: "Hey, you guys are outdated! At Huanyu Garment Factory, the basic salary starts at fifty! And that's nothing; add it all up, and you'll easily make over one hundred and fifty a month. If you're quick and efficient, two hundred is no problem!"

"What?! Two hundred?"

"You must be kidding me, this salary is outrageous."

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! My master is a veteran fitter with 35 years of experience, a level 7 technician, his skills are top-notch, and he only earns 110 a month. How could a private factory compare to my master?"

"Before my dad retired, he was the pillar of the factory, earning only ninety-five yuan a month, and everyone in the factory looked up to him. Huanyu Factory, two hundred a month? That's robbery!"

The young man puffed out his chest, his face full of arrogance: "My wife works at Huanyu Factory, how could this news be false? Believe it or not, I believe it."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged bewildered glances. They all knew this young man well; he was usually a very honest person. Since he had said it, it was probably true.

"Wow, this salary... I'm even thinking of switching jobs there."

"Who says otherwise? I'd like to try my luck too."

"More than two hundred a month, that's two thousand four a year! Good heavens, save up for four or five years, and you'll be a real ten-thousand-yuan household! This Huanyu factory must be a gold mine."

As everyone was marveling at the scene, they suddenly noticed a large group of foreigners with high noses and deep-set eyes surrounding the entrance of the Huanyu Garment Factory. Liu Guangtian, the gatekeeper, had never seen anything like it before. He was completely stunned, his heart pounding with panic, and his palms were sweating profusely.

"Holy crap! What are these foreign devils doing blocking the doorway?" Liu Guangtian swallowed hard, his mind blank. "Are they here to cause trouble?"

Dealing with foreigners? Liu Guangtian knew absolutely nothing about it, so he quickly sent a security guard to fetch factory manager Lü Guangrong for help. Lü Guangrong rushed to the door, and when he saw the scene, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. His heart was pounding: What were these foreigners up to?

Just as they were at a loss, a man who looked like a translator approached and politely asked, "Excuse me, which of you is the factory manager of Huanyu Garment Factory? We are from the United States and are very interested in your factory's clothing."

Upon hearing this, Lü Guangrong instantly understood. So they had their eyes on his clothes? This was a huge deal! If he could close the deal with the foreigners, it would mean exporting and earning foreign exchange—a momentous event that would bring honor to his family and make the newspapers!

Lu Guangrong's heart pounded with excitement. He immediately put on a smiling face, led the foreigner to the conference room, and then shouted to Liu Guangtian, "Guangtian! Quick! Ride that Yangtze 750 and pick up Wang Jun! Doing business with foreigners requires the boss's approval!"

Liu Guangtian accepted the order, hopped on the Changjiang 750 motorcycle, twisted the accelerator, and sped off like lightning. The early spring wind was like a knife, blowing snot out of his nose, but he didn't bother wiping it. He charged into the courtyard, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Boss! Boss! A large group of foreigners have arrived at the factory! They say they're here to discuss business! The factory manager wants you to go there immediately!"

That shout stunned the entire courtyard.

"My God, foreigners are seeking business with Wang Jun? That's quite a show of power!"

"This kid, his business has even expanded overseas?"

"Doing business with foreigners means earning foreign exchange! The country desperately needs that stuff. Wang Jun is really bringing honor to the country!"

"Wow, that's amazing! At eighteen, you can already negotiate business on equal footing with foreigners. That's incredible!"

The courtyard was abuzz with excitement, filled with exclamations of envy, shock, and admiration. In this day and age, earning foreign exchange through exports was a huge deal, and no one had expected Wang Jun to have quietly hatched such a brilliant plan.

Inside, Wang Jun was also taken aback. He guessed that the photos he'd sent out had been published in a fashion magazine, attracting these foreign businessmen. Without much hesitation, he straightened his collar and strode out: "Let's go! Let's go see and rip these foreigners off!"

Looking at his boss's calm and collected demeanor, Liu Guangtian couldn't help but give him a thumbs up: "Boss, you really know how to keep your composure! When that huge group of foreigners blocked the door just now, I was so nervous, my legs were practically shaking."

Wang Jun grinned and patted him on the shoulder: "What's the panic? Remember, these guys are coming to us with money. Think of them as walking money bags, and you'll feel more confident."

Liu Guangtian slapped his thigh suddenly: "Hey, it's true! These foreigners are just here to throw money away, why am I getting so nervous?"

Wang Jun stepped onto the Changjiang 750, turned the key, and slammed the accelerator down. With the roar of the engine, the neighbors from the courtyard all rushed over.

"Jun'er, you really need to pay attention this time!" an older woman muttered, tugging at her clothes. "Doing business with foreigners means earning foreign exchange, which is a great honor for our country!"

"Yes, yes, we must reach an agreement!"

"Give them a good thrashing!"

"Let's sell our clothes overseas and make money from them!"

Wang Jun nodded to everyone and said with a smile, "Thank you for your kind words, I'm off!"

Before he finished speaking, he shifted gears and twisted the throttle, and the sidecar motorcycle sputtered and sputtered, emitting a puff of blue smoke as it headed straight for the garment factory.

Instead of dispersing, the people gathered even closer, their faces flushed with excitement.

In the middle courtyard, Yi Zhonghai listened to the commotion outside and sighed inwardly. Although he had his grievances against Wang Jun, he had to admit that the young man was indeed the number one figure in the courtyard. At only eighteen years old, he had already expanded his business overseas—who could match that ability?

He initially thought Bang Geng had potential, but after observing him for a while, he realized he was a hopeless case. If it weren't for Sha Zhu introducing him to a job, he'd still be a good-for-nothing.

In the front yard, Yan Jiecheng was whispering with Yu Li.

Their hot pot restaurant was booming, sometimes bringing in two or three hundred yuan a day, and at least one hundred and seventy or eighty. That's four or five thousand yuan a month. They were counting money until their hands cramped. Yan Jiecheng was walking on air lately, thinking that Wang Jun was nothing special. He figured if he opened a few more branches, he would definitely earn more than Wang Jun.

Yan Jiecheng had just bought a large domestic color TV and wanted to show it off, but when he heard that Wang Jun was going to do business with foreigners, he immediately deflated.

"So Wang Jun's business has grown this big? Even foreigners are coming to his door?" Yan Jiecheng said with a frustrated expression. "No way, absolutely no way."

Yu Li rolled her eyes at him: "There's no comparison! You think you're so great just because you made a little money opening a hot pot restaurant? Your vision is too narrow! You're miles behind Wang Jun!"

His wife's rebuke only made Yan Jiecheng feel even more suffocated.

The meeting room of the garment factory.

Wang Jun led You Fengxia through the door and saw thirteen foreigners sitting on both sides of a long table, with more than a dozen beautiful female secretaries standing behind them. The sight of them was intimidating.

Factory director Lü Guangrong sat to one side, his back ramrod straight, a smile plastered on his face, and he could barely speak properly, as if afraid of saying something wrong and offending these money-making gods.

These days, people are intimidated by foreigners, thinking they're superior. But there's no need to be nervous. It's our own little corner of the world, why should we be so anxious?

Wang Jun didn't beat around the bush and greeted them directly in English.

The foreigners in the conference room were immediately surprised, clearly not expecting the young factory manager to speak such fluent English.

After a brief self-introduction, Wang Jun got straight to the point: "Welcome everyone to our products. Huanyu Garment Factory has top designers specializing in high-end clothing. Now, I'd like to introduce my work and design concepts..."

Wang Jun knew perfectly well that when foreign masters introduced clothing, they all loved to talk about design concepts. He followed suit and started talking at length right from the beginning.

He was an expert on fashion trends in the 80s and 90s, and the words he uttered were increasingly sophisticated and high-class, leaving the foreigners in the room completely bewildered.

"Oh! Mr. Wang makes sense!"

"Excellent!"

"Mr. Wang is a true master!"

"That's amazing taste!"

A group of foreigners were completely captivated and nodded repeatedly.

Yu Fengxia, standing next to her, clutched a small notebook, looking completely bewildered. As a secretary, she was supposed to record what was said, but how could she possibly write anything down if she didn't understand it?

Lu Guangrong was also completely bewildered. Despite being a high school student, English was like a foreign language to him, and he didn't understand a word Wang Jun was saying.

As soon as Wang Jun finished speaking, the foreigners all stood up and burst into applause. Several excited men rushed over, vying to shake hands with Wang Jun.

"Mr. Wang, that was amazing!"

"That was amazing!"

"You're a true design master!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Fans of multiverse/infinite world novels? Come discover more exciting content!