Chapter 77: Amazing Sales

Chapter 77: Amazing Sales

When Li Yi entered the inner room, he noticed that Xu Qingyao was lost in thought. She seemed completely absorbed and didn't even notice his presence.

"What's on your mind? You look so deep in thought," Li Yi asked.

Startled, Xu Qingyao flinched slightly. A flicker of panic flashed across her face, but she quickly masked it.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about the upcoming college entrance exam," she replied.

"Nervous?"

"A little… Brother, what if I don't pass?"

"If you don't pass, then you don't pass. At worst, you can retake the exam next year. I'm here, so there's nothing to worry about," Li Yi reassured her.

"You're the best, Brother!"

Xu Qingyao hesitated for a moment before adding, "If I don't pass, I'll come back and do business with you!"

"You dare?" Li Yi's expression turned serious. "I'm telling you right now—you have to go to college in this life."

"Why?" she asked, puzzled.

"Because my sister and I have already missed our chance, but you're different. No matter how you feel about your studies right now, you still have an opportunity."

Li Yi continued, "I don't want you to struggle like our parents, my sister, or me. We never had a choice, but you do. As long as you focus on your studies, your future will be full of possibilities."

"But studying isn't the only way to succeed," she argued.

Li Yi looked at her intently. "That's true. Studying isn't the only way to success, but it is the most direct one."

"Yaoyao, I know you don't enjoy studying, and I understand that knowing the Pythagorean theorem won't help you buy vegetables in the future. But education determines whether you'll be the one buying the vegetables or the one selling them."

"In our country's education system, grades matter more than anything else. There are two kinds of paths in life: one that you have to take and one that you want to take. If you walk the first path well, only then will you have the freedom to choose the second one. Some paths may seem unnecessary now, but you won't know how beautiful the journey is unless you walk them."

"But—"

"No more 'buts.' When you receive your college acceptance letter, you'll realize that this summer is different—the watermelon will taste sweeter, the soda will be cooler, and your hard work will feel worth it," Li Yi said with a smile.

Hearing this, Xu Qingyao sighed. "Alright, Brother. I understand."

Just then, a burst of excited cheers erupted from outside the room.

Xu Qingnan rushed in, grabbing Li Yi's hand excitedly. "Xiaoyi, do you know how much we made in sales today?"

"More than 60,000 yuan," Li Yi replied casually.

Xu Qingnan's eyes widened in shock. "How did you know?"

She and the others had spent over half an hour calculating the total sales, yet Li Yi hadn't even looked at the money bag and had still guessed correctly. It was incredible!

"It's simple," Li Yi explained with a smile. "Before I left the store, I checked the shipping records. We sold a total of 1,624 pieces of clothing today.

Area A: 107 pieces, with an average price of 100 yuan each—approximately 10,000 yuan.

Area B: 570 pieces, with an average price of 50 yuan each—about 28,000 yuan.

Area C: 950 pieces, with an average price of 20 yuan each—around 20,000 yuan.

So, our total sales for today are about 60,000 yuan."

Xu Qingnan was amazed. "That's incredible! You calculated all that so quickly."

"Well, how much was the exact amount?" Li Yi asked with a grin.

"60,765 yuan!"

Before Li Yi could respond, Xu Qingyao exclaimed in shock, "That much? Doesn't that mean we earned back the store's rent in just one day?"

"It's not that simple," Li Yi corrected her. "The 60,000 yuan is our revenue, not our profit. We still have expenses like the purchase costs and staff salaries. The actual profit is much lower than what it seems."

At that moment, Li Fengnian's voice came from outside. "Xiaoyi, have you calculated the store's gross profit margin?"

Li Yi immediately answered, "The gross profit margin is around 100%, meaning we price our clothes at twice their cost. However, our net profit is about 70%."

"Wow! So we made 42,000 yuan in profit today?" Xu Qingyao exclaimed excitedly.

Li Yi gave her a long look before saying, "You really weren't joking when you said you might not pass the exam."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"You're about to take the college entrance exam, yet you got such a simple calculation wrong."

"How did I get it wrong?"

Li Yi broke it down for her. "We made 60,000 yuan in sales. Our gross profit margin is 100%, meaning the cost was 30,000 yuan, and the gross profit was also 30,000 yuan. The net profit is 70% of the gross profit. Now, what's 70% of 30,000?"

Xu Qingyao blushed. "21,000 yuan?"

"There you go. That's the correct answer," Li Yi said, shaking his head.

Seeing her embarrassment, Xu Qingnan tried to smooth things over. "Yaoyao just got confused for a moment! Besides, even 21,000 yuan is an amazing profit for a single day."

At that moment, Li Fengnian entered the room and spoke seriously. "Xiaoyi, your store seems to be running well, and we're relieved to see that. But as your father, there are a few things I need to tell you."

"Dad, go ahead," Li Yi said respectfully.

"First, remember that this business isn't yours alone. You may hold a bigger share, but you must respect your partners, especially Xiao Wei. A partnership requires mutual respect."

"Don't worry, Dad. I would never mistreat Third Brother."

"Second, the accounts must be clear. Even among brothers, financial matters must be transparent. And you and Xiao Wei aren't even related by blood, so it's even more important."

"I understand."

"Lastly, someone from our family must be involved in managing the store. I think Qingnan should quit his current job and help at the store full-time."

Xu Qingnan immediately said, "Dad, I was just about to discuss this with you. I plan to resign soon."

"There's nothing to discuss. We all agree. Go to the factory tomorrow and handle the resignation formalities. I'll ask your Uncle Wei to approve it for you," Li Fengnian decided firmly.

"Alright!"

Li Yi's mother, Zhang Yuehong, spoke up next. "Xiaoyi, I don't have many expectations for you. I just hope that when you start earning good money, you won't waste it recklessly. Think about your future family."

"Mom, come on! Would I ever let my future wife and kids suffer?" Li Yi laughed.

"Hmph, haven't you already caused enough trouble?" Zhang Yuehong scoffed.

"Uh… Mom, let's not bring up the past!"

"What woman doesn't bring up the past?"

"Alright, I walked right into that one," Li Yi sighed helplessly.

Ignoring him, Zhang Yuehong turned to Xu Qingnan. "Qingnan, don't spoil him too much. Apart from his fixed monthly allowance, don't give him any extra money. Remember, men tend to go astray when they have too much money!"

Xu Qingnan glanced at Li Yi, then smiled. "Mom, I understand."

"I've said what I needed to say. It's up to you all whether you listen or not."

"Mom, I promise I'll behave," Li Yi said helplessly.

Zhang Yuehong scoffed but didn't say anything further.

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