Chapter 3 — Gentlemen at the Wholesale Market

What can I say? She is my biological aunt. Will Old Tuong believe me? Between a stranger you've only known for three days and a relative who is related by blood, who will you trust? Not long after, the warehouse door opened. Auntie walked out first, glaring at me. She didn't stop but walked away directly. I stood in place, my hands and feet cold, waiting for Lao Tuong to come out and tell me: "You go." Old Tuong came out. He walked to the tea table and poured himself another cup. Then he turned to me and waved. "Come here." I slowly walked forward, bowing my head like a prisoner waiting for judgment. "Your aunt just arrived." Old Tuong said. “Yes.” “She said a lot of bad things about you.” My head bowed even lower. “She said your limbs were not clean.” My body trembled. I wait for your next sentence. Is it “I pay you your salary”, or “you go now”? Old Tuong took a sip of tea, put the cup firmly on the table. "What she said is not true." I suddenly raised my head to look at him. "Where I use people, I trust my own eyes, not the words of others." He looked at me, his eyes sharp but calm. "I have been observing you for three days. When you work, there is light in your eyes. Those are not the eyes of someone who specializes in laziness and deceit." "Your aunt doesn't look like someone who does business properly. When she talks, her eyes keep shining." He glanced sideways and up and down, feeling guilty in his heart. "He stopped, picked up a pack of cigarettes on the table, pulled out one and gave it to me. I waved my hand. He put his cigarette back in the bag and lit another cigarette for himself. Amid the swirling smoke, his voice was extremely clear. "Just work in peace." "If anything happens, I'll take care of it." At that moment, my nose stung and tears almost fell. I blinked hard, trying to hold back my tears. I bowed deeply to Lao Tuong. “Thank you, boss.” “Call Lao Tuong.” He smiled.06From that day, I worked even harder. It seems like I have strength inside me that will never run out. Every morning, I am always the first to wake up and clean the warehouse and stalls. I packed the box quickly and beautifully, the bills of lading were neatly posted like a military parade. Old Tuong saw everything. One morning a week later, he suddenly called me back. "Vuong Vu, you don't need to pack your goods today." "Yes?" "Come out with me." I didn't know where he wanted to take me, but I immediately followed. We didn't drive, just walked through the wholesale market. Old Tuong took me into a sock factory shop. The inside was filled with the roar of machinery. A fat boss saw Lao Tuong and was extremely happy. "Mr. Tuong, you're here!" "Come to see the goods." Lao Tuong was not very polite, walking straight to a pile of newly produced socks. He picked up a pair and gave them to me. "Look at them." I took them, turned them over and observed. Just a normal pair of cotton socks, nothing special. “See anything?” Old Tuong asked. I shook my head. Old Tuong laughed. He picked up the pair of socks again, turned them inside out, and pointed to the thread ends. "Look here. This overlock thread has thread tips that are more than three millimeters long. Ten thousand pairs of socks, how many cotton threads does this thread alone cost? Costs are saved from places like this." He picked up another sample again, telling me to touch it with my hands. "Try it. Feel it. The cotton content of this sample is at least five percent lower than the data he told me. It feels dry to the touch, not soft. As he spoke, he taught me how to twist the fabric with his fingers, how to hold it up to the light to see the weave, and how to smell the smell. My eyes widened when I heard it. I never knew there were so many things to pay attention to in such a small pair of socks. The fat boss stood next to him, his face slightly embarrassed, constantly wiping sweat. "Mr. Tuong, your eyes are really too poisonous. This batch of goods is indeed a bit problematic."

small topic. I'll give you a discount." Old Tuong shook his head. "Old rule, I won't take this shipment. The next batch must be made according to the standards I said. Otherwise, don't cooperate anymore." His voice was very calm, but the fat boss immediately nodded and bowed. "Definitely, definitely! Don't worry, Mr. Tuong!" Leaving the factory store, Lao Tuong asked me: "Do you understand?" "Understood a little." "In doing business, the first thing is to see the goods clearly. Commodities are the root. If the roots are rotten, the business cannot develop." I nodded, remembering that saying in my heart. From that day, Lao Tuong began to consciously teach me many things. He took me to meet the supplier, taught me how to view goods and negotiate prices. He let me answer customer calls, taught me how to quote prices and handle complaints. One time, a customer called to say we sent the wrong goods, and had a very bad attitude. At that time, I was extremely stressed, constantly. sorry. Old Tuong picked up the phone. "Boss Ly, don't be angry. First he took a photo and sent it to me. If we are wrong, the goods will be given to you for free, I will also send the correct part to compensate. If it's not wrong, don't be in a hurry, I'll teach you how to use it." His voice was neither fast nor slow, but very heavy. The other person's attitude immediately calmed down.