Chapter 367: Chapter 367: Yue Ming 17
"As long as they’re a good person and use legitimate methods, a small factory has its own advantages."
Liuu Jun clearly took Liuu Yuming’s words to heart. "Sis, you’re playing dumb, but you’re actually a genius."
Liuu Yuming felt a little smug. "I’m not bad, am I?"
’She had only picked this up by listening in while Tan You was teaching Liuu Min. Now, putting what she’d just learned into practice, Liuu Yuming felt an odd sense of accomplishment. But then again, her mother had passed away three years ago. How had she learned so many things?’
Liuu Jun said, "Alright, I’ll contact President Liu after we get back."
After finishing the bridal makeup job and returning to the shop, Liuu Yuming hadn’t even had a chance to catch her breath when she saw the "President Liu" Liuu Jun had mentioned. The woman was around thirty and radiated an aura of shrewd competence.
Looking at Liu Meili, Liuu Yuming, for some reason, felt as if she were looking at her own mother. Shaking her head to dismiss the thought, Liuu Yuming smiled. "You must be President Liu. Please, have a seat."
"I’m sorry we got back late today and made you wait outside for so long." Although Liuu Yuming rarely socialized with clients these days, she still knew the right pleasantries to say.
Liu Meili shook Liuu Yuming’s hand. "Not at all, I just arrived myself. I finally get to meet you. President Liuu has kept you well hidden."
Liuu Yuming smiled. "I don’t usually handle business matters. Jun takes care of all that. You’re here to talk about the cosmetics, right? Let’s get straight to the point."
Liuu Yuming was direct, which naturally delighted Liu Meili. With Liuu Jun also present, the three of them finalized the terms of their partnership that very evening. As she signed the contract, Liuu Yuming felt a sense of unreality.
’She had simply followed Tan You’s instructions, repeating what Tan You said word for word. Who knew that would be enough to impress Liu Meili? As expected, my mom is the greatest!’
After seeing Liu Meili off, Liuu Jun was still curious. "Sis, I told you, you’re a genius in disguise. How did you even come up with those contract clauses?"
Liuu Yuming yawned. "You already said I’m a genius in disguise. Is it that hard to figure out? Anyway, go get some rest. We have to go to President Liu’s factory tomorrow, and we have another bridal makeup job the day after."
"When are the new hires arriving? Even a couple of apprentices would save me a lot of trouble."
Liuu Jun said, "The day after tomorrow, probably. Two makeup artists are coming then. One is a complete apprentice, and the other used to work at a photo studio in the next town over."
Liuu Yuming said, "So she has some experience? Okay, we’ll see when I meet them. I need to go back and get some sleep. Oh, right, I need to ask Little Min how much money we have now."
"Aren’t we supposed to be buying a car?"
Liuu Min came down holding a tin box. She pulled out a deposit slip from inside. "We have eight thousand four hundred on hand."
Liuu Yuming looked at Liuu Jun. "How much more do we need for the car?"
Liuu Jun did a quick calculation. "I’ll borrow another five thousand from my dad. That should be about enough."
Liuu Yuming smiled. "Alright, take this for now. As long as we keep doing bridal jobs, we’ll earn it all back."
Liuu Min decisively handed the deposit slip to Liuu Jun. Liuu Jun’s heart warmed, and he scooped Liuu Min up in his arms. "Little Min, you’re giving this all to your uncle. Aren’t you sad to part with it?"
Liuu Min put on a serious little face. "If you can spend it, you can earn it back. You have to invest to get a return. We’ll make even more money in the future."
Liuu Jun exclaimed in astonishment, "Sis, what on earth have you been teaching Little Min? She understands all this?"
Liuu Yuming rubbed her nose and took Little Min from him. "Alright, hurry up and go get some rest next door. I’m really exhausted."
Although it was already winter, there were still quite a few people getting married, especially among those returning to their hometowns. Liuu Yuming was busier than ever before.
Fortunately, after some emergency training from Liuu Yuming, one of the two new makeup artists could handle simple makeup and styling. The other one simply acted as Liuu Yuming’s assistant.
And now that they had a minivan, Liuu Yuming was no longer limited to doing bridal makeup for just one bride at a time. She could take on two bridal parties at once. With the addition of makeup artists and photographers, the minivan was always packed to the brim.
The closer it got to the end of the year, the busier Liuu Yuming became. But even in the midst of the chaos, she didn’t forget to recommend cosmetics to these new brides. That’s right—the cosmetics from President Liu’s company had already started to hit the market.
Liuu Yuming also stocked some in her shop. For now, business seemed to be pretty good, and every few days, Liuu Yuming had to ask President Liu to make another delivery.
A busy year passed, and the changes for the Liuu family were immense. The small storefront in town had been replaced by a three-story building, and two cars were now parked out front.
When Liuu Yuming came downstairs carrying her makeup case, the young woman at the front desk hurried over to open the door. "Sister Yue Ming, you’re back! Are you tired? I brewed you some herbal tea..."
Liuu Yuming handed her the makeup case. "Thanks, I appreciate it. I am a bit tired. Is it not busy in the shop today?"
"It’s busy! Sister Wen is doing a makeup trial for a client, Auntie Wang is taking a client’s measurements for a custom-made wedding dress... and someone came in to buy cosmetics. I just did a quick everyday look for them..."
The young woman from the front desk followed Liuu Yuming, reporting on the day’s business.
Liuu Yuming went over and glanced at the client’s makeup. "You did a great job. You’re ready to move on to the next stage."
The receptionist immediately grew excited. "Great! Sister Yue Ming, when will you have time?"
Liuu Yuming pinched the bridge of her nose. "Then you can start shadowing me for a while. We’ll arrange for someone else to cover the front desk. We’re always short on makeup artists here."
The young receptionist was overjoyed. "Okay, thank you, Sister Yue Ming!"
The shop now had five makeup artists. Only three of them, including Liuu Yuming, were truly experienced. The other two could handle everyday makeup, but the actual bridal jobs still had to be handled by Liuu Yuming and the other two senior artists.
"Yue Ming, you’re back? Dinner’s ready." As Liuu Yuming was organizing her makeup case, her aunt came over to call her.
Because she and Liuu Jun were both extremely busy, Liuu Changzhen and his wife had moved into town after the shop expanded. They usually helped by picking up and dropping off Liuu Min. Liuu Yuming also typically went straight to her aunt’s house when she got back, as she rarely cooked at her own place anymore.
As for the old family house in the village, Liuu Yuming rarely went back anymore. She was simply too busy.
"Coming," Liuu Yuming said, closing her makeup case and following her aunt down the stairs. Thanks to the dividends from the cosmetics sales, both she and Liuu Jun had some spare cash and had bought property in town mid-year.
The two houses were right next to each other, just a short walk away.
"You’re out doing these bridal jobs day in and day out, not coming back until late at night." Her aunt fretted as she served Liuu Yuming the dinner she had prepared. "It’s fine while you’re young, but what will you do when you ruin your stomach later on?"
Liuu Yuming smiled. "You’re just worried about me, Auntie. Once the shop has more makeup artists, I won’t be so busy."
