The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 231: Chapter 231: It’s Not Good to Spread Out Too Much

This was because the two sisters weren’t just tall; they were also gorgeous.

Even though Han Xiaoqing was dressed simply, her outfit still made her stand out in the 1980s.

And that was to say nothing of Han Xiaorui beside her, who wore a white dress with exquisite embroidery.

The celebrities in the glossy color magazines from Hong Kong were no more stunning.

Han Xiaoqing went to the psychology department’s registration table to check in.

When the counselor, Teacher Zhao, heard Han Xiaoqing’s name, he paused for a moment and looked up at her.

The other students and student helpers might not have known Han Xiaoqing’s story, but Teacher Zhao, the counselor, did.

This was the unfortunate student from last year whose spot had been stolen.

Still, she was lucky. The impersonation had been discovered, and through various connections, the matter was resolved, allowing her to return to school.

Most importantly, Professor Wang, an expert in the field, thought very highly of her and had transferred Han Xiaoqing into the psychology program.

”Welcome, Han!” Teacher Zhao said with a smile. ”Li Hong, take our new student here to pick up her supplies and get her settled in her dorm!”

Li Hong nodded. ”Okay!”

The students chosen to help the teachers were always articulate and well-organized.

Li Hong was no exception, giving Han Xiaorui and Han Xiaoqing a running commentary as they walked.

With Li Hong’s help, they collected their items and went to the dormitory.

The dorm was an eight-person room with four bunk beds.

Restrooms were located at both ends of each floor, and every floor also had a shared washroom for freshening up.

In the summer, many of the girls found the washrooms too crowded and would fetch hot water to give themselves a sponge bath in their rooms instead.

The dormitory building was basic, but very clean.

Three other girls were already inside, making their beds.

They exchanged polite greetings.

The two sisters quickly pulled their bedding and sheets from their bags and made the top bunks.

Each person had one locker, where they stored their toiletries and other personal items.

A few items of clothing that didn’t fit had to be left on the beds.

Once they were mostly settled, the two sisters grabbed their keys and thermoses.

”The top bunk is so high up. Why didn’t you take a bottom one?”

Han Xiaoqing chuckled and lowered her voice. ”There aren’t any chairs in the room. When everyone comes back, they’ll mostly just sit on the bottom bunks.”

”I have a lot of my things on my bed, and I don’t like other people sitting on it. The top bunk might be less convenient, but it saves me the hassle.”

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Well, good thing the top bunk has a guardrail. Just be careful.”

”Let’s go try the cafeteria food. Our family is doing very well financially now, so you really don’t need to skimp on meals.”

Han Xiaoqing nodded. ”I know, Sister.”

Han Xiaorui instructed her further, ”People are generally good-natured these days, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t bad people out there.”

”You’re so pretty. You have to cherish this hard-won chance to study. I’m sure your grades will be excellent.”

”As the saying goes, ’The tree that stands tallest in the forest is the first to be broken by the wind.’ What if some sick, twisted people get jealous of you? So, whether you’re eating or drinking, try not to let anything you’re about to consume out of your sight.”

Han Xiaoqing was taken aback. ”Is that really necessary?”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Of course it is. It never hurts to be cautious. You should always be on your guard!”

Han Xiaoqing thought for a moment. ”I understand, Sister! I’ll be careful from now on!”

The food in the cafeteria wasn’t bad. There were standard, cheaper options, as well as tastier, more expensive ones.

There were both meat and vegetable dishes available.

The day before, Han Xiaorui had given Han Xiaoqing 200 yuan for her living expenses.

Han Xiaoqing walked her sister to the university gate and gave Han Xiaorui a hug. ”Sister, don’t worry about me! To be honest, I really miss Pingping and An’an right now!”

Han Xiaorui patted her head. ”Pingping and An’an are in kindergarten now. They’re having a great time playing games with all their new friends.”

”You can come home when you have a break from school! Whether you take a taxi or the bus, remember: never travel after dark.”

”The ’Strike Hard’ anti-crime campaign is still going on, which means there are still plenty of hooligans and dangerous people on the streets.”

Han Xiaoqing nodded. ”I know, Sister. I’ll definitely be careful.”

The two sisters parted ways at the university gate, each embarking on a different path in life.

With time still left in the afternoon, Han Xiaorui went to her ornamental fish store to check on business.

Xu Wenwen was young and timid, which made her a perfect fit for the job at the ornamental fish store near the university.

And Xu Wenwen loved working there.

Wu Lingling was in charge of the Fuli Mall location.

Afternoons were usually the busiest time for the mall, and since today was a weekend, business was booming.

Not only were the small tanks and fish selling well, but even the large tanks and more beautiful, expensive fish had become a preferred decorative choice for the first wave of newly rich individuals.

For tanks placed in offices or factories, they needed to be not only colorful but also auspicious.

Tanks for the home were meant to ensure peace and ward off negative energy. In short, business was excellent.

”Sister Xiao Rui, even if you hadn’t come, I was about to go looking for you!” Wu Lingling said with a smile, pulling Han Xiaorui over to a sofa in the lounge area.

Han Xiaorui was surprised. ”What’s going on?”

Wu Lingling smiled. ”Here in Shencheng, and in nearby cities like Kunshan, Suzhou, Changzhou, Wuxi, and Hangzhou, a lot of people are getting rich.”

”I think we should open branch stores in those areas. We should take advantage of the cheap real estate now and buy up some large, affordable storefronts.”

Han Xiaorui was stunned. She hadn’t realized Wu Lingling was so ambitious. ”If we do that, you’ll have to travel for business constantly, won’t you? Public safety isn’t great these days. It’s not safe for a woman to be traveling on business alone.”

Wu Lingling thought for a moment and realized Han Xiaorui had a point. ”There is a safety issue, that’s true, but we can’t just give up on the idea.”

”For the initial phase, I can go scout the locations, and we can hire a couple of men who can travel to handle the renovations. Our own trained employees can become store managers, and we can hire locals for the other positions.”

After thinking it over, Han Xiaorui ultimately shook her head. ”I know we could earn more that way, but it’s also a lot more trouble. I suggest you focus on recruiting outside partners instead. Clients from other cities can open their own franchised ornamental fish stores and source their stock from us.”

Wu Lingling sighed. ”Boss, it seems you don’t agree. I know it’s easier to just have people order stock from us, but I just want to earn more.”

”It’s really not necessary. Things are great as they are. This shop is the flagship store for the fish farm, and the fact that you’re all running it so well is already fantastic. As for opening stores in other cities, you’re only describing the best-case scenario.”

”You know the saying, ’Even a mighty dragon can’t crush a local snake.’ If we go there and start making a fortune, do you think the locals will be happy about it? It’s not good to spread ourselves too thin. So, you handle recruitment, and we’ll just ship directly from the fish farm and the tank factory.”

Wu Lingling nodded. ”Alright, we’ll do it that way. I already have a few prospective clients. They’ve been to the store several times, and I think I can close the deals.”

Han Xiaorui offered encouragement. ”Excellent. Discuss the specific details with Brother Jianguo. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, just focus on expanding the market one step at a time.”

Perhaps even Han Xiaorui herself never expected that her ornamental fish business would so quickly capture the market in several of the more prosperous coastal cities.