hotmtlnovel Chapter 984 The eldest lady and Xiao Xi have a falling out
Chapter 984 The eldest lady and Xiao Xi have a falling out
Chapter 984 The eldest lady and Xiao Qianxi have a falling out
Just one week after Qin Hao returned to Beijing, on May 5, the number of SARS cases in Beijing began to decline, and the news spread to thousands of households through television, radio, newspapers and the Internet.
Although this does not mean that the epidemic is over and we can rest easy, it is still a phased victory, indicating that the spread of the epidemic has been brought under control.
However, some habits, once formed, are difficult to change.
In the previous two months, Yigoo's transaction volume has skyrocketed tenfold from less than 800 million per month. The number of new users and daily orders have increased fivefold and sevenfold respectively. Of course, the surge in transaction volume is also related to rising prices.
It’s not that Qin Hao wants to make a fortune from the national crisis. It’s mainly because of the epidemic control that the supplier’s purchase price has increased a lot compared to usual. This is only possible because Yigoo purchases a large amount of goods. Many offline stores have even increased the price of daily necessities several times.
This is also the main reason why many users who have never used Yigoo before choose to place orders online. No one knows when the epidemic will be over. If they continue to buy things at this price, many families will not be able to afford it.
At the beginning, Yiguo still adopted the method of online ordering and offline pickup. However, due to the requirements of the Beijing epidemic prevention department, large gatherings of people were not allowed. At the suggestion of Qin Hao, Liu Qiangdong organized a group of couriers to deliver the orders directly to users' homes.
This has increased costs a lot. After all, people are in panic during the epidemic, and it is difficult to recruit people for jobs like couriers who have to come into contact with thousands of households without offering high prices.
Throughout March, Jingcheng Yiguo's orders were basically unprofitable. It was not until April, when the order volume increased and the costs were spread out, that it was able to barely break even.
Of course, users are naturally excited about the service of express delivery directly to their doorsteps. It not only saves them the trouble of going out to pick up the goods, but also eliminates the risk of contact with the outside world and infection with SARS.
Even in some communities, since many people do not have computers at home, they will ask neighbors who have computers to help place orders. Sometimes there is even a situation where one order cannot fit even on a three-wheeled motorcycle.
However, this treatment is only available to users in Beijing. Users in other regions can only pick up their goods at the store. After all, the cost of express delivery to door-to-door delivery is too high. Yigoo adopts a group buying model, and the gross profit margin is low. Price increases will only push users to other shopping platforms, such as the newly launched Taobao.
Liu Qiangdong was dismissive of Taobao: "What kind of crap is this? The things they sell are too mixed. They're all mixed up."
"Don't underestimate it, it will be our strong rival." Qin Hao said in a serious tone. He certainly would not underestimate Taobao, let alone Jack Ma.
"Oh?" Liu Qiangdong looked at Qin Hao in surprise, not understanding why he attached so much importance to this newly emerged platform.
Qin Hao tapped his fingers on the desk. "Taobao and Yiguo are taking completely different routes. I am small and refined, while they are large and extensive. Taobao's transaction volume cannot be compared with Yiguo's now, but when the online shopping user base gets bigger and bigger and user demands increase, Taobao's advantages will become apparent."
"For example, if you want to buy a sofa set online and it's not available on Yigoo, you can only go to Taobao to buy it. There is no other choice."
Liu Qiangdong was stunned: "Can Yiguo become as big and comprehensive as Taobao?"
"It's difficult." Qin Hao shook his head slightly.
"why?"
"Because Yigoo follows a completely different route from Taobao. Taobao is an asset-light company, it is just a platform, and there are no other costs except bandwidth, while Yigoo follows a heavy asset model, with not only offline stores but also warehouses. JD Logistics costs are not low either. If we want to achieve the same scale as Taobao, we will have to burn a lot of money, which may be thankless and even bring ourselves down."
Qin Hao was very clear about Yigoo's advantages and disadvantages, so from the beginning he did not regard Taobao as an imaginary enemy.
"The domestic market is so large that no one can completely monopolize it. As long as we optimize our business model, we will be able to occupy a place in the e-commerce market. As for whether we can become the industry leader, we have to take it step by step and not try to achieve success overnight."
Liu Qiangdong nodded when he heard this: "You are right, I am too eager for quick success."
Qin Hao patted Liu Qiangdong on the shoulder and said seriously: "The epidemic in Beijing is now under control. According to my estimation, in two or three months, the epidemic in various places may be gradually brought under control. Therefore, the next two or three months will be particularly critical for us."
"Don't worry, JD Logistics will never hold you back." Liu Qiangdong immediately stated.
"I can rest assured when Brother Dong is doing things."
……
At the same time, in Xicheng District of Beijing.
A three-wheeled vehicle stopped in front of a villa and the courier shouted towards the door.
"Is Ms. Wang Ying here? Your express delivery has arrived."
When Mother Wang heard the shouting outside, she frowned, put down the teacup, and waited for Wang Ying to come in with a few express boxes. She couldn't help but speak.
"Didn't I tell you that if you want to buy something, ask the driver to go directly to Wangfujing to buy it for you? Things online might be fake or shoddy. It would be so embarrassing if someone recognized you when you wore it outside."
The smile on Wang Ying's face faded.
"Mom, didn't I tell you that I bought this from Yiguo? Although it's not a famous brand, it's authentic and the price is cheap."
Mother Wang looked disdainful and said: "The family doesn't need your money."
"I know that my family doesn't need this little money, but the money at home doesn't come from the wind, so it won't hurt to save a little."
As they were talking, Father Wang came out of the room.
"Well, Yingying has grown up and started to care about her family. That's good."
Wang Ying received the praise and a faint smile appeared on her face. She went upstairs carrying the express box.
Mother Wang rolled her eyes at her husband and said, "What do you know? You're just helping out. Didn't we agree that I'll take care of the child's education?"
"That child knows how to save money. Can't I praise him a few words?" Father Wang looked puzzled.
Mother Wang snorted. "What's the point of saving money? She's been buying things online every day for the past half month. I asked her about it casually the other day, and she started talking to me nonstop, saying that this shopping website was founded by her schoolmate and that this schoolmate was so outstanding. There must be something wrong here."
"Oh? Yingying's schoolmate? He shouldn't be that old. He's very good at starting a shopping website. The bosses are vigorously developing the Internet right now. This is a hot topic."
"Humph, so what if he's excellent? He was born in a poor family in Ebian. How can such a person be the son-in-law of our Wang family?"
Father Wang frowned and said, "Our family is a little poor, but there is no need to condemn us all. We were also poor peasants three generations ago."
"Go away. This is not your company. Why are you talking in official language? I don't care. Yingying is my only daughter. I must find her a husband who is well-matched with her."
"Okay, okay, you have the final say, okay."
"That's pretty much it."
Wang Ying hid in the corner of the spiral staircase on the second floor, her face pale. Although she was mentally prepared, she still felt extremely lost when she heard her mother's words.
She is already a sophomore in college. According to her parents' arrangement, she will go to study in the UK after graduating from college. When she comes back, Qin Hao and Xiao Qianxi may have already married and had children.
From childhood to adulthood, Wang Ying has always obeyed her parents' arrangements and never caused them any worries. Before she met Qin Hao, she had accepted such an arrangement: to study abroad after graduating from university, and then find a husband of equal status, take care of her husband and children, and live a life that others envy.
However, Wang Ying now extremely dislikes such an arrangement, as if she is just a puppet.
At this moment, Wang Ying wanted to be willful for herself.
……
As June approached, the weather turned hot. Strangely enough, the SARS epidemic in the country was effectively suppressed this month.
By July, major universities began to gradually lift the lockdown.
Peking University and Tsinghua University are no exception. The moment the school gate was reopened, countless students from Peking University and Tsinghua University rushed out of the school, opened their arms and breathed in the hard-earned free air.
"We've finally gotten over this damn SARS!" Xu Lin raised his arms and shouted.
Xie Qiao also excitedly took Xiao Qianxi's hand: "Haha, I can finally go home."
Since classes were suspended during the SARS period, even though it was already summer vacation, students from Peking University and Tsinghua University needed to take a month-long make-up class. So Xiao Qianxi and her classmates were scheduled to start classes just the second day after the lockdown was lifted.
Of course, Qin Hao is an exception. Although the SARS epidemic was basically under control by July, the habits formed by customers cannot be changed all at once. What's more, the prices of goods online are much cheaper than those in offline stores.
Yigoo's business volume not only did not decline as the SARS epidemic was brought under control, but on the contrary it increased to a certain extent. Among these users, a large number of them were unable to go to Internet cafes during the epidemic. Now that the epidemic has been lifted, they can finally place orders online.
According to backend statistics, the number of Yigou users has exceeded 2000 million, which is already a very scary number. You should know that as of June 6, the number of mainland Internet users was only 30 million, which means that on average one in three Internet users has registered a Yigou account. Of course, there are certainly users who have registered multiple Yigou accounts, but even so, it is already very shocking.
If it weren't for SARS, Yigoo would never have been able to gain so many users in just one and a half years.
After the end of the epidemic, the Peking University and Tsinghua University campus has changed from its former depression and is now filled with laughter and joy. It seems that after the epidemic, students have a new understanding of life.
213 Dormitory.
"Welcome back, Miss!"
Xu Lin rushed forward and was about to give Wang Ying a bear hug. In the past, Wang Ying would either avoid him in disgust or stop him directly. But this time, Wang Ying actually let Xu Lin hug her and just rolled his eyes at her.
Xie Qiao was also very happy to see Wang Ying: "Wang Ying, welcome home."
Home. Hearing the word, Wang Ying was stunned. She had always thought that her home was in a villa in Xicheng District, but she didn't know when she started to feel only depression in that place. Instead, she felt more relaxed in the dormitory.
Just as Wang Ying was changing her bedding, the door of dormitory 213 was pushed open.
"Qianxi, you're back too."
Xiao Qianxi nodded with a smile: "Well, this is the first day of resuming classes, so I came back to see you."
Xu Lin walked around Xiao Qianxi and said to Xie Qiao suspiciously, "Have you noticed that Qianxi is a little different from before?"
"What's the difference? Why didn't I notice it?" Xie Qiao shook his head.
Xu Lin scratched the back of his head. "I can't really tell what's different, but the feeling she gives me has changed. And have you noticed that Qianxi's skin is much better than when she first entered school, and her figure is also better."
Xiao Qianxi was skeptical about Xu Lin's words. She looked in the mirror every day, so how could she not notice anything?
Xie Qiao stared at Xiao Qianxi for a long time: "Well, it is indeed different."
Finally, after Xie Qiao took out Xiao Qianxi's student ID photo for comparison, he came to a conclusion: this is the magic of love.
Wang Ying sneered at the childish remarks made by Xu Lin and Xie Qiao.
"You might as well say that clothes make the man, and gold makes the Buddha."
The atmosphere in Dormitory 213 took a sharp turn for the worse in an instant.
Ever since Xiao Qianxi got together with Qin Hao, their consumption level has skyrocketed. Although they are not luxury goods, they are all good domestic brands. Given Xiao Qianxi's family background, they definitely cannot afford them.
"Hehe, Qianxi, don't listen to the young lady's nonsense. You look good in anything you wear." Xu Lin tried his best to find a way out for both parties.
However, Wang Ying didn't buy it: "Is there something wrong with what I said?"
Xie Qiao was stunned for a moment, not understanding why Wang Ying, who had always been "indifferent to worldly affairs", showed such strong hostility towards Xiao Qianxi.
Xiao Qianxi's fragile self-esteem was severely hurt, and he immediately fought back.
"What about you? What do you wear and use? Which one of them was not brought to you by your parents? Yes, I don't have a family as good as yours, but at least I can earn a living with my own hands. If one day you leave the protection of your parents, what will you count for?"
Xu Lin and Xie Qiao stood there at a loss, not knowing what to do.
In fact, Wang Ying had already regretted what she said when she said it, but Xiao Qianxi's counterattack left her with no way out. Her pride as a young lady made it impossible for her to bring herself to apologize to Xiao Qianxi, so she could only choose to continue to fight back.
"Putting aside all the conditions that are in the other party's favor and forcing a comparison, this is rogue logic. No matter how much resentment you feel, there is one thing you cannot change."
“No matter how hard you try, you can never reach the height of where I started.”
"You keep saying that I'm nothing without my parents' protection, but if we could swap identities, the person you'd most like to swap with in this dormitory would definitely be me, right?"
Xiao Qianxi staggered and almost fell.
Wang Ying saw it all but did not feel the joy of a winner. In fact, if she could swap identities, the person she would most like to swap with would be Xiao Qianxi.