Chapter 14

See who pays the most

Several months later.

The shop was renovated and the clothes ordered from various tailors were finished. The clothing shop with the "Little Deer Clothing Shop" sign finally opened for business.

The autumn wind carried a slight chill, and fallen leaves fluttered to deserted corners. In the solitude, the sound of rustling paper could be heard.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that many servants were scattered around, distributing hand-drawn leaflets. In front of the clothing shop, the loud sound of firecrackers suddenly attracted passersby on the street.

"Take a look! It's a new store opening, don't miss it! Even if you're not buying anything, you're welcome to come in and browse!"

Lu Qin stood at the door, waving a large orange-red flag that she had made with the words "Little Deer Clothing Shop" sewn on it, and shouted energetically.

"Every customer who shops at the clothing store today, regardless of the amount, can have their pulse checked for free at the clinic next door. This offer is only valid today!"

The shouts quickly attracted a large crowd of curious onlookers.

At the entrance of the clothing shop, Lu Qin was hopping around waving a flag taller than herself. Next door, at the entrance of the clinic, Hao Jingshi was standing, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed and carrying an equally large orange-red flag on his back, which read, "Free pulse diagnosis for customers next door. Note: Priority given to the elderly, the weak, the sick, the disabled, and pregnant women."

Although the neighbors were somewhat afraid of the domineering Hao Jingshi, they still recognized his medical skills.

After all, everyone knows that when Hao's daughter-in-law first married into the family, she was sickly and supposedly almost dead. But thanks to Hao Jingshi's care, she is now jumping around and can even carry a big flag. She is very energetic.

The crowd couldn't help but whisper among themselves in front of the door, discussing the tempting offers.

"Free pulse diagnosis? Really?"

"It's really a good deal! For the price of one item, you get both clothes and medical treatment. And the medical treatment cost quite a bit!"

"Yes, I heard that this clinic is a family heirloom. It has cured many people over the decades. There is no other clinic within a ten-mile radius that can compare to it."

Seeing that more and more people were gathering around, Lu Qin quickly ran up to Hao Jingshi and used two fingers to force a smile onto his lips.

Hao Jingshi paused for a moment, then stiffly maintained the smile. As he smiled, he saw Lu Qin running around like a whirlwind, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud, one corner of his mouth turning up.

Her presence actually attracted people.

Surprisingly, his clinic has a pretty good reputation, so it wasn't all for nothing.

At this moment, most people's attention was focused on taking pulses. Seeing that everyone had stopped and were not moving forward, Lu Qin ran back into the shop and casually picked out a silk skirt to show off.

She approached the crowd and rolled up her sleeves in front of everyone: "Family members, look! Isn't this dress light and breathable? This is a tribute material from another region, and it took top craftsmen eighty-one days to complete just one piece!"

As she spoke, she tugged at her clothes again: "Look, the fabric is very elastic, it's not afraid of being torn, it won't break easily, and it's very durable!"

Her voice was as crisp as an apple, and coupled with her pretty face, bright, blinking eyes, and sweet, warm smile, she naturally evoked the word "reliable."

People who originally just wanted to get a free pulse reading were now captivated by her and her clothes, and the onlookers gradually became interested and couldn't help but get closer.

Someone tentatively reached out and touched the smooth fabric, asking, "Can I try it?"

Lu Qin waved her hand readily: "Of course, family members are welcome to come in and try them on. We have fitting rooms here!"

"Our clothes are all made in advance, saving you time and effort. You don't need to wait ten days or half a month. It only takes a few minutes to measure your size, take the clothes off the hanger, and buy them. It's very convenient!"

After hearing this, a pair of sisters went into the house first, followed by a large group of people who had hesitated earlier.

Seeing the clothing shop in complete chaos, like a pot of boiling porridge, Lu Qin quickly asked her servants to help organize everyone into a line.

Passersby glanced at it, thinking there was some kind of event, and curiously came over.

"I think this style of clothing is quite novel. Why don't we go and take a look? We'll just try it on, and it's okay if we don't buy it."

"That's right, that's right."

"..."

As they whispered among themselves, they stepped into the house and discovered that this little deer clothing shop was no ordinary place.

Upon entering, you'll see a "measuring room" on the side wall of the entryway. Inside, there's a nine-square grid ruler painted a warm red and a size chart, allowing you to quickly take rough measurements and find your size.

In front of the ruler, there is a round table and several small stools, which are reserved for customers to wait and rest.

Passing through the fitting room and walking further in, you'll find the clothing sales area, which is divided into men's and women's sections. Each section is further divided into several size categories, with pale yellow clothes racks hanging full of garments.

Several fitting rooms, each large enough for one person, are scattered throughout the area, covered by thick, light purple gauze curtains to prevent any accidental exposure.

The overall design of the shop is Hao Jingshi's masterpiece, but the coloring is Lu Qin's ingenious idea.

While decorating her shop, she suddenly remembered the information she had searched for in preparation for a group assignment.

Red effectively promotes impulse buying, so it's best placed near the entrance; yellow brings a sense of pleasure and creates a cheap impression, making it suitable for clearance sales; purple, historically symbolizing power and wealth, is best placed in fitting rooms to give customers a high-end, sophisticated feel while trying on clothes. (Note)

To prevent these color blocks from being too jarring, she also designed the wall color to make the shop look vibrant, unlike the simple natural wood color in other shops.

As Lu Qin greeted the guests and ushered them in, she explained, "Our clothes come in several sizes. The smallest size is called S, the medium size is called L, and the largest size is called XL. When you come in, stand in this nine-square grid ruler, measure your size, and then come to the corresponding area to try on the clothes!"

"Of course, if you want to save time, you can also check out our one-size-fits-all section! Made of elastic fabric with stretch straps, you can adjust the fit!"

Amidst enthusiastic introductions, the group followed her on a tour, initially drawn to the novel shop design. They then made their own selections, becoming so captivated by the clothes that they couldn't tear themselves away.

Hao Jingshi's designs are all based on the most popular patterns of the moment. The clothes he makes are beautiful and inexpensive. People who initially said they would "just look and not buy" couldn't help but buy several pieces to take home.

Having bought the clothes, everyone naturally didn't want to miss the free pulse diagnosis, so the two lines in front of the clinic and clothing shop grew longer and longer, turning two corners and stretching until noon.

More and more people became curious about what was in the queue, and after asking around, they learned that the end of the queue was a "Little Deer Clothing Shop".

The word spread quickly, and everyone said, "That clothing shop is truly extraordinary. I've traveled all over the country for so many years, and this is the first time I've ever seen a shop like this."

"Yes, I thought it was just a gimmick, but when I went inside, I was pleasantly surprised. The clothes are both cheap and beautiful!"

And so, on its first day of business, Little Deer Clothing Shop became famous throughout the surrounding streets. All the clothes on display were sold out, and the shop made a considerable amount of money.

Lu Qin had originally stockpiled a lot of clothes, but now that her inventory was running low, she quickly sent a large number of people to the tailor shop to make new ones.

Hao Jingshi was also busy, taking pulses for everyone. It was the busiest day since he took over the clinic.

The two were so busy that they didn't even have time to eat. It wasn't until late at night that they saw off the last group of customers and closed the shop.

Before closing, Lu Qin emphasized to everyone that in order to thank everyone for their enthusiasm, they will continue to offer special deals tomorrow, choosing the early morning as the special offer time, and everyone is welcome to shop on-site.

Seeing everyone's delighted reaction, she knew that tomorrow would be another busy day.

...

In the blink of an eye, all was quiet, with stars twinkling in the night sky, and the evening breeze swept by, dispelling the heat of the busy day.

Xuan Lan and Ling'er cleaned the shop and helped Lu Qin close the door of the clothing store with a creak.

Then everyone went to the clinic together.

There were still a few customers waiting to have their pulse taken by Hao Jingshi.

Seeing that it was getting late, Lu Qin told Xuan Lan and Ling'er to go back to the mansion to rest first, while she sat down to wait for Hao Jingshi.

Ling'er was worried and wanted to stay with her master, but Xuan Lan forcibly took her away—he had to protect his young master's happiness.

About fifteen minutes later, all the customers left satisfied.

Seeing Lu Qin sitting quietly to the side, dozing off and waiting for him, Hao Jingshi raised his hand and flicked her forehead.

"oh."

He wasn't very strong, but he startled Lu Qin.

This annoying guy has been getting increasingly physical lately.

Lu Qin frowned and opened her eyes: "Is nobody here?"

"That's it." Hao Jingshi gave a suggestive thump on his shoulder and said, "I'm exhausted."

"Hmm." Lu Qin walked over to him, rubbed her shoulders, and strode past him. "I'm exhausted. Let's go home. I'm so sleepy I want to sleep."

"..." Having failed to make his presence known, and seeing Lu Qin leave the door eager to return home, Hao Jingshi had no choice but to obediently pack his things, close the door, and catch up with her.

On the way, Hao Jingshi secretly glanced at Lu Qin a few times.

Lu Qin seemed oblivious, continuing to move her neck and wrists as if nothing was amiss.

Unable to bear being ignored, Hao Jingshi coughed uncomfortably.

For the past few months, his wife had maintained a lukewarm attitude towards him. Although she continued to eat and live with him as before, and sometimes she would come to him crying and begging for favors, he always felt that the two of them had become much more distant.

She rarely clung to him, and when they did chat, it was always about the clothing shop.

Even when he deliberately tries to provoke her, she no longer gets furious and yells at him like before. Instead, she just ignores him and brushes it off.

I don't know why.

Thinking about it, Hao Jingshi coughed awkwardly several more times.

He coughed so hard that he even gagged a few times, as if he was about to vomit up his heart, liver, spleen, and lungs.

Lu Qin immediately saw through his clumsy acting, but she didn't know what he was really up to. So she turned her head and asked cooperatively, "Why is my husband coughing so badly all of a sudden? Are you sick?"

"My husband is skilled in medicine, so you must take good care of yourself. Remember to take your medicine on time and wear more clothes."

It turns out she still cared about him.

Hao Jingshi nodded, raised one hand, and pinched his temples with his middle finger and thumb, saying, "It's probably due to overwork, plus the weather has been getting cooler lately..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Qin looked worried. "Then why don't we sleep separately for now? What if you infect me and we both get sick? Then the clothing shop will be left unattended. It's only just opened, and this is the perfect time to make money."

"..."

Hao Jingshi, feeling like a mute eating bitter melon, lowered his hand from his forehead.

He coughed awkwardly.

"It won't delay anything. I'm strong and healthy, I might be fine after a meal."

Lu Qin scoffed.

The two began to walk in silence. When Hao Jingshi once again habitually crossed his arms to hide his embarrassment, Lu Qin felt a strange mix of emotions.

She glanced quietly at her tall, handsome young husband beside her.

Hao Jingshi was wearing a sky-blue dress today, clean and fresh, like a newly grown sapling, upright and full of vitality.

It really looks good.

As Lu Qin looked at him, she suddenly remembered that he had been wearing the brightly colored clothes she had bought for him lately.

She bought it after she got angry but then "came to her senses" and pretended to be magnanimous.

What a scoundrel! He's dressed up like that, all flashy and glamorous, who's he trying to impress? Like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

Lu Qin looked away sourly.

He's been provoking her more and more lately, constantly making little moves, like pulling her hair, tugging at her sleeves, and flicking her forehead, just like her mischievous deskmate from when she was little.

She felt that this childish behavior was essentially an attempt to get close to someone.

If your deskmate tries to get close to you to copy your homework, what is Hao Jingshi's motive?

It was clearly a ploy to get her to "understand" and help him arrange for a concubine, so that he could reap the benefits without lifting a finger!

Lu Qin couldn't describe how she felt.

If I had to say, it would probably be... she does care, and she just can't get over that hurdle.

Perhaps it's due to different eras and perspectives, or perhaps it's because of some hidden reason in one's heart.

She simply didn't want to share a husband with someone else, even if she had to accept the possibility of that happening in the future.

Therefore, all she could do was deliberately keep her distance from Hao Jingshi, try her best to appear indifferent, and bury herself in her clothing shop, trying not to think about these messy things.

She also summarized a universal mantra.

I won't get angry, I won't get angry, anger will only make me sick and no one can take my place. My husband is still a minor, getting sick from anger is worthless.

So what if I have three wives and four concubines? More people to serve my in-laws. Everyone loves beauty; if that doesn't work, I'll go to a restaurant too.

Whenever and wherever she was, as long as she silently recited the truth she had summarized, Lu Qin felt much better.

A woman in the prime of her career should not be influenced by men.

She would work even harder to sell clothes, turning her grief and anger into motivation, making a lot of money, then opening chain stores all over the country, counting money until her hands were sore, and then dumping Hao Jingshi and living alone.

So what if she takes a concubine? She keeps male lovers too.

Raise one hundred.

Let's see who pays the most.

[Author's Note]

Note: The function of color is referenced from Baidu Encyclopedia.