Chapter 23 Business Queued Up
In later times, it is hard to imagine that someone would stay up all night to queue up to buy a book. It would be more like queuing up to buy an Apple phone or a figurine.
But such scenes were normal in the 1980s. The grassland burned by fire would not become barren, but would become more lush in the next spring.
Among those who stayed up late to queue up to buy books today, there were workers in factory uniforms, cadres in shirts, and civil servants in uniforms.
Everyone was sitting, squatting or standing, chatting with strangers or acquaintances about all sorts of things.
When it comes to buying and reading books, there is no difference in status, we are all book lovers.
Lin Weimin cunningly rolled up his bedding and lined up. In the middle of the night, when he saw that some people could not bear it anymore, he asked everyone to take turns lying down for a while.
They endured until almost morning. There was still fog in the air. Lin Weimin took Qu Xiaowei to the breakfast stall to buy breakfast for everyone.
The people around were drooling as they smelled the soy milk and buns that Lin Weimin and his friends bought.
After waiting in a long line all night, everyone was tired, hungry and sleepy.
"It's still more reliable to serve the people!"
As the saying goes, one who eats someone's food will be soft-hearted, and one who receives someone's gifts will be oblig
I slept on Lin Weimin's bedding last night and ate the breakfast bought by Lin Weimin this morning. At least today, Lin Weimin has a good reputation among these people.
After wolfing down my breakfast, it was already half past seven.
At this time, the bookstore employees began to come to work one after another, and the crowd became restless.
As eight o'clock approached, the crowd became more and more agitated.
As the staff slowly opened the door of the bookstore, the crowd rushed into the bookstore like zombies out of a cage.
The bookstore staff were already accustomed to such situations and dealt with them calmly.
Lin Weimin and his group lined up early yesterday and were almost the first wave to rush into the bookstore.
After the founding of New China, people's living standards improved and their enthusiasm for learning culture reached an unprecedented high. Since the 1950s, every weekend, major bookstores in Yenching were always crowded with people buying books.
But for a long time, people went to bookstores to buy books just like they bought oil, sugar, rice and noodles. They had to go through a thick counter and often couldn't see the title of the book or the author's name even if they stretched their necks. They could only ask the salesperson to help them get the book.
Bookstore salespeople are most afraid of people who haven't decided what book to buy. They can only hand out books one by one for people to choose, and they can't tell which one to take, which is very inconvenient.
The book-buying procedure at that time was that customers first went to the counter to select books, then went to the cashier to pay and get an invoice, and then went to the counter to pick up the books. The procedure was cumbersome.
In 1978, in order to make it easier for readers to buy books, the Xinhua Bookstore in Yenching began to sell books on the open shelves in its stores, allowing readers to take books directly from the shelves and cabinets to browse and buy them.
This method of selling books was immediately welcomed by readers. One month later, the sales of books in many stores doubled.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Before long, some bookstores switched back to closed-shelf sales.
The fundamental reason is that the depreciation cost of open-shelf book sales is too high. Since the switch to open-shelf book sales, a large number of books in bookstores have been damaged or lost.
Fortunately, Wangfujing Bookstore, as the largest bookstore in Yanjing and the country, and the most representative bookstore of Xinhua Bookstore, has always implemented the policy of open shelf book sales and still maintains open shelf book sales.
Lin Weimin and a few others rushed into the bookstore and headed straight for the literature shelves.
Xinhua Bookstore divides books into 17 categories and compiles a mnemonic for the staff to memorize: one is Marx (Marxism-Leninism), two is philosophy, three is social science, four is economics, five is military, six is law, seven is education, eight is art, nine is language, ten is literature, eleven is history, twelve is geography...
Those who often visit bookstores these days are familiar with this set of tips, and finding a bookshelf is not difficult at all.
Several people came to buy books with a mission. Each of them brought a few sets of books, and suddenly more than half of the bookshelf was empty.
Lin Weimin was the most excessive. He had his arms full of books and asked Qu Xiaowei and Aibaier to bring him two more sets.
"Are we that many? Why did you buy so many books?" Qu Xiaowei asked.
People around him looked at him strangely. Lin Weimin said righteously, "What do you know? I love books as my life."
Qu Xiaowei gave him a look that said "I don't believe you at all". He knew that Lin Weimin definitely had no good intentions.
As expected, he guessed it right. After queuing up to pay the bill, everyone was getting ready to leave when they saw this kid running to the end of the line with a pile of books in his arms.
"Take a look at these four great classics that I just bought from the bookstore. Are you still using the same old stuff? They're not expensive, just an extra twenty cents."
"I have other books here, such as Selected Poems of Pushkin, Anna Karenina, War and Peace... The sets are usually 20 cents, and the individual copies are 10 cents. This will save you from waiting in line for half a day, right?"
"Time is money. If you had the time, you would have gone home and read a book. Don't you think this is true?"
…
The big liar came online again and took advantage of the pain points of the people at the end of the queue.
These people came to line up early in the morning, and the line was as long as two miles. Looking at the endless line in front of them, many people were tempted.
It's only a dime or two anyway, so just consider it as saving some effort.
Lin Weimin is not afraid of anyone. He simply shoots and runs away. It is impossible to catch him for profiteering.
"Give me a set of the Four Great Classics."
After the first one, there will be the second one, "I want a copy of War and Peace", "And me, I want Selected Poems of Pushkin".
In full view of the public, nearly a hundred books that Lin Weimin had just bought from the bookstore were swept away by the people queuing at the end of the line in just a few minutes.
Lin Weimin spat on his fingers as he counted the scattered receipts in his hand. He was in a good mood and humming a little tune.
"We ordinary people are so happy today..."
Zhang Lin stepped forward to interrupt him, "Okay, stop counting. We still have to go to class later. We have to go back quickly."
"Okay, my squad leader."
On the way back to the Institute of Literature, the other people were muttering to each other as they watched Lin Weimin counting money with a smile on his face.
"This kid, even when he comes to buy books, he doesn't forget to make some money."
"Who says it's not true? But you know what, Weimin is really good at economics. This can make him money, enough to cover more than a week's salary."
"This kid is really obsessed with money."
…
The few of them talked all the way back to the Institute of Literature, where they were treated like heroes. After all, they had stayed up late to queue up for everyone to buy the famous books.
Qu Xiaowei vividly described to everyone the bustling scene of queuing in the bookstore. The colleagues who listened were excited and were also moved by the dedication of several male classmates.
Everyone unanimously decided that today's meals for Lin Weimin and his group would be contracted by everyone.
(End of this chapter)
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