In mid-November, the temperature dropped sharply, and the temperature difference between morning and evening was particularly large. It was so cold that I had to wear two layers of clothing when walking outdoors.
Summer clothes have completely withdrawn from the market, and autumn and winter clothes such as suit jackets and woolen coats have begun to be sold. The activity of attracting people is still going on, and the 10% off activity has ended.
Ordinarily, everyone should be happy since they made some quick money.
But in the entire Baiyun Street market, except for Xu Haizhou's family, all other merchants were sighing.
Some of them don't even sell clothes, but because they learned Xu Haizhou's "head marketing method", they ended up embarking on the path of inflated stockpiling and invested all their cash. As a result, the market is now saturated, and the large amount of unsold goods can only be stuffed at home.
Nowadays, how can people who do business be considered wealthy? They live in either a large compound or a tube-shaped building. There is only so much space. If you want to stuff a large amount of goods into your home, there is really no room to move!
Some are happy and some are sad.
New goods arrived, old goods were put away, and Qiao Lu rearranged the clothing display in the store.
This time the two men learned their lesson and did not buy any junk. As soon as they arrived in the Special Administrative Region, they rushed directly to the wholesale store of woolen coats. Each of them grabbed twenty pieces, for a total of forty pieces, plus the ten pieces they had purchased in the previous two months, and some woolen fabrics... basically they didn't have to worry about purchasing any more goods for the entire fall and winter.
Of course, the woolen coat should be placed on the most conspicuous middle wall, with cotton coats and various outerwear on the left, and cotton trousers and autumn trousers on the right. The hangers below are for hanging bags and "special offers", which are clothes that have not been sold out in the summer. Expensive ones are sold at 20% off, and cheap ones are buy one get one free. They cannot be combined with other activities.
Even though it was still the 1980s, the clothing market was actually changing at a very fast pace. There would be a "hot item" almost every year, and once a hot item came out, last year's styles would not be so easy to sell. So, if you have the ability, it would be best to clear out your summer clothes before summer comes, so you don't have to worry about inventory next year.
Qiao Lu specially bought watercolor pens and cut four round pieces of cardboard, each about the size of an adult's palm. The paper was white with a bright yellow border around the edge to make it eye-catching.
In the middle, it was written in big red: "Winter Clearance Sale", "Buy One Get One Free", "20% Off Summer Clothes"...
No matter you can read or not, the first thing you see when you come to the store is definitely these shiny cards.
When you see this new thing, you must ask about it, right? Good guy, this question directly falls into the "trap".
Xu Haizhou and Li Hongjun will try their best to explain the content of the event to you and instill in you the idea that you can get a lot of benefits by buying. After a while, the slightly doubtful thoughts in your mind are gradually dispelled by the two.
One marketing method after another stimulates the brains of consumers, and the remote little shops that had slowly faded into silence suddenly "rise" in the same way.
Gradually, the flow of people gradually showed an unstoppable energy and slowly gathered.
Now, people who often come to Baiyun Street to shop know that there is a high-quality women's clothing store at the end of the street. There is also a fitting room where you can try on clothes. If you don't like them, you don't have to buy them. The owner won't force you. And even if you only buy a vest for one dollar, you will get a small hairpin for free!
Not to mention the recent launch of "full-capacity discounts", "20% off promotions", "buy one get one free" and other activities...
So word of mouth spread, and the free advertising became more and more popular.
Sometimes many customers come to Baiyun Street just to get the bargains at Xu Haizhou’s stall!
Good guy, the consumer psychology is well understood.
Strike while the iron is hot. Qiao Lu worked day and night and made three woolen coats in a week. They were different from the previous handmade ones. The previous ones were khaki, but the one Xu Haizhou brought back this time was date red!
Think about it, red, what a festive color. In a week it will be December, and in two months it will be the Spring Festival. It goes without saying how popular red will be, right?
The clothes are made with great care, and the design is slightly different from other woolen coats.
She went to five markets before buying the metal buttons, which were very delicate and elegant.
Because the Li'an people are generally short and slender, half of the material is used to make long styles, and the other half is used to make short styles that are two centimeters longer than the knees, so that the sizes can be worn by both tall and short people.
The hem is designed to expand outwards, tight on the top and loose on the bottom, which makes the shoulders look not so wide. The collar is the most versatile suit-style large lapel, with neat and crisp lines. The cuffs are also turned up and buttons are sewn on. If you have short arms, you can turn the cuffs up and button them up. It is both practical and beautiful.
Because the fabric was quite expensive, Qiao Lu did not hand it over to outsiders to avoid excessive waste, and she handled the entire process herself.
It took two full weeks to use up all the fabric and make them into coats, and eight festive woolen coats were made.
As soon as the clothes were made, Qiao Lu kept one long piece for herself and took the remaining two pieces to the store to test out.
Unexpectedly, it caused such a sensation on the first day of its launch.
Qiao Lu named the coat "New Year's Battle Suit" and wrote it in eye-catching red letters on a small card, which she then stuck to the collar of the coat. The combination of yellow and red made it hard not to notice the combination.
At first the two men didn't understand why it was called "New Year's Warmth". Qiao Lu said that putting a label on the clothes would make it sound more attractive to buy.
When people see these four words, they will first feel curious and then ask questions, which achieves Qiao Lu's purpose.
Then let Xu Haizhou and Li Hongjun introduce to them the meaning of "New Year's uniform".
When everyone heard the meaning of this dress, they found it quite festive and auspicious. Even those who had no plans to buy new clothes couldn't help but think: Should I buy one for myself? / Should I buy one for my mother/wife/daughter?
When I heard that the coat was an exclusive handmade custom-made one, sold in limited quantities throughout Li’an, with only seven or eight pieces in stock, I couldn’t help but be tempted.
After the marketing goal was achieved, the topic of "New Year's uniforms" remained high, and Xu Haizhou's stall created "unprecedented" bustle.
Not to mention the little girls, even the older sisters and mothers were attracted by this bright color.
"This dress has a really nice color. It's a festive dress for the New Year." He stroked the fabric and couldn't let it go. "Boss, how much is it?"
Xu Haizhou smiled slightly and said slowly: "Eighty-eight."
The elder sister was so frightened that she quickly put down her hand: "Hey, what? Are you kidding me? Is this dress made of gold or silver?"
Eighty-eight! Two months’ salary!
Xu Haizhou's expression remained calm, his voice was calm, and the corners of his mouth raised gently: "Feel it, this is authentic wool, high-end goods. I can guarantee that you will not find the same style in the whole Li'an except for my house."
Purely handmade, unless you pirate it, you will never find the same one.
Moreover, this material is rare and the cost of pirating is high. No matter how much you steal it, it is impossible to be as widespread as the cloth bag, and it is even more impossible to copy it one-to-one.
Xu Haizhou is still very confident in his wife's cooking skills.
"By the way, sister, if it had been two or three years earlier, you wouldn't have been able to buy a coat." He deliberately spoke mysteriously.
"Why?" The eldest sister didn't understand and asked curiously.
Xu Haizhou smiled and explained: "This coat was originally only available in Hong Kong. Now it is open to the market. It has only recently been imported from Hong Kong to the mainland. Think about it, can clothes only available in Hong Kong be cheap?"
Yeah, it's true now. In Hong Kong, a place so far away, I heard that a piece of clothing can cost hundreds of dollars. Eighty-eight... when I think about it, it's still cheap?
"All your coats are 88?" Although she had the halo of Hong Kong, the elder sister still felt the pain, but she liked it very much.
She never thought of buying such expensive clothes. She would be scolded to death when she got home.
"No, take a look at these two." After taking down the clothes rack, Xu Haizhou gave her a black and dark brown coat: "These two styles are 58 each, and there is also this khaki one, which is also a custom-made one, 68. If you think the red one is expensive, you can try these."
The reason why red coats are more expensive than others is, firstly, because the material is good and the cost is high, and secondly, because people call it "New Year's War Jacket", so the higher price is the value implied by the name.
Just think about it, how stylish would it be to wear the New Year's uniform?
With the 'New Year's Warsuit' in front of her, the elder sister looked at these two items with disdain: "The colors of these two are not good, not festive enough. And the material feels not as comfortable as the red one."
Xu Haizhou smiled and said, "Of course. These two pieces are single-sided and feel rough. The New Year's uniform is double-sided wool. The quality is different."
"You can wear it on any festive occasion, including festivals, weddings, and full-month banquets. It's so elegant when you go out and visit relatives." Xu Haizhou is now very generous in praising people and can do it effortlessly.
Yes, it can be worn not only during the Spring Festival, but also at weddings to make you look more elegant.
Thinking of my daughter's wedding banquet in the first month of the lunar year, how stylish will she look in this coat? My family has two employees, my daughter and son-in-law are also two employees, and all four of us work in a state-owned factory. How can we afford a "New Year's uniform"?
Thinking about this, the elder sister wavered: "The skirt is quite beautiful, but the wallet is not so beautiful..."
Xu Haizhou said calmly: "Look at what I have here. I only bought two pairs of New Year's uniforms, and they are only in these two sizes. Now they are out of stock. If you like them, try them. If you don't like them, look for other styles."
When she heard there were only two pieces, the elder sister quickly touched them carefully.
"If you like it, you can try it. We have a fitting room here." He took a white cable knit sweater from the hanger and said, "If you don't mind the trouble, you can put on another sweater as a base. The red and white combination can make you look good and young!"
Qiaolu also taught me the red and white combination, saying that red and white are more beautiful, and I guarantee that you will not want to take them off after wearing them. If you don't like it, you can also match red with black, which is suitable for older customers with a calmer temperament.
"Oh, you keep talking like a gun, I feel embarrassed not to try it."
Xu Haizhou was stunned for a moment and couldn't help laughing.
Yes, he is getting more and more talkative every day. If his tone is a little more exaggerated, he can catch up with Li Hongjun.
Finally, the elder sister couldn't help herself and took her "New Year's suit" into the fitting room to try on clothes. She also took a white sweater with her to see how much younger she could look.
She is about the same height as her daughter, and there is not much difference in height and weight. If she can wear the clothes, her daughter will definitely look more beautiful in them. If she can wear them, her daughter can also wear them, then doesn't the value of the clothes increase?
When they came out after changing into their coats, Xu Haizhou was entertaining other guests. Both girls had their eyes on the New Year's suit, but there was only one left on the wall, plus the one she was wearing...
The eldest sister suddenly felt a little uneasy. Xu Haizhou handed her the mirror and praised her a few words. Then the eldest sister looked at the rosy-cheeked woman in the mirror and couldn't help but lift her hair and twist her body.
The eldest sister is not fat, she is 1.58 meters tall and thin. The tight coat makes her look two degrees taller. If she wears a pair of shiny leather shoes with heels, it would be better to look taller. Then put on red lips and comb her hair neatly... Oh! She really looks like a little girl!
The elder sister made up her mind. As the two female comrades looked at her and whispered, she gritted her teeth and took out her wallet: "Boss, take the money!"
…
Normally, no one would carry a huge sum of 88 yuan on them, so the eldest sister first counted out the 16 yuan in bills from her wallet and gave it to Xu Haizhou as a deposit. After she bought the vegetables and went home to get the money, she came over to take the clothes away.
Because the elder sister wanted to take the white sweater away, Xu Haizhou gave her a discount of five yuan. The elder sister was now even more determined to buy the coat. If anyone dared to stop her after returning home, she would never forgive him!
After the elder sister left, one of the two female comrades who liked the "New Year's War Outfit" had already taken the clothes into the fitting room to try them on, and also put on a white cable knit sweater inside. When she came out, her companions exclaimed "Wow——"
I quickly urged my friend to change her clothes so that she could try it too.
Having lived in that black, gray and blue era for more than a decade, the "New Year's uniform" is undoubtedly a symbol of a long drought followed by a downpour.
Throughout the morning, no less than twenty female comrades asked about the price of the uniform, and all of them were "afraid" of the expensive eighty-eight dollars.
The two female comrades did not buy anything. They looked like young employees who had just started working. Eighty-eight yuan for a piece of clothing was far beyond their affordability. They could only go into the fitting room to try on some clothes to satisfy their desire.
Fortunately, Xu Haizhou did not say anything and did not dislike the two female comrades for just trying the products but not buying them. He always kept a gentle smile and did not make the two female comrades feel embarrassed at all.
As the saying goes, even if the deal fails, the friendship remains. In the end, although the coat was not sold, the two took the white cable knit sweater back home.
Can't afford a coat and a sweater? There are two of them, so they can save two dollars!
"Boss, will you still sell this 'New Year's uniform' next year? I really like it. If I save money for a year, I should be able to afford it."
Xu Haizhou couldn't give a clear answer either, only saying, "If we can buy the fabric next year, we'll have more. This year we only have seven or eight pieces, so if you want one, you'd better grab it."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you, boss."
The two female comrades picked up their new sweaters and walked away happily, arm in arm.
…
The "New Year's Warsuit" has successfully upgraded the fitting room of the clothing store to the most popular place on Baiyun Street. Regardless of whether one can afford it or not, since it is free, everyone wants to try it on.
Originally, Li Hongjun was afraid that if people kept trying on the coats without restraint, the coats would be torn to pieces. However, within two days, all six coats made by Qiao Lu were sold out.
When the customers who came here to buy the clothes heard that they were sold out, they all left disappointed.
Some people, thinking that since they were already there, went into the fitting room to try on a few other cheap coats. As time went by, the New Year's coats were sold out, and half of the black, brown and khaki coats were also gradually sold out.
In the last week, the remaining red woolen material made by Qiao Lu was stolen before it left the hospital.
One was bought by Song Qingping, and the other was bought by the mother of Zhao Kuihua from the outer courtyard.
Qiao Lu was not surprised by Zhao Kuihua's mother. After all, she had a TV and a radio at home, and even a rice cooker sent from Hong Kong! She was not short of money at all.
But Song Qingping is different. When have you ever seen her buy something that costs more than the normal price? She used to like the tie-dye skirt made by Qiao Lu, but she didn't want to buy it because she thought twenty yuan was too expensive. Now she is willing to pay eighty-eight yuan?
It seems that the fighting power of the "New Year's War Suit" is stronger than she thought. If she continues to sell all the woolen coats this month, she will earn at least 3,000 yuan!
The dream of buying a house is just around the corner...
…
In the blink of an eye, the winter wind suddenly rose, and the cold wind blew against the glass windows, lifting up the dead yellow leaves on the ground, making a rustling sound.
Qiao Lu carried the wooden basin to the well to fetch water. She tucked her coat in and suddenly heard three familiar words coming from outside the yard.
"Xu Haizhou! Xu Haizhou's letter!"
letter?
When Qiao Lu heard the word "faith", her whole body tensed up subconsciously.
He put the basin down and ran out in a hurry. The wind seemed to be like a bayonet, blowing painfully at his face.
"Excuse me, is this a letter from my husband? Xu Haizhou."
The messenger turned out to be Xiao Gao, who was dressed tightly in a thick military coat and an old sheepskin hat, just like last winter.
Wasn't it said that he was in the intensive care unit of the hospital after being stabbed? How come he has returned to work after only a few months?
"Yes, Xu Haizhou." Gao Xin slowly exhaled a breath of white air, took out a letter from the military green envelope, and handed it to her with both hands: "Here."
"Thank you."
After taking the letter, Xiao Gao slowly closed his bag, pedaled hard, and prepared to ride away.
"Hey, Xiao Gao!" Qiao Lu called him over.
Gao Xin turned his head to look at her, confused, with a look of bewilderment in his eyes.
He knew Qiao Lu. When they came to the compound to deliver letters, they would often see each other, but they were not very familiar with each other.
"Um...how are you and Xiao Zhou doing recently..." Considering the indifferent relationship between the two, this sentence was really presumptuous.
But Qiao Lu is a talkative person, her mouth is faster than her brain, and she asked the question first.
Compared to before the injury, Xiao Gao's complexion is much worse, as if he has aged ten years in an instant, with a unique sense of desolation.
He pulled the corners of his mouth together and smiled, and that smile seemed to make Qiao Lu see the simple and naive little postman again.
"It's fine. I'm going to marry her soon."
Qiao Lu was surprised and congratulated from the bottom of her heart: "Oh, that's great, congratulations."
"Thank you." Gao Xin shook his head and looked at her a little embarrassedly: "You...you..."
"What's wrong?"
Gao Xin suddenly smiled bitterly, revealing two small canine teeth, and his eyes were slightly red.
"You are the first to bless us."
Qiao Lu paused, feeling very upset...
The first one... does that mean that even his parents don’t bless them?
My heart gradually felt sad, but the smile on my face was unusually warm, like that of an older sister.
"Of course I have to wish you all the best. You and Xiao Zhou are really a perfect match made in heaven. You are a perfect match."
In fact, Qiao Lu had only met Xiao Zhou once. She was a pretty girl from Jiangnan, and she was a good match for a naive and simple guy like Xiao Gao.
Moreover, Xiao Gao has a very good reputation among his neighbors. These neighbors usually don't praise others, but if they really do, the praise will definitely not be bad.
"Thank you." Sometimes a stranger's request is more joyful than a family member's blessing. Gao Xin raised his hand and waved at her. The haze between his brows disappeared and he smiled brightly: "I still have work to do. Let's not talk about it now. See you later!"
"Okay! Deliver the blessing to Xiao Zhou for me!"
"good!"
Looking at Xiao Gao's leaving back, Qiao Lu found that his left hand was hanging lightly at his side, and the other hand was holding the handlebar of the bicycle, heading towards the destination very slowly.
It was said that Xiao Zhou had never dated Qian Qiang before, but Qian Qiang was the one who was persistent and aggressive, trying to snatch a decent woman away from her. The Zhou family could not stand the harassment, so they asked Liu Xiaohong to introduce a blind date to their daughter, thinking that Qian Qiang would give up if they found a date or got married. Unexpectedly, this action irritated him, and he came to the door with a kitchen knife and started chopping.
Xiao Gao is an only child. Both his parents died. There are only two elderly people in his family. I heard that when he was in the intensive care unit, only Xiao Zhou took care of him day and night...
I also heard that the kitchen knife chopped him three times, one on the arm, one on the abdomen, and one on the shoulder...Looking at the way he was riding the bike, it seemed to have had an impact.
…
After the last experience, Qiao Lu didn't dare to open the letter from the north. Who knew what was written in it? She was also afraid that reading it would make her feel bad.
Just throw it on the table and let Xu Haizhou come back to look at it himself.
Business is slow in winter, so I closed the stall early today. When I came back, there were a lot of bags in the back seat.
As soon as he got off the car, he asked, "Where is our son?"
"Why, you miss me after just one day of not seeing me?" Qiao Lu joked and went forward to help him steady his bike.
"Not really." After untying the cargo rope on the back seat, he suddenly took out a small three-color rubber ball from the sack: "For An An."
Qiao Lu raised her eyebrows in surprise and spun the ball around between her fingertips: "Where did you get it from?"
"There's a new toy stall across the street. It looks interesting, so I just bought one."
Qiao Lu curled her lips, turned her head and shouted to the Chen family across the street: "An An! You're back!"
"Oh! Mom, I'm coming!"
The little guy trotted out, his hair blown up by the wind in excitement. When I got closer, I found that he had a circle of hair on his mouth, like a white beard, which was very cute.
"What are you eating?" Qiao Lu scratched the bridge of his nose.
The boy raised his hand and said to his mother, "Grandpa Chen bought the white cake! Give me a piece!"
"Go eat again."
Qiao An smiled sheepishly.
"Hey, this is the toy your dad bought for you."
The kid then noticed the ball in Xu Haizhou's hand and quickly took it: "Wow! Thank you, Dad! What is this?"
"Little ball, go out and play with the kids."
"good!"
After a few thumps, thump, thump, it disappeared.
After carrying the goods into the house, Qiao Lu continued to sit at the dining table and choose dishes, with the radio on, listening to the latest news channel.
The man walked towards her slowly, leaned over, and hugged her from behind.
Just with this hug, it seemed as if all the fatigue of the whole day was swept away.
In fact, a man's happiness is nothing more than this: earning money at work, spending time with his wife and children after get off work, and having a regular schedule. This is enough.
"What are you doing? Aren't you feeling hot?"
"How can it be hot in the middle of winter?"
Qiao Lu picked up a vegetable core and touched his nose: "I'm just like a kid again."
"It smells so good." Cai Xin tickled his nose, and he smiled and moved his head away, burying his head in her shoulder.
"How can sweetheart cauliflower have a fragrance? It's not an ornamental flower."
Xu Haizhou laughed softly: "No, I said your hair smells good."
"Don't we both use the same shampoo?" Qiao Lu glanced at him.
"Hmm." His chin rubbed lightly against her shoulder, touching her meridians and making her itchy.
"But I always think yours smells better than mine."
Qiao Lu was amused and pushed him away with her elbow. "Why don't you leave? How long are you going to hold it? I'll finish picking the cabbage soon."
"Why are you in such a hurry? Hold me for a while longer." He turned around and gave her a kiss.
“Hmm…” Qiao Lu’s pupils dilated and she pushed the man away: “How can you be like this! It’s broad daylight and the door is not closed!”
Her face flushed red, which made the man's eyes dim and his mind become active.
He held the back of her head and kissed her recklessly.
"Hmm..." What's wrong with you? It's winter now!
"Frequent kissing can promote harmonious relationship between husband and wife." Besides, after all, you haven't seen each other for a day, so what's wrong with kissing your wife? It's legal and reasonable.
"Is this the same twisted theory Li Hongjun is telling you again?"
Qiao Lu was almost suffocated by his kiss. When they left, an ambiguous silver thread was revealed between their connected lips, which made people tremble with fear and their face turned hot and red, like a roasted white pig!
"Don't you see where you are? The door is not locked! You know the neighbors in the yard and they come in without knocking." As he said that, he clenched his fist and hit him hard in the chest.
"Can you please stop touching my loved ones!"
Xu Haizhou smiled dotingly, and wrapped his big palm around her cold fingers. The temperature was very high and they were warm in a short while.
"See it, we are legal."
"I really have nothing to say to you. Don't listen to Li Hongjun's dirty talk in the future. He doesn't even have a partner. Can he teach you? Is that okay?"
"Why not? I think it's a good idea." After each kiss, I feel like I love my wife even more... Practice makes perfect!
Qiao Lu: “…”
There is nothing to say.
"I'm not going to talk to you any more." She glanced at him speechlessly, raised her hand, and threw the letter on the table to him: "It's a letter from the north, open it and take a look."
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