Liu'er's mouth is like it's been blessed; she said she'd invite someone over this morning, and just before closing time, someone actually showed up at the shop.
The person who came was none other than Sun Miao'er's second aunt, accompanied by her husband, Lu Huan.
"Miao'er, how have you been lately?" Sun Caiyun's polite words were somewhat stiff, and full of deliberate effort.
When Sun Caiping saw her younger sister arrive, she felt uncomfortable standing to the side, so she went about her own business.
Sun Miao'er poured tea for Sun Caiyun, "How did Second Aunt know I was here?"
Sun Caiyun married after Sun Caiping. They had different personalities. Before she got married, she was known as "sweet" in the surrounding villages. She had a round face, crescent-shaped eyes, spoke in a sweet and coquettish voice, and was very considerate.
The older generation in the village all liked her very much and wanted to marry her as their daughter-in-law. However, Sun Caiyun was a woman of ambition. She looked down on the illiterate brutes in the village and wanted to find a scholar like her sister.
After much deliberation, they finally found an accountant in the city.
“I went back to my parents’ home a few days ago and heard it from my mother.” Although Sun Caiyun was already twenty-seven or twenty-eight, she still had a youthful face. “My mother said that my older sister also came with you to work.”
"My Miao'er has made something of herself! She's opened such a big shop! I never dreamed that after so many years of decline, our family would finally be able to turn things around!"
Listening to Sun Miao'er's effusive praise, Sun Miao'er honestly felt that she herself didn't think she was so capable. But coming from Sun Caiyun's mouth, it sounded like she was bringing glory to her ancestors.
"Second Aunt, I'm just lucky to have gotten this shop. It's still far from being settled. It's not as amazing as you make it out to be."
Sun Caiyun's eyes flickered, and she bit her lip as she said, "Miao'er, it's like this, your second aunt's husband is an accountant, as you know."
“His previous employer is in trouble and can't continue, but he has three children to feed, so I was thinking of finding a job for your second aunt's husband…”
Sun Miao'er immediately understood what she meant, and before she could finish speaking, she asked, "What does Second Uncle think?"
Lu Huan simply nodded and smiled blankly, "I will follow my wife's arrangements."
"To be honest, Auntie, I am indeed short-staffed in my shop right now, but I haven't even started looking yet, and you've already come here with Uncle." Sun Miao'er looked Lu Huan up and down; he wasn't the kind of scoundrel like Jiang Yutao.
Lu Huan was wearing an old-fashioned long gown, which gave off a pedantic, bookish smell.
Sun Miao'er didn't know much about him, only that he had taken the imperial examinations for several years but was still only a student and could not pass the county-level examinations. He was almost thirty years old when he finally got married.
However, his ancestors had lived in Pingnan City for three generations, and his ancestors had served as minor officials, so they were no longer considered farmers.
"Miao'er, don't worry, he's experienced. He's been an accountant for over ten years, so he can't be wrong."
Sun Caiyun kept assuring them, "These calligraphy copybooks are all family treasures. I heard that Xiao Ning and Xiao Man are already in school, so consider these as a gift from your second aunt."
Since the gifts had already been presented, Sun Miao'er felt it would be impolite to refuse again. "Alright, we're all family, Second Aunt, don't be so formal. It would be great if the shop had a competent accountant."
Sun Miao'er entered Duhuan Tower once again. This time, Dongli Xiaoxiao readily gave her a note. Just as she requested, the note contained Dongli Xiaoxiao's name, written in delicate small regular script. Through the elegant handwriting, one could vaguely glimpse the beauty of the person who wrote it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, don't miss this opportunity!" Liu'er shouted at the shop entrance, banging a gong and drum. Soon, a crowd of onlookers gathered.
Sun Miao'er framed and hung the note with the name on it. As more and more people gathered, she cleared her throat and said, "As you all know, our shop is fortunate to have the favor of Miss Dongli, who has graced our shop with her presence many times."
"As expected, our shop has been very successful. A few days ago, the girl from Dongli wrote a piece of calligraphy for me. Now, our shop is open for pre-orders. However, if you pay a deposit now, you can receive an embroidered version of the girl's calligraphy. Quantities are limited!"
The celebrity effect is indeed always advantageous, and Dongli Xiaoxiao's influence in Pingnan City is so widespread that he can almost command a large following.
"I'll have one!"
"Give me one too!"
The shouts from below grew louder and louder, but unlike before when she was eager to sign the contract, Sun Miao'er remained calm as she watched the people below pushing and shoving each other and shouting, without showing any reaction.
"Ladies and gentlemen, due to the extremely limited quantity, we cannot guarantee that everyone will be able to place an order," Sun Miao'er said leisurely. "Therefore, this time our shop will use a lottery system to determine who gets an order."
"Everyone, please start queuing on the right side of the store. I will have you draw numbers according to the order of your queue. The person who draws the number that matches the announced number will receive our customized item."
As soon as Sun Miao'er finished speaking, the people behind her craned their necks to find out more. Determining the eligibility to buy by drawing lots sounded mysterious, but it was actually quite fair.
Once everyone had lined up, Liu'er carried out two wooden buckets containing prepared slips of paper.
"One person, one lot; draws will continue until all lots are used up."
There must have been at least fifty or sixty people in that line, not for any other reason than that they were all loyal fans of Dongli Xiaoxiao.
Half an hour later, Liu'er finally finished distributing the lots.
Sun Miao'er put away the framed calligraphy. "Everyone, this bucket contains the same number of slips. I'm going to draw ten slips now. If the number I draw matches the number in your hand, you can come and pay the deposit and sign the contract."
Those below immediately held their breath, clutching the slip of paper tightly in their hands, not daring to utter a sound.
Sun Miao'er first drew a card, a large "2". The man smiled smugly, took two steps forward, cupped his hands and said to the people behind him, "Thank you for your kind gesture!"
After all ten lots were drawn, the outcome was set. Those who drew lots went to sign the contract with great joy, while those who didn't draw lots went home dejectedly.
The scene was incredibly lively, with onlookers crowding in three layers.
The embroidered version was priced even higher than before, yet people still flocked to it, readily pulling out their wallets.
"Shopkeeper, how did you come up with this idea?" Liu'er was amazed by the shopkeeper's ingenious money-making plan and admired her strategy.
Sun Miao'er crossed her arms and thought for a moment, "This is probably the signature effect."
Her sudden inspiration came from her past obsessive pursuit of celebrities, where she would fight tooth and nail for an autograph, and an autograph could even fetch a price a hundred or a thousand times higher than before.
With the subsequent surge in popularity of collaborations, ordinary items are instantly transformed with the addition of the word "collaboration," proving that the power of idols is strong everywhere.
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