The joy on Shen Qiqi's face froze instantly, and the smile that was about to bloom at the corner of her mouth also froze on her face, as if the pause button had been pressed.
She blinked her eyes and looked at Uncle Zhao in front of her. The enthusiasm just now seemed like an illusion, replaced by a businesslike expression.
"Qiqi, your handmade soap is new, so I have to follow the rules." Uncle Zhao cleared his throat and said calmly, "The market stall fee is not cheap these days, five yuan a day."
Five dollars?
!
Shen Qiqi almost jumped up. The handmade soap she carefully made only cost a few cents per piece. This stall fee was simply "a lion's mouth"!
She felt like she was being taken advantage of, and a thousand alpacas were running through her heart.
She clenched her fists, her nails almost digging into her flesh, and tried hard to stay calm.
Lu Qing on the side also frowned and looked at Shen Qiqi with heartache.
He could feel the anger in Shen Qiqi's heart, and his hands were clenched into fists, as if he was about to rush up to argue with her in the next second.
"Uncle Zhao, this... is too expensive, right? Others only make a few cents a day setting up stalls, but why is my new thing so expensive?" Shen Qiqi tried hard to control her emotions, her tone trembling slightly.
Uncle Zhao disagreed. He curled his lips with a hint of contempt in his eyes: "This is how the market is now. If you don't accept it, there will be people waiting in line behind you."
Some of the stall owners around also looked over here. They whispered to each other and let out a few sarcastic laughs from time to time.
Shen Qiqi took a deep breath and tried hard to suppress the anger in her heart.
She knew that if she confronted Uncle Zhao head-on, she would gain nothing.
However, she could never give up.
She looked at Uncle Zhao with a determined gaze, a hint of a sneer on her lips: "Uncle Zhao, if you do this, you are not afraid of me..."
Before she could finish her words, she was stopped by Lu Qing.
He pulled Shen Qiqi behind him, signaled her to calm down with his eyes, and shook his head silently.
Shen Qiqi felt the warmth of Lu Qing's palm, and the anger in her heart subsided a little.
She understood that Lu Qing was worried that she would suffer a loss, but she was unwilling to be bullied like this.
She stared at Uncle Zhao closely, her eyes as sharp as knives, as if she wanted to cut off a piece of flesh from him.
Uncle Zhao seemed to be unconcerned with her gaze, with a smug smile on his face: "Since you are not setting up the stall, please get out of the way and don't block others from doing business." As he spoke, he waved his hand, motioning Shen Qiqi to leave.
Shen Qiqi clenched her teeth tightly, her face flushed red. She looked at Lu Qing, then at the onlookers, and it felt like a fire was burning in her chest.
At this moment, she suddenly raised her head, her tone filled with determination: "Okay, I'll do it, but..."
Shen Qiqi took a deep breath, trying to calm the emotions surging in her chest. The corners of her mouth raised an unyielding arc, and her voice was crisp and firm, "Okay, I'll set up the stall! But I have to choose the location of my stall myself!"
Uncle Zhao was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting Shen Qiqi to be so tough. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he pointed to a secluded spot in the corner of the market, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, "Okay, whatever you want, just go to that corner, don't delay other stall owners from doing business."
Shen Qiqi ignored him and pulled Lu Qing towards the corner. She glanced at the people watching the excitement around her and remembered all the ridicule and disdain on their faces.
Humph, you laugh at me today, but tomorrow I will make you unable to reach me!
Sure enough, that corner was remote and deserted, a completely forgotten corner.
After setting up the stall for a while, there were almost no customers coming. Only a few passers-by took a curious glance and then hurried away.
Mrs. Lu appeared out of nowhere, and her sarcastic voice echoed in Shen Qiqi's ears: "Hey, Third Sister-in-law, I'm afraid this handmade soap is not good? Look, it's been so long, and no one is buying it. You should go home and take care of the kids, and stop messing around."
Listening to what Mrs. Lu said, Shen Qiqi felt uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly. The smile on her face gradually disappeared, replaced by loss and unwillingness.
She looked down at the handmade soap she had carefully made, and felt a sense of powerlessness in her heart.
Lu Qing noticed Shen Qiqi's depression. He walked to her side silently, patted her shoulder gently, and gave her an encouraging look, silently expressing his support.
Shen Qiqi felt Lu Qing's warmth and felt a little better. She took a deep breath, raised her head, and her eyes regained their previous firmness.
At this moment, Shen Qiqi suddenly curled the corners of her mouth, and a hint of cunning flashed in her eyes.
She picked up a few small bars of handmade soap from the stall and called out to the passersby, "Don't miss out if you're passing by! Try it for free! Use it before you buy, and come back if it works!"
This shout instantly attracted the attention of the people around. They all stopped and looked at Shen Qiqi curiously.
Free trial?
Is there such a good thing these days?
Everyone's face was filled with surprise and they were talking about it.
Even Sun, who was secretly observing the situation from a distance, clenched his fists nervously, thinking that something was wrong.
Shen Qiqi looked at the crowd that was attracted over, with a confident smile on her face.
She just knew that these days, free things are the best!
An aunt took the small soap bar handed over by Shen Qiqi curiously and asked doubtfully: "This... is really free?"
Shen Qiqi smiled and nodded, her tone sincere, "It's free, try it, and come back to buy it if it works!"
The aunt took the handmade soap and left doubtfully. Looking at her back, Shen Qiqi muttered to herself, "Huh, the show has just begun..."
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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