Chapter 179 Proposal: Mingxi Gets Off the Train...
When Mingxi got off the train and returned home, the first thing she did was find a public bathhouse and take a good bath.
The train journey from Guangdong to Beijing took two days and a lot of bumping and swaying. It's June or July, the hottest time of the year. Even if you don't shower for two or three days at home, you'll still feel sweaty, let alone in the stuffy, poorly ventilated place of a train.
Mingxi felt like she was going to spoil.
After washing herself thoroughly at the bathhouse and changing into clean clothes, Mingxi came out close to the end of her workday. She went home to say goodbye to Zhao Sulan, then rode her bicycle to the steel rolling mill.
As the sun set, the steel rolling mill's end-of-work bell rang on time, and workers walked out of the factory one after another. Mingxi had just gotten off her bicycle when she saw Weining walking out with the crowd.
Wei Ning was wearing a light-colored short-sleeved shirt, which made his red lips and white teeth stand out even more. As always, he stood out from the crowd. Even if he was mixed in with the crowd, Ming Xi could spot him at a glance.
Without thinking, she raised her hand, waved in Wei Ning's direction, and called out, "Wei Ning!"
Wei Ning paused, looked up in Ming Xi's direction, then his eyes lit up and he strode over to Ming Xi.
"You're back."
Wei Ning's eyes shone brightly as he looked at Ming Xi and said softly, "You've lost weight."
Mingxi said nonchalantly, "Not only have I lost weight, I've also gotten darker. When I came back, I ran into Aunt He in the yard, and she said that at first glance she thought I was some kind of little black monkey."
Mingxi thought Aunt He was exaggerating.
Although she was indeed a bit dark-skinned and thin, she was so beautiful that she didn't resemble a little black monkey at all.
Mingxi muttered complaints about Aunt He's exaggeration, and Wei Ning smiled and agreed, "Yeah, Aunt He is too exaggerated."
His eyes lingered greedily on Mingxi's face, unwilling to look away for even a moment, as if he wanted to make up for all the time he had missed seeing Mingxi.
Mingxi let Wei Ning stare at her intently, but in reality, her eyes were also fixed on Wei Ning the whole time.
Although she only stayed in Guangzhou for a week this time, including the train journey there and back, it was almost half a month.
Mingxi isn't the clingy type who wants to be with Weining in everything, but since they started dating, they haven't been apart for this long.
When she's busy, Mingxi doesn't think about Wei Ning, but as soon as she stops, Wei Ning's image always pops into her mind.
When I eat something delicious, I think of Wei Ning, imagining that he would love the taste; when I see a beautiful sunset, I think of Wei Ning, wishing that we could enjoy the beautiful scenery together; even when I can't sleep at night, I can't help but think of Wei Ning.
So as soon as Mingxi got off the train, she went to see Weining.
Mingxi is someone who doesn't hesitate to express her inner thoughts. Her clear eyes stared straight at Wei Ning, and she suddenly said, "I miss you, I miss you so much."
Wei Ning's heart suddenly started pounding, and he couldn't help but say, "I miss you too."
Mingxi missed Weining, and Weining missed Mingxi just as much. From the day Mingxi left, he counted the days, waiting for her to return.
Wei Ning suppressed the urge to pull Ming Xi into his arms; they were still outside, and it wouldn't look good if others saw them.
Wei Ning hesitated, but Ming Xi had no reservations and stepped forward to take Wei Ning's hand.
Mingxi suddenly blurted out, "Why don't you come with me to another city next time?"
Without any hesitation, Wei Ning nodded and agreed: "Okay, I'll take leave next time and go with you."
Mingxi sneered: "What? I was just joking. Why did you take it seriously? If you ask your boss for leave because of something like this, there's no way they'll approve it."
Wei Ning: "Then I'll resign and quit."
Mingxi retorted to Wei Ning, "You're just talking nonsense."
After spending two days cuddling with Wei Ning, Mingxi returned to her busy work.
She plans to open the store in September, and it's already mid-July, so she only has a little over a month left. There's still a lot to do at the store.
Mingxi is busy every day with shop setup, recruitment, and advertising.
By mid-August, preparations for the opening were almost complete, with only the last and most important task remaining – shooting sample photos.
Good sample photos are essential to attract customers.
Mingxi originally planned to find two college students from the film academy, or ask Linxi for help, to introduce two actors from the film studio to be models and shoot a sample video.
But as soon as she finished telling Fu Yu her idea, Fu Yu asked with a strange look, "Why do you need to hire outsiders to shoot sample photos? Aren't you and your boyfriend a good match?"
After the shop was renovated, Fu Yu stopped taking photos for clients by the moat and was summoned by Ming Xi to the shop to train apprentices. Taking photos isn't something a single photographer can handle; sometimes a photography assistant is needed to assist with lighting, setting up the scene, and adjusting poses. Ming Xi, being stingy, didn't hire a dedicated photography assistant but instead hired them as a photography apprentice, making them do odd jobs as an assistant on the side.
However, compared to some unscrupulous photography studios in later generations, Mingxi still had a conscience. She paid her apprentices the same wages as regular employees, thirty-eight yuan a month. That was even higher than the wages in some state-owned factories today.
Therefore, the apprentices in Mingxi's shop are very grateful to Mingxi. Where else can you find such a good job where you can learn skills and earn money at the same time!
Ahem, let's get back to Fu Yu.
Fu Yu, who was training his apprentice, spent all his time in the shop. He often saw Wei Ning delivering lunch to Mingxi.
Despite her aloof and ethereal appearance, Fu Yu is actually quite gossipy. That very day, she eagerly inquired about gossip, quickly uncovering that Wei Ning was Ming Xi's boyfriend, and even digging up the fact that the two had worked as models for Guan Lixin's poster shoot.
At this moment, Fu Yu brought up the poster shoot: "You and Wei Ning have been models before, right? The poster you two shot last time was pretty good, so let's shoot it in the same style as last time. It'll save us some money on hiring models."
Hiring models doesn't actually cost much, but Mingxi's shop has been quite expensive. Buying the shop itself took up half of her savings, and the subsequent renovations, clothing purchases, and equipment not only emptied her other half of her savings but also half of the 20,000 yuan Guan Lixin had invested in the shares. Not to mention the daily expenses for the staff. Naturally, Mingxi wants to save money wherever possible.
Seeing that Mingxi was clearly interested, Fu Yu continued to encourage her: "At worst, you can call Wei Ning over first, and we can try filming it. If the effect is not good, we can ask someone else to come over."
Mingxi: "Okay! We'll do it your way!"
Mingxi went to find Weining.
The following Sunday, Wei Ning arrived at the small Western-style building early in the morning.
Mingxi arrived even earlier, before dawn.
The focus of wedding photos is mainly on the bride, and the sample photos are no exception. The bride must look good in the photos, which inevitably involves makeup and styling. Mingxi came over early in the morning just to get her makeup done.
Wei Ning arrived just then, while Ming Xi was still being made up by the makeup artist, who was pressing her down on a stool to get her makeup done.
Mingxi caught a glimpse of Wei Ning in the mirror and immediately shouted at him, "You've finally come! I'm starving!"
Having arrived too early, Mingxi had no appetite and hadn't eaten breakfast. Weining knew about this habit of hers, so he brought breakfast with him. Hearing Mingxi call out, he took out the packed buns, found a thermos, poured Mingxi a cup of hot water, and handed them over.
"Eat slowly, don't rush."
Mingxi rolled up her sleeves and reached out to grab the bun when the makeup artist slapped the back of her hand.
"Wait a minute, the eyeliner isn't finished yet, don't move."
These days, professional makeup artists are hard to find. The makeup artist Mingxi is now was introduced to her by Xu Fei. She used to be a makeup artist working on set at a film studio, but she offended someone and didn't want to work there anymore. Xu Fei knew that Mingxi was short-staffed, so he introduced her to him.
The makeup artist's name contains the character "翠" (Cui), and the people in Mingxi's shop usually call her Sister Cui.
Sister Cui is good at makeup, but she has a straightforward personality and often has a serious expression, but she is actually very easy to get along with.
Except when applying makeup.
Sister Cui is very serious when she's putting on makeup.
Seeing that Sister Cui had a serious expression, Mingxi immediately put down the steamed bun in her hand and obediently waited for Sister Cui to finish her eye makeup before going to eat.
While Mingxi was eating, Sister Cui turned her gaze to Wei Ning and said, "Come here, I'll do your makeup."
Looking at the serious-looking Sister Cui, Wei Ning felt a little nervous.
Despite her serious demeanor, Sister Cui's makeup skills were impeccable; she immediately got to work as soon as Wei Ning sat down.
The makeup for men is simple. Just apply some powder, trim your eyebrows, and since Wei Ning is good-looking with well-defined features, he doesn't even need contouring. Just a simple setting powder and some hair styling will do.
After Wei Ning's makeup and styling were completed, Cui Jie sent her to change clothes. Next was Ming Xi. Ming Xi's hair had been done beforehand. Cui Jie touched up Ming Xi's lipstick and set her makeup, then told Ming Xi to change clothes.
Mingxi's plan for today is to start by shooting the complex clothing, followed by the simpler ones.
The first outfit was the most expensive wedding dress in Mingxi's store—a heavily embroidered, full-skirted gown. The design, fabric, and workmanship of the dress were impeccable, and of course, the price wasn't cheap either, costing over a thousand yuan at cost.
The dress was beautifully designed, but it wasn't easy to put on. With the help of Sister Cui, Mingxi finally managed to change into the wedding dress. As she walked out, trailing the hem of her dress, she ran into Wei Ning, who had finished changing and was waiting.
Wei Ning looked up and saw that Ming Xi was momentarily lost in thought.
Mingxi looks stunning in her wedding dress.
Wei Ning had always known that Ming Xi was beautiful, but today she was breathtakingly beautiful, and he couldn't take his eyes off her.
Not only Wei Ning, but everyone else's attention was drawn to Ming Xi.
Fu Yu jumped around like a monkey, shouting, "My God, Mingxi, you look so beautiful! You're like a fairy!"
The others didn't speak, but they shared the same thought as Fu Yu.
Mingxi's wedding dress was designed to be extremely expensive. The train of the long ball gown was made of layers of special fabric with fine shimmer, and the outermost layer was hand-embroidered lace. The skirt shimmered and dazzled in the sunlight, making it look gorgeous and grand. The upper part of the dress had a delicate waist-cinching design, which also used heavy embroidery to highlight the luxurious feel.
The neckline is designed as a V-neck, a perfectly tailored cut that is neither too revealing nor too strenuous, showcasing Mingxi's slender neck. The delicate embroidery at the neckline echoes the embroidery on the skirt hem, while the slightly raised shoulder design creates a three-dimensional effect.
This wedding dress is undeniably beautiful, but precisely because it is so beautiful and elaborate, it puts even greater demands on the wearer. If someone is too thin and has too bland features, wearing this dress can make them appear to be swallowed up, with people only able to see the dress and not the person wearing it.
But Mingxi was completely different. She had bright features and a slender but not skinny figure. The heavy wedding dress actually accentuated her exquisite curves.
What is most precious and rare is Mingxi's eyes.
Her mischievous eyes seemed to speak volumes; wearing this dress, she looked even more like a beloved little princess from an ancient Western court.
For a moment, everyone was stunned.
It was Sister Cui who reacted first. She picked up a crystal necklace from the dressing table next to her and put it around Mingxi's neck. After thinking for a moment, she added a crown to Mingxi's head before nodding in satisfaction.
The crystal necklace and crown were both purchased by Mingxi from Guangdong. Although they are called crystal necklaces, they are actually just plastic products. However, the workmanship is quite good. As a prop for photos, there is no problem with them in the photos.
Wearing it now, Mingxi looks even more elegant and noble.
Sister Cui's actions brought everyone who was watching intently back to reality. Fu Yu slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I've got it! I've got an idea!"
She instructed the apprentices to set up the props, and then pulled Mingxi and Weining to pose.
Fu Yu had Mingxi stand holding the flowers, then pushed Wei Ning over. He was about to instruct Wei Ning to look at Mingxi, but before he could speak, he saw Wei Ning naturally turn his head and look at Mingxi with loving eyes.
A maternal smile unconsciously crept onto Fu Yu's lips as she quickly pressed the shutter button.
"Okay, that's it, stay still. Yes, okay, one more shot..."
"Okay, let's change positions. Mingxi, you lift your skirt and pretend to run out. Weining, you hold Mingxi's hand and pretend to run with her. Yes, that's it. Okay, don't move..."
"Let's try another position. Come on, Wei Ning, put one arm around Ming Xi's waist and hold her hand with the other. Ming Xi, put your other hand on Wei Ning's shoulder, like you're doing a ballroom dance. Yes, like that..."
"Come on, let's try another pose, the two newlyweds look at the camera..."
The atmosphere between Mingxi and Weining was so intense. The two of them standing together unconsciously started to exude pink bubbles, as if they were really taking wedding photos. As Fu Yu took the photos, she unconsciously called them the newlyweds.
No one else realized anything was wrong, but Mingxi was the first to react. Her face flushed, and she subconsciously looked at Wei Ning. She saw that Wei Ning's face was also flushed, but what was more noticeable than the blush was his bright smile.
Wei Ning wasn't someone who didn't like to smile; he was always smiling and had a smile on his face. But he rarely smiled so brightly and happily.
The smile on Wei Ning's face even revealed a hint of foolishness.
He didn't seem as shrewd and capable as usual.
Is it really worth being so happy about just saying "two newlyweds"?
Mingxi's thoughts began to wander. Come to think of it, she and Wei Ning had been dating for over a year. In this day and age, most people who had been dating for that long would have been married long ago.
Even she was constantly pressured by relatives and friends.
But because she always said she wasn't mentally prepared, Wei Ning never mentioned it.
Not only Wei Ning, but even the Wei family never mentioned it.
She had seen Ding Yumei urging Wei Ning to get married long ago, but ever since the two started dating, she had been going to the Wei family every few days, and Ding Yumei had never mentioned it to her.
It's obvious that Wei Ning must have given the order.
Mingxi's heart softened involuntarily.
"Okay, Mingxi and Weining, you two don't move. Xiaoqu, change the background prop."
Fu Yu's voice successfully brought Mingxi back to her senses, and she continued to cooperate with the filming.
Being a model is not easy, something Mingxi already knew when she helped Guan Lixin shoot a poster last time, but this time shooting sample photos still exhausted her.
Although not all dresses need to be photographed, the task of shooting is still quite demanding, as it involves showcasing clothing at different price points and displaying various background props.
With so many outfits and different makeup looks, it's definitely impossible to finish shooting in one day.
Fu Yu and Ming Xi are both people who do things to the extreme.
They strive for perfection.
The final sample footage took four days to shoot.
The sample photos were developed and bound into a book. Mingxi spared no expense, printing all the photos in color and creating a sample book with excellent results.
Guan Lixin brought He Li over to join in the fun. Upon seeing the sample booklet, he immediately decided to have Mingxi arrange the most expensive package at 188 yuan.
Mingxi certainly wouldn't refuse. She agreed, but she made a request to Guan Lixin: he should come back on the opening day and place his order and pay the deposit in front of everyone.
Being businessmen, Guan Lixin could easily see through Xi's intentions. He laughed and said, "So you want me to be your shill?"
Mingxi: "What, it's not okay?"
Guan Lixin: "Sure, of course!"
On the day of Mingxi's photo studio's opening, Mingxi knew the importance of publicity and printed a batch of flyers to distribute everywhere. She even spent some money to ask Feng Xuenian to help her place an advertisement in the newspaper.
The Beicheng Daily offers this service; you can pay to place an ad, which will be on the same page as missing person/item/matchmaking ads. They charge by word count, and most people try to save money by keeping their ads as short as possible, just one sentence introducing what the shop does, its name, and its location, and that's it.
But Mingxi was different. She spent several hundred yuan to buy a large space on the website and had Wei Ning write a detailed promotional article for her wedding photography service.
Finally, they added an advertising slogan: "Liufang Photo Studio, preserving youthful beauty."
Wei Ning, as expected of someone working in the publicity department, possesses exceptional writing skills. He wrote an excellent promotional and marketing article, and Ming Xi's advertising copy was the finishing touch.
The phrase "Liufang Photo Studio, Preserving Youthful Beauty" quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys. On the opening day, Mingxi had just stepped out when she heard people talking about it on the street.
"Hey, today is the 6th, right? Liufang Photo Studio is opening today."
"Ah! It's that place called 'Preserve Your Youth,' right? I remember it. The shop isn't far from here. Let's go check it out."
"Let's go, let's go..."
Mingxi, who came up with this slogan, curled the corners of her mouth.
Mingxi set the opening time at 10:00 AM. Fearing that there might be unexpected situations on the first day of opening, she came very early in the morning. When she arrived at the store, it was only 7:30 AM, but she was stunned as soon as she arrived at the store entrance.
There were already quite a few people waiting at the main entrance for it to open.
Mingxi turned on her toes and went through the back door to enter the store.
"Boss, you're finally here!"
The speaker was the shop assistant, Xiao Liu.
Upon hearing this, Mingxi's heart immediately jumped. Xiao Liu had been arranged by her to come to the store early to prepare for the opening, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, Xiao Liu shouldn't have contacted her. Now that she was saying this, could it be that something had happened at the store?
Mingxi took a deep breath and told herself, "Stay calm, don't panic."
Then he asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Xiao Liu was breathing rapidly: "Boss, there are so many people gathered at the entrance."
Mingxi breathed a sigh of relief; so that's what it was about.
She waved her hand and said, "It's okay, don't be nervous. If people are crowding around, so be it. Let's just prepare for the opening as usual."
Seeing Mingxi's calm and collected demeanor, Xiao Liu gradually calmed down as well and obediently began preparing for the opening.
Little did they know that Mingxi was also nervous.
Although this wasn't her first time opening a store, this one was different. Mingxi had invested almost all of her savings, and if she lost money, the Ming family would be impoverished overnight.
However, Mingxi is the kind of person who becomes more composed the more nervous she is.
In the last two hours before opening, Mingxi calmly and meticulously checked every detail of the store's layout to ensure there were no problems.
An hour before opening, she called all the employees over and gave them a final reminder of the important points.
Five minutes before the opening, Mingxi brought in Zhao Sulan, Wei Ning, Guan Lixin, and others.
At the last minute before the opening, Mingxi opened the glass door, and the sound of firecrackers crackling echoed through the sky.
After the firecrackers finished, it was exactly ten o'clock, and Mingxi announced loudly: "Liufang Photo Studio is officially open for business!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd gathered at the door began to rush in, but at that moment, the shop assistants behind Mingxi filed out one after another and set up a barrier.
Mingxi said with a smile, "I'm sorry, there are a lot of people here right now, and our store has limited space. In order to ensure the customer service experience, we need to limit the number of customers entering the store. Please line up and enter the store in batches. Since this is due to our own reasons, please don't be impatient while waiting in line. We will provide you with tea, beverages and various snacks."
Everyone was initially unhappy when they heard they would have to queue.
It's just a photo studio, and there's already a long queue.
Just as everyone was about to complain, they heard Mingxi say that snacks and drinks would be provided. Looking around, they saw that the store's employees had already brought over snacks and drinks.
The dissatisfaction in everyone's hearts vanished instantly.
Snacks cost money too. The small business owner apologized and even spent money to let them eat snacks and drink drinks for free. What could they possibly be unhappy about?
And so, those at the back of the line had no complaints, but what about those at the very front?
They had no more complaints.
Since they were already inside the store, they were too shocked to complain.
The interior of the small villa, including the attic, has three floors, each completely open-plan. The first floor is the reception area, decorated in light colors: beige walls, light-colored wooden tabletops, beige sofas, pure white tiled floors, and a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Various green plants are placed on the windowsills, tabletops, and corners, making people feel exceptionally relaxed and comfortable as soon as they enter.
The most eye-catching part of the store is, of course, the three rows of dresses, with dresses of various styles and designs arranged there. The one placed on the outermost side is the heavily embellished wedding dress that Mingxi wore for the sample photos.
The sunlight streamed in, making the wedding dress shimmer.
Chen Yue, the first to enter, suddenly brightened up, tightened her grip on her partner's hand, and said, "This wedding dress is so beautiful! If I could wear this wedding dress for my wedding photos, Li Na would be so envious!"
Chen Yue's boyfriend smiled helplessly. The Li Na his girlfriend mentioned was one of their childhood friends. His girlfriend and Li Na had never gotten along since they were young. Whenever they met, they would compete, and after the competition, neither of them would admit defeat and they would argue. But no matter how much they argued, the next time they met, they would still get together and continue to compete.
Chen Yue's gaze seemed glued to the wedding dress, unable to look away.
Upon seeing this, the shop staff immediately stepped forward to promote their service: "Sir, if you're interested in this wedding dress, you can check out our 188 package. This package includes four sets of photos, with each set featuring a dress you can choose from all the available outfits in the shop. It also includes four makeup and styling options; we have a professional makeup artist team that can create a look tailored to you. The four sets of photos consist of eighty negatives and forty individual photos. These eighty negatives will be handed over to you after the shoot, and you can choose how to process them. You can select forty photos from the negatives, and we'll print them for you. We'll also include a complimentary photo album so you can easily look through the photos anytime. Because today is our opening day, customers who place a deposit today will receive a special service: a free 60x110 cm large photo frame to print out your favorite photo and place it in the frame. You can then display it anywhere in your home."
The shop assistant who came to serve us was Xiao Liu. After she finished speaking, she breathed a sigh of relief and quietly wiped the sweat from her forehead.
These words weren't her own idea; they were lines that Mingxi had devised in advance and had the store employees memorize beforehand.
Of course, the sales pitch wasn't just one sentence; it was a whole page long, and Xiao Liu had a hard time memorizing it.
I spoke fluently on the surface, but I was actually quite nervous inside.
Chen Yue and her partner, on the other hand, were completely oblivious to Xiao Liu's nervousness. They were already overwhelmed by Xiao Liu's talk about this service and that service. They heard that there were special benefits on the first day of opening. Chen Yue was still a little confused and immediately wanted to pay the deposit.
It was her boyfriend who reacted and pulled her back: "It's 188 yuan!"
Chen Yue felt a pang of pain when she thought about the price.
Both she and her boyfriend come from well-off families and work in government agencies, so they have some money. But even so, 188 yuan is not a small amount; it's almost two months' salary for both of them combined.
Is it worth it just to take a picture?
Chen Yue was hesitating when she saw a man and a woman dart out from the side. The man quickly pulled out a wad of cash and stuffed it into the clerk's hand, saying, "I want to make a reservation, the 188 yuan set meal, I want to order it!"
Xiao Liu's smile remained unchanged as she softly said, "Customer, the reservation payment is at the front desk. I'll take you there."
"Okay, okay." Guan Lixin walked towards the counter with the shop assistant, deliberately raising his voice as he said, "Honey, let me tell you, the sooner we order and pay, the sooner we can get the tickets. If we hesitate for a while, there will be too many people, and we might have to wait for months."
Yes, the two who suddenly appeared were none other than Guan Lixin and He Li.
Mingxi, who had been secretly observing all along, couldn't help but chuckle. Choosing Guan Lixin as a shill was definitely the right decision.
He would even add his own dramatic flair.
However, it must be said that Guan Lixin's shilling was very effective. Chen Yue was still hesitating a second ago, but when she heard Guan Lixin say that there might be a queue later, she immediately became anxious, grabbed her boyfriend's arm and said, "Although it's expensive, it's worth it. There are so many services, the wedding dress is so beautiful, and there are special benefits today. Let me tell you, I'm determined to take the photos. I'll just pay for it myself if necessary."
As she spoke, she pulled her boyfriend toward the front desk, just like Guan Lixin had said: if they didn't put down a deposit now, they'd be stuck in the back of the queue, and who knows when they'd get a chance to bid!
Hearing this, Chen Yue's boyfriend quickly waved his hand: "No way! We're taking wedding photos together, how can I let you pay for them all by yourself? What would that make me? A gigolo who lives off women? Fine, let's take them, I'll pay for them!"
People tend to follow the crowd. Seeing that Guan Lixin and Chen Yue had both paid their deposits, the others who were still hesitating immediately went to the front desk to pay their deposits as well.
Before long, the front desk signed several large orders worth 188, and Mingxi's smile was so wide it almost reached the sky.
Not everyone has the money to order the 188 yuan package. Mingxi had also thought of this. She had trained the staff in advance. If the staff saw that the customer felt it was too expensive, they would immediately hand over a sample booklet and introduce the slightly more affordable packages at 128 or 88 yuan.
Although these two prices are still not cheap, they are much more affordable compared to the previous price of 188.
Looking at the sample photos, although the 128 and 88 yuan options have fewer and simpler clothing choices, they are still very nice, and the sample photos turn out quite well.
In this way, many more orders were placed.
When the store closed at 5 p.m., Mingxi did the math and found that they had signed more than 100 orders that day alone!
That's already quite remarkable.
After all, today is only the first day of business!
After a busy day, Mingxi breathed a huge sigh of relief upon seeing the result.
Now she doesn't have to worry about not making a profit and falling back into poverty.
Business was so good today that all the staff were exhausted. Mingxi didn't have the energy to throw a celebration party. After everyone finished cleaning, she let them go home.
As the shop assistants left, only Zhao Sulan, Wei Ning, and Ming Xi remained in the store. Zhao Sulan glanced at the two young people, not wanting to be a third wheel, and made an excuse to leave as well.
Now only Mingxi and Weining were left in the shop.
Mingxi was still basking in the excitement of closing over a hundred deals on the first day of business, and she was feeling quite dizzy.
With a blush, she excitedly said, "Wei Ning, Wei Ning, do you know how much the store's revenue was today alone?"
Before Wei Ning could speak, she preemptively answered, "There are ten thousand!"
This is just the deposit; there will be a balance payment after all the subsequent orders are placed!
Although it's revenue, not cost.
But this was enough to excite Mingxi.
She felt lightheaded.
Although she had had such a large sum of money before, this was her entire day's revenue. If she could always have a third of today's revenue in the future... no, not even today, that would be amazing.
Mingxi felt as if banknotes with wings were about to fly into her pocket.
She rested her chin on her hand and said in a very Versailles-like manner, "Oh dear, so much money, I don't know how to spend it."
Wei Ning couldn't help but chuckle and reached out to rub Mingxi's head.
Mingxi suddenly looked up, cleared her throat, reached out and picked up a bouquet of red roses that was placed on the front desk as a decoration, held it up in front of Wei Ning, and said in a solemn and serious tone.
"My dear Comrade Wei Ning, would you like to marry me?"
She paused for a moment and then said, "As you can see, I'm very good at making money. After you marry me, I promise I won't treat you badly."
Mingxi kept a straight face, and her words sounded like a nouveau riche keeping a kept woman.
But Wei Ning's heart skipped a beat and then began to pound wildly. He could even clearly hear the sound of his heart pounding frantically in his chest.
thump, thump, thump
He was so dazed he was almost in a daze, and asked in a hoarse voice, "What...what did you say?"
Mingxi: ?
What's going on? Why can't this person understand what I'm saying?
"Ahem." Mingxi cleared her throat again and said, "I say, my dear Comrade Weining, will you marry me? Will we stay by each other's side for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for whatever reason, and spend the rest of our lives together?"
Mingxi deliberately read the words aloud with emphasis. As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Wei Ning's eyes suddenly redden, and then he suddenly pulled her into his arms.
Wei Ning held Mingxi tightly with both arms, as if he wanted to meld Mingxi into his very bones.
Mingxi was dumbfounded. No, why was Wei Ning reacting like this?
That's not right, is it?
Could it be that Wei Ning doesn't want to marry her?
Just as Mingxi was about to say something, she suddenly heard a soft sob beside her.
It was so very soft that if the room hadn't been so quiet and Mingxi hadn't been held in Wei Ning's arms, she probably wouldn't have been able to hear it.
She stiffened and asked curiously, "You...you were crying?"
Wei Ning: "I...I'm so happy."
Mingxi paused for a moment, then gently patted Wei Ning's back: "Shouldn't you be smiling when you're happy? Why are you crying? Don't cry."
Wei Ning nestled his head into Ming Xi's neck, and said in a muffled voice, almost coquettishly, "I never expected you to propose to me. I thought you didn't want to marry me."
Mingxi: ?
She grabbed Wei Ning's hair, pulled his head up, and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? When did I say I didn't want to marry you?"
She really wasn't prepared to marry Wei Ning.
To be precise, she wasn't ready to get married.
But she didn't say she didn't want to marry Wei Ning, did she?
Wei Ning is just making things up by himself.
Mingxi looked directly at Weining and said, word by word, "I like you, I love you, and I'm willing to be your girlfriend because I love you. I wasn't prepared for marriage before, but I thought that if it's you, I don't think I need to prepare myself mentally, because I love you. Do you understand?"
Wei Ning's heart seemed to have lost control and began to pound wildly again.
He nodded and said in a hoarse voice, "I understand."
He suddenly leaned down and solemnly placed a kiss on Mingxi's forehead. His eyes held no lust, only deep respect, as if he were handling a rare treasure, and said, "I love you too."
"Hmph hmph hmph."
Mingxi hummed and hawed for a while, then returned to the original question: "So, are you willing to marry me?"
Wei Ning answered earnestly, "I do."
At the same time, he silently vowed in his heart: From this day forward, whether in poverty or wealth, in health or sickness, or for any other reason, he and Mingxi will always be together and spend their lives together.
(End of text)
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Author's Note: 1: From wedding vows
Finally, finally, finally, Xiaoming proposed! Let's congratulate the newlyweds!
That concludes the main story. There will be a few bonus chapters tomorrow. If you have any requests for bonus chapters, please leave them in the comments section. I will consider them and include them in the bonus chapters!
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