Chapter 52 Guan Lixin returns, with the Wei and Ma families as the determining factors...
The Wei and Ma families were busy preparing for the wedding, and things weren't much better for Mingxi's side.
After careful consideration, Director Shen finally made the decision to hold a ballroom dance party at the social gathering, just as Ming Xi had suggested.
The social gathering was originally scheduled for late July, leaving less than a month to go. Now the plan has been changed at the last minute. We need to find a new venue, the budget has been increased, we need to find new partners for sponsorship, and we also need to notify the sister organizations that will be participating in this social gathering...
The workload suddenly surged, and everyone in the Women's Federation was extremely busy.
Mingxi was even worse.
Director Shen favored Mingxi and specially brought her to his side to study with her.
Following Director Shen around and visiting every factory with her, Mingxi finally understood why Director Shen was nicknamed the Iron Lady.
Director Shen is known for her decisive and efficient style. When dealing with other units, she avoids any pleasantries and gets straight to the point, making every interaction seem like it's on accelerator. When it comes to budgets, she sticks to her bottom line, refusing to budge an inch, forcing the other party to make repeated concessions.
Mingxi was terrified, but Director Shen skillfully used the tactic of giving a slap followed by a sweet treat.
After each negotiation, they would flatter the other party, saying that the Women's Federation would remember their efforts in solving the problem of unmarried older single youth in the city, and promised to formally thank the factory for its contributions at a social gathering. As a result, when they left the sister company, the people who had negotiated with them all had smiles on their faces, as if they had received money from the Women's Federation, not the other way around.
Director Shen: "Giving thanks in private is flattering the other party and making them happy. Promising to express gratitude publicly at the social gathering lets the other party know that the money was well spent and helps enhance their factory's reputation, so that they will want to cooperate with them again in the future."
I've learned something!
Mingxi followed closely behind Director Shen, absorbing his experience like a sponge.
Over the course of several days, she learned a lot, but her face also got a tan.
On this Sunday, Mingxi, who had finally gotten a day off, had to rush to attend Wei Yong'an and Ma Meixia's wedding in the morning, so she got up very early.
Since this was Wei Yong'an's second marriage, the wedding was not large in scale, and the guests were only relatives and friends from both sides, as well as colleagues from work.
It's worth mentioning that Wei Yong'an's ex-wife actually came.
Not only did the other party attend the wedding, but she also brought her current husband with her. The two of them gave a gift and greeted Wei Yong'an and Ma Meixia in a very open and generous manner.
Mingxi, standing to the side, stared in disbelief.
So they really are still friends after the divorce?
Seeing Mingxi's surprise, Ma Meixia kindly explained that it turned out that Wei Yong'an had introduced his ex-wife and current husband to each other, which is why they maintained a good relationship with Wei Yong'an even after their marriage.
Mingxi was shocked.
Wei Yong'an is no ordinary person; he introduces his ex-wife to potential partners!
Wei Yong'an and Ma Meixia's wedding was simple, skipping the tedious ceremonies. They simply exchanged vows in front of the emperor, followed by a banquet.
During the banquet, Mingxi was seated at the table with her relatives. To her left sat her father, mother, and elder brother, and to her right sat Bai Shuzhen and her two biological children.
The Ma family members were not very relaxed in this kind of situation and remained timid and hesitant.
Bai Shuzhen looked down on the Ma family, despising them for being petty and narrow-minded. She wouldn't even glance at them, let alone speak to them.
Her two children followed suit, looking down on the Ma family and refusing to even glance at them.
Mingxi was worried that the Ma family would feel uncomfortable, but the three Ma family members were so oblivious and insensitive that they didn't notice Bai Shuzhen's disdain at all.
After the banquet, Mingxi said goodbye to Ma Meixia and then left to go home on his own.
Having finally gotten a day off, Mingxi just wanted to go home and rest. When she got home, Zhao Sulan brought up Guan Lixin.
"Hey, Xibao, hasn't Lixin been gone for a while?"
Mingxi thought for a moment and nodded: "Yes, he's been gone for about a week and a half, almost two weeks."
Zhao Sulan: "If there are no unexpected circumstances, they should be back soon."
"Mingxi! Mingxi, are you home?"
Speak of the devil, and he appears. Mingxi and Zhao Sulan were talking about Guan Lixin when they heard Guan Lixin's voice coming from outside the window.
Zhao Sulan: "I heard Lixin's voice. Is he back?"
She stood up to open the door and, sure enough, saw Guan Lixin standing at her door.
"Oh my, it really is Lixin!" Zhao Sulan welcomed Guan Lixin in and asked with concern, "How was your trip to the South? Why did it take so long this time?"
Guan Lixin laughed and said, "Hey, my trip went quite smoothly this time. However, I didn't come back by train. I found a delivery truck and brought the goods back with me, so it took a few more days on the road."
Zhao Sulan: "No wonder."
Mingxi curiously peeked out from the sofa: "You brought all the goods back?"
Guan Lixin: "That's right, those five thousand sailor shirts are right here at my house. Do you want to go take a look?"
Just take a look.
Mingxi jumped down in one swift motion: "Let's go, let's go take a look."
Mingxi took Zhao Sulan with her to the Guan family.
When she arrived at the Guan family home, she greeted Mr. and Mrs. Guan and then went inside. Five thousand sailor shirts were piled up in Guan Lixin's bedroom. The small bedroom was so cramped that there wasn't even room to put her feet down, so Mingxi and Zhao Sulan could only stand at the door.
Guan Lixin casually opened a package, and clothes spilled out. He handed one to Mingxi and said, "Take a look, isn't it pretty good?"
Mingxi took it and looked at it. Although it was a defective product, it looked really good. The fabric was sturdy and the color was right. She didn't notice anything wrong at first. It was only after Guan Lixin reminded her that she noticed a loose thread on the inside of the sleeve.
"fine."
Mingxi nodded and handed the clothes to Zhao Sulan.
Zhao Sulan rubbed her hands on the short-sleeved shirt a couple of times and said, "This fabric is nice."
She turned it over and over, examining it carefully for a long time, and thought it was pretty good.
Guan Lixin, hands on his hips, asked smugly, "So, ma'am, how about it? I'll sell this for twelve yuan. Do you want to buy it?"
Zhao Sulan nodded: "Yes!"
Don't mention that this garment has a few snags, but you don't need to wait or pay a ticket to buy it!
And it's three yuan cheaper than in the department store!
Three yuan is enough to buy two jin of meat!
It would be great to save money!
Guan Lixin grinned, then pulled a pair of sunglasses from his bag, put them on his face, and pointed at himself, saying, "When the time comes, I'll wear a sailor shirt and bell-bottoms, and put these little sunglasses on my head. Then I'll be the coolest guy on the street."
Mingxi/Zhao Sulan: ...
It was only then that Zhao Sulan noticed the pants Guan Lixin was wearing, and she frowned.
"Lixin, why are your pants like this? The thighs are so tight, you can practically see your buttocks clearly, and the cuffs are so baggy and long, they'll drag on the ground when you walk!"
Guan Lixin grinned and said, "Haha, Aunt Zhao, you don't understand. Bell-bottoms are supposed to look like this."
Zhao Sulan shook her head: "He looks strange to me."
Guan Lixin: "You don't know, this is the trend now. In Guangzhou, all the young men and women on the street are wearing bell-bottoms!"
Guan Lixin: "Xiaoming, do you think this is the style of dress for young people these days?"
Mingxi nodded: "That's right, Mom, this is the popular way to dress now."
Zhao Sulan frowned.
Are these weird-looking pants fashionable now?
It seems she's really getting old; she doesn't understand the aesthetics of today's young people.
Mingxi looked at Guan Lixin curiously: "When you went to Guangzhou, besides getting yourself a new outfit, didn't you buy anything else?"
Guan Lixin slapped his forehead: "Speaking of which, you reminded me!"
He went inside, rummaged through drawers and cabinets until he found a suitcase, and said, "I bought you gifts this time!"
He pulled out a bag: "Aunt Zhao, this is for you. I bought skincare products at the Friendship Store in Guangzhou. The salesperson told me that they are imported from abroad and can't be bought here."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Sulan pushed the product away shyly, saying, "This...this is for me? I'm so old, why would I need skincare products? It's so embarrassing. Besides, I don't even know how to use this stuff."
Guan Lixin: "Oh, don't be so polite with me. This is specially made for women of your age. It can fight aging and reduce wrinkles. I bought three sets in total. One set is for you, one set is for my mom, and I'll send the last set to my future mother-in-law later."
He said, "I asked about it too, and the salesperson said it's just like face cream; you just apply it to your face after washing it."
Zhao Sulan had no choice but to accept it. Touching the box of skincare products, she exclaimed, "I never expected that such a simple face cream could be made into so many different things."
"But do you really think this stuff can remove wrinkles, or is it just talk? If it really could remove wrinkles, wouldn't foreigners all have no wrinkles on their faces? I feel like all the foreigners in the newspapers have wrinkles on their faces and look older than people here."
Mingxi: "Mom, people saying it can remove wrinkles is probably just advertising. It might have some effect if you keep using it, but the effect will definitely be limited."
Zhao Sulan nodded: "I knew it..."
"But thank you anyway, Lixin. Look at you, you're even thinking of your auntie when you go out to buy goods. You're such a good kid." Zhao Sulan looked at Guan Lixin with affection.
Guan Lixin: "Hey, Auntie, you're too kind. You watched me grow up. In my heart, you're no different from my mother."
As he spoke, he pulled another bag out of his suitcase and handed it to Mingxi: "Here, this is for you."
Mingxi raised an eyebrow: "There's a share for me too?"
Guan Lixin: "Hey, what are you saying?"
Mingxi peered into the bag and saw a complete set of cosmetics inside: powder, eyebrow pencil, eyeshadow palette, lipstick...
Mingxi looked up in surprise. Guan Lixin, a typical straight man, didn't seem like someone who knew what these cosmetics were for.
As if noticing the confusion on Mingxi's face, Guan Lixin explained, "I don't know anything about cosmetics, so I asked the sales clerk to help me choose. I picked out two sets in total, one for you and one for my daughter He Li."
Mingxi: "It's pretty good, it looks great to me."
With such a complete set of cosmetics, she can expand her business to include doing makeup for women who are looking for a partner.
Guan Lixin: "I'm relieved to hear you say that. I was worried that the goods weren't good and didn't dare to send them to my He Li."
Mingxi: "...So I'm still an experimenter?"
Guan Lixin touched his nose guiltily and changed the subject: "By the way, I also bought a few outfits for my He Li. Can you take a look and see if they look good?"
He rummaged around in his bag and pulled out a few more dresses.
Guan Lixin really does have a knack for the clothing business. The dresses he picked out, while not mainstream styles, all suited He Li's temperament perfectly. One light blue dress stood out the most; its silk-like, glossy fabric shimmered like sunlight on a lake, and the clean, fitted waistline gave it a fresh yet sophisticated look, with a touch of chic. Just like He Li herself.
Mingxi: "Not bad, you have a good eye for clothes."
Guan Lixin scratched the back of his head and chuckled twice.
Besides these, Guan Lixin's bag also contained quite a few other things, such as imported liquor, electronic watches, and T-shirts... all things that were hard to buy or couldn't be found in Beicheng. He saw them in Guangzhou, found the prices reasonable, and bought them back; they would be good gifts or for his own family to use.
After showing off his haul, Guan Lixin said to Mingxi, "I'm going to set up a stall at the Cultural Palace tomorrow. Do you want to come and take a look?"
Mingxi was surprised: "You just got back today, and you're setting up a stall tomorrow? Aren't you going to take a day off?"
Guan Lixin: "Why rest? The sooner we set up our stall, the sooner we can make money and recoup our investment."
He said, "If I hadn't been thinking about it, my wife He Li must be missing me since I've been away for so long. I'm not planning to rest today; I'm going straight to the Cultural Palace to set up my stall after getting off the bus."
Mingxi gave a thumbs up: "You're awesome!"
No wonder Guan Lixin is able to make money; with his hard work, it's no wonder he can.
Mingxi: "When are you setting up your stall tomorrow? My mom and I will go check it out if we have time."
Guan Lixin: "Tonight."
Tomorrow is Monday, and everyone has to work. If he goes to set up a stall in broad daylight, there probably won't be many customers, and he won't be able to sell many items.
"Okay, then I'll go with my mom to take a look after I get off work tomorrow night."
Mingxi nodded. She had time after get off work that evening and could go join in the fun.
Mingxi spoke a few more words with Guan Lixin, then left with Zhao Sulan. On her way back, Zhao Sulan thought about the pile of clothes in Guan Lixin's room and sighed.
"Are clothes really that cheap in the South?"
Even though it's a defective product, a finished garment only costs four yuan!
Buying the fabric alone and making it yourself would cost more than this price, right?
Mingxi: "We need cloth coupons to buy cloth here, but not in the south. Besides, there are many factories of all sizes there. Once the machines are running, the cost of cloth and labor is kept to a minimum. Maybe they can even make a profit selling a piece of clothing for four yuan."
Zhao Sulan clicked her tongue in amazement: "This is really..."
"If that's the case, then everyone knows that clothes are cheaper in the south, so they all go south to sell their clothes. How can our textile and garment factories here survive?" Zhao Sulan felt alarmed just thinking about it.
Mingxi remained silent.
As someone who traveled back from decades in the future, Mingxi knew that, according to historical development, in the late 1980s, these clothing and textile factories in the north were squeezed out by clothing factories of all sizes in the south, leading to their inability to survive and eventually their near bankruptcy and dissolution.
Zhao Sulan was unaware of what would happen next; in her mind, state-owned factories could not possibly go bankrupt.
So she shook her head and muttered to herself, "No, no, garment factories and textile factories are all state-owned. The state won't let them go bankrupt."
Zhao Sulan muttered a few words, but quickly put the matter out of her mind.
Two flowers bloom, each telling its own story. On one side, Mingxi and Zhao Sulan returned home, while on the other side, Guan Lixin rode his bicycle towards the Xiaoxishan Production Brigade in the suburbs.
Although Xiaoxishan Production Brigade is located in the countryside, it is not particularly far. You can take a bus from the bus station, or if you don't want to wait for the bus, you can ride a bicycle there in just over two hours.
Too lazy to wait for the bus, Guan Lixin got on his bicycle, with the things he had prepared for the He family hanging on the handlebars, and headed towards the Xiaoxishan Production Brigade.
Before Guan Lixin left last time, he came here once with He Li. He knew the way well, so he hummed a song as he rode his bike and arrived at the place in less than half an afternoon.
Today is Sunday, a day of rest for city workers, but not for the farmers in the village. They depend on the weather for their livelihood; when the weather is good and they can work, they go to the fields to work.
Guan Lixin rode his bicycle into the production team and happened to pass by the fields at the entrance of the village. He Li, who was watering the fields by the ridge, looked up and saw Guan Lixin riding his bicycle into the village.
From a distance, He Li could tell it looked like Guan Lixin, but she wasn't sure. She squinted and tentatively called out, "Guan Lixin?"
Hearing the sound, Guan Lixin, who was riding his bicycle, quickly slammed on the brakes. He got off the bike, looked in the direction of the sound, and saw He Li. He waved excitedly, "He Li! I'm here!"
He shouted as he stopped his bicycle and ran towards the edge of the field.
He was so focused on looking at He Li in the distance that he didn't notice where he was standing and almost tripped over the tree branches piled up by the roadside.
He Li wasn't sure if the person was Guan Lixin at first, but after seeing his silly actions, she was certain.
It is indeed Guan Lixin.
He Li shouted at him, "Slow down!"
"Hey!" Guan Lixin responded with a satisfied smile, but his movements did not slow down at all.
He Li greeted her parents beside her and then walked over to Guan Lixin.
He Li: "When did you get back?"
Before Guan Lixin left, he told her that he was going to the south.
Guan Lixin: "I just got back this morning."
He Li glanced at Guan Lixin's dark circles and said, "You must have had a long and tiring journey back. Why didn't you rest at home for a day before coming over?"
Guan Lixin: "I miss you."
"And I'm afraid that if I come tomorrow, you'll be teaching your child and won't have time to meet with me."
“Even during class, I have breaks between classes,” He Li said, and then stopped. She was just worried that Guan Lixin was too tired, not that she was blaming him for coming to see her today.
Guan Lixin chuckled twice, understanding what she meant.
He pointed to the bicycle not far away and said, "I bought you and your uncle and aunt gifts when I went to Guangzhou this time. Would you like to see them?"
He Li looked at the bulging suitcase not far away and frowned: "You must have spent a lot of money on these things, right?"
Guan Lixin: "Hey, it didn't cost much. I only bought cheap stuff."
He Li certainly didn't believe his nonsense, but since the items had already been bought and the money had been spent, anything she said would be pointless.
She said, "I'll watch it when I get home."
After saying that, He Li led Guan Lixin home, with Guan Lixin pushing his bicycle behind them.
Watching the two young people walk away, the villagers at the edge of the field asked them curiously.
"Hey, Mrs. He, who was that man who came looking for your He Li just now? Has he been here before? I feel like I've seen him before?"
He's mother told the truth: "He's boyfriend."
As soon as Mother He said this, everyone swarmed around to ask her about it.
"Oh, He Li's boyfriend? When did He Li get a boyfriend? Why didn't you tell us?"
"He Li's boyfriend doesn't look like someone from our rural area. Is he from the city?"
"What does He Li's boyfriend do? Is he a factory worker?"
"I think He Li's boyfriend is pretty good. Does he have any brothers? Could you introduce them to Li Fang?"
"Hey, He Li, you have connections in the city now, could you introduce my Gangzi to a city girl? If a city girl isn't an option, could you at least help Gangzi find a job?"
"..."
The people working in the fields were all talking at once, not giving He's mother a chance to speak.
Even the best-tempered mother couldn't stand the endless questions. She waved her hand and said, "He Li is my boyfriend. Why are you asking so many questions?"
After saying that, Mother He turned around and called out, "Old man, stop watering! Let's go home first, someone's here!"
Upon hearing this, Mr. He quickly responded, put down what he was holding, and left with Mrs. He.
As Mr. and Mrs. He left, the crowd that had been asking Mrs. He for information earlier curled their lip in displeasure.
"It's just that your daughter is dating someone from the city, what's the big deal?"
"Exactly, they're not even married yet, and they're already acting all high and mighty. Anyone who didn't know better would think their whole family had become city people."
"I think that city guy is just playing around with He Li. He'll probably dump her soon, and then she'll have no one to cry to!"
There are quite a few people in the village who resent those who have something and laugh at those who don't, and there are also some malicious and dark speculations.
He even went out of his way to whisper to He Li's brother and sister-in-law, "Hey, He Li, your sister's boyfriend from the city is here. Your parents have gone home to entertain him. Aren't you going? I saw he brought a lot of things. Aren't you going back to see him?"
Old He was too lazy to bother with these busybodies.
Don't think he doesn't know that none of these people are actually hoping for his sister's happiness. Before, when his sister couldn't find a boyfriend, they all laughed at her for being delusional and overestimating herself. Now that they're saying these things, they're just trying to find out some gossip.
He acted as if he hadn't heard what the other person was saying, and buried himself in his work.
The He family.
Guan Lixin followed He Li into the room, and he excitedly took out the gifts he had prepared for He Li: cosmetics, skin care products, clothes... he laid them all out on the table in a mess.
He Li stared in disbelief: "Didn't you buy too much?"
Guan Lixin: "Not much, not much. I still have a lot of things I want to buy for you, but I don't have much money left after this purchase, so I couldn't buy them."
He still felt regretful about this.
He saw a women's watch at the Friendship Store; the strap was long and thin, and the dial was exquisite. The moment he saw the watch, he felt it would suit He Li perfectly. Unfortunately, after selling everything else, he didn't have enough money left to buy the watch.
He Li pursed her lips, suppressing the urge to teach Guan Lixin, that spendthrift man, a lesson.
At this moment, Mr. and Mrs. He returned from outside, and Guan Lixin immediately stepped forward with a smile.
"Uncle and Aunt, it's good that you're back. I brought you some gifts from the south. Come and take a look."
He proudly showed off his wares: "Uncle, these are imported cigarettes and liquors I bought from Guangzhou. I don't know the difference between these and the local ones, but let's try something new. And this is some clothes I bought for you..."
"Auntie, these are imported skincare products I bought in Guangzhou. They say they're good for the skin. I bought a set for you and my mom. You should try them too..."
"And my eldest brother, second brother, third brother..." Guan Lixin looked back and asked, "Hey, where are my eldest brother, second brother, third brother, and younger brother? I prepared things for them. And where are my wives?"
Mother He: "There's still work to be done in the fields, they're still working. As for the things... just put them aside for now."
Guan Lixin's extravagant gesture not only shocked He Li, but also surprised her father. The two of them looked at these things and didn't know what to say.
Guan Lixin: "Uncle, don't stand there in a daze, come and try on these clothes to see if they fit."
Mr. He: "Then...then I'll give it a try?"
Guan Lixin nodded: "Give it a try, you should give it a try!"
"And Auntie, please take a look and see if this scarf suits you."
Mrs. He opened her mouth, her heart stirred: "Then I'll give it a try too?"
Guan Lixin: "Give it a try!"
Mr. He changed his clothes, and Mrs. He wrapped a silk scarf around her neck. The two looked at themselves in the mirror from left to right and exclaimed, "They look really good."
He's parents turned their heads and looked at each other.
Mother He: "Old man, this outfit suits you well and makes you look more energetic."
Father He: "Old woman, this scarf suits you well, it looks good on you."
Neither of them wanted to take off their clothes and scarves.
After admiring herself for a while, Mother He took off her silk scarf and said, "Well, it's getting late. Lixin, what would you like to eat? Tell your aunt and I'll make it for you."
Guan Lixin waved his hand: "No need, no need to trouble you. I'll be leaving in a bit and going home to eat."
Mother He: "That won't do! You've already come all this way, how can you leave without even having a meal!"
She rolled up her sleeves: "Since you can't say what to eat, let's just have a stewed chicken in an iron pot. I'll go kill a chicken now, you just sit and wait!"
After finishing her sentence, Mother He turned to her husband and called out, "Old man, stop being so vain! Hurry up and change your clothes and help me catch the chicken!"
Father He: "Hey! They're here!"
Mr. and Mrs. He had only been out of the house for a minute when they heard a loud "clucking" sound. They knew without a doubt that a chick had lost its life in that instant.
Guan Lixin scratched the back of his head and said, "I've come all this way and all I got was for Auntie to kill a chicken. I feel so bad about that."
He Li: "Come on, with your current status, let alone killing a chicken, even if you want to eat pork stew, my mother can do it without saying a word."
Guan Lixin proudly raised his chin.
Being able to win over the mother-in-law's favor shows that he is outstanding!
Guan Lixin enjoyed his dinner at the He family's house until dark, when he finally left amidst the He family's reluctant farewell.
Guan Lixin left the He family's house at nearly eight o'clock. There were few lights in the suburbs at night, and the roads were difficult to travel. By the time he rode his bike home, it was already past eleven o'clock at night.
He tiptoed and carefully finished washing up before going to bed.
Perhaps because he hadn't rested well on the way back, or perhaps because he slept too late, Guan Lixin slept until the afternoon of the next day. When he opened his eyes, it was already past 2 p.m.
Guan's parents had both gone to work, leaving Guan Lixin alone at home. After getting up and tidying up, Guan Lixin went into the kitchen. The breakfast his mother had specially left for him in the pot was already cold.
He didn't mind the cold temperature; he poured some hot water from the thermos and ate a steamed bun with the hot water and some pickled vegetables.
After finishing his meal, he started packing up. Today was his first day setting up a stall, and he planned to start with a hundred items to test the waters and see how well they would sell.
After putting on the sailor shirts he wanted to sell, he took out the bamboo pole and large sign he used when he set up his stall before.
However, this sign can no longer be used because it still says "underwear" on it. He found a piece of cardboard, wrote "Sailor Shirt Special Price" in big letters on it, and replaced the old sign.
After tidying everything up, he glanced at the time. It was almost time. He changed into his gear, loaded his things onto his bicycle, and rode off towards the Cultural Palace.
When Guan Lixin arrived at the Cultural Palace area, there were already quite a few stalls selling snacks such as melon seeds, peanuts, and roasted nuts, as well as popcorn, dried sweet potatoes, popcorn, and soda... In short, this area was mainly for food.
This is not surprising, as the Cultural Palace is next to a movie theater, and many young couples or bored young people like to come here to pass the time.
The young workers are not short of money and are willing to spend it. Small snacks costing a few cents and soft drinks and popsicles costing a few dimes sell very well here.
Guan Lixin decided to set up a stall here because he saw that the young people in this area were willing to spend money.
He casually found an open space, parked his bicycle to the side, pulled up the cloth covering his stall, and laid out about a hundred sailor shirts.
He laid out the clothes, then poked the bamboo pole with the signboard on it into the ground. The bamboo pole easily stuck into the muddy ground and stood upright.
The bamboo pole that Guan Lixin found was about two meters tall. It was inserted into the ground to a certain depth, but it was still very tall and conspicuous above the ground.
Even from a distance, you can easily spot the words "Sailor Shirt Special Price" on the sign.
After setting up his stall, Guan Lixin tucked his cumbersome sunglasses into his hair and started shouting, "Don't miss out! These sailor shirts from Guangzhou are on special offer! Same quality as in department stores, but cheaper, and no coupons required!"
"Special offer on sailor shirts! Special offer on sailor shirts! Limited quantities available, first come, first served!"
"Special offer on sailor shirts, only today! Don't miss out, or you'll miss out! Everyone who's interested, come and try them on! Trying them on is free, so you can buy with more confidence!"
Guan Lixin's sailor shirt and bell-bottoms were already eye-catching, and even before he set up his stall, many people were staring at him. Once the stall was up, he became even more conspicuous.
Sure enough, a middle-aged woman came up to them in no time.
"Hey young man, you said your sailor shirt was on sale?"
Guan Lixin grinned and said, "Yes, ma'am, I have sailor shirts on special offer here, twelve yuan without a coupon. What do you think? Isn't it a great deal? The department store not only requires a coupon but also charges you fifteen yuan. I'm saving you three yuan!"
The woman nodded, agreeing that it was indeed a good deal. She reached out and touched the fabric, feeling that the materials were of good quality.
However, she was still worried: "You're selling them so cheaply, is there something wrong with the clothes?"
Guan Lixin: "Hey, you're absolutely right. This batch of sailor shirts of mine is defective. There's a bit of a snag on the sleeve."
He pointed to the flawed area and said, "It's just a small flaw, but it's not obvious. If you wear it normally, no one will notice it. Not to mention others, you didn't even notice it was flawed just now, did you? If I hadn't told you, you might have bought it thinking it was fine."
He said, "I'm just an honest person. Otherwise, if I hadn't told you it was a defective product, you wouldn't have known and would have bought it as if it were fine. When you got home and found out there was a problem, you wouldn't have been able to find me, right?"
The middle-aged woman who came to ask the price nodded: "That's true."
Guan Lixin, a street vendor, is like a hit-and-run man; he might set up a stall here today, but he might set up a stall somewhere else tomorrow.
If she only discovers the product is defective when she gets home, she might not be able to find the person she wanted to return to.
Guan Lixin: "Precisely because I'm an honest person and don't engage in false advertising, I'm telling you frankly that this garment is indeed slightly flawed, but apart from that tiny imperfection, it's really not a problem at all. Come on, feel it with your hands. The fabric is pure cotton, breathable, absorbent, and sturdy; it doesn't easily deform. Come on, try pulling on it; no matter how you pull the collar, it won't deform. And the color—don't worry, this garment absolutely won't fade. You see me wearing this? I just washed it yesterday, and the color is perfectly fine afterward!"
Guan Lixin opened his mouth and rattled off a string of words, successfully persuading the middle-aged woman in front of him.
However, older people are frugal, so she said, "Twelve yuan is still too expensive. Can you give me a discount? I really want it, so please give me a discount."
"Auntie, aren't you putting me in a difficult position? These clothes aren't cheap to buy, and I transported them all the way from Guangzhou. The shipping costs were also quite high. I wouldn't even make a profit if I sold them to you for twelve. If you ask me to lower the price, I'll really lose money."
After a series of dramatic and pitiful actions, Guan Lixin gritted his teeth and said, "However, since you're my first customer today, I'll give you a discount. If you buy two, I'll give you a 15% discount and round it down. Normally, I sell them for twelve each, but if you buy two now, I'll only charge you twenty. How does that sound?"
The middle-aged woman did the math in her head. Although the 15% discount on two items didn't sound like much, if she bought them at the department store, two sailor shirts would cost 30 yuan, while Guan Lixin's would only cost 20 yuan, which was equivalent to a 10 yuan discount!
This is a huge windfall!
Auntie: "Okay, then give me two!"
She picked out two items, paid for them, and happily took them home, ready to show off her good fortune at the family compound.
The old lady was happy, and Guan Lixin was happy too!
Don't be fooled by the discount he offers; it's 15% off for two items, which means someone who originally planned to buy only one item is actually getting to buy one more!
Of course, most importantly, the cost price of his clothes was only four yuan.
Even if he sells it for ten yuan, he'll still make a huge profit!
Guan Lixin stuffed the money into his bag, took a sip of water, and continued hawking: "Don't miss out if you're passing by..."
Once someone started eating crabs, the people behind them became bolder. Before Guan Lixin could even finish his shout, a crowd immediately surrounded him.
Two young men came over this time, both wearing blue overalls, probably working at a nearby factory. One of them, who looked rather young, asked, "Hey buddy, how much is this sailor shirt of yours?"
Guan Lixin: "Twelve pieces a day. These are slightly defective, so they're cheap. There's a bit of a snag on the sleeve, but it won't affect wearing them normally. And today is my first day setting up a stall, so I'm having a special offer: two pieces for 15% off, and I'll round it down to 20 yuan for two pieces, or 10 yuan each. How about it? Want to buy two pieces and share them with your buddies?"
The two men, who were initially hesitant, immediately stopped hesitating and took out their money to pick out items when they heard that buying two items would get them a discount.
However, some people nearby heard Guan Lixin say that there was a discount for buying two items and had an idea: "Brother, you get a 15% discount for buying two items, what about buying three items? Wouldn't that be an even bigger discount?"
Guan Lixin's eyes lit up and he said, "That's right, buy three and I'll give you a 25% discount, which means each item is only nine yuan!"
He then added, "However, with my small business, I can only offer a 25% discount at most. Otherwise, I'll lose money if I offer any more discounts."
"Okay! Give me three then!"
"I want three too, there are three brothers in my family!"
Upon hearing that the price was so low, even passersby who were initially indifferent were tempted and rushed forward to pay. In no time, Guan Lixin sold more than a dozen items.
Guan Lixin continued to persuade, "Even if you don't have that many people in your family, you can still buy three pieces to take home and change into. Or everyone can pool their money and buy three pieces for three people, that's also an option!"
Originally, no one had thought about combining orders, but as soon as he said that, everyone immediately raised their hands to join in.
"I want two, is there anyone who can make one for me?"
"I want one!"
Some people were adding items to their cart to reach the minimum order amount, while others didn't. A young girl approached him with her money and said, "Brother, are all of these one size fits all? Do you have any larger sizes? My dad is overweight, and I'm worried he won't be able to fit into them."
Guan Lixin: "Yes! Plus size, right? I have large sizes here. How much does your dad weigh? The largest plus size I have can fit someone who weighs 180 pounds!"
"Then get me one large size, and two one-size-fits-all!"
Guan Lixin: "Okay!"
A large crowd gathered around Guan Lixin's stall as he busily collected money and searched for clothes.
Busy, but happy.
After all, these people are all here to give him money!
He grinned widely, a bright smile on his face, as he warmly greeted each customer.
This is what Mingxi and Zhao Sulan saw when they arrived.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com