Chapter 62 Crazy Clearance Sale (Completed)
The store was packed with customers rushing to buy!
The corridor outside the store was packed with people; Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei had never served so many customers at the same time before.
With a severe shortage of manpower, He Changyi urgently found a cleaning lady to temporarily act as a sales clerk, and also found the building's security team to help maintain order in the store and kick out any people who tried to take advantage of the chaos.
She then set up a cordon in the corridor, allowing customers to enter the store in batches with time limits, letting in one batch after another as they left, maintaining a busy yet orderly pace of service.
The goods on the shelves disappeared rapidly at a visible speed, while the cash in the cash box kept increasing.
Customers jostled and fought, completely engrossed in the frenzy. Often, just as Geng Zhi was taking out the restocked goods from the warehouse, before he could even put them on the shelf, countless hands reached out, and the boxes containing the goods were emptied in the next second.
Zheng Xiaowei was so busy collecting money that his eyesight was failing, and his saliva dried up from counting the money. In his eyes, rubles were not even as valuable as toilet paper, at least the latter allowed him to go to the toilet instead of holding his urine until his stomach hurt.
After the initial chaos, the new cleaning lady became increasingly skilled. Moreover, because she was from Korea, communication was easier, and she could even introduce Korean products to first-time customers.
"This is Jong-guk hot sauce, it's very pungent. Spread it on black bread, then top it with a layer of pickled cucumbers, it tastes amazing!"
Affordable daily necessities sold out the fastest, followed by clothing and shoes. He Changyi witnessed a tough Eros woman pull her reluctant son over and hold up a women's sweater to him.
The son protested: "Mom, this is women's clothing!"
The older sister said nonchalantly, "I know, but this dress is the perfect fit for you. It's cheap and good quality. Look at this size, you can wear it until you graduate high school!"
The son tried to protest: "No, I won't go to school wearing a woman's dress!"
The older sister remained unmoved: "Then go and wear your father's old sweater!"
The son's face turned red with anger, and the older sister, perhaps a little embarrassed, comforted him, saying, "Don't be like that. You can wear the sweater under your down jacket; no one will see. Honey, don't you want a new outfit?"
The son was wavering when another woman from Oroqen walked over and her eyes lit up when she saw the sweater.
"I like this sweater, sales clerk, please get me one."
He Changyi said with a smile, "This is the last one."
The two Oros women locked eyes, sparks flying. The son of the first woman, no longer hesitant, hurriedly shouted, "We were here first, so we want this sweater!"
He Changyi, always eager for drama, whispered a reminder: "But this is a woman's outfit."
The son firmly declared, "No, from now on, it's men's clothing!"
The woman who arrived first and her son hurriedly went to pay with the sweaters in their hands. The woman who arrived later asked regretfully, "Do you have any extras?"
He Changyi led the person to the shelf where the yarn was displayed.
"The sweaters are sold out, but we have yarn of great quality and patterns, and we're even giving away a knitting manual for free."
The eldest sister's eyes lit up later.
As time went on, the variety of goods on the shelves decreased, and once they were sold out, they were no longer restocked.
Customers who received the news late stopped being picky and bought whatever was available, which sped up the process of emptying the shelves.
In contrast, the sales of color TVs have been somewhat slow.
This is not surprising; 200,000 rubles is not a small amount for an ordinary family in Russia.
Even the elderly who lived through the Union era didn't have this much savings in their entire lives. After all, the ruble's value had remained stable for many years, and no one could have imagined that it would plummet like this.
However, the target customers for color TVs are not ordinary people.
He Changyi was targeting local factory directors who were considered "red" (politically connected).
Red factory managers refer to managers of state-owned factories appointed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during the Soviet Union period. Their political nature far outweighed their professional nature. Because they effectively controlled the factories, even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Red Factory Managers remained a force to be reckoned with within Estonia, dominating the country's industry.
These factory directors were like emperors in their factories. While ordinary workers struggled to make ends meet and went hungry, they still enjoyed a very comfortable lifestyle, traveling in Volga cars and living in luxurious factory director's houses. The devaluation of the ruble had little impact on them.
A color TV worth 200,000 rubles is an astronomical price for ordinary workers, but for the red factory directors, it's just a way to put a new TV in their bedroom and add some entertainment before bed.
As He Changyi had expected, one after another, people dressed as secretaries came to the door, went straight to the area where the color TV was located, and placed orders without saying a word after seeing the actual product.
The only difference was that some secretaries slapped a check for 200,000 rubles on the counter, while others familiarly approached He Changyi to discuss whether they could exchange scrap steel worth 200,000 rubles for a color TV.
Upon seeing this, the secretary who was paying the checks immediately and cleverly put away the checks, and also asked to exchange the scrap steel for color TVs, but he wanted to exchange five TVs—the factory director, the deputy factory director, the chief engineer, the financial manager, and himself.
He Changyi agreed with a smile.
After all, the ruble starts to depreciate as soon as you get it, and scrap steel is better at preserving its value.
After leaving behind a scrap steel sales contract stamped with the official seal, the secretaries happily left with the color TV and the matching adapter.
Although the standard voltage in both China and Russia is 220V, the plugs and sockets in Russia are completely different from those in China. Electrical appliances from China cannot be used directly by plugging them in and require an adapter.
When He Changyi purchased color TVs in China, she also bought the corresponding adapter plugs. At that time, there were not as many people going abroad as in later years, so the demand for adapter plugs was not high. She had to go to several places to buy them.
As the end of the workday approached, the number of customers reached its peak for the day.
Geng Zhi and the cleaning lady's voices were completely hoarse, while Zheng Xiaowei counted money until his eyes were glazed over, his movements like a robot. Even someone like him, whose eyes light up at the sight of money, just wanted to vomit at this moment.
The security guards on duty have changed three times, and now even if they see a thief, they will only kick him in the butt, showing none of their previous enthusiasm.
If He Changyi hadn't promised to pay high overtime wages and unlimited Zhongguo vodka during evening dinners, these security guards would have already quit and run away.
Amidst the excited customers and apathetic employees, only He Changyi remained energetic, appearing wherever she was needed.
Upon seeing his boss, Geng Zhi silently encouraged himself, determined not to be outdone by his boss.
Zheng Xiaowei sighed inwardly, "Is this woman made of iron? How come she never gets tired..."
The cleaning lady swallowed hard to moisten her dry throat, and continued to answer questions from customers with great enthusiasm.
Her daughter came to help after school. After observing her mother for a while, she quickly got the hang of it and became the youngest unofficial sales clerk in the store. She even caught someone stuffing a thermos into their sleeve.
The warehouse was completely empty, and only the goods on the shelves remained in the store.
These items, which were left until the end, were not originally popular and had been piling up in the warehouse for some time. But now customers were no longer picky. As long as something was useful, they would rush to buy it. After all, it was only 60% of the original price. If they bought two items, what difference was there between the second one and it being free?
When Nastya and Sasha led Sergei by the hand on either side into the Chinese store, they were greeted by empty shelves.
"Oh no, we're too late!"
Sasha pouted, tears welling up in his eyes. His favorite Chinese toy was sold out!
Sergei was also anxious: "How could this happen?! I went to pick you up from school as soon as I got off work and rushed here as fast as I could, how could there be no stock?!"
Nastya was the calmest. She let go of Sergei's hand and ran straight to the shelves where there were still goods.
"Dad, don't hesitate! We need to buy things quickly, no matter what they are, they'll definitely be much cheaper than in the stores outside!"
Reminded by Nastya, Sergei realized what was happening and pulled Sasha inside.
"Nastya is right, we have to hurry and buy them, otherwise there won't be any left!"
Sergei managed to snatch five pairs of stockings, three bottles of medicated oil, two calculators, a box of razor blades, and a bottle of Chinese seasoning that looked rather strange—a reddish-amber liquid with what appeared to be some sediment at the bottom, completely unlike any Chinese seasoning he had ever seen before.
After hesitating for a moment, Sergei resolutely bought the unfamiliar Chinese seasoning.
Who cares, as long as I can buy it, I don't want to miss this big sale!
Sasha, on the other hand, found a box of bubble gum that had been accidentally kicked into a corner under the shelf.
He lay on the ground, reaching out with difficulty. When he pulled out the box of bubble gum covered in dust, his tears turned to laughter. He eagerly wiped it with his clothes and exclaimed happily, "I want this!"
Nastya had the most bountiful harvest.
She went straight to He Changyi, looked up at her adorably, and said in a sweet, childlike voice:
"Beautiful Miss Jong-kook, I would like to give my mother a box of face cream, but I'm too late. The shelf with the face cream is already empty. Do you have any unsold face cream in your warehouse?"
He Changyi couldn't help but laugh when he saw Nastya. He led her behind the counter, took out a box of unopened face cream that he had prepared for his own use, and also handed the little girl the canned food that Zheng Xiaowei had hidden away to prepare for his own special occasion.
"Good child, your mother will be so proud to have a daughter like you."
Nastya smiled, holding the canned food and face cream. She reached out and gently tugged at He Changyi's sleeve. As He Changyi bent down, Nastya shyly tiptoed and kissed her on the cheek, like a little blue-eyed kitten.
"Thank you! You are as beautiful and kind as a princess from a fairy tale!"
He Changyi beamed with joy, wishing she could pick up the little girl and lift her high in the air, but she still carefully corrected her word choice first.
"No, she's not a princess."
She winked at the little girl and deliberately lowered her voice, as if she were telling a secret that only the two of them knew.
"Every girl is the queen of her own life, and doesn't need to wait for a prince to save her."
Nastya seemed to understand but not quite, and He Changyi touched her pretty little braids.
"It's okay, you'll understand in the future. Just remember, you are the only savior in your life."
When Nastya returned triumphantly with her spoils, Sasha, in the long line at the checkout counter, couldn't resist tearing open her bubble gum wrapper and popping a piece into her mouth.
Nastya strode over and criticized:
"Sasha, you haven't paid yet!"
Sasha mumbled, "I'll pay right away. I'll buy it anyway. I'm just eating it a few minutes earlier."
Nastya looked at Sergei with disapproval.
"Dad, you should keep a closer eye on Sasha!"
Sergei was still examining the unfamiliar condiment bottle, absentmindedly saying, "Okay, okay, my little tiger, I will..."
He pulled Nastya in front of him, about to ask her where she had been, when he saw the canned food and face cream she was holding.
"Nastya, where did you buy this? The salesperson clearly said that all the canned goods were sold out."
The customers queuing around them all perked up their ears. They had arrived as late as Sergei, and when they entered the store, all the canned goods had already been sold out. It was said that there were no more in the warehouse. So where did this little girl find the canned goods?
Nastya proudly raised her chin and said loudly, "It's a secret!"
Sergei chuckled and took the can from her arms to avoid attracting unwanted attention from those around him who might be eyeing his daughter and the can.
"Alright, alright, you little tiger. Oh, and face cream too, Mom will be so happy today."
Nastya said proudly, "I've always been very capable."
Sergei couldn't help but smile, his heart filled with love for his daughter.
He is truly the luckiest father in the world; he has two of the most perfect children in the world.
When Sergei's tender gaze passed over Sasha, his emotions suddenly faltered.
Sasha was having a great time playing nearby, puffing out his cheeks and trying to blow a big bubble, but the bubble accidentally popped and smeared half of his face.
Sergei: ...Well, you can't be lucky twice in a row.
The family of three paid the bill and left. As they entered the residential building, Sergei weighed the heavy bag in his hand and couldn't help but say:
"This is such a bargain! I've never bought anything this cheap before, only half the usual price! If we had come a little earlier, we might have been able to buy even more."
On the way up the stairs, Sergei ran into his neighbor, the same guy who had previously complained about the poor quality of Jong-guk's products but had secretly gone to Jong-guk's store to buy things.
He glanced at the bags Sergei was carrying and asked knowingly, "Did you also go to the Zhongguo Store? Did you only buy these?"
Sergei said regretfully, "I arrived too late. It's all the fault of that damn factory. They only pay half the wages, but they require us to work all day."
He then asked his neighbor, "What did you buy? I didn't see you at the store."
The neighbor smiled slyly: "Of course you won't see me, because I went shopping at noon!"
Sergei: ?
The neighbor said proudly, "I took the bus to the store as soon as I received the flyer. The shelves were full of goods, and I even managed to snag some Jong-guk vodka. It tasted absolutely amazing chilled!"
Sergei: "...So you didn't go to work this afternoon? You took the day off?"
His neighbor looked at him with pity.
"Poor guy, who cares about taking leave these days? Even if the section chief deducts my wages for the day, the money I save by buying Zhong Guohuo is far more than my salary."
Sergei was stunned; he had no idea that this could be done...
Sasha popped another bubble and exclaimed, "Dad, if you didn't go to work and just went to Zhongguo Store, I would have more than one box of bubble gum!"
The neighbor couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Nastya covered Sasha's mouth, dragged him home, and muttered to herself in exasperation:
"You little idiot!"
Sasha: "Waaaaaah (I'm not an idiot)..."
Sergei's wife, Valentina, beamed with joy upon seeing the goods they had brought back, and kissed her husband and children one by one.
"Great! My stockings were so worn out that I couldn't wear them anymore. Now I can wear new stockings and high heels to dance again."
Nastya exclaimed, "Mom, it's the face cream and canned food I bought!"
Valentina lovingly hugged her daughter and kept kissing her little face.
"My little Nastya, my dearest daughter, you are our pride..."
Sergei's mother, Olesia, picked up the medicated oil, looked at it, and praised, "This is very good. Applying a little to the forehead can make one more alert, and it can also treat mosquito bites. It's very practical."
Sergei, who had been thoroughly humiliated by his neighbor, silently straightened his back.
Valentina picked up the calculator and said, "There are two here. We can resell one. As long as it's slightly cheaper than in the mall, those engineers and technicians will definitely buy it."
Sergei's chest puffed out even higher.
Valentina picked up the amber-colored spice bottle again, casually unscrewed the cap, and brought it close to her nose to smell it.
"Well……"
She moved her nose away, her face displaying a very complex expression, neither able to say whether it smelled good nor bad.
"Sergei, what did you buy? It smells strange. What's it for?"
Sergei's chest dipped slightly.
He said softly, "I guess this is probably a bottle of seasoning?"
Valentina: "Seasoning?"
She shook her head: "I've never seen this kind of seasoning before. It smells very strange."
Grandma Olexia took the spice bottle from her hand, sniffed it herself, and gave a complicated look.
"I have never tasted anything similar in Zhongguo."
Sergei's chest seemed to have sunk even lower.
Nastya and Sasha bounced around their grandmother like two bouncy bears.
"Let me smell it, let me smell it!"
But after smelling the aroma from the spice bottle, both little ones started wrinkling their noses at the same time.
Sasha: "This doesn't smell good at all!"
Nastya: "It smells like spoiled canned herring."
Sergei also took a sniff, and staggered from the stench, still trying to explain:
"Perhaps... people in China just like this flavor?"
Grandma Olexia put on her reading glasses and carefully examined the Chinese characters on the sign under the light.
"Fish...dew..."
She looked at her dejected son and decided not to dampen his enthusiasm for buying Chinese goods.
"You're right. Maybe some of our Chinese comrades like this taste, just like some of them don't like our cheese."
Sergei nodded vigorously: Yes, yes, that's exactly right!
Although he couldn't understand who would like to eat something with the fishy, pungent smell of a fish farm after being exposed to the sun in summer...
Zhongguo Store.
After seeing off the last customer who was trying to find something on the empty shelves, Zheng Xiaowei slammed the cash drawer shut, stood up like a zombie, and walked toward the warehouse.
He decided to treat himself to something luxurious today, opening a bottle of fish sauce he brought from his hometown to cook.
Geng Zhi was sweeping up the trash on the ground when he suddenly heard a scream coming from the warehouse. The next second, Zheng Xiaowei rushed out of the warehouse and stood in front of him.
"Where's my fish sauce?! Where's the fish sauce I put in the bottom box?!"
He calmly and straightforwardly said, "I put it on the shelf. You forgot, the boss said he was going to sell everything in the warehouse."
Zheng Xiaowei wailed, "That's my fish sauce!!!"
Geng Zhi offered a half-hearted consolation: "Just think of it as inviting the people of E'guo to try the specialties of Zhongguo."
Zheng Xiaowei felt even more grief and indignation.
Those Russians don't know anything about fish sauce!
At that moment, Sergei sneezed in the distance.
Adhering to the principle of not wasting anything, he gritted his teeth and added a few drops of fish sauce to the soup. Surprisingly, although it smelled quite pungent, it tasted surprisingly good, and the soup seemed to have become even more flavorful and delicious.
He tried to share his discovery with his family, and everyone instinctively moved their soup bowls a little further away from him. The two children pursed their lips tightly, as if he were about to force the fish sauce into their mouths.
Sergei: Does he really seem that untrustworthy?!
"I'm serious, it really tastes pretty good."
Valentina gently placed a slice of sausage on Sergei's plate.
“Honey, you must have eaten too much expired herring in the past. Try this sausage; it will make your tongue feel better.”
Sergei: ...Who exactly imported the fish sauce?!
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Author's Note: Zheng Xiaowei: Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! Who's insulting me?!
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