Chapter 81 Come and call me Dad
"Crackling and popping—!"
A series of crisp and loud firecracker sounds exploded at the street corner next to the Workers' Cultural Palace.
Xiaoxiao Clothing Store has opened.
Wen Xiaoxiao dressed up specially today.
Her hair was neatly combed and tied into an elegant bun at the back of her head.
She was wearing a light beige wool coat with a small lapel, layered over a light pea green knit sweater, paired with a matching knee-length pencil skirt and mid-heeled leather shoes.
She wore light makeup and stood at the shop entrance to greet customers, her smile genuine.
Zhao Fei also changed into a new outfit, and his eyes were full of smiles as he watched Wen Xiaoxiao busy herself around.
His main responsibility is to pick up and pack goods for customers, and he also occasionally helps to greet male guests.
Wenbin and Han Manjuan arrived early in the morning. Wenbin even specially ordered two festive flower baskets to place at the store entrance.
Han Manjuan held Wen Xiaoxiao's hand and looked her up and down: "That's great, Xiaoxiao, I'm so happy for you." Wen Xiaoxiao squeezed her sister-in-law's hand back and nodded vigorously.
Sister Liu, who sells fried dough sticks, also took a break and ran over, carrying a large bag of them: "Master Wen, no, now you should call me Boss Wen! Congratulations! May your new store opening be a great success!" She stuffed the fried dough sticks into Wen Xiaoxiao's hands, "Here, have some to tide you over!"
Several of Zhao Fei's business associates arrived one after another, bringing red envelopes.
The small shop was suddenly packed with people.
Zhou Lanying and Liu Shuhua helped look after the children who were running around, and their faces were beaming with smiles.
Wen Xiaoxiao moved among the customers, introducing styles and recommending outfits. Her voice was clear and bright, and her attitude was warm but not overly solicitous.
She was confident in the goods she had sourced, and her introduction was quite detailed: "This shirt is a cotton-linen blend, very breathable, perfect for spring. It goes well with these pants or a skirt..."
"This coat has a great cut, it's slimming, and the color complements your skin tone..." She can also offer sound advice to customers who are undecided.
Zhao Fei is a man of few words, but he is efficient in his work.
Once the customer had made their selection, he quickly issued the invoice, collected the money, and gave change. He then carefully inspected the clothes, folded them neatly, and put them into a tote bag printed with the words "Xiaoxiao Clothing," handing it to the customer with both hands.
The couple worked together seamlessly, one handling external affairs and the other internal affairs.
On its first day of business, "Xiaoxiao Clothing" enjoyed a successful start.
Almost at the same time the firecrackers went off, a freight truck stopped at the back gate of the Workers' Cultural Palace.
Zhao Qingda jumped out of the driver's seat, opened the greasy car door, and began unloading boxes of office supplies.
Sweat streamed down his cheeks, and his right hand, with its severed finger, struggled somewhat unnaturally when exerting force.
The sound of firecrackers made him pause for a moment. He glanced up in the direction of the noise, then indifferently lowered his head and continued moving his goods.
After unloading the goods, he signed the receipt with the warehouse manager of the Cultural Palace, put the receipt in his pocket, and prepared to drive away.
Two female workers walked past his car, and their conversation drifted into his ears:
"Hurry, hurry! I heard a new clothing store opened up ahead, and they're having a grand opening sale!"
"Really? What's your name?"
"I think it's called 'Xiaoxiao Clothing'? It's just across the street. Let's go check it out. I heard their clothes are pretty new, and they're imported from the south..."
Xiaoxiao Clothing? Wen Xiaoxiao?
Zhao Qingda's hand, which was about to turn the key, froze.
He turned to look at the retreating figures of the two female workers, then looked towards the direction from which came the noisy voices from the front street.
For some inexplicable reason, he didn't drive away immediately.
Instead, he drove to a quieter, more secluded spot a little further away and parked there, then walked around to the front street.
He didn't dare get too close, so he hid behind a sycamore tree and looked towards the shop.
He only glanced at it, but his gaze felt as if it had been burned.
Behind the glass door, the well-dressed woman with a bright smile, warmly greeting guests, was none other than Wen Xiaoxiao.
She looks younger than she did a few years ago, and she seems to be glowing.
And the tall, well-dressed man helping her pack—who else could it be but Zhao Fei?
They actually opened a shop here?
...and they still seem like a harmonious couple with a thriving business?
Zhao Qingda felt a surge of inexplicable emotion rushing to his head.
Just then, a little boy ran out of the store.
The little guy, with fair skin and bright black eyes, was jumping around in the open space in front of the shop, having a great time by himself.
Zhao Qingda's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it. This child... he looked somewhat familiar.
Hearing the commotion, Wen Xiaoxiao leaned out of the shop and called out, "Xiao Gai! Don't go too far!"
Hearing his mother call, the little boy giggled and ran back into the shop, throwing himself at Wen Xiaoxiao's legs and looking up at her, calling out, "Mommy!"
Mother……
Is this the child his mother kept thinking about before she died, Wen Xiaogai?
But... but his sperm motility is low!
Wang Juan has been trying to conceive for so long without success... Could it be... could it be that her luck has really "exploded" this time?
Did Wen Xiaoxiao get pregnant after just one time?
From that day on, Zhao Qingda seemed to be possessed.
Whenever his sports car passed through this area, he would always park it at a distance and secretly take a few glances.
He dared not approach, fearing that Zhao Fei would discover him, and even more so that Wen Xiaoxiao would see him.
He only looked at that child, Wen Xiaogai.
He found the child to be lively, energetic, and never still for a moment.
One time, Wen Xiaogai ran to the store entrance to play again, while Zhao Qingda hid at the alley entrance, holding a fruit hard candy he had bought from the grocery store.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he waved to Wen Xiaogai and waved the candy in his hand.
When Wen Xiaogai saw the candy, her eyes lit up, and she hesitated before taking two steps.
Zhao Qingda lowered his voice and said in a tone he himself was unaware of, "Come here, I'll give you candy."
Wen Xiaogai moved closer, blinking her big eyes warily at the uncle with the scar on his face.
Zhao Qingda handed over the candy, his voice dry: "Call me...call me Dad, and I'll give you the candy."
Wen Xiaogai stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly spat, spitting a mouthful of saliva onto Zhao Qingda's hand.
Then he grabbed the candy and threw it hard at Zhao Qingda's face!
The candy hit Zhao Qingda's cheekbone, and it hurt a little.
After doing all that, the little guy turned and ran, like a nimble little leopard, disappearing back into the store in an instant.
Zhao Qingda was stunned.
The spot on my face where the candy hit me felt a little numb, but I wasn't angry. Instead, I slowly grinned and smiled silently.
This kid... he's a real troublemaker! And he's got a stubborn streak too!
He looks just like him when he was a child...
Xiaoxiao Clothing's business is even more booming than expected.
Wen Xiaoxiao has a good eye; she sources trendy and reasonably priced goods, and her service is excellent.
Soon, "Let's go check out that new store next to the Cultural Palace" became a common phrase among many young female workers and fashion-conscious girls.
Wen Xiaoxiao gradually became too busy to handle everything on her own. She often had to attend to two or three groups of customers at the same time, as well as issue invoices, find goods, and pack items. She was so busy that she didn't even have time to drink water.
Zhou Lanying and Liu Shuhua wanted to help, but Wen Xiaogai was enough to give them a headache.
The little guy is at that age where cats and dogs hate him; if you don't see him for a while, he'll be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles, so someone has to keep a close eye on him.
The store was bustling with people and had a lot of goods, so I really didn't dare let him in and cause trouble.
Wen Xiaoxiao discussed with Zhao Fei: "We need to hire someone. Otherwise, we'll be exhausted and still not be able to serve so many customers. Besides, if something happens to me, the shop can't be closed."
Zhao Fei agreed.
They posted a handwritten job advertisement at the store entrance: Seeking one female shop assistant, aged 20-35, diligent and quick-witted, those with sales experience preferred, meals provided but accommodation not provided, salary negotiable.
The day after the notice was posted, someone came to the door.
She was a woman in her early thirties, wearing a slightly worn floral shirt and black pants. Her hair was neatly combed, and her face bore the marks of a hard-working life, but her eyes were bright and she looked quite capable.
"Boss, are you hiring here?" the woman asked gently.
Wen Xiaoxiao was tidying up the shelves when she heard the sound and turned around. She felt that the woman looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen her before.
She nodded: "Yes, we're hiring. What's your name? Have you worked in sales before?"
"My name is Sun Mei." The woman smiled. "I used to work at the counter of the supply and marketing cooperative for a few years, but then... then I got married and moved here, so I stopped working there. Recently, I haven't had much to do at home, so I thought I'd come out and find some work."
Wen Xiaoxiao felt that the name "Sun Mei" sounded familiar, but she didn't think about it too much.
She asked Sun Mei several questions, such as how to greet customers, what to do when customers bargain, and how to deal with difficult customers.
Sun Mei answered logically and clearly, showing that she had some experience and her attitude was sincere.
“We provide one meal at noon, but not dinner. You’ll have to find your own accommodation,” Wen Xiaoxiao said.
“My home is just two streets away, about a ten-minute walk. You don’t need to worry about accommodation,” Sun Mei quickly said.
The salary was agreed upon, slightly higher than the market rate, but Wen Xiaoxiao also had high requirements: he had to be able to endure hardship and be observant of tasks.
Sun Mei readily agreed.
Sun Mei came to work the next day.
She picked things up quickly, had a knack for selling goods, could keep accurate accounts, and was tactful in her interactions with people. She soon integrated into the busy rhythm of the store.
Wen Xiaoxiao felt much lighter and more at ease.
She watched Sun Mei skillfully introduce clothes to customers, and occasionally she would recall that vague feeling of déjà vu, but the store was too busy, and that vague impression was quickly forgotten.
In the gaps between her busy schedules, Sun Mei would occasionally glance at the capable and amiable boss, then at the silent boss, her only thought being to do her job well and earn a decent living.
Neither of them mentioned that brief and awkward blind date from a few years ago, and it seems that the traces of it have long been washed away by the torrent of life.
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