That day, Zhan Chunlan stared listlessly at the accessories at the counter. Her eyes were practically glued to the door panels; she was so bored.
How could I possibly complain about having nothing to do at work? I've forgotten my roots! Zhan Chunlan suddenly came to her senses and wanted to slap herself twice to clear her head of this nonsense.
When lying on the sofa reading a novel, isn't the wish she makes most often the desire to earn money while reading? To put it more bluntly, if someone pays her to read a novel, she feels she can watch the boss go bankrupt!
"Comrade, how many rice candies are in this box?" a middle-aged woman asked the food counter clerk somewhat timidly.
"How should I know? Can't you see for yourself? It's written on the box, isn't it?" Just from the voice, you could tell the salesperson's attitude was bad, and the loud voice immediately attracted Zhan Chunlan, who was looking down at herself.
The sales clerks at the other counters were fine, since such incidents happen several times a day. It was Zhan Chunlan who was new and hadn't gotten used to it yet.
"I...can't read..." The woman's face turned red, and she opened and closed her mouth several times before she managed to utter a sentence in a low voice.
"Tsk... If you can't read, buy it and count it yourself. Once you're done, move aside. Can't you see how many people are queuing behind you?" The saleswoman was impatient and pushed the person aside, continuing to loudly serve the next customer: "Tell me what you want quickly. Haven't you thought about why you came here?"
“I heard… this one is twelve.” Zhan Chunlan frowned as she looked at the middle-aged woman, who, though standing to the side, still mustered the courage to speak.
"That's twelve!" The sales clerk didn't even turn her head; in just a short while, the next customer arrived. "We're out of cookies, next one!"
"But I counted them last time I bought them, there were only eleven." The middle-aged woman who started the argument was still arguing, which made the saleswoman laugh in exasperation.
She immediately stopped selling, braced her hands on the counter, and looked at her with a playful expression, saying, "What do you mean? You think I'm hungry from work and want to eat your rice candy?"
"That's not what I meant." Stared at by the sales clerk and the people in line, her face flushed even more, as if she were about to burst into flames. Her voice was as soft as a bee's buzz, and Zhan Chunlan had to walk several counters forward before she could barely be heard.
"What do you mean? This isn't my first day working here. Even if I did like rice candy, do you think I couldn't afford a box? Do you think I'm so desperate for money that I'd steal your rice candy?"
Someone in the queue behind chimed in, "I believe the saleswoman. She's been working here for years, and I always buy things from her. Hey, I just bought those rice candies, and there were definitely twelve of them."
In the crowd, there was a young girl, about eighteen or nineteen years old. She approached the woman, pointed to the rice candy in her hand, and whispered, "I can read. Can I help you read it?"
"Okay, thank you." She was a little flattered, not expecting anyone to pay attention to her and speak to her so softly.
The girl picked up the box of rice candy, pointed to the words "12 pieces per box" and said to her, "Sister, you can look here next time. It says '12 pieces per box' here, which means there are 12 rice candies in a box. I saw that you just took it directly from the counter and it hasn't been opened yet, so there shouldn't be any missing."
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" The woman bowed and thanked them, her face full of gratitude, and then left. As she left, she kept looking at those words, as if she wanted to etch them deeply into her mind.
Such things are not uncommon in department stores; they happen every now and then.
I heard that the staff at that counter weren't initially so rude; they had a gentle voice and patiently answered all the questions people asked.
But when she's nice, customers aren't. They'll ask her for an explanation for even the smallest problem. She runs a food counter, and there are always people buying things, almost from morning till night. Some people are nitpicking, and those who have been waiting a long time are also impatient and urging her from behind. To her, it sounds like three hundred ducks quacking, and the sound is really unpleasant.
When she first lost her temper, the whole place went silent. It was as if she had found the right service attitude, and she went further and further down this path afterward.
Zhan Chunlan snapped out of her daze and continued to stare at the parts in front of her. Fortunately, the parts at this time were not brand-specific; the same part could be used with bicycles from almost all brands.
Currently, the department store where Zhan Chunlan works sells four main models of bicycles:
The Yongjiu brand is sturdy and durable, capable of carrying heavy loads, and is very suitable for the terrain and cargo-carrying needs of Jiangcheng. It is the best-selling product.
Phoenix brand bicycles are more lightweight and aesthetically pleasing, and were more popular with women before women's bicycles came out, but they were not available in large quantities and were hard to get.
The Flying Pigeon brand is mainly sold in the north, and only a few vehicles are allocated to Jiangcheng every few months or half a year.
The three brands mentioned above are all nationally renowned brands, recognized by everyone. Since there are big brands, there are also second-tier brands, namely the "Jiangcheng" brand bicycles produced by a local bicycle factory in Jiangcheng.
Jiangcheng brand bicycles are designed specifically for the local terrain, but they are, after all, just a local brand. Although they have tried their best to get closer to the "Forever" brand, in people's minds, their quality, craftsmanship and reputation are slightly inferior to the "three major brands". Usually, people will only choose "Jiangcheng" brand bicycles when they can't buy other brands.
It may sound like a second-best option, but the "Jiangcheng" brand is actually quite competitive. It not only supplies Jiangcheng, but also the surrounding cities of Mincheng, Hongcheng, and Lincheng, and enjoys widespread trust.
There were only a dozen or so bicycles this month, mainly because the key machine tool at Jiangcheng Bicycle Factory malfunctioned last month. They've been waiting for experts to fix it for a whole month, which has led to a sharp decrease in the number of bicycles this month. Many people who had made prior arrangements were unable to buy bicycles.
"Chunlan, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on the counter for me again today." Chen Rong, another saleswoman at the daily necessities counter, ran over and gave Zhan Chunlan a handful of milk candies, begging her to watch the counter for her.
"Okay, go ahead, the post office will be closing soon." Zhan Chunlan didn't stand on ceremony, took the milk candy from her hand and went to help at the department store counter.
The daily necessities counter is very large and sells a wide variety of items, so there are many sales staff. I bought face cream at this counter before.
Watching Chen Rong jog out, she suddenly remembered a popular saying that had been circulating online for a while: "If I'm going to see you, I'll definitely run. On the way to you, even the wind feels sweet."
Although she wasn't going to see someone she liked, it was pretty much the same.
A while ago, Cheng Rong went on a blind date with a soldier. They both liked each other, but the soldier's leave to visit his family ended, and he had to return to his unit. So the two started exchanging letters by carrier pigeon.
Because the post office's working hours are the same as the department store's, she used to have to take leave. Recently, Zhan Chunlan came and asked her to help watch the counter.
Every time Zhan Chunlan watched her run to mail the letter with her face flushed, it was as if she were witnessing a real-life version of a period romance drama. The shyness when mentioning his name and the excitement when writing the letter were so heartwarming that they warmed even the dead.
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