"Oh dear, this young man is so pitiful, look how thin he is." Perhaps because she herself had a husband, the old woman felt sympathy for Jiang He when she saw his skinny, dark appearance.
With Ye Beiping's propaganda, the old lady suddenly felt that Jiang He's skinny, dark appearance was all the fault of the heartless factory manager.
She immediately reached into her pocket, took out all the money in it, and handed 25 yuan to Jiang He, saying, "I'll take these. My family is short of a pair of leather shoes. Seeing how difficult things are for you, I won't go to the state-run department store to buy them. Consider this my way of supporting you."
"You must hold on, hold on. Things will get better, they definitely will."
The woman's hands trembled as she took out her money, and her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Jiang He's pitiful appearance.
"Thank you, thank you, Auntie." Jiang He kept calling the old lady "Auntie," which made the old lady feel even more sorry for her.
Looking at the three people, the woman shouted to the people next to her, "Look how pitiful they are! A family of three can't even get their wages. What a heartless factory manager! These leather shoes are so cheap, everyone should buy a pair and help them out."
With someone taking the lead, many women stepped forward to inquire about the price, and then immediately took out their money to buy a pair.
Even those who didn't have enough money in their pockets immediately said they would go back to get money to buy a pair after being asked.
Those with a little money, or those whose sons also work, bought two pairs directly.
For a time, the entire market was packed with people, especially Ye Beiping's stall.
But the stall owners next to them didn't complain. The factory manager had run away with his mistress, and they couldn't even afford to eat. They couldn't make a scene with others, could they?
Even the people collecting stall fees at the market were almost moved to tears by the sympathy, but they remained rational and did not suggest returning the stall fees to Ye Beiping and the others.
However, they didn't pay attention to the popularity of Ye Beiping's stall.
After all, everyone needs to make a living.
The news of the Wencheng Jiangnan Leather Factory's closure quickly spread throughout the nearby streets and became a topic of conversation.
Some of the older women bought leather shoes and, upon returning home, began to recount what had happened at the market that day.
The family members were also indignant.
What angered me most was not the unpaid wages, but the fact that the factory manager was a gambler and womanizer who had run off with his mistress.
People with more thoughts immediately think of the pitiful workers in the factory who are owed wages, and probably the factory manager's wife and children are even more pitiful.
But it was just something to talk about. At most, he bought a pair of leather shoes; they couldn't help him with anything else. Only he knew his own situation. Buying a pair of leather shoes was already a high expense. Although it only cost 25 yuan, almost half the price of a pair of shoes in a state-run department store, it was a huge sum of money for their meager monthly salary.
A month's salary can only buy two pairs of leather shoes from Ye Beiping.
Soon it was noon at the market, and the number of people dwindled.
But Ye Beiping's stall was still packed with people, and the news spread quickly.
Some people heard about this gossip and came specifically to see if it was true.
Some of them went home to get money, and before they even had time to cook, they rushed over to buy shoes. They looked like they were rescuing Ye Beiping and the other two.
Others felt that 25 yuan for a pair of leather shoes was a great deal, and that if they didn't buy them now, they wouldn't be able to find them again.
Amidst these various thoughts, the popularity remained high until evening.
Ye Beiping kept shouting and yelling until his voice was hoarse. Fortunately, Jiang He was considerate and kept bringing him water, no matter how busy he was, he would always get water for Ye Beiping.
Of the three, besides Ye Beiping who strained his voice, Jiang He was the one who used the most physical strength.
When the goods ran out, he immediately pulled a tricycle home to retrieve them, while also constantly monitoring whether Ye Beiping's voice could still hold up.
If you can't hold on any longer, offer them water.
Jiang He knew that so many people were there because of Ye Beiping's propaganda; without the propaganda, there would be no one left.
Aunt Li, on the other hand, kept collecting money and finding shoe sizes for customers.
The three of them were each busy with their own things, and they were having a great time.
None of them noticed that in the corner, an old woman was staring wide-eyed at the commotion, her expression full of disbelief.
It was evening.
It was right at the time when the state-owned factory was closing. Many people ate lunch at the factory, so they would pass by the market to buy some cheap vegetables after get off work.
I heard Ye Beiping's propaganda slogan again.
This group of people was even more furious than the family members. They had only worked a day and were already told that they were owed wages, but then the factory manager ran off with his sister-in-law.
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