Chapter 54
After getting on the tricycle, the group headed towards the building materials market in the western part of the city.
Although Pingquan County is not very large, it has a large permanent population because of the Dongfang Daily Chemical Factory. Many people who have worked there for more than ten or twenty years have settled down and started families there.
Therefore, Pingquan County has gradually developed, and now there are several new streets extending from the east, west, south, and north, on the outskirts of the old streets.
Sitting in the tricycle, Ji Wanmei looked at the street scenes passing by on both sides of the street and felt a sense of warmth and familiarity.
These buildings, with their old-fashioned stairwells, with no more than ten floors per building, will be swept away by a wave of real estate reforms in a decade or so, and replaced entirely with new apartment buildings with elevators.
In her previous life, Ji Wanmei returned to Pingquan County many years later. At that time, Pingquan County had been upgraded to a prefecture-level city. She saw that the area was developing very well. Because of its industrial base, many emerging industrial parks moved here to develop, which boosted the local economy and made it an important city contributing to the province's GDP.
A few minutes later, the tricycle took them to the building materials market in the western part of the city.
This is a bustling purchasing market, where shirtless laborers are unloading goods everywhere.
Lei Tingjun came with Ji Wanmei because he was worried that it would be inconvenient for her to come here alone as a girl.
Looking back now, it was definitely a wise decision.
The crowd here is so chaotic. She's a delicate young girl, and she might get ripped off without even realizing it.
Lei Tingjun also knew people in the building materials market. He led Ji Wanmei and the others up to the second floor, found a shop owner who specialized in selling glass, and explained their purpose to him.
Ji Wanmei stood in front of the glass materials store, looking around.
She did have that idea, to decorate the store in a more fashionable and modern style, but she worried that women of this era might not be able to accept such avant-garde things yet.
However, putting a row of glass display windows in front of the entrance is a pretty good idea.
When the time comes, display the most attractive products in front of the glass window. In that case, passersby will see them and be attracted by the items. Whether they buy anything or not, they will be willing to come in and browse.
As long as customers come in to browse, Ji Wanmei is confident that she will be able to sell her products.
Lei Tingjun was talking to the owner of the glass shop inside, glancing back at Ji Wanmei every now and then.
He saw her standing quietly at the door, looking up at something, her eyes sparkling like scattered stars, her curled eyelashes fluttering slightly, her gaze and expression focused, her posture upright.
—She never seems to stand hunched over or listlessly.
She always stood gracefully and elegantly, like a beautiful white swan.
Lei Tingjun's gaze lingered on her for a while before he looked away and spoke to the owner of the glass shop.
Luo Chunyan had never been to such a large building materials market before. As soon as she entered, she was dazzled by the variety of things and found it very novel.
Watching people bustling about in the market, some picking up goods, others packing them up, everyone seemed busy making money and striving for a better life, this feeling had a significant impact on Luo Chunyan.
She then realized that if she went to work in the factory, she would only be screwing in screws and sewing on buttons day after day, living a life in the workshop where she could see her old age from the very beginning.
She really didn't want to live like a puppet; she wanted to see the wider world, meet more people, and learn more.
Turning to look at Ji Wanmei, Luo Chunyan secretly vowed that when she went back this time, she would definitely persuade her parents to agree to let her become Ji Wanmei's store manager.
A moment later, the glass shop owner came over and said to Ji Wanmei, "So you're the one who wants to renovate your storefront, right?"
Ji Wanmei nodded: "Yes."
What kind of things does your store sell?
Ji Wanmei said, "I sell some general merchandise, mainly women's products, so the interior design style I want is bright, clean, and refreshing."
In fact, Ji Wanmei had planned to draw a rough interior design rendering herself, but before she could, Lei Tingjun brought her here.
However, the glass shop owner was clearly an expert, having dealt with renovation workers frequently. He nodded upon hearing this: "I understand your requirements. I know an interior decorator who can be brought over if needed. You can entrust the entire renovation of your store to him. As for materials and workers, Lei Tingjun can find people for those. What do you think?"
It's naturally better to have someone more professional than yourself.
However, Ji Wanmei needs to consider a budget issue.
A professional decorator would definitely charge for labor. She had at most 200 yuan left in her renovation budget, and she also needed to set aside 500 yuan for supplies. She couldn't exceed the budget.
The glass shop owner seemed to sense Ji Wanmei's concerns and smiled, saying, "Don't worry, the people Lei Tingjun introduced won't charge us high prices. We'll do everything for you at cost price, guaranteeing better quality and labor than outside, and at a lower price."
Ji Wanmei glanced at Lei Tingjun and smiled. She hadn't expected him to have such a big reputation.
From Xiaoqiang, who collects recyclables, to Chef Chen, who runs a Sichuan restaurant, to the owner of a glass shop in the building materials market, he seems to know a little about all sorts of people, and everyone is willing to do him a favor.
Lei Tingjun handed a cigarette to the glass shop owner: "Second Brother, I'm counting on you this time. Please take good care of things. I'll treat you to drinks next time."
Seeing this, Luo Chunyan whispered to Ji Wanmei, "Look at him, he tells everyone he'll treat them to drinks next time, which shows he's a man who enjoys both cigarettes and alcohol."
Ji Wanmei smiled. So what if they bring cigarettes and alcohol?
Many men appear honest on the surface, but in private they indulge in all sorts of vices, such as eating, drinking, gambling, and smoking.
Lei Tingjun made no attempt to hide his true self from her, showing her his true nature without any intention of pretending to be an honest and kind person.
Would an honest, kind-hearted man dare to beat up Yang Zhiping for him?
Would an honest, kind person dare to go to jail for her?
Even Ji Wanmei's own father, Ji Xingguo, would have a couple of drinks when he had nothing to do. He didn't like smoking, but if a close friend offered him a cigarette, he would inevitably accept it.
Does that mean her father wasn't a good man or a good father?
You can't judge a person by their appearance alone.
The people I met today are all seasoned veterans who have been navigating the complexities of society for many years. If Lei Tingjun weren't someone they considered worthy of their attention, they wouldn't be giving him such face.
Sometimes, you can indirectly tell what kind of person someone is by looking at the friends they keep.
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