Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Opening! (Edited)
On the 8th, Liu Mianmian and the others set out early in the morning. Besides Shen Weiyun, who was idle at home after the college entrance exam, Aunt Liu volunteered to help, and Uncle Wang, who volunteered to join them.
Originally, the team was composed entirely of women, but Uncle Wang was worried that something might happen during the opening ceremony and that Liu Mianmian and the others wouldn't be able to handle it, so he took a day off and went over to help.
After all, the Nancheng Evening News had already reported on it twice, and even the neighbors in Qiuzhi Lane had been discussing the opening of the clothing store on Gongren Road. So, you can imagine how many people would be there today. With so many people, there would inevitably be petty thieves and those who took advantage of the situation, so someone would definitely be needed to maintain order.
Uncle Wang was a soldier in his early years and has been working in the security department since he retired. He is the perfect person for this job.
Shen Weiyun was very excited all the way, chattering happily, "Sister-in-law, you're amazing! You opened a clothing store, and even the South City Evening News came to interview you. I met with my classmates yesterday, and they were all talking about this. Our Jingjing Clothing Store is finally getting some publicity."
The bus they took was quite empty early in the morning, before the rush hour.
A sister-in-law nearby heard them talking and immediately widened her eyes: "Oh my, that clothing store in the newspaper is owned by you guys, that's amazing."
I don’t know what to say that’s too great.
Aunt Liu immediately boasted proudly, "That's right. Our clothes are all carefully selected from Guangzhou. The materials and styles are all very good. Many of the styles are the latest and latest styles in Hong Kong. They are absolutely beautiful and impressive to wear."
My sister-in-law immediately asked, "Are those Dacron shirts you get for free with a purchase of 30 yuan or more real?"
Aunt Liu waved her hand. "It's been published in the Nancheng Evening News, how could it be fake? It's absolutely true, so buying it these days is a really good deal. Dacron shirts are such a great thing, and they're giving one away for free. You don't get such a good deal anywhere else."
Since helping to sell radish strips, Aunt Liu has developed her eloquence.
The eldest sister-in-law said happily: "That's great. My sister has graduated from university and has been assigned a job. I was thinking of buying something for her. So a set of fashionable clothes would be a good idea." She could also get a Dacron shirt for free. It was a great deal.
Several passengers nearby couldn't help but interrupt them as they were talking animatedly: "Is that Dacron shirt for men or women?"
"Does your clothing store only sell women's clothing or do you also sell men's clothing?"
"Do you have shoes? Buy a pair of leather shoes and get a shirt for free. It seems like a good deal."
Aunt Liu was stunned by the question and looked at Liu Mianmian. Liu Mianmian smiled and said, "We have both men's and women's clothing. It's first come, first served. We have men's clothing too, but not much, just a few basic shirts and pants. We don't have shoes yet, but if there are many customers who need them, I can help you get some next time."
The passengers then started discussing among themselves: "Since it's a free gift, the men's version must be better. It has more fabric than the women's version."
"If you go first, you can choose first. Oh, I have to go there early."
"Oh, I really missed it. I have to go to my hometown in the countryside today and won't be back until tomorrow."
"Well, I can tell you haven't read the newspaper. The opening ceremony lasts for three days. You won't be able to have breakfast tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
…
Most of the passengers on the bus were enthusiastic. Even the older ones, even those who couldn't afford ready-made clothes themselves, were thinking about buying one or two pieces for their younger family members. A dress for the daughter, a Dacron shirt for the son—wouldn't that mean both of them would have new clothes?
When the bus arrived at Gongren Road Station, if Liu Mianmian and the others hadn't said that the clothing store would not officially open until nine o'clock, several people would have wanted to get off the bus and go directly to their store.
Jiang Hongmei and Liu Anmin had also arrived at the store, both of them looked excited.
Even Qianqian had gotten up and was happily helping to tidy up the clothes.
Everyone finally packed up their things and reviewed the process. Uncle Wang went to a nearby state-owned restaurant to buy some steamed buns and soy milk. Regardless of whether they had breakfast or not, everyone ate a little. Liu Mianmian had reminded them that they probably wouldn't be able to eat on time for lunch, and the workload was sure to be very heavy today, so eating a full meal would help them maintain their energy.
Around 8:30, people started arriving one after another. Seeing that the store was still making final preparations, they simply went to the two neighboring stores to take a look.
Around nine o'clock, the firecrackers hanging on both sides of the store door were lit, and amid the crackling sound, the first batch of customers poured into the store.
"Wow, this store is so beautifully decorated!" The first person to rush into the store was Wan Peiling, a student at Nancheng University.
She is a native of Nancheng and her family is well-off. She likes to buy clothes. After seeing the report in Nancheng Evening News, she became very curious about this Jingjing clothing store, so she asked her classmates to come over.
They were all still students and had extensive experience in queuing for seats, so before anyone else could react, they were the first to run into the store.
Then, the two little girls were amazed by the decoration of the store.
You should know that at that time most people did not do much decoration. They would just paint the walls white and buy a few pieces of furniture. As for those who were better off, they would just paint the wall skirts and buy more furniture. The color of the furniture was reddish-brown, which was rather dull.
But the Jingjing Clothing Store is completely different. Whether it is the counter or the clothing rack, they are all fresh wood color, matched with large white walls and bright and warm lights, making it look very clean and beautiful.
Moreover, all the clothes are hung on wooden racks in the middle and on both sides, unlike department stores where clothes are hung behind the counter and can only be seen but not touched.
The most important thing is that the clothes are very beautiful and very fashionable.
Wan Peiling was like a mouse falling into a rice jar. She liked this piece and that piece, especially the two sets of clothes matched in front of the glass window. One was a goose yellow suit, and the other was a red polka dot top with blue flared jeans. One was ladylike and the other was sassy. She really couldn't let go of either one.
There is a discount now, so it is cost-effective to buy more. At most, you will not buy it later.
Wan Peiling gritted her teeth and bought four sets at once, spending a total of more than 200 yuan. According to the rules, if you spend 30 yuan or more, you can get a free shirt, but for the same person, you can only get one gift within 100 yuan, and you can get another gift for every 100 yuan you spend. So after paying, Wan Peiling picked out three more shirts.
One for each of my dad and mom, and one for my brother, just right.
The female classmate of Wan Peiling was not as generous as her. Instead, she spent more than fifty yuan to buy a set of clothes and gave her a shirt as a gift.
Since they paid together, Liu Mianmian simply gave each of them a discount card. The so-called discount card was a small card with the words "Jing Jing Clothing Store" printed on it and a stamp on it.
The two little girls found it quite novel. They looked at the small card for a while, and then happily squeezed out of the clothing store with their bags.
Even though there were two large ceiling fans installed in the store, there were so many people that I was sweating.
There are many young girls like Wan Peiling, but there are also many older lesbians, and even gay men.
The store is big enough, so there is a special row of shelves for gay men's clothing. Gay men can shop quickly, pick things out quickly, and then take them to the counter to pay.
Because there were so many people buying clothes, Liu Mianmian and the others were all very busy. In the end, even Qianqian was pulled to the counter by Luo Chunyu to help fold clothes and pack them into bags.
Almost from the moment the first wave of customers came in, Liu Mianmian and the others were constantly folding clothes, packing bags, collecting money, and giving change, without a moment's rest. This state of affairs lasted until after one o'clock.
Firstly, this is when the weather is the hottest, and secondly, it is time to eat.
"Let's take turns to eat." Liu Mianmian urged Shen Weiyun and Aunt Liu to eat.
Jiang Hongmei sat down on the stool and said, "Yes, you guys go eat first. Aunt Liu, Uncle Wang, Luo Chunyu, you should also take Qianqian with you. The three of us will hold on here for a while."
"Okay." Aunt Liu nodded.
Not long after they left, Sister Luo came in carrying a large enamel pot of mung bean soup. "It's not good to eat savory food in a store. Mung bean soup is fine. You can drink it as water. It will fill your stomach. I put this in the water to cool it down."
Jiang Hongmei: "Sister Luo, you really saved my life. I don't need to go out to eat. Mung bean soup is enough for me."
Yes, mung bean soup is the best in this hot weather.
Liu Mianmian wiped the sweat off her face with her handkerchief and said, "Sister Luo, thank you so much. We're welcome."
She wasn't planning on eating either. It was hot and she was tired, so she really had no appetite.
Sister Luo said with a smile: "You're welcome, it's very convenient to live next door. There were too many people in front, so I couldn't come over. I came over when I saw that there were fewer people."
Liu Mianmian and the others took a bowl and each scooped a bowl and started drinking.
After talking for the whole morning, I felt a little dry in the mouth. After taking a sip of mung bean soup, I really felt like I was alive again.
Sister Luo glanced at the customers still selecting clothes from the hangers and said in a low voice, "Aren't there several clothing stores on this street? Especially the Meihao Clothing Store down the alley. They also source their clothes from Guangzhou, and their business has always been pretty good. When your store was featured in the newspaper, they were right outside saying, 'Opening in the middle of summer, selling clothes. So what if it's featured in the newspaper? It's not your fault for being in the newspaper.'"
"I didn't know your business was so prosperous. On this entire street, we only get as much customers as you when no one else is open."
Sister Luo lowered her voice even more. "Your place is so busy today, but their place is completely deserted. The clerk from their shop ran over to check several times, and I happened to see him from inside the shop. They're also a husband-and-wife shop, and they employ two clerks. They're quite shady in their business. When other shops were doing well before, they did a lot of tricks. Now that your business is so good, you better be careful."
Liu Mianmian was so thirsty that she finished a bowl of mung bean soup in just a few gulps. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Sister Luo, we're new here and aren't familiar with the businesses on this street. You'd better give us some pointers."
Sister Luo waved her hand: "Well, these are all trivial matters. In fact, Luo Chunyu should know something about it, but she is an honest person and probably doesn't pay much attention to these things."
Just then a customer came to pay, and Sister Luo said a few words and left.
From noon until three o'clock, there are not too many customers, and they come one after another. After three o'clock, especially around five o'clock, more people come.
Around six o'clock, Shen Weizhuo, Shen Bokang and others came over. No one knew where they borrowed the tricycle from, but they brought several large enamel pots of food. So Liu Mianmian and the others took turns to eat dinner on the tricycle at the door.
While eating on the tricycle, Liu Mianmian looked through the window at Shen Weizhuo and others who were helping inside, and couldn't help laughing while eating. Two researchers came to help them collect money. Their small clothing store was really grand.
Liu Mianmian also heard a customer say in surprise: "No, it hasn't even been a second, and you figured it out? Wait, let me calculate it myself... Oh, it really is, you are right. No, comrade, your math skills are really good, amazing!"
Shen Bokang, who was praised for his excellent math skills, said: "..."
With the help of Shen Weizhuo and others, Liu Mianmian and others felt a lot more relaxed, but when it came time to close the store, they were all still exhausted.
Liu Mianmian originally wanted to count the money and calculate today's turnover, but she was too tired. After washing up, she didn't want to move anymore, so she simply stuffed the whole bag of money under the bed and left it alone.
By the third day, Liu Mianmian felt her head was buzzing. Even though there were many of them, it was really hard to do this for three consecutive days.
In the evening, when another wave of customers came in, an elderly woman with a mole on the corner of her mouth walked in, slammed the bag in her hand on the counter, and shouted, "What's with the buy 30 and get a free Dacron shirt? That's all a scam! What a ripped shirt! I just rubbed it with some soap and it tore right up. With this kind of quality, you still have the nerve to say it's worth 38? It's not even worth 3.80. No, no one would even want it if I gave it away for free!"
The customers who were choosing clothes in the store immediately looked over, with hesitant expressions on their faces.
Many of them come here to get a free shirt when they spend over 30 yuan. Although after coming here, they find that the clothes in this store are really nice, the products are good and the prices are not expensive, it is still worth buying even if the shirt is not given.
But if the free shirt has quality issues, it means that the boss is using poor quality products as a gimmick to deceive customers.
Does that mean that these beautiful clothes on the shelves are actually of poor quality?
What good is a beautiful piece of clothing if it gets ripped after a little soap and rubbing? Their money didn't come from the wind, so a piece of clothing should last them a few years at least.
Everyone looked over.
"How is it possible? Our clothes are made of good materials. How could they be torn by rubbing them with soap? Is your soap made of steel?" Jiang Hongmei, who had a bad temper, started to choke as soon as she opened her mouth.
The aunt immediately took advantage of the situation and said, "What kind of attitude is this? You're running a business, and this is how you treat your customers? I paid for something of poor quality, so why can't I come back to you? Don't tell me this shirt is a gift and not something I bought. I bought dozens of things, and you only gave me this shirt. You paid for it, and you've already earned the money. Besides, you can't just use something like this to fool customers, right?"
Liu Mianmian opened the bag she had thrown on the counter and took a look. It was a wet shirt made of very thin material. This kind of shirt would probably be torn when washed, not to mention that it would be rubbed to pieces. Even if it didn't tear, it would probably be very transparent when worn, right?
The shirt was obviously not from their family.
This is to cause trouble.
Liu Mianmian asked: "Then, Auntie, how do you think we should deal with this?"
The auntie saw her checking the clothes in the bag and showed a little nervousness on her face. But when she heard her question, she immediately calmed down and said confidently: "Of course I will pay for it."
Liu Mianmian nodded: "How much compensation?"
The aunt's eyes flickered. Someone had offered her a small favor, asking her to come and cause trouble. They had also told her that she could ask for some compensation from the Jingjing Clothing Store. Thirty or fifty yuan shouldn't be a big deal. They were running a business, so they certainly didn't want to cause trouble. Even if they claimed the clothes weren't theirs, she could still throw a tantrum and make a scene. Then, in order to keep the peace, they would have to pay them off.
Originally, the aunt thought that thirty or fifty would be enough, but when she entered the clothing store and saw so many customers inside, it was obvious that the store was doing very good business, so the aunt became interested again.
Especially Liu Mianmian's attitude made her feel that the store owner should be a soft-hearted person and really didn't want to cause trouble, so she thought that if she asked for a little more, the other party would most likely give it to her.
She gritted her teeth and said, "I spent almost sixty dollars on clothes. If it's three times the pay, you have to give me one hundred and eighty."
Jiang Hongmei rolled her eyes: "You really are asking for too much."
The auntie argued: "That's because the quality of your clothes is too poor."
Liu Mianmian glanced at her, lowered her head, picked up a shirt from under the counter, and casually shook it open. Then she shook out the shirt she had brought, spreading them both on the counter, and said, "Take a look for yourself. Are these two shirts of the same quality? Yours is obviously not from our store, and it's only a little over thirty yuan, yet you're asking for a whopping one hundred and eighty yuan in compensation."
After a pause, Liu Mianmian curled her lips and smiled sarcastically: "I don't think you are here to ask for compensation, you are here to blackmail me. Wait a minute, the police should be here soon."
Auntie: “………………”
No, she wanted to ask for money, but she didn’t want to go to the police station!
"I, I, I, I might have made a mistake. Can't I just not ask you to pay me?"
The aunt grabbed the wet shirt and tried to run, but before she reached the door, Uncle Wang stopped her: "Wait a minute, the police will be here soon."
Uncle Wang originally only asked for one day off, but there were too many people here every day, and he was worried, so he asked for two more days.
Aunt Liu also ran over and grabbed the man: "You see our business is good, so you come to pick a fight, right? You can't leave!"
The aunt was restrained by the old couple, her face pale with fear: "Please let me go, I just took a few dollars from others and came here to cause trouble, I really am not here to blackmail you! If you let me go, I will not do this job anymore, I promise not to cause trouble again, okay?"
"You can talk to the police about this. If you confess voluntarily, you can expect leniency." Liu Mianmian said.
Not long after, the police really came. It was the same person who dealt with Liu Leping last time. After listening to Liu Mianmian's introduction of the situation, they took the aunt away.
Those customers who were waiting and watching suddenly started to move again. The business of this store was so good that some people wanted to come and make trouble. They say that the public has sharp eyes, which shows that their products are good!
It’s the last day of the event, hurry up and buy!
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