Chapter 1 Want to Buy
When Lin Qingqing went to work on Sunday, she noticed that everyone was looking at her strangely. Miao Hui, in particular, always seemed a little sullen when she looked at her. But the more Miao Hui acted this way, the less Lin Qingqing rushed to ask. She calmly checked the inventory and then asked Miao Hui for the entry and exit log to verify it.
She remained calm, but Miao Hui couldn't. Not only did she not give her the form, she also sneered and said, "Aren't you going to manage the new counter? Why are you asking me for a form?"
“Because I’m still in charge of the wardrobe department,” Lin Qingqing said. “Even if there are personnel changes, it should be Director Gao who makes the decisions, not Sister Miao. So, can you give me the form to check now?”
Miao Hui was speechless, and in anger, she pulled a form from the cabinet in front of her and slapped it on Miao Hui's outstretched hand: "Don't think I don't know what you're up to. We all heard what Director Gao said yesterday. You know that person from the clothing factory, right?"
After taking the form, Lin Qingqing didn't rush to check it, but instead glanced at the other people.
When she was talking to Miao Hui, everyone stared at them, but when Lin Qingqing looked up, they all avoided her gaze.
Based on Miao Hui's words, Lin Qingqing guessed what everyone was thinking and said, "Get to know each other, and then what?"
Upon hearing her admit it, Miao Hui's face lit up with smugness, and she said in a nasty tone, "You think you can get promoted by doing this? Don't dream!" She thought Lin Qingqing was too naive. Many employees in the store had worked for more than ten years and had not been promoted. How long had she been here? She actually dared to think about getting promoted and even resorted to so many underhanded tricks.
Miao Hui felt a smug look on her face as she realized that Lin Qingqing's plan would fail.
Lin Qingqing's expression remained unchanged. She simply said "oh" and opened the spreadsheet to check the data. After confirming that everything was correct, she signed the data.
Lin Qingqing's attitude made Miao Hui feel like she had punched a cotton ball, and something felt off, so she asked, "Don't you have anything to say?"
Lin Qingqing carefully put the forms away in the drawer and asked leisurely, "What do you want to hear me say? That you misunderstood me, that I wasn't dreaming, but had been thinking about the supply and marketing cooperative all along? Or that I admitted I was dreaming, but that I wouldn't give up? Which answer would make you feel better?"
Miao Hui felt that her words seemed to be echoing her own, but something just didn't sound right. She frowned and asked, "Are you mocking me?"
"I'm genuinely asking you for advice," Lin Qingqing said calmly. "To be honest, I don't quite understand why you're saying these things to me. Isn't it more satisfying to see me busy all the time and then have my plans fail in the end? Are you worried that I'll succeed, or do you like me but are too embarrassed to say it, so you're jumping out to stop me?"
Miao Hui couldn't believe Lin Qingqing would say such a thing, and her face flushed red as she said, "Who...who likes you?"
"Oh, so you're worried about me succeeding?" Lin Qingqing said lightly. "Then I don't understand, what harm would it do you if I succeeded? Do you think you can get promoted if I don't succeed? Or do you think that if I succeed, I'll steal your promotion opportunity?"
Miao Hui's face turned pale and then flushed when her thoughts were exposed.
Not only Miao Hui, but everyone else also looked very uncomfortable. They really thought that if there was a chance for promotion, it should be their turn based on seniority, instead of Lin Qingqing, who had just joined the supply and marketing cooperative.
Lin Qingqing guessed what they were thinking and felt extremely annoyed by it.
She felt that instead of playing mind games with her colleagues here, she should improve her professional skills. Even if she couldn't get promoted, she wouldn't be eliminated during the wave of layoffs in the 1990s.
So her words weren't just directed at Miao Hui, but also meant to tell others: "If that's the case, then I can only say you're mistaken. Even if I succeed, the promotion opportunity isn't something I'll take from you. Instead of focusing on me, you should improve your attitude towards customers. Don't be indifferent or resort to insults when you're in a bad mood."
Lin Qingqing said meaningfully, "You should know that Director Gao has seen our work performance."
Miao Hui was so angry at her words that she trembled all over, while the others were all jolted awake.
Lin Qingqing said that Miao Hui was indifferent to customers and would curse when she was in a bad mood. Weren't they the same? Not only them, but the seniors who trained them in the beginning also treated customers the same way.
In the past, they never thought there was anything wrong with their attitude. First, because everyone was like that, even if customers felt resentful when they were scolded, they dared not say it, for fear that the customers would refuse to sell to them in anger. Second, because they had secure jobs, customers' opinions were useless, and even the leaders could not easily fire them.
Furthermore, because their jobs offer no room for advancement, their base salary won't change regardless of whether they work for five or ten years, or how well they perform. Given this, why should they treat customers kindly? Of course, they can do whatever makes them happy.
But now, Lin Qingqing says that Director Gao has taken notice of their work.
After Lin Qingqing joined, she always greeted customers with a smile and never lost her temper. The clothing counter, which used to go two or three days without selling a single garment, now makes a sale almost every day.
In the past, people might not have believed Lin Qingqing's words, but considering that Director Gao had been seeing Lin Qingqing every few days and talking for one or two hours at a time, showing how much he valued her, they couldn't help but believe her.
While others believed Lin Qingqing, Miao Hui felt that she was being targeted and mocked, and sneered, "I'd like to see if you can actually succeed."
Lin Qingqing smiled upon hearing this: "I'd like to know too."
...
When Lin Qingqing was on her way home from get off work that evening, Sister He stopped her.
Sister He lived behind the supply and marketing cooperative, on a different route from Lin Qingqing. So Lin Qingqing was a little surprised when she was stopped and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I'll walk with you for a while," Sister He said, her expression somewhat flustered, without explaining what it was about.
Walking home takes longer than cycling, but seeing that Sister He had something to say, Lin Qingqing got off her bicycle and said, pushing it, "Okay, let's walk together for a while."
That's what she said, but Sister He didn't say a word for a long time after leaving the supply and marketing cooperative. Helpless, Lin Qingqing could only try to start a conversation herself: "Are you going to cook when you get back?"
“No need, I live with my parents-in-law. My mother-in-law doesn’t work, and she cooks meals at home,” Sister He said, coming back to her senses.
Lin Qingqing nodded: "Then living with my mother-in-law is quite nice."
“What’s so good about it? It’s not just our family living together, there’s also my brother-in-law,” Sister He thought that Lin Qingqing had just gotten married and came to live with the military, and hadn’t gotten along well with her mother-in-law, so she could say such a thing. But family matters are a long story, and in the end she sighed and said, “Every family has its own problems.”
After sighing, Sister He asked, "What did you mean by saying this morning that Director Gao was watching us?"
Lin Qingqing knew what she was going to ask, but just smiled and said, "Director Gao is in charge of the entire supply and marketing cooperative, so of course he will keep an eye on us."
Hearing this, Sister He lowered her head, pondering her words, and felt that this explanation made sense. However, judging from Lin Qingqing's words that morning, she felt there was another explanation. She thought about how she hadn't exchanged many words with Director Gao in all her years of work, while Lin Qingqing received such high regard from him…
Sister He felt that she must have found a way, so she stopped beating around the bush: "Qingqing, don't try to fool me, you know that's not what I'm asking about."
Lin Qingqing's smile faded after hearing this, and she asked, "Since you put it that way, then I'll ask you a question too."
"What?" Sister He asked.
"Do you think that once you become a sales clerk at the supply and marketing cooperative, your life will never change?"
Sister He had expected her to ask Miao Hui related questions, but this was it, and she was slightly taken aback. Then, after thinking for a moment, she said, "Let me be honest with you, I used to really think that way. When I first became a sales clerk, I was just as motivated as you are, but then someone told me that no matter how good your attitude is to customers, it's not as important as keeping the goods in the counter safe. What's the point of selling so much? You're still just a sales clerk, and if something gets lost, you might even have to pay out of your own salary."
“I’ve worked at the supply and marketing cooperative for almost ten years, and all I’ve ever seen is staff moving upstairs. The staff in the store area haven’t changed except for those who have retired and are filling in for others. After a while, I just thought, ‘That’s how it is,’ and I lost my motivation.”
Lin Qingqing didn't follow her lead, but instead asked, "What do you think is the reason why the staff in the store haven't been reassigned?"
“I used to think it was because most of our sales staff were substitutes and didn’t have much education, but after listening to what you said this morning, I don’t think that’s the case.”
“I remember Sister Miao has a high school education,” Lin Qingqing said.
“Everyone upstairs is a vocational school graduate.” After saying that, Sister He felt that her reply was not very appropriate, and said, “That was my previous thought, but after listening to what you said this morning, I think there may be other reasons, so I wanted to ask you.”
As she spoke, Sister He stopped in her tracks: "I was too petty in my attitude towards you before. I always thought that if you got promoted, you might steal my opportunity. Now I've figured it out. You see things more clearly than I do. Even if you get promoted, it's what you deserve. On the contrary, I'm old and don't understand anything. I just drift through life aimlessly."
Lin Qingqing didn't know whether Sister He was sincere or not. But she felt that the fact that Sister He would say these words to her meant that she had some sense of justice.
After all, there were two reasons why she could make these seemingly futile efforts with unwavering determination. First, she was a transmigrator and had just joined the supply and marketing cooperative, unlike others who had been stuck in stagnant water for too long and had long since given up hope. Second, Director Gao had given her a guarantee before she joined the company, and she knew Director Gao's ambition and had her own goals to strive for, which was why she was able to stay clear-headed.
So whether Sister He genuinely felt apologetic or was feigning remorse to extract information, Lin Qingqing didn't care. The supply and marketing cooperative had been too calm for too long; it was time for things to start to get chaotic.
Lin Qingqing said, "I can't say much, but I can tell you that hard work always pays off."
She spoke subtly, but to Sister He, it was a guarantee, and she immediately beamed with joy.
...
Sister He didn't tell anyone what she had gotten from Lin Qingqing after get off work, but the conversation that happened on the second floor that morning got out. Some people didn't understand and continued to drift along in a daze, while others shook off their previous laziness and became enthusiastic towards customers.
Director Gao noticed the changes at the store and called Lin Qingqing over to inquire about the situation.
During the conversation, Lin Qingqing suggested that Director Gao make their agreement public and proposed that the agreement be changed to: whoever can triple the counter's performance within three months will be promoted to store manager.
After hearing this, Director Gao's eyes revealed a hint of interest: "Aren't you afraid of doing all the work for someone else?"
"Will you negate my previous efforts and change the sales clerks for the new counter?"
Director Gao replied without hesitation, "No."
Lin Qingqing smiled and said, "In that case, if I am truly inferior in skill, I will accept the loss."
Director Gao was taken aback upon hearing this, but after thinking about it, he realized that this was the real Lin Qingqing. If she weren't this kind of person, she wouldn't have been able to set up the garment factory, nor would she have caught his attention. With that in mind, Director Gao nodded and said, "Okay, I'll have Comrade Xu pass on the message in the next couple of days." He then asked Lin Qingqing if she had any other ideas.
“I think we could also set up a bonus, for example, the top performer could get eight yuan, the second best performer five yuan, and the third best performer three yuan.”
Lin Qingqing said that demanding a threefold increase in performance is too high, and even if a promotion to supervisor is promised, it may not sway everyone. However, bonuses based on performance are tangible and can better motivate everyone.
After joining the Qingshan Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Lin Qingqing's actions were not merely for the position of a store manager, but for Director Gao's ambition. However, this was not something she could accomplish alone; the principle of many hands make light work, and this applies everywhere.
That's why she said those things yesterday.
Director Gao looked grave and pondered for a moment before saying, "I will seriously consider this matter."
...
The contract had been printed out, and Lin Qingqing went back to the family compound at noon to tell Xie Baoshan about it. Therefore, Xie Baoshan went with her to the supply and marketing cooperative that afternoon to double-check the contract before stamping it.
Meanwhile, Xie Baoshan took out the first batch of two hundred pieces of clothing stipulated in the contract, which Lin Qingqing counted, and Director Gao registered them after confirming that there were no errors.
After finishing their business, Director Gao exchanged pleasantries with Xie Baoshan and asked him how long he planned to stay.
Xie Baoshan said, "I came here today to cooperate with you. Now that the business is done, I will be going back in the next couple of days."
"Why don't you stay a couple more days and check out the new counter setup?" Director Gao asked with a smile.
Lin Qingqing said, "I went through the handover procedures with Comrade Miao this afternoon to clear out the counter. I estimate that the counter will be set up by tomorrow morning." The counter that specializes in Xingfeng Clothing is a ready-made clothing counter, so rearranging it won't take much time.
After hearing this, Xie Baoshan said, "Then I'll come over tomorrow."
After seeing Xie Baoshan off, Director Gao went to the second-floor store and asked Lin Qingqing to take inventory of the ready-made garments and complete the handover with Miao Hui before leaving get off work.
Miao Hui originally thought that the wardrobe counter would be split up, with each person in charge of half of it. Lin Qingqing would be in charge of the counter and also sell that damn Xingfeng clothing. But when she heard that she would still be in charge of the wardrobe counter by herself, Lin Qingqing couldn't help but say, "Director, how can one counter hold so many clothes? Besides, I'm just one person."
Director Gao isn't like Lin Qingqing, who would reason with her based on facts. She said directly, "If one counter can't hold all these clothes, then just display one piece of each style. The space is only so big, so you can arrange it yourself. As for managing so many ready-made clothes by yourself, you could do this before Lin Qingqing came, but now that she's here, you can't?"
“No! I can do it!” Miao Hui quickly replied. “But why should she be in charge of the new counter while I have to manage the current one?”
"Why should I? Because she found the partner, she negotiated the contract, and she arranged for us to receive the goods for free, with payment only after the sale. Can you do that?" Director Gao asked coldly. "If you can do that, I can also open a new counter just for you!"
Miao Hui, of course, couldn't accept that. She lowered her head and said, "I understand."
"Now that you understand, just focus on your work and stop thinking about other things." Director Gao said, glancing around the second floor and taking in everyone's expressions. "I won't hold you accountable for your past work, but I hope you can adjust your attitude and do your jobs well in the future."
"Yes!" everyone shouted in unison.
Director Gao said these words to give everyone a heads-up, indicating that he did not intend to reveal anything about the rewards before the official announcement. Therefore, he did not continue speaking, but only addressed Lin Qingqing separately: "Let me know after the handover is complete."
Lin Qingqing quickly agreed.
Director Gao trusted her to get things done, and after saying "Let's get to work," he went upstairs.
As soon as Director Gao left, Miao Hui snorted heavily and said to Lin Qingqing resentfully, "Don't be so smug!"
Lin Qingqing didn't think she had anything to be proud of. She ignored Miao Hui and picked up her notebook and pen to start taking stock of the inventory.
Miao Hui was furious at Lin Qingqing's behavior, but she couldn't do anything about it, so she could only cross her arms, keep a cold face, and sit motionless on the bench.
Miao Hui remained obstinate, only knowing how to compete with Lin Qingqing, while the others were inwardly shocked by Director Gao's words.
If they were still somewhat skeptical when Lin Qingqing said a few days ago that Director Gao was watching them, now, after hearing Director Gao's words, they had no doubts whatsoever—the supply and marketing cooperative was about to undergo a major transformation!
This may sound like an exaggeration, but for these long-time employees of the supply and marketing cooperative, the changes were absolutely earth-shattering.
Some people felt uneasy, like the sales clerks at the shoe, hat, and watch counters, while others were full of confidence, like Sister He who had learned the news in advance from Lin Qingqing.
Not only that, Sister He also made up her mind that she must get along well with Lin Qingqing in the future.
Lin Qingqing wasn't entirely unaware of what others were thinking, but she didn't pay too much attention. In the past, everyone was content with the status quo because the supply and marketing cooperative was like stagnant water, but now that someone had thrown in some pebbles, change was inevitable. Once the water started flowing, would those who were content with the status quo still be able to sit still?
So she doesn't need to do anything, she just needs to do her job well.
Because it was a handover of duties, after checking the counter inventory, Lin Qingqing went to the warehouse to check it again. After the entire inventory was checked, Lin Qingqing took out the inventory sheet from the morning, calculated the remaining quantity, and checked the accounts against the actual quantity. After confirming that everything was correct, Lin Qingqing handed the sheet and her draft inventory to Miao Hui, asking her to check it and sign it after confirming that there were no problems. The handover between the two was then complete.
Miao Hui took the form and her draft but didn't even look at them, saying indifferently, "I'll check it later."
"Director Gao asked me to give her a reply after I finished handing over the work."
"I know! It's just a few words with Director Gao, look how smug you are." Miao Hui said impatiently, feeling that Lin Qingqing was making a big deal out of nothing!
Lin Qingqing raised her hand to check the time: "It's 4:30 now. I'll go upstairs to find Director Gao at 5:30." An hour is enough for the inventory.
Miao Hui slammed her hand on the counter and asked, "What do you mean? Do you think I'm deliberately interfering with your work?"
As Miao Hui's words became increasingly absurd, Sister He stepped forward, feigning surprise, and asked, "Xiao Lin said you interfered with her work? You must have misheard."
Miao Hui, unaware that Sister He was doing it on purpose, explained, "She didn't say that, but that's definitely what she was thinking. Otherwise, why would she specifically tell me to go upstairs to see Director Gao at 5:30? Wasn't she trying to complain about me?"
Sister He asked, "What did you complain about?"
"Of course I'm saying that I deliberately delayed her work."
"See, you've misunderstood," Sister He said with a smile. "Director Gao told Xiao Lin to tell her after you finished handing over that we get off work at six o'clock. Doesn't Xiao Lin have to go upstairs to see Director Gao at five-thirty? Does she have to go right on time?"
Miao Hui was speechless for a moment, but she was still indignant and sat there with a stiff face.
"Besides, how long will it take you to inventory the stock? An hour is more than enough." Seeing the indignant look on her face, Sister He continued before she could speak, "Don't think I'm favoring Xiao Lin. I'm just looking out for you. Think about it, is the handover a matter for just her and you?"
Miao Huixin reluctantly replied, "No."
"Right? The handover is a matter for two people. Xiaolin has done what she was supposed to do. If this matter is not completed, who will be blamed in the end? Director Gao told us to correct our attitude and work hard, and then you made a mistake. What will Director Gao think of you?"
Miao Hui thought to herself, "Oh, right! If Lin Qingqing sees that she's unhappy, she'll be lucky if she doesn't speak ill of her, let alone help her with things at Director Gao's place!"
Thinking of this, Miao Hui couldn't sit still any longer, so she picked up her notebook and started working.
Sister He didn't take credit for persuading Miao Hui; she just smiled slightly when she met Lin Qingqing's gaze before going about her own business.
Lin Qingqing savored Sister He's smile, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes.
...
On Monday afternoon, Lin Qingqing and Miao Hui finished handing over their work.
On Tuesday morning, Lin Qingqing helped Miao Hui organize the clothes on the two wardrobe counters together, hanging up what needed to be hung up and folding what needed to be folded and putting them away in the warehouse. After the counters were cleared out, Lin Qingqing went upstairs to bring down the clothes that Xie Baoshan had brought, and hung them on the wall behind the counters according to style and color, while folding the extras inside the counters.
Previously, the clothing sold at the supply and marketing cooperative, regardless of gender, was mainly black, white, blue, and green, with red used only as an accent, making the overall look rather dull. However, the clothing from Xingfeng Garment Factory came in a wide variety of colors, including basic black, white, blue, and green, as well as light purple and light brown. Once the clothes were hung up, not only a single counter, but the entire second-floor storefront looked more vibrant.
In Sister He's words, "Seeing this row of clothes when I came up here made me feel much better!"
Not only did Sister He say so, but the sales clerks at the shoe, hat, and watch counter also agreed. Even Director Gao, upon seeing Lin Qingqing's counter, nodded repeatedly, saying it was a good idea.
Miao Hui, however, kept muttering and cursing the others as "sycophants" as she heard them praising and agreeing with her. But when Director Gao praised Lin Qingqing for her good arrangements, she couldn't help but feel envious and jealous.
She had been working at the supply and marketing cooperative for a year and had never heard Director Gao praise her. Looking at the new, flashy counters on the second floor, she really didn't know what merits Lin Qingqing had.
However, although the counter layout wasn't great, the clothes were quite nice.
I want to buy it.
Author's Note: First update.
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