Chapter 170

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Auntie, take care going down, watch the stairs, there are a lot of people, don't miss a step."

Lin Xiyu saw her off to the stairwell, watching her go downstairs before she felt relieved and withdrew her gaze.

"You call her Auntie more affectionately than I call my own biological daughter."

Seeing her return, Wu Meng smiled and teased, "My mom right now must be gorgeous beyond words, she can't wait to go visit the neighbors right now to show off the sweater you gave her."

"That wasn't the one you gave?"

Lin Xiyu smiled and teased her back: "We agreed, today's payment offsets the debt, just one dinner, nothing else at all."

"Ay ay."

Wu Meng stopped smiling, puckering her small face to act pitiful: "Forget it, I won't say anymore, let's just work, I'm born to work."

"Give me a break."

Lin Xiyu smiled and lightly punched her: "You make it sound like I'm exploiting you."

"You aren't, it's just my life is hard."

Wu Meng continued to act silly: "Bitter vegetable flower, that's talking about me."

"Business is here, don't feel wronged."

Lin Xiyu found it funny, and smiled to tease her again: "No base salary, but commission stays the same, as long as you sell one piece, I'll give you 5 yuan commission, how about that? Not bitter now?"

"Really?"

Wu Meng's eyes lit up, instantly spirited.

"Fake."

Lin Xiyu was rare to be black-bellied once, and in the instant her small face fell and just showed a disappointed expression, she changed her words: "I was tricking you."

"Uh."

Wu Meng was stunned, not knowing what she meant, her expression froze on her face, neither crying nor laughing.

"It's definitely true..."

Lin Xiyu almost laughed out loud: "We agreed long ago, you help me work, I give you payment, that sweater counts as me repaying Auntie's favor, the engagement gift dress she made for me was free, I give her a sweater, how could I take her money?"

"Oh oh."

Wu Meng's mood rose and fell in an instant, she could hardly bear it.

"Relieved now?"

Lin Xiyu gave her another reassurance pill: "Customers are here, go work, remember the lowest price can't be less than 40, any less and we lose out."

"Mm, I know."

Wu Meng settled down, perked up, and went to greet a customer asking for prices.

Lin Xiyu watched her properly haggling and bargaining with the customer, smiled with relief, and no longer distracted, she focused her energy on the other customers choosing clothes.

—

The Small Commodities Market had heavy foot traffic, customers coming to the second floor to buy clothes came in an endless stream.

The cousin's shop was right next to the stairwell, visible as soon as one went upstairs, the good location plus the bright and eye-catching sweater colors attracted more and more customers.

The two best friends sold more and more smoothly, by the time Auntie brought dinner before dark, they had already sold over twenty pieces, Wu Meng herself sold ten, counting 50 yuan commission, smiling from ear to ear.

—

"Stop busy-ing, eat."

Before dark, Auntie carried a thermal bucket and turned from the stairwell: "Your maternal grandmother personally wrapped chive and meat boiled dumplings for you, saying she didn't make it in time for noon, making it up for you in the evening."

"Chive and meat, my favorite."

Lin Xiyu happily took it over, impatiently unscrewed the lid.

"So fragrant."

Wu Meng was also attracted by the smell, sniffed her nose.

"Thirty in total, fifteen each for you two."

Auntie took out the chopsticks prepared in advance.

Lin Xiyu used chopsticks to pick up a dumpling, first stuffed one into her mouth.

"Tasty?"

Wu Meng was hooked by her, couldn't help but swallow her spit.

"Tasty."

Lin Xiyu proudly boasted: "The dumplings my maternal grandmother wraps are the tastiest."

"Let me try one too."

Wu Meng impatiently snatched the thermal bucket over.

"Want vinegar?"

Auntie laughed happily, and took out a small bottle of dumpling vinegar from her pocket.

Wu Meng disliked sour, waved her hand, indicating she didn't need it.

"I want."

Lin Xiyu used the thermal bucket lid to hold it, poured out some vinegar: "Shanxi people eat dumplings with vinegar, I count as half a Shanxi person, used to it since childhood, not dipping in vinegar isn't fragrant."

"My dad not only dips dumplings in vinegar, but also adds minced garlic."

Wu Meng curled her lip in disdain: "I've watched him dip for nineteen years, and he still hasn't developed the habit of eating garlic paste."

"Vinegar is fine, but forget the garlic."

Lin Xiyu smiled and teased: "Leek dumplings are already pungent enough; add garlic, and that flavor would spread through the whole second floor—probably enough to knock a batch unconscious."

"Hahaha."

Wu Meng found it amusing and laughed loudly without restraint.

—

In the time it took the two best friends to speak, someone else came in; the auntie gestured for them to keep eating while she went over to greet the guests.

Wu Meng clicked her tongue in wonder: "It's already dinnertime, so why are there still so many people?"

"There are even more at night."

The auntie smiled and said: "People who live nearby like to come here for a stroll after dinner, treating it as a walk."

"No wonder..."

Wu Meng suddenly understood: "This place is so lively; if I lived nearby, I'd come here to hang out every day."

"I wish we could sell more at night."

Lin Xiyu sincerely hoped: "Then there might still be a chance to sell all the stock before New Year."

The auntie asked with concern: "How many do you have left?"

"My female cousin didn't hire anyone these past few days; she just relied on her old customers, calling them to peddle her goods. If someone came to choose items, she'd ask her company colleagues to help out and come sell one or two pieces on the spot. The shop is often empty, the volume can't go up, and too little is sold."

Lin Xiyu helplessly pressed her forehead: "I roughly counted just now; there are still about 500 pieces."

"That many?"

The auntie gasped: "Today is already Little New Year; the Small Commodities Market closes on New Year's Eve. At most, there are only six days left before New Year. Trying to sell 500 pieces in six days is not easy."

"500 divided by six means at least 85 pieces a day."

Wu Meng counted on her fingers: "We sold 21 pieces this afternoon, and maybe 20 more tonight if we're lucky—that's only 41 pieces, far from 85..."

"Sell as many as we can."

Lin Xiyu smiled helplessly: "If it really doesn't work, we can only pin our hopes on Guben; he said he could help sell some."

"Where did Guben go?"

Hearing Guben's name, Wu Meng perked up and gave her an ambiguous little glance: "I haven't seen his shadow all afternoon; that's not like him at all."

"After sending you home, I saw him and Wang Fan get out of the car and mutter to each other; I don't know what they were saying..."

Lin Xiyu's ears turned red, and she smiled awkwardly to explain: "Maybe they have important matters to discuss; I didn't ask much, and I don't understand business matters anyway, so let them busy themselves."

"Oh oh."

Wu Meng was also a layperson in business; hearing it was important business, she was too embarrassed to ask further, and turned her gaze to the customers choosing clothes: "Since we can't count on those two, we still have to rely on ourselves. I heard that when you helped your female cousin sell clothes at the Night Market, you sold a set every time you changed one, like a fashion model, and business was booming. Why don't we try it too?"

"No."

Lin Xiyu decisively vetoed: "There are too many people in the Small Commodities Market; it's already very crowded. Our spot is right next to the Stair, which is dangerous. If a scuffle breaks out and causes an accident, someone might miss a step and fall down the Stair—that would be real trouble. The little money we make wouldn't even cover the medical expenses."

"Sigh."

Wu Meng's small face fell, and she lost her spirit again.

"No need to be discouraged..."

Lin Xiyu smiled and comforted her in turn: "Let things take their natural course. Having someone to back us up is already lucky; at least we got off to a good start. We've already sold over twenty pieces, and being able to sell them proves we both have a talent for business. Little by little adds up. For a prosperous New Year, let's give it our all."

"Mm hm."

Wu Meng earned a 50-yuan commission from selling clothes for the first time and was very happy herself. Her fighting spirit was stirred by those words: "You put it that way, and I'm fired up again. A sweater is 5 yuan; twenty pieces are 100. For my little money, I think I could just live at the market and not go home..."

"Not going home won't do..."

Lin Xiyu smiled and joked: "Auntie will be worried and blame me for corrupting her daughter, caring only for money and not for people."

"Actually, my mom loves money even more than I do..."

Wu Meng chuckled and teased her own mother: "Believe it or not, if I told my mom that living at the market could earn 200 yuan a day, she'd definitely not say a word and personally bring me my bedding..."

"Pfft."

Lin Xiyu couldn't help it and laughed out loud.

—

The female cousin called to ask about Wang Fan and confirmed he was staying at Nan Jiao Villa during the New Year period, which put her at ease. After work, she held her little dog and came to the shop.

Kela was a little female dog, relatively gentle. She didn't bark wildly at strangers, just drooped her head listlessly on the female cousin's leg, looking truly pitiful.

"Poor little thing, she's pooped several times today and has no spirit left."

The female cousin felt very sorry for her and resented someone even more: "I don't know how Li Xiao feeds her; why is it fine when he feeds her, but she gets diarrhea when I feed her?"

"Have you taken her to see a veterinarian?"

Lin Xiyu tried to ruffle the dog's fur. The little Pekingese glanced at her with innocent big eyes, then closed her eyes listlessly again.

"Where is there a veterinarian nearby?"

The female cousin was very depressed: "I've never seen a hospital that treats pets. Where would I find a veterinarian?"

"There's one at the Pet Market, right?"

Seeing the little dog listless, Lin Xiyu also felt some pity: "The people who sell dogs should know. If you really don't want to ask Li Xiao, why not go to the Pet Market and ask the original seller?"

"Right, how did I forget that?"

The female cousin's eyebrows lit up with joy, and she jumped up from the chair: "You're so smart. I'll go to the Pet Market right now to get Kela treated."

"It's dark already..."

Lin Xiyu frowned slightly: "The Pet Market might already be closed. Let's go tomorrow."

"Kela looks too pitiful; I can't wait until tomorrow."

The female cousin left as soon as she said it. While speaking, she had already rushed down the Stair, squeezed into the crowded flow of people, and disappeared from sight.

"Hey, hey."

Lin Xiyu sighed faintly: "Raising a dog really takes a lot of energy, almost like raising a child."

"My mom doesn't let me keep one either."

Wu Meng said with resentment: "The moment I say I want a dog, she makes a face of dislike and says, haven't I already raised you?"

"That's exactly what my Aunt Da says..."

Lin Xiyu laughed helplessly: "My Aunt Da is the same, firmly refusing to let me keep one, forcing my female cousin to find a place to live outside on her own. Luckily Wang Fan has an empty house, letting her stay there temporarily. Otherwise, with the little money she earns, she wouldn't even be enough to fix up a house."

"Wang Fan owes us five thousand yuan, who knows when he'll pay it back."

Wu Meng showed a face of dislike when mentioning Wang Fan, still angry at his poisonous tongue, saying she was a ghost.

"He said he'd give it when Li Liang and Qu Peng both return, at the gathering during the New Year."

"That brat doesn't speak a true word out of ten sentences, I'm just afraid he'll welsh on the debt."

"No."

Lin Xiyu said confidently: "With Guben testifying for us, he doesn't dare."

"I've noticed you really rely on Guben..."

Wu Meng chuckled, giving her another ambiguous glance: "Three sentences never leave Guben, Guben this, Guben that, as if Guben is everywhere, already become your shadow, merged with you as one."

"Is that so?"

Lin Xiyu's ears turned red, stubbornly sticking out her lips: "I think I'm quite independent, at school too, studying and exams, all relying on myself, not as dependent on him as you say."

"You don't notice it yourself, that's because you've already gotten used to it."

Wu Meng laughed and teased: "His meticulous care for you, from every little thing, seeps into your life, making you used to relying on him. Maybe that's his purpose, to make you rely on him wholeheartedly, never able to leave him for a lifetime."

"Ha, when did you become so smart?"

Lin Xiyu said coquettishly: "You've become so smart I hardly dare recognize you, from dumb cute to a love expert in just an instant, this transformation is too fast, right?"

"Don't call me dumb cute."

Wu Meng got annoyed, waving her small fist, pretending to hit her.

"Someone's coming."

Lin Xiyu saw a customer come in and took the chance to divert her attention.

Wu Meng paused, quickly changed her expression, and smiled sweetly as she went to meet the customer.

Lin Xiyu covered her mouth with her hand, holding it in again and again, before she didn't laugh out loud on the spot.

—

The evening foot traffic at the Small Commodities Market, just as Maternal Aunt said, was even greater than during the day.

Residents coming out for a stroll after dinner were not the same batch of customers as during the day.

These people had plenty of time to stroll, browsing without purpose; seeing clothes they liked, they'd linger in the shop, and haggling took longer too.

"Forty yuan minimum per piece, can't go any lower."

"Fine, look around some more, come back when you've decided."

Lin Xiyu and Wu Meng spent a lot of breath, saying nearly twice as many words as in the afternoon, but still couldn't sell several pieces.

Wu Meng felt a bit discouraged: "People who come at night just look and don't buy, and they're so picky. Forty yuan a piece is already the bottom price, and they're still not satisfied."

"It's fine."

Lin Xiyu was calmer than her: "As long as someone buys, earn one piece at a time."

"Sister..."

A young boy's happy cry came from the crowd.

"Xiao Yi?"

Lin Xiyu looked toward the sound, eyes showing surprise: "How did you come?"

"Came to see you sell clothes."

Xu Yi, relying on being small, squeezed out from the crowd, looking up with his small face, very happy.

"Did you come by yourself?"

Lin Xiyu slightly furrowed her brows, just about to lecture him not to run around alone so late at night, when she heard Xu Yi say another sentence: "Our mom and Grandma both came."

"You child, talking so loudly..."

Lin Xiyu heard Grandma was coming, and no longer had the mood to argue with him.