Chapter 222: A Car, a House, Two Brides

"Oh, Comrade Yang, welcome, welcome! Take a look around, I'll give you a 50% discount later!"

"With a 50% discount, do you even make a profit?"

"Who else but old colleagues? Even though I was just a temporary worker before, I've always considered myself a Peking University person," Mei Wenhua said with a smile.

Yang Hao finally asked the question: "Is this store yours or Wei Ming's?"

"What's yours or mine?" Mei Wenhua said. "It's ours."

As expected. As for who was bigger or smaller, Yang Hao didn't ask—he still had his sense of boundaries.

After that, Yang Hao wandered through this open-shelf self-service clothing store he'd never seen before; the model was unlike anything from the past.

Previously, clothes were kept behind counters; customers pointed to what they wanted and clerks fetched them, usually without trying them on—buy if you like, leave if you don't.

Now that step was gone: customers walked freely through the store, directly touching the clothes they wanted, with fitting rooms available to try them on.

Yang Hao walked around and asked Mei Wenhua: "Are your jeans and bell-bottoms all imported from the south?"

"Yes! Aren't they stylish?"

Yang Hao nodded—the styles were indeed good, but the women's wear was even more stylish. Too bad he had no girlfriend; otherwise he'd have brought her to take a look.

He hadn't seen such dazzling women's clothing in Beijing; every outfit was beautiful, nothing like the dull colors and cuts of the past.

If girls on the street all wore clothes like this, what a blessing for photographers!

Later, Yang Hao bought a pair of jeans; after the 50% discount, it cost just over ten yuan—even at 80% off, it was cheaper than street stalls.

Because Mei Wenhua ordered in bulk, he got better prices, giving him an edge even in a price war.

Yang Hao enjoyed the 50% discount, and since he got along well with Wei Ming, he wanted to help the store out.

Mei Wenhua thought for a moment: "How about this—you go outside and survey customers for us: why do they buy our clothes, why do they come in but not buy, and what do they think of the store?"

That's just an interview, Yang Hao thought—I'm familiar with this job.

He immediately ran out, hung his camera around his neck, and got to work.

"I came in because it looked busy… didn't buy anything—I don't lack clothes."

"I've never seen a store where you can touch and try anything—it's interesting."

"You can actually try on clothes here? So thoughtful!"

"I tried on a few outfits—they all looked great! I wanted them all! Why not buy? My mom won't give me money!"

"The clothes look nice, but I want to look around some more."

"I bought a pair of bell-bottoms—cheap, and the quality looks good too!"

"I thought the music playing inside was so nice, so I bought a silk scarf."

"I was too shy to try on clothes—there were men outside. How embarrassing!"

"I saw two little girls standing at the door, looking tired, so I came in to take a look. Didn't bring enough cash today—next time, I'll definitely buy."

Looking at the full sheet of paper, Mei Wenhua sincerely said: "Thanks, Brother Yang!"

Yang Hao waved his hand: "Keep it up—I'll tell my colleagues at school about this place. It's got some real charm. And that music you're playing? Nice tune. Never heard it before—who sings it?"

"Oh, a Hong Kong singer. The song's called 'Dream Camel Bell' now."

"Great!"

After Yang Hao left, foot traffic remained heavy at noon; Mei Wenhua noticed there were always over ten customers in the store at once.

So the two salesgirls seemed overwhelmed—one serving several customers each—he promptly brought Xiao Hong and Yunyun inside and told them to stop greeting at the door.

It was lunchtime now, and the girls, on their first day, hadn't brought food, and no one could leave the store.

Luckily, Mei Wenhua had planned ahead—he had Biao Ma deliver five portions of buns at noon: tomato and egg filling—and they took turns eating.

During lunch, a salesgirl named Xiao Cui complained: "This job is exhausting. Earlier, few people tried on clothes, but now more and more do—and after trying, if they don't buy, we still have to smile and tidy up."

Another salesgirl, Xiao Ying, said: "But we get thirty yuan a month—it's worth the hard work. Besides, Manager Mei said after probation we'll earn more, and there's also… that commission."

Meanwhile, Mei Wenhua was whispering with Biao Ma: "Auntie, this won't work. At this rate, I'm afraid we won't have enough staff or stock when we officially open. We've already sold over ten pieces in just half a day—quietly."

"What? So many!"

Biao Ma knew the prices of these clothes well—even at 80% off, the profit margin was high. Selling ten pieces already covered two days' rent and labor costs.

Though this was prime Xidan real estate, she'd thought selling ten a day would be great—now it looked like twenty wouldn't be enough.

"Alright, I'll keep contacting the street committee to find two more people. There are plenty of unemployed youths now, and the factories will keep producing."

That made five official salesgirls. Wei Hong wasn't official, so five was still a safe number.

If worse came to worst, they'd have to go up to eight—eight was the capitalist threshold in Capital.

The open-shelf self-service model was Wei Ming's idea, and clearly customer enthusiasm was high—but it also required more staff.

Previously, with counters separating customers, one or two employees could manage the whole store. Now, with crowds, it got chaotic.

Mei Wenhua thought: Indeed, Brother Ming was right to test this out.

Just then, Wei Ming walked in.

He'd taken Zhu Lin out for lunch, then came to check on the store.

As soon as Zhu Lin entered, she was drawn to the free-roaming shopping model; her innate female shopping instinct was unleashed.

"Go ahead and look around—anything you like, I'll pay," Wei Ming whispered to Sister Lin, then walked to the counter.

"Brother Ming."

"Xiao Ming."

The two shareholders greeted the boss; Mei Wenhua told him about Yang Hao's visit and his survey.

Wei Ming glanced over it—all as expected. Then he heard Mei Wenhua's concerns.

This was something Wei Ming hadn't anticipated. Li Chengru's Special Special opened in the early 90s, when hiring had no restrictions—he could hire dozens of beautiful women dressed up to serve customers.

But now they faced many limits; one misstep and they'd become a national case study.

"Weekdays are fine, but I'm worried about Sundays and holidays," Mei Wenhua said. "Especially opening day—these few people won't be enough."

Wei Ming looked at Biao Ma: "Auntie, what do you think—could we hire temporary workers on Sundays and holidays? Like Xiao Hong, high school graduates, paid daily, but not counted as our staff?"

Biao Ma was bold: "I think it's fine, but they shouldn't wear uniforms."

Wei Ming and Mei Wenhua exchanged glances—of course, the old are wiser. No uniforms meant they could instantly become customers.

What's wrong if customers help the store keep order? I'm happy to!

This problem was temporarily solved. Until policies stabilized, they absolutely couldn't expand—otherwise they'd be overwhelmed.

Next, Mei Wenhua showed Wei Ming the morning's four-hour turnover.

"Damn, nearly five hundred yuan!" Wei Ming exclaimed. "Today might break a thousand!"

Biao Ma quickly calculated how much their 24% share would earn from a thousand yuan after costs, and immediately beamed—this was far better than working a job, vastly better!

Due to low productivity, clothing was expensive back then; patches on clothes were normal. Even decent families bought only one or two outfits a year—one for New Year, one for summer, and shoes were constantly repaired.

So after Zhu Lin finished taking photos, Wei Ming gave her all the clothes—heavy-handed gift, deeply moved Zhu Lin.

Now Zhu Lin was browsing the women's section; she had no shortage of clothes, just wanted to stroll. Wei Hong spotted a customer and rushed over.

"Comrade, hello. If you like any clothes, we have fitting rooms and full-length mirrors," Wei Hong said, forcing her Mandarin.

Zhu Lin turned and glanced at her—just one look, and they locked eyes.

Wei Hong: This sister is so beautiful—I feel like I've seen her before.

Zhu Lin: Isn't this Wei Ming's sister? I've seen her in his photo album!

Wei Hong was swamped and didn't notice her brother had arrived. As she tried hard to get Zhu Lin to try on clothes, she suddenly realized—Zhu Lin was wearing one of their own outfits, and a customer had bought it before, but no one wore it as beautifully as this sister.

Only then did she spot her brother standing with Mei Wenhua.

"Oh! I remember—you're Sister Zhu Lin, right? I've seen your portrait at home!"

Zhu Lin felt embarrassed—damn kid, why didn't you hide that picture? Even though she was clothed in the painting, being recognized by a girl was awkward.

She nodded: "You're Xiao Hong, right? Your brother's told me about you—he said you…"

"Sorry…" Zhu Lin was speaking when Wei Hong immediately turned to another female customer—realizing Zhu Lin wouldn't buy, she switched to a more promising one.

Zhu Lin: My sister-in-law is so pragmatic!

Meanwhile, in the men's section, Yunyun couldn't speak at all—her mouth felt glued shut.

The young male customer before her was equally tongue-tied, his Beijing swagger gone under the beauty's gaze.

He touched a pair of bell-bottoms, held them against his legs, checked the price—then Yunyun finally spoke: "We'll give you 20% off this price."

The young man calculated the discounted price, felt his pockets, clenched his teeth, stamped his foot.

"I'll take it." Luckily, he'd just been paid—he couldn't have been so bold otherwise.

Yunyun was thrilled—this was her first sale ever!

Meanwhile, Xiao Hong hadn't sold a single item yet.

The other two salesgirls finished eating and returned to work. Mei Wenhua noted Yunyun's sale, then called her and Xiao Hong over for buns. Zhu Lin walked over too.

"Who came up with this sales model? Amazing—I can't help wanting to buy something," she marveled.

Mei Wenhua praised: "Of course, Brother Ming. We've never seen clothes sold like this in Guangdong."

Wei Ming smiled: "I didn't invent it—I learned about it chatting with a Hong Kong pen pal."

He passed it off to A Min, but they'd only mentioned it in passing—nothing this detailed.

Wei Ming: "Alright, keep going. Xiao Hong hasn't made a sale yet—you've got to work harder. Sister Lin, let's go."

Xiao Hong watched her brother and Zhu Lin walk off side by side—perfect match. Then she saw Zhu Lin climb onto her brother's motorcycle, nearly pressed against him.

Suddenly she realized and asked Mei Wenhua: "Culture Brother, what's the relationship between my brother and Sister Zhu Lin?"

Mei Wenhua firmly said: "Just friends."

He was wiser now—if Xiao Hong didn't know, it meant Wei Ming hadn't told her, and if he hadn't told her, there was a reason—he'd pretend ignorance.

!

After dropping Zhu Lin off, Wei Ming immediately returned to Peking University, not to the campus magazine office, but to the school bus fleet to find Master Liu.

"Can I take the test now!" he asked as he walked in.

Master Liu spat out some tea leaves: "You haven't trained much with me, but you're smart—your first time on the road already showed promise. You should be fine."

Wei Ming smiled: "How about we take a couple of practice laps before the official exam?"

Today there were no dispatches, so to ensure Wei Ming passed the test, Master Liu took him out for a drive.

Because it was so hot, Master Liu even turned on the air conditioning.

Wei Ming was too greedy—he'd ridden a motorcycle for over half a year and now complained it was too cold in winter, too hot in summer, and offered no shelter in the rain.

He couldn't help thinking: when would he get to drive one of those little sedans? That would make his 1980s complete—car, house, two brides.

According to Melinda's estimate, the foreign exchange earnings from "The Game of the Brave" were more than enough to buy one—except he wasn't eligible to own or use one yet.

After driving for hours, Master Liu was fully satisfied and scheduled his exam date.

Afterwards, Wei Ming picked up Zhu Lin again; they'd agreed to watch the newly released "Love in Lushan" at Daguan Pavilion—after dinner, of course.

Because the film had been heavily promoted and Zhang Yu had some fame, tickets were hard to get—but luckily, he knew someone inside Daguan Pavilion and had already secured them.

"Brother Wang, we're going in," Wei Ming greeted Wang Qiankun before entering.

Since Master Wei was working for him, Daguan Pavilion hadn't put up new posters yet; after all, a film's screening cycle was long, so they could wait to post them later.

To make the movie experience feel more ceremonial, Wei Ming had prepared two bottles of Beibingyang soda and bought popcorn—but the taste couldn't match what cinemas sold in the future.

Once the film started, the two began crunching away, drawing envious glances from nearby viewers—this young couple's movie outing was too luxurious.

Films centered on romance were extremely rare, and the lead actors were handsome and beautiful, with Lushan's scenery simply breathtaking—so the audience responded enthusiastically.

Especially when the female lead, Zhang Yu, appeared in a swimsuit, the entire theater erupted; male viewers howled.

It was just a one-piece swimsuit, barely showing her thighs—but they couldn't handle it; female viewers shyly covered their eyes, yet left a slit open.

Wei Ming observed Zhu Lin's reaction—only to find she was watching him too.

Wei Ming immediately squeezed her leg and whispered: "She's nowhere near as good as you."

Zhu Lin smiled lightly and replied: "The male lead isn't as good as you either."

The male lead, Guo Kaimin, was barely wearing swim trunks—his physique couldn't compare to Wei Ming's, lacking that extra dose of hormonal charm.

Then, when the female lead kissed the male lead's cheek, the theater erupted again.

Just from that scene, two young men had already promised to come back and watch again—it was too thrilling, they felt like they'd fly!

Zhu Lin: That's it?

Just a peck on the cheek—it was nothing compared to Wei Ming's 360-degree kisses.

Zhu Lin realized that since she and Wei Ming had become intimate, she'd been subtly influenced by him and matured rapidly—her worldview, values, and outlook on life had shattered and been rebuilt, making her feel alienated from those around her.

She looked at the blushing young women around her—should she pretend to be shy too?

Although she thought the film's boundaries were childish, she still loved it—especially the happy ending, the most watchable film she'd seen in a long time.

All the audience members were very satisfied; as they left, they continued discussing the plot and even said they'd watch it again and again.

Clearly, audiences desperately needed more entertaining films. After a long day, when choosing between being educated or entertained at the cinema, almost everyone would pick entertainment—hence, "The Mysterious Buddha" later became a hit too.

"Comrade, hello~"

As Wei Ming and Zhu Lin walked, someone suddenly called out. Zhu Lin turned around: Me?

It was indeed her—a young woman asked: "Comrade, isn't your dress the same as Zhou Yun's?"

Zhou Yun was the character played by Zhang Yu.

Zhu Lin smiled: "Yes, I bought it at Xidan."

"What store?" the comrade asked seriously—she wanted to buy one too; she thought Zhu Lin looked even better than Zhang Yu, so she figured she'd look fine too.

Zhu Lin: "A store called Dongfang Xintiandi in Xidan—it just opened."

"But it hasn't officially hung up its sign yet," Wei Ming added, then told the young woman how to find it.

After leaving Daguan Pavilion, Wei Ming and Zhu Lin exchanged a smile.

Normally, after a movie they'd go home and exercise—but Xiao Hong and Yunyun might return home anytime, so Wei Ming had no choice but to take Zhu Lin back to her house and kiss her lips in the dark.

Because Zhu Lin had dined and watched a movie, she got home late, and her parents questioned why she was so late.

"Oh, I watched a movie—new one, 'Love in Lushan,' quite good. You should go see it too," Zhu Lin said nervously, quickly slipping inside—the brat had bitten her lip.

The father adjusted his glasses and said to his wife: "Does Linlin have a dress like that?"

"No, this kid spends every penny she has on clothes and makeup," the mother shook her head.

After returning home, Wei Ming continued writing. Half an hour later, Xiao Hong and Yunyun came back.

Today, both had stood all day, worked a night shift, and talked nonstop—when they returned, they collapsed onto the sofa.

"So tired!" Xiao Hong groaned, her voice hoarse.

Yunyun was fine—she talked less, and she was used to it; after all, she'd grown up in the mountains, her legs were strong.

Wei Ming put down his pen and stepped out.

"I've already spoken to Auntie—we're adding staff. You won't have to work until late anymore."

Wei Hong sat up again on the sofa.

"Brother, you're just sitting around—why don't you help us?"

Wei Ming sat down steadily: "I've already invested capital and provided the business model. Now you want me to do manual labor? Am I just a free worker?"

Yunyun spoke up now: "Big brother, you don't know—more people came in the afternoon. We could only have one person eat at a time."

Even now, they could only shop after work—that was normal. But if they came too late, no one would be around. They returned this late mainly to clean, count inventory, and restock.

Wei Hong wasn't just complaining—she brought back some encouraging news.

"Brother, Brother Mei told us they sold twelve hundred yuan worth of clothes today—he'll contact suppliers to increase stock."

Wei Ming nodded. They definitely needed to increase supply—otherwise, they'd be overwhelmed on opening day.

That day, after returning home, Mei Wenhua barely had time to sleep—the trial run sold far more than he'd expected. This new model was terrifying—this pace meant monthly revenue could exceed thirty thousand!

So twenty thousand yuan in annual rent? Pfft!

If they kept going like this, he and Biaozi would become ten-thousand-yuan households soon!

But the trial run exposed many problems—especially the meal issue. They couldn't keep relying on Biao's mom to deliver food; she had to manage the clothing side too.

Also, tomorrow I need to visit Jingshan Clothing Factory to negotiate cooperation—those street-level factories won't be enough. The clothes displayed today were already the result of days of effort from them.

But who'll keep the books if I leave? Xiao Hong—she's sharp, quick with numbers, and close to the boss.

Mei Wenhua wrote a long work summary, then collapsed into bed, dreaming of gold raining from the sky.

The next morning, Wei Ming woke up to breakfast—Yunyun's cooking. His cousin was so hardworking that Xiao Hong looked lazy by comparison.

So today, Wei Ming went to Peking University to borrow some books from her major.

If he couldn't beat Yunyun at cooking, at least he had to keep up in studies.

All three went out together, and on the way, Wei Ming met a mail carrier with an international letter for him.

Wei Hong immediately grabbed Yunyun, who was still walking ahead: "Brother, who's it from? Is it Sister Mei?"

She knew about this romantic cross-border love story.

Wei Ming nodded, signed for it, but didn't open it right away.

At the library, he found a quiet reading room with few people—only during holidays could Peking University's library be this peaceful.

Inside was five hundred U. . dollars, and Melinda had written:

"The hardcover edition of 'The Game of the Brave' has been reprinted—you've earned another six thousand one hundred U. . dollars in royalties. This five hundred is for your pocket money; the rest has been deposited into the HSBC Hong Kong account I opened for you."

"Also, the U. . version of 'The Game of the Brave' will launch soon—but since it's handled by the U. . branch, payments will be slower, so you'll have to wait a bit longer."

She also taught Wei Ming how to withdraw money in Hong Kong.

…

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(End of chapter)