Chapter 10: The Clothing Company

Shen Hongxing thought she’d misheard. Lu Jiaoyang wasn’t close to her; why would he help her?  She must have misheard. Yes, that must be it.

Suddenly, the car braked hard, throwing everyone forward.  At the last moment, Lu Jiaoyang caught her. He turned and sharply reprimanded the driver.  “Old Zhang, how are you driving?”

“Chief, I’m sorry. Someone suddenly ran in front of the car, and I braked to avoid hitting them.”

“Concentrate!”

Lu Jiaoyang anxiously asked Shen Hongxing, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” Shen Hongxing returned to her seat.

She had hugged Lu Jiaoyang again!  According to the customs of this era, close contact with Lu Jiaoyang meant she should marry him. But she was a woman of the new era and wouldn’t cling to him.  However, she couldn’t bear to stay in the car any longer.  Shen Hongxing found an excuse and asked the driver to pull over.

“Eat this!”  As soon as she got out, Lu Jiaoyang gave her the breakfast Lu Zhenning had given him and the driver.

“This…” The car door closed before she could refuse, so she accepted it. She divided the eggs and buns among them.

Xu Shuangshuang, eating a delicious bun, curiously asked, “Boss, are you and Chief Lu…”

Shen Hongxing dropped her egg in shock.  She glared at Xu Shuangshuang.  “Don’t talk nonsense! He’s a chief; that kind of talk would ruin his reputation!”

“Okay, I won’t say it again!”

The rest of the way wasn’t far a ten-minute walk.  At the cinema entrance, Shen Hongxing marked a spot with chalk.  After preparing everything, she took a porcelain bowl and began to call out, “Come, come, don’t miss out!”

“Cheap and beautiful shawls! For friends, lovers, mothers!”

Soon, passersby were attracted by the sound. Shen Hongxing signaled to Xu Shuangshuang and the others, who started walking as she had taught them.  Xu Shuangshuang lightly placed one hand on her hip, the other swinging rhythmically with her steps.  As she walked towards Shenhong…

Xu Shuangshuang, striking a few poses for the onlookers, walked along the edge of the chalk circle Shen Hongxing had drawn.  Then it was Chen Jiayi’s turn, followed by Cao Hongxia.  When they finished, the three stood side-by-side before the onlookers.

“Wow, they’re so beautifully dressed! Look at their faces and hair how did they style it? It’s so pretty! And those cheongsams are gorgeous!”

“Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve seen such beautiful outfits. I’ve only seen them in movies and on celebrity posters!”

Seeing the growing crowd, Shen Hongxing put down the bowl. She took a red shawl with gold trim and tied it around Xu Shuangshuang’s slender arm. The off-white cheongsam was originally simple and elegant, but the addition of the red shawl made it breathtakingly beautiful.

Shen Hongxing used a piece of cardboard as a megaphone. “Our shawls don’t have to be worn around the neck.  You can wear them on your wrists for a touch of elegance.”

“Or tie them around your waist, like this!”  Shen Hongxing took a gold shawl and tied it around Chen Jiayi’s waist. The black cheongsam, accented with gold, looked stunning.

“Girl, you have amazing taste!  Seven of those shawls, please! I’ll give them to my wife so she has a different one every day of the week!”

“I’ll take five!”

“I’ll take…”

Within three hours, all 100 shawls were sold. Xu Shuangshuang and Chen Jiayi jumped for joy. “Boss, how did you do that?  You only charged a yuan less than the department store, and you sold all the shawls! If we got 1000, we’d be rich!”

Shen Hongxing counted the money 400 yuan!  After deducting costs, they’d made over 200 yuan.  She turned to Xu Shuangshuang and the others.  “This is still not enough. If you agree, we’ll go to Haicheng again tomorrow with this money. This time, we’ll get something else to sell!”

“Boss, whatever you say! We’ll listen to you!” Xu Shuangshuang and the others said in unison.

Shen Hongxing put away the money and pointed to the benches in front of the cinema.  “Jiayi, Hongxia, you two wait there. Shuangshuang and I will buy some soda and snacks. We’ll celebrate tonight!”

“Okay!”

Shen Hongxing and Xu Shuangshuang went to the store.  As Chen Jiayi and Cao Hongxia sat down, a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit approached them.

“Excuse me, whose idea was the sales method you just used?”

Chen Jiayi proudly pointed towards the store…

“Of course, it was our boss!”

“Your boss?”

Cao Hongxia said proudly, “Our boss is amazing! She taught us how to model, saying we should showcase the products to customers as much as possible.”

“By the way, why are you asking?” Chen Jiayi’s guard was up. She looked the man up and down. He was well-dressed.

The man handed Chen Jiayi a business card.  “I’m from the Sunshine Clothing Factory in the neighboring town. Our sales haven’t been good lately, and we have a lot of unsold inventory. I saw your sales method and was interested. Would you be willing to cooperate with us?”

“We’ll have to ask our boss…” Chen Jiayi looked for Shen Hongxing, but she and Xu Shuangshuang were gone.

Meanwhile, in the car, someone urged, “Old Zhang, hurry up! We’ll miss the train to Haicheng!” The man, Old Zhang, showed his wristwatch (plum blossom) brand. They were indeed running late.  He instructed anxiously, “Tell your boss, if she can help us sell our inventory, I won’t let you down!”

“Okay!”

Shen Hongxing and Xu Shuangshuang returned with roast duck. The man’s car was already gone. Chen Jiayi gave Shen Hongxing the business card. “Boss, where did you go? A man gave me this card, asking you to help him sell his clothing company’s inventory!”

Shen Hongxing took the card. The business cards of this era weren’t as sophisticated as those of later decades simple printing.

Sunshine Clothing Jiang Daqiao

Huh?  Wasn’t that the name of the highly capable county magistrate who would take office in their county a few years later?

Xu Shuangshuang asked, “Boss, are you going to Sunshine Clothing?”

“Of course!  It’s foolish to refuse money!” Shen Hongxing put the card in her pocket. They needed money, and as long as it was legal, she’d do it!

This was the happiest meal she’d had in two lifetimes.  Drinking soda, eating roast duck and buns, and sharing dreams with Xu Shuangshuang and the others.

Xu Shuangshuang dreamed of making a lot of money, buying a big house, and many beautiful clothes.

Chen Jiayi wanted to be a singer and even sang a song.

Hongxia said she wanted to be a famous star.