Chapter 25

Su Wan smiled and said, “This is also an export-quality dress, so the price might be a bit high—118 yuan each.”

Hearing that price, the girls looked at each other in silence.

Thinking they were hesitating because of the cost, Su Wan added, “This dress is really great quality. Look at how well it drapes—only high-quality chiffon has that kind of flow. It’s perfect for going out shopping with your girlfriends or even for a date. Just pair it with some stockings and either lambskin shoes or high heels—it’ll look stunning.”

As she spoke, she even gave them outfit pairing tips.

The girls who had just been silent suddenly burst into excitement.
“I’ll take one!”
“Me too!”
“I want two—one in white and one in lake blue.”
“I want one as well…”

Once the price was confirmed, they became even more enthusiastic.

All eighty dresses sold out quickly. Some of the other girls, unwilling to miss out, insisted on paying deposits to reserve theirs.

Su Wan felt helpless. She couldn’t understand how these girls were so trusting with their money.

One of the girls laughed and said, “We remember you. You were out here selling braised pork every day last year. We trust you. Just make sure you get our dresses once you’ve collected the deposit!”

And just like that, Su Wan received deposits for another 156 dresses. She carefully recorded the sizes and colors each person wanted. Each girl paid an 18-yuan deposit and would pay the remaining 100 yuan when the dresses arrived.

Looking at the nearly empty stock, Su Wan knew it was time to restock again.

All 2,000+ pairs of stockings had sold out, and there were only a few clothes left. So Su Wan let Zheng Aifang stay to handle the remaining sales while she and her second brother went to restock.

When she showed up again, the boss was stunned.

“You’re back again?” he asked in surprise. When she said she wanted more of the lace chiffon dresses, the boss hesitated. “You’re selling them that well?”

“Pretty well. This is the restock list I need. Also, give me twenty more of each color and size. I’ll also take fifty pairs of men’s dress pants—both medium and large sizes. I might not be back for a few days, but I’ll definitely return.”

While packing her order, the boss nodded. “So you’ll be back in a few days then?”

“Of course. Your stuff is way better than what’s out in the market. I’ll definitely keep coming back to you.”

“You’ve got a good eye,” the boss said. “All my goods come from big factories and are genuine exports. Don’t doubt it. I even have wool coats for winter, though they’re out of season now and just sitting in storage.”

Hearing about the wool coats, Su Wan thought of the colder weather back home and wanted to buy a couple for her mother and mother-in-law.

“Do you still have stock? I’d like to buy a few for my mom and my mother-in-law.”

The boss quickly pulled out some wool coats from underneath the pile. They were more fashionable than what was sold in the state-run stores, and by modern standards, still stylish and not outdated at all.

“How much per coat?” Su Wan asked.

“Since you’re buying so much from me, I’ll give them to you at cost—78 yuan each.”

That was a very reasonable price, and Su Wan didn’t even try to bargain. She bought four coats straight away, along with woolen pants and summer slacks. She also bought two sets of white shirts and suit pants for each of the men in her family, plus three sets of casual summer clothes each.

After paying, she took the goods and picked up two pairs of sneakers and two pairs of military shoes for each man at other stalls—perfect for work or everyday wear.

Once done, they rushed to catch the last bus back.

When they returned to the factory gate, they found Zheng Aifang still waiting there. All the clothes had sold out, and she was sitting on the ground holding the remaining bags. Seeing Su Wan and Su Jianguo return, her eyes lit up.

“Wanwan, Jianguo, you’re back!”

“Mama, why didn’t you go home?”

It was getting a bit chilly at that hour.

Zheng Aifang chuckled, “I just wanted to wait for you to go home together. All the clothes are sold—completely gone. They’re so easy to sell. Let’s hurry home!”

The three of them carried their things, and soon a military truck arrived and gave them a ride back.

As soon as they returned, Su Wan noticed a commotion in the residential compound.

She asked Su Jianguo and Zheng Aifang to take the clothes inside, then walked over to see what was happening.

Just as she got closer, she heard a woman crying loudly, “I’ve been married to you for so many years, working so hard for this family. Now that life is finally getting better, you go and find another woman? How am I supposed to live like this?”

Su Wan recognized the voice instantly—it was Wang Mei, the wife of Deputy Commander Zhang who lived in the compound.

Deputy Commander Zhang was usually very quiet. Now, with Wang Mei wailing on the ground, he just stood there silently, not saying a single word.

The other wives were trying to calm her down, but nothing was working.

“Sister-in-law Qiu, is she okay?” Su Wan asked softly when she spotted Sister-in-law Qiu sighing nearby.

“Oh, it’s you, Xiao Su!” she said, a bit dazed, looking at Su Wan’s gentle and expressive face. “Xiao Mei insists that Deputy Commander Zhang is having an affair. He got so mad earlier that he slapped her. Now she’s making a scene about it.”

Looking at the gossiping crowd, Su Wan asked curiously, “Could it be a misunderstanding? Deputy Commander Zhang doesn’t seem like that kind of man.”

Sister-in-law Qiu agreed, “Exactly. We all think it’s a misunderstanding. He’s such a quiet guy—how would he even have the guts to fool around? He said just now that he saw a girl fall, so he helped her up, and that’s when Xiao Mei saw them and assumed he was having an affair.”

“This isn’t a good look for anyone. Let’s help her up first.”

As she spoke, she moved forward to help Wang Mei.

Sister-in-law Qiu quickly pulled her back. “You better not! Just a moment ago, she was saying Deputy Commander Zhang has a thing for you—said she saw the two of you laughing and talking.”

Su Wan was stunned.

When had she ever been seen laughing and chatting with Deputy Commander Zhang?

Seeing her confusion, Sister-in-law Qiu sighed, “She said that back before the New Year, when Commander Chen was away and you were staying in your home alone, you were flirting with Wang Bin and Xu Weiguo, and were also seen chatting happily with Deputy Commander Zhang.”

Su Wan finally remembered.

She explained, “Before the New Year, I was cleaning my table and chairs. Deputy Commander Zhang saw me struggling and kindly helped me carry them inside. He just asked when Chen Yuan would be back and told me if I needed help with any heavy lifting to ask them. Since Chen Yuan wasn’t home, they’d be happy to help. That’s all.”

Seeing how anxious she looked, Sister-in-law Qiu gently patted her hand. “Don’t worry. We know what kind of person you are. You’re not that kind of woman, and besides, we all see how much you and Chen Yuan care for each other. As for Deputy Commander Zhang, he’s a good man too—he’s not the kind to fool around.”

Everyone in the compound knew each other well.

Chen Yuan wasn’t just outstanding—he was also one of the best-looking men in the whole unit. With such an excellent husband, why would Su Wan even look at anyone else?

Suddenly, Wang Mei screamed and pointed at Su Wan, “She’s a vixen too! She seduced my Zhang Tao!”