Reborn in the ’80s: Pampered to the Heavens by the Military Officer After Divorce
Reborn in the ’80s: Pampered to the Heavens by the Military Officer After Divorce Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Buying Clothes and Running into Dog Poop

Down jackets had only been popular for a few years. There weren’t many factories that could produce them domestically. Even if one cost a few dozen yuan, it was still a rare commodity. Forget about picking styles or colors carefully — as long as the size fit, people would buy it without hesitation.

Although it was only half past five in the morning, the queue outside the department store was already long. Men and women, old and young, all bundled up in thick cotton-padded jackets, wearing hats and scarves, stamping their feet and blowing warm air into their hands while staring at the tightly closed doors of the store.

Xie Yunshu was a little stunned. She had come late yesterday and the down jackets were already gone, so she hadn’t seen these crowds lining up. Only this morning, seeing it for the first time, was she truly shocked.

“Too late. I guess there’s no chance today either…”

Standing at the end of the line, an aunt sighed, “I heard the people at the front started lining up at dawn! There are only a few dozen down jackets sold each day, and not even everyone can get their size. I doubt we’ll have any luck today!”

Xie Zhengcheng frowned and said, “Sis, maybe we shouldn’t buy it.”

Such an expensive coat, his sister probably had to sell countless lunchboxes to afford one. He didn’t have that kind of vanity, and besides, a cotton-padded jacket was just as warm.

Xie Yunshu was determined, “No, we have to buy it.”

Earning money was to let the family live better. If they saved on everything, then what was the point of working? Zhengcheng’s cotton-padded jacket was left over from when their father was alive; the sleeves were way too short and patched many times. Wouldn’t his schoolmates laugh at him?

Zhengcheng didn’t care about vanity, but she did — she didn’t want her brother to be laughed at.

Although they had money, the down jackets were really hard to get! Finally, at 7:30, when the department store’s doors opened, the crowd went crazy, pushing and shoving inside. Xie Yunshu grabbed Zhengcheng’s hand and rushed forward, “Hurry up! If we wait two more days, the store will close for the New Year and we won’t be able to buy any!”

No wonder people were crazy. Only a few dozen down jackets were sold each day, and the store would close in two days. Whether you could wear a new coat for the New Year depended entirely on who was faster!

Zhengcheng was tall and strong, and Yunshu was no delicate girl. Normally, they should have been able to get a down jacket.

But they underestimated the strength of the elderly crowd — these people really had energy!

Yunshu’s hat nearly fell off as she tried to protect it, watching helplessly as a gray-coated aunt pushed her right out of the way…

Not only did they shove, they really fought over the jackets!

“Let go! This blue one is mine!”

“I saw it first! Clerk, take my money quickly!”

“Hey, you fight for it! Clerk, take my money!”

Yunshu’s hair was a mess, and Zhengcheng’s face was stunned, as if he still couldn’t understand how such a big guy got pushed out.

“Sis…” he looked back at Yunshu with a hint of childhood grievance, “Why are they so strong?”

Yunshu, originally upset, burst out laughing seeing her brother’s expression, “Now you know how weak you are, right? Eat more meat next time, or even your sister might beat you!”

“I’m not fighting you. But if anyone bullies you, I’ll beat them, no problem,” Zhengcheng muttered, then pursed his lips, “Are we still buying the down jacket?”

The closer to the New Year, the crazier the crowd. If they couldn’t get one today, it would probably be even harder tomorrow.

Yunshu thought for a moment, touched her bulging pocket, and gritted her teeth, “Let’s go upstairs to check out the specialty counters!”

Domestic down jackets were hard to get because of their cheap prices—only around 40 to 70 yuan. These were prepared for ordinary folks. The rich didn’t have to fight over them, because upstairs there were imported goods.

Imported down jackets cost over a hundred yuan, sometimes even over two hundred—equivalent to two or three months’ wages for a worker. Who could afford that?

Zhengcheng thought she just wanted to browse upstairs and followed her. Upstairs, there were fewer people, with sheep wool coats and sweaters on sale — all very expensive.

Passing by a women’s wool coat shop, Zhengcheng stopped. Outside hung a light gray coat with a round collar and a belt, paired with a plaid scarf around the neck by the sales clerk.

It was very pretty, and it would look even better on his sister.

The sales clerk noticed his shabby cotton-padded jacket and came over to shoo him away: “Keep away from our counter, these are imported goods and expensive! This coat costs 180 yuan, even if I sold you, you wouldn’t be able to afford it!”

Items inside the department store were generally not cheap; upstairs was where rich people shopped. The sales clerk’s snobbish attitude was common, and Zhengcheng, indeed unable to afford it, lowered his eyes and walked away.

Behind him, the sales clerk rolled her eyes, “With the New Year coming, anyone dares to come upstairs nowadays? Wearing such a poor look, I wonder if you even smell nice.”

Her colleague sighed, “Xiao Cui, they’re just looking, not touching anything. Why bother?”

Xiao Cui was young but bad-tempered. She wasn’t nice even to her coworkers: “Sister, if you care about your job, think about how to sell clothes. If you get fired at this age, it’ll be embarrassing!”

Their wages were linked to sales volume. Upstairs, even selling a few pieces a month was rare, but one sale could bring a 10-yuan commission!

The colleague pursed her lips, saying nothing more, her performance this month was poor—only two sales so far.

At the front, Yunshu had already reached the down jacket section and waved to Zhengcheng, “Zhengcheng, come try this on!”

It was a lively down jacket, deep blue, long length that could cover his hips, big pockets on both sides, and a thick hood on the back. It felt soft and thick.

Yunshu immediately liked it — it would look great on Zhengcheng.

Zhengcheng looked at the price, then shook his head, “I won’t try it. I don’t like this color.”

A down jacket costing over a hundred yuan was simply sky-high for him! He’d be crazy to spend his sister’s hard-earned money on himself.

Yunshu knew what he was thinking, her pretty almond eyes wide open: “Are you going to try it or not?”

“Well, just try,” Zhengcheng had no choice. Though his sister was strict, he always obeyed her. But in his heart, he planned to complain about it not being comfortable or warm as soon as he wore it.

Yunshu smiled and handed him the coat, letting him try it on. She then turned to look at women’s down jackets—there was a deep purple one that would suit their mother.

There was only this one imported down jacket for sale upstairs. Just as Yunshu touched it, a familiar soft voice spoke:

“Yunshu, that coat doesn’t suit you and it’s quite expensive. Why don’t you go downstairs and take a look?”

It was Zhou Xinyue, standing with a complicated-looking Lu Zhikai beside her.

Xie Yunshu had learned the phrase “fate brings enemies to cross paths” — and this morning she truly felt it. In such a big city, in such a large department store, she went out to buy clothes and still ran into dog poop. How annoying was that?

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