Chapter 23

Gu Youlian had intended to go confront them directly and start a fight. However, she was stopped by Brother Lin Qingping.

“It’s fine, don’t rush. Let’s handle our own business first.” said Brother Lin Qingping.

Just like last time, they acted as their own models and put on the new clothing styles. Gu Youlian and Du Gen’s daughter, Xiao Mai, also dressed in the new outfits. Brother Lin Qingping even styled Xiao Mai’s hair beautifully.

When Xiao Mai stood next to Zhiyuan, they were even more eye-catching than children in New Year paintings, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in Market Square.

Even Gu Youlian couldn’t help but praise: “Goodness, this looks amazing! Pingzi, how are your hands so skillful? This hairstyle!”

“It’s because our Xiao Mai is already so beautiful!” Brother Lin Qingping replied, gazing at Xiao Mai with fondness.

In her past life, she had always loved girls—buying them pretty dresses, dressing them up like princesses. It was such a joy.

Sadly, in her previous life with Gu Juncheng, they had never had any children…

But Brother Lin Qingping quickly set aside those regretful feelings—there was no time for them!

More and more people crowded around their stall, and their business was even more booming than last time. Customers who had originally been lining up at the Shopping Mall started running over to Brother Lin Qingping’s stall instead, many calling their friends along.

“Quick! Come over here! This is the original version!”

“Yes, yes! I made an appointment with them last week! Boss said they’d come on Sunday, and you guys didn’t believe me!”

“Wow! These clothes are even more beautiful than last time! Especially the set that girl is wearing! I want to buy one for my daughter!”

“What about the quality?”

“I checked the quality—it’s just as good as the stuff in the Shopping Mall! Hey, this one’s mine! I’m taking it, don’t touch it!”

“Can’t I just take a look?”

Amid all the noisy chatter and excitement, the batch of clothes Brother Lin Qingping brought sold out once again—before the afternoon had even arrived.

They had not been affected in the slightest by the Shopping Mall’s knockoff versions of their designs.

Gu Youlian felt as though she had finally exhaled a breath of relief. Her gaze toward Brother Lin Qingping was filled with admiration.  

“Pingzi, you’re incredible! A hundred times better than those people in the Shopping Mall! If you hadn’t been born in the countryside, none of those Shopping Mall owners would even come close to your level!”

Brother Lin Qingping didn’t bother with false modesty. Thinking of the success she had achieved in her previous life, she curved her lips into a slight smile.

“Even if we were born in the countryside, we’re not any worse than them.”

Just like last time, the same situation occurred again: just as they were about to pack up and head home, someone approached.

This time, it was also a woman. She had short, permed hair, giving her an elegant yet fashionable appearance. Unlike before, the woman introduced herself right away.

“Hello, I’m the manager of Mei Sheng Department Store. I’m very interested in your clothing. I wonder if you have time to sit down and discuss it in more detail.”

Gu Youlian immediately recalled: “Oh, Mei Sheng! That’s the one where the staff rolled their eyes at us a hundred times!”

The woman looked slightly embarrassed, but she quickly apologized.

“I’m very sorry. Our staff’s service attitude was lacking. I will go back and reprimand them, and we’ll work to improve in the future. But today, I came to sincerely express my admiration for your clothing. Would it be convenient for us to talk?”

This kind of atmosphere was something Brother Lin Qingping was deeply familiar with. She had been in business for decades in her past life, and negotiation was her core skill. Whether or not a deal could be struck was a matter for the next step—for now, the key was to talk.

She agreed without hesitation.

The woman’s surname was Xiang. Her full name was Xiang Hongying, and she invited them out for a meal.

The restaurant was in the Provincial Capital. Brother Lin Qingping followed along, calm and composed, without a trace of the shyness or awkwardness one might expect from a rural person. This made Xiang Hongying regard her with greater respect.

Xiang Hongying thought that this woman from the countryside certainly knew how to put on a show. But she had no idea how many occasions Brother Lin Qingping had attended in her previous life. A Provincial Capital restaurant? What was that to her? Even her own shops had been far more luxurious than this.

At the dinner table, the room fell silent, with only Brother Lin Qingping and Xiang Hongying engaged in conversation. It turned out that Xiang Hongying was trying to find out where they sourced their goods.

Brother Lin Qingping smiled and said: “I designed them myself.”

Xiang Hongying was shocked. Brother Lin Qingping didn’t hide anything, and directly admitted that she had modified ready-made clothing. She didn’t see the point in hiding the truth, as she knew Xiang Hongying was an expert in this field and would immediately recognize the designs. There was no point in concealing it.

After the initial shock, Xiang Hongying praised her profusely and then chatted with Gu Youlian and Du Gen, even joking with the children.

Brother Lin Qingping wasn’t in a rush. She knew that Xiang Hongying was taking this time to think things through. 

Sure enough, after a round of conversation, Xiang Hongying finally asked: “If I wanted you to deliver 300 pieces of clothing to me within ten days, and they couldn’t be the same styles you’ve sold the last two times, could you do it?”

“I’d like to hear the terms.” Brother Lin Qingping said calmly.

“The price for each piece would be three yuan lower than your retail price. The benefit to you is that I will come to pick up the goods myself, so you won’t have to make a long trip.” Xiang Hongying explained.

Brother Lin Qingping pondered for a moment. This was likely a psychological tactic. 

After a brief consideration, she agreed: “I can’t guarantee exactly 300, but I can do anywhere between 250 to 320 pieces.”

“Alright!” Xiang Hongying was quick to agree. “So, where will I pick them up in ten days?”

Brother Lin Qingping provided the address of the county town. “At the train station, I suppose.”

“Not a problem!” 

With that, the deal was made. After enjoying their meal in peace, Xiang Hongying took Brother Lin Qingping to Mei Sheng to officially sign the contract. Xiang Hongying stamped it with the official seal, and Brother Lin Qingping pressed her fingerprint to finalize the agreement.

After stepping out of Mei Sheng, Gu Youlian let out a long sigh. “Oh my goodness, that was so nerve-wracking! I’ve never seen anything like that before! I’ve never had such a meal, never seen such a scene, and even signed a contract! Pingzi, do you even understand contracts? I didn’t dare say a word. Do you think we’ve been tricked?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve looked it over. It’s fine.” Brother Lin Qingping reassured her confidently. 

In Brother Lin Qingping’s past life, she had signed countless contracts, so she was very certain about it. 

For Gu Youlian, it was now simple: as long as Pingzi said it was fine, it was fine! Instantly, she was in high spirits. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’ve eaten in the Provincial Capital! And our Xiao Mai even had that… what was it called? The milk cake!”

“It’s cream cake!” Du Gen corrected her with a smile. “Look at you!”

“Don’t pick on me! Seriously, though, aside from Pingzi, who else wasn’t scared?” Gu Youlian said, not backing down but still in a happy mood. She wrapped her arm around Xiao Mai and asked: “Sweetheart, was the cream cake good?”

“Mmm, it was good.” Xiao Mai answered softly.

Indeed, during the meal, both children had eaten cream cakes. This was a first for everyone, something quite rare. However, Zhiyuan, on the other hand, seemed unphased, appearing calm and composed as though he was used to such things. 

Brother Lin Qingping held Zhiyuan’s hand. This child definitely had a background.

Second Sister, however, remained quiet, just smiling with her lips pressed together, staying close to her older sister. Everyone was praising her sister, and she felt an overwhelming sense of pride in her heart.

They returned to Gujia Village. The two elders of the Gu Family were especially happy to see them come back without the snake-skin bag. Then, in even greater joy, they handed Brother Lin Qingping a telegram.

“Chengzi sent a telegram. You should take a look.”