“Thank you so much this time. When you come to the provincial capital, I’ll treat you to a big meal.”
Nan Haitao smiled, “Then you better have enough money ready.”
“No problem.”
After chatting for a couple more minutes, Chen Lishu hung up the phone, still unable to contain her excitement.
Glancing at the confused look from the guard in the reception room, Chen Lishu thanked him and turned to leave.
...
Lin Qi received Chen Lishu’s call just after returning from Qing Shan Village with the goods. As soon as he learned that business licenses could be processed, he sprang into action.
At that time, obtaining a business license, especially a temporary one, was a very simple procedure. Thanks to Nan Haitao’s connection, it wasn’t even necessary for the applicant to be present. All that was needed was for Chen Lishu to submit two one-inch black and white photos.
Chen Lishu had anticipated this before returning to the provincial capital, so the process went very smoothly. By the afternoon, Lin Qi had processed temporary industrial and commercial business licenses for both stores.
Since the shops had already been renovated, and all the clothes and undergarments were prepared for the opening, they hadn’t been sold to the public or transported to the provincial capital during this period.
Lin Qi, Zhang Li, and Li Fang spent a day cleaning the two storefronts again and stocking the shelves. ‘Shu Se’ clothing store and the underwear store officially opened on the third day.
Due to policy restrictions that discouraged large-scale commercial activities to avoid being singled out as an example, Chen Lishu had specifically instructed Lin Qi to operate discreetly and "get rich quietly." Therefore, there were no firecrackers or ribbon-cutting ceremonies on the opening day.
Fearing they might not be able to handle everything, Lin Qi specifically invited Yuan Lihua to help. After all, she was experienced in handling large events. She would be in charge of the underwear store with Zhang Li, while Lin Qi would manage the clothing store with Li Fang.
At eight in the morning, the clothing store opened precisely on time.
Although there was no grand publicity, the clothes on the mannequins in the display window were truly eye-catching. One mannequin wore a jujube-red batwing top paired with black wide-leg pants. The quality of the fabric and its drape were evident, indicating excellent quality.
Beside it, another mannequin sported an exquisitely tailored men’s Zhongshan suit, which was no less impressive than those found in department stores.
Comrades passing by on their way to work in the morning couldn't help but look. Those with strong curiosity would specifically stop their bicycles and then go inside to inquire.
“Hello, Comrade. Our Shu Se Clothing Store is opening today. All the clothes in the store are 5% off, valid for the first three days only, and no fabric coupons are required for any of the clothes.”
Li Fang, following Chen Lishu’s instructions, revealed a perfect smile showing eight teeth.
No fabric coupons required? The customer, who had merely stopped out of curiosity to take a look, now felt that not buying something would be missing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity upon hearing Li Fang’s words.
“Miss, we have free fitting rooms. You can try on any style you like,” Lin Qi added with a smile.
After over a year of experience, his speech and actions were much more composed and adept than before. Coupled with his inherently refined appearance, his gentle smile gave people a feeling of being in a gentle spring breeze.
The young woman’s face flushed slightly as she met his gaze.
“Can I try on all these clothes?” the girl asked shyly, pointing to the racks near the wall.
Lin Qi nodded, “Our store is different from other shops. You can choose any style you like and try it on yourself.”
Hearing this, the girl’s eyes lit up.
Currently, when buying clothes in stores, one could only look through the counter. Moreover, there were only a few styles available, and the service attitude was far inferior to this. If you even showed a slight desire to look at a couple more styles, they would undoubtedly give you an impatient look.
As requested, the girl walked towards the shelves. Upon seeing them, she found it hard to move.
The clothes on display were not only beautiful in design and varied in style, but each piece was neatly hung on a hanger, making them convenient to select.
Soon, the girl chose two outfits. When she was about to take them to try on, she hesitated and asked, “How much is each one?”
“That batwing top is fourteen, and the other blouse is fifteen. If you buy today, you can also get a 5% discount.”
Upon hearing that the prices were not too expensive, the girl secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She then took the clothes and was led to the fitting room by Li Fang.
After trying them on, the girl was very satisfied with both outfits. However, her money was limited, and in the end, she had to reluctantly choose the batwing top.
Li Fang was thrilled to have successfully sold an item and became even more enthusiastic.
Subsequently, two more customers came in, but after the start of the workday, very few people entered.
Li Fang couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.
“If you’re hungry, you can go home and eat first. I expect it will be busy at noon, and you might not have time,” Lin Qi said, glancing at the time and then turning to her.
“Not many people have come all morning. Everyone goes home for lunch at noon, so will anyone come?” Li Fang expressed some doubt about his words.
Lin Qi smiled but said nothing.
When he had secretly sold clothes with Chen Lishu before, he could sell twenty to thirty items in a single neighborhood in a day. Now that they had a storefront, the sales volume could only be higher.
It was just that everyone was at work, and it was the first day of opening, so many people hadn’t received the news yet.
Li Fang, half-believing and half-doubting, went home for lunch. Since her home was nearby, she returned shortly after finishing. However, not long after she re-entered the store, more than a dozen people suddenly rushed in, both men and women. They went straight for the clothes on the shelves as soon as they entered.
Li Fang had never seen such a scene. Before she could react, another three to five people came in, asking her a lot of questions. After understanding the situation, they also started selecting clothes.
Lin Qi remained relatively calm, just watching from the side to prevent anyone from pilfering clothes.
Throughout the entire noon, from half-past eleven until nearly two in the afternoon, Li Fang continuously introduced items to customers, processed payments, and made change. By the time she saw off the last customer, she was almost exhausted. Her throat felt like it was on fire, so she quickly grabbed an enamel mug and gulped down several mouthfuls. Although the water had long since cooled, it greatly relieved her burning throat.
After resting for a while, she looked back and realized that all the more than fifty items that had been displayed on the shelves that morning had been sold out.
“All, all sold out?”
Li Fang was stunned and couldn’t recover for a long time.
Her salary was based on a base salary plus commission. Over fifty items meant over five yuan in commission. In just one day, no, in just one noon, she had earned over five yuan in commission! The same situation occurred in the underwear store. Due to its location, almost no one patronized it in the morning, but the situation changed drastically in the afternoon.
Perhaps the news had spread, and ‘Shu Se’ underwear already had a certain reputation in the county town. Moreover, their underwear store offered fitting rooms, allowing many shy girls to boldly choose their sizes, making it naturally more popular.
At six in the afternoon, both stores closed simultaneously. The four of them gathered in the small courtyard, with Gu Xingping also helping. Soon, everyone calculated the day's sales for both stores.