He had been waiting for nearly two years. During this time, apart from setting up small stalls, he hadn't been able to find stable work. Thinking that Chen Lishu had once wanted to hire him as a salesperson with good terms, Liang Chunsheng decided to try his luck and asked, "Are you still hiring?"
There were quite a few contract workers now. Liang Chunsheng felt that finding stable work was better than fumbling around on his own.
Chen Lishu hadn't expected him to ask about this, and she was quite pleased. She immediately said, "It's inconvenient for us to stand at the entrance and affect people coming and going. Why don't you come to the shop with me for a detailed discussion?"
"You've opened a shop?" Liang Chunsheng was surprised, but then thought it was reasonable for Chen Lishu to open a shop, as she had the connections to get fabrics that others couldn't.
Knowing that Chen Lishu had opened a shop, Liang Chunsheng felt even more confident in his decision. When they arrived at the 'Shu Se' clothing store, seeing the spacious shop and the racks full of clothing, he felt even more certain that his choice was correct.
"Huh? Aren't you that, that Liang fellow?" Wang Aixiang recognized Liang Chunsheng at a glance when she saw a few people come in, though she couldn't recall his name precisely.
Liang Chunsheng quickly smiled and said, "Liang Chunsheng."
"Sit down," Chen Lishu gestured to a stool beside her, indicating Liang Chunsheng to sit. Then she said to Wang Aixiang, "Sister Aixiang, pour him a glass of water."
Seeing Liang Chunsheng take the water glass, Chen Lishu began to discuss business. "...The salary is similar to the terms I offered before, still a base salary plus commission. The base salary is thirty, and the commission depends on what business you're responsible for. The probationary period is one month. Here, it's about earning more for more work. The monthly salary will be at least a hundred yuan, plus seniority pay, which increases by five yuan each year."
Chen Lishu was only giving a conservative estimate. Liang Chunsheng, Wang Aixiang, and Lin Qi couldn't compare; their current salaries were at least two to three hundred yuan each.
A monthly salary of over a hundred yuan? Liang Chunsheng was somewhat stunned. The average worker's salary was only 38.5 yuan. One hundred yuan was more than double the average salary.
Liang Chunsheng didn't hesitate and signed the employment agreement with Chen Lishu.
"For the next couple of days, just help out at the store and let Sister Aixiang guide you. I'll assign you tasks in a couple more days."
After briefing Liang Chunsheng, Chen Lishu returned to school with Zhang Xue.
Two days later, Chen Lishu went to the store again and saw Liang Chunsheng cleaning. She smiled and asked, "How have you been feeling these two days?"
Liang Chunsheng quickly stopped his work and replied with a smile, "There aren't many customers, it's alright."
Chen Lishu nodded and privately inquired with Wang Aixiang about the situation. Knowing that Liang Chunsheng was quite diligent and handled himself well in dealing with people, Chen Lishu felt reassured.
"You've got a general understanding of the cashmere sweaters in the store these past two days. I want you to go to Lincheng for some promotion."
Then Chen Lishu explained the specific work to be done and the lowest acceptable price to Liang Chunsheng. "You can manage the middle ground yourself. If you can secure orders, your commission will be five percent of the profit."
Chen Lishu then asked Wang Aixiang to take thirty yuan from the counter and added a pound of grain ration coupons herself. "For food, accommodation, and round-trip travel for a week, this thirty yuan will be enough. See if you can depart tomorrow or the day after."
Liang Chunsheng had set up stalls before, and when he was sent to the countryside, he was in another place. Therefore, Chen Lishu felt that he should be capable of handling this task.
This was his first solo business trip, and Chen Lishu had also said he would be paid five percent of the profit. If he happened to land a big order...
"Okay, I'll book my ticket first thing tomorrow morning," Liang Chunsheng excitedly accepted the money and grain coupons.
Upon returning home, he announced that he was going on a business trip.
"What future does this job have? It's no better than a contract worker. Working for a private individual, how will you let your mother and me save face!"
Liang's father was so angry that he slammed the table.
"I say you should quit this job as soon as possible. Your sister-in-law's coal factory still needs a transporter. Although it's not formal, it's at least respectable to say," Liang's mother also looked disapproving.
"Dad, Mom, I really don't understand what you're thinking. You disliked it when I ran a small stall and didn't let me do it, but you never disliked my money when it was spent. Besides, who cares if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice. Is carrying coal really that good? It's dirty, tiring, and doesn't earn much. What era is this? I'm already this old. I don't steal or rob, and I earn money with my own ability. Those who rely on their families, are idle, and unproductive are the ones who should be ashamed."
After speaking, Liang Chunsheng didn't care about his parents' expressions and went straight to his room to pack.
The next morning, he headed directly to the train station with a simple change of underwear.
The ticket to Lincheng cost five yuan and fifty cents, and the journey took only five to six hours.
By the time Liang Chunsheng arrived in Lincheng, it was already afternoon. He didn't rush to conduct business. Instead, he found a guesthouse to settle down first, and then he went out to inquire about the local shop situation.
There were three relatively large shops in the city, namely Shop One, Shop Two, and Shop Three.
Liang Chunsheng visited all three shops and, after getting a general understanding of the cashmere sweater situation, visited them the next day.
However, things didn't go smoothly. This was not the provincial capital. The price of cashmere sweaters was already high, so sales naturally couldn't keep up. The shops sold no more than two or three items a day.
Even when Liang Chunsheng quoted the lowest price given by Chen Lishu, they still shook their heads and refused.
After two consecutive days without selling a single cashmere sweater, Liang Chunsheng felt discouraged.
Returning with nothing on his first outing, Liang Chunsheng felt he would lose face and potentially give Chen Lishu an impression of incompetence. If he was let go after the probation period, Liang Chunsheng didn't want that.
After careful consideration, Liang Chunsheng thought this might be related to the city not being prosperous enough. It just so happened that it only took a day's journey to the provincial capital of the neighboring province. Liang Chunsheng decided to use the remaining funds to try his luck in the adjacent province.
...
On the weekend, the sky was overcast, foreshadowing an impending snowstorm.
Chen Lishu looked out the window, but her mind was on Gu Xingdong.
After so long, they should have arrived at their destination by now, right? She wondered how things were going in the south.
Deep in the mountains somewhere on the border, soldiers in training uniforms moved skillfully through the jungle.
After a rapid advance of nearly a thousand meters, they suddenly saw a signal from the scout ahead. Gu Xingdong immediately made a judgment, quickly deployed, and everyone silently moved to their designated positions according to the instructions.
Every soldier's heart was tense and serious. They were not facing enemies in a mock drill, but a real life-or-death struggle, where it was either you or me.