Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 401 Love Luck

The next morning, after breakfast, He Yuanchao said goodbye to Zhang Lide and went out on the street alone.

The roads in Yangqu County are not complicated. Following the address he had inquired about beforehand, He Yuanchao strolled along with his long legs and arrived at Yangqu No. 1 Department Store in no time.

The shop is a dusty three-story brick building located at a crossroads. Some of the cement plaster on the exterior walls has peeled off, making it look rather old.

Above the main entrance hung a faded red banner that read, "Develop the economy and ensure supply; unite as one to overcome difficulties!" The sixteen large characters fluttered in the wind.

The wooden display windows on both sides of the door frame are filled with enamel basins and bamboo thermos flasks, and the "Fu" character left over from the Chinese New Year is still pasted on the glass.

It's a bit early; it's not peak sales time. There were only a handful of people strolling around outside the counters on the entire first floor.

The sales clerks, with their keen eyes, noticed that the group showed no interest in buying anything, so they didn't engage in conversation but instead huddled together, whispering and gossiping.

The first floor sold daily necessities. He Yuanchao wanted to buy something for Liu Caixia as a souvenir. After looking around the first floor and finding nothing he liked, he turned around and went up to the second floor.

The second floor sells clothing, hats, shoes, socks, fabrics, and other items, and it's noticeably more popular than the first floor.

As soon as He Yuanchao came up, he saw several young women picking and choosing in front of the fabric counter for a long time, but in the end they didn't buy anything, which made the saleswoman roll her eyes at their backs.

It's obvious that this sales clerk is either new to the job or not very articulate; otherwise, she would have already thrown some sarcastic remarks in the faces of several young women.

Buying things for Liu Caixia that are too cheap feels a bit embarrassing, so it's better not to buy anything at all. But if I buy something too expensive, I'm afraid she won't accept it.

After wandering around for a while, He Yuanchao stopped in front of a scarf counter.

The walls inside the counter were covered with all kinds of scarves. He Yuanchao wasn't very knowledgeable about these things and only recognized a few common ones, such as square headscarves used by women to wrap their heads, gauze scarves often worn by young women and wives, and cashmere scarves worn by his godmothers Liu Lihua and Ma Xiufang.

He Yuanchao's eyes lit up; he thought this was good, so he called over the sales clerk.

The saleswoman was around forty years old, of medium height, with short hair that reached her ears. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but she was very gentle and easy-going.

Seeing He Yuanchao dressed impeccably, with not a single patch on his clothes and wearing a watch worth several hundred yuan, the sales clerk didn't neglect him and said with a smile:

"Comrade, would you like to buy a scarf? What style would you like?"

He Yuanchao knew nothing about these things, and shook his head with a smile, "I don't know which style is good either. I'm buying it as a gift. Can you tell me what to choose, big sister?"

“I can’t let you call me ‘sister’ for nothing. I’ll tell you why.”

As she spoke, the sales clerk turned around and deftly took down several scarves from the back wall and placed them on the counter, saying, "Tell me who you want to give them to, your partner or a relative or friend?"

The saleswoman raised her voice when she mentioned the word "boyfriend," and gave He Yuanchao a knowing look, as if she were an experienced older sister who knew everything.

He Yuanchao was no young man, and he didn't take the saleswoman's teasing seriously at all. He said generously, "It's for a relative. He should be about the same age as you, ma'am."

Upon hearing this, the sales clerk realized she had misunderstood and, to cover her embarrassment, quickly pointed to a scarf on the counter and said:

"This chiffon fabric is perfect for this time of year; it's lightweight, looks good, and is stylish."

After the introduction, seeing that He Yuanchao didn't say anything, the salesperson pointed to another item and said, "This cashmere scarf is also quite nice, but it's not suitable for this season."

At this point, the saleswoman paused, glanced around, leaned close to He Yuanchao and whispered, "Cashmere scarves are nice, but they're a hassle to clean. Chiffon scarves are more economical. If you want to listen to me, buy a chiffon scarf."

Such situations only occurred in the era of fixed salaries. After the reform and opening up, with private businesses emerging, everyone racked their brains to find ways to get customers to buy expensive items, regardless of suitability; making money was the only goal. He Yuanchao was someone who listened to advice. He picked up two scarves, touched them, and then had the salesperson try them on to see how they looked. He felt they were perfect as gifts, and after asking the price, he said:

"Ma'am, I'll take both of these scarves. Could you please change this cashmere one to a camel color?"

It wasn't that He Yuanchao wanted to show off, but he suddenly realized that since he had come out, he should at least bring his wife a gift.

"What? You want them all?"

The sales clerk was startled by these words and looked at He Yuanchao with a surprised expression.

Cashmere scarves in stores are not cheap; the cheapest ones cost over eighty yuan. Since they're not something you can eat or drink, few people are willing to buy them, and stores don't sell many throughout the year.

Seeing the saleswoman's stunned expression, He Yuanchao smiled and nodded politely, "Yes, I'll take them both. If it's not too much trouble, could you please give me two new ones, preferably unopened?"

Seeing that He Yuanchao was sure he wanted to buy it again, the sales clerk knew he wasn't joking and quickly agreed, "Okay, I'll get you a new one right away, just wait a moment."

After saying that, the sales clerk squatted down and started rummaging under the counter.

After about two or three minutes, the sales clerk got up and placed a cardboard box and a wooden box in front of He Yuanchao, saying:

"Open it and take a look. If there's anything wrong, I can replace it for you."

He Yuanchao didn't stand on ceremony. In front of the sales clerk, he opened both boxes and checked the scarves inside. Seeing that there was no problem, he smiled and took out money and cloth coupons and handed them to the counter.

The sales clerk didn't take it, but instead waved her hand with a smile and said, "Our store has a rule that valuable items must be paid for at the cashier on the first floor."

He Yuanchao didn't waste any words after hearing this. After asking for the location of the toll booth, he headed to the first floor.

The sales staff around the scarf counter had all witnessed what was happening. While He Yuanchao went to pay, two female sales staff in their thirties quickly came over.

The two sales clerks, one tall and one short, leaned over the scarf counter, resting their hands on the counter, and said:

"Sister Li, do you know that person? Do you know what company they work for? They just bought a cashmere scarf worth over a hundred yuan without thinking. They really spend money recklessly."

After the tall saleswoman finished speaking, the short one quickly chimed in:
"That's right. Judging from their attitude, they didn't care about more than a hundred yuan at all. I saw it clearly when they took out the money. They didn't even blink. Sister Li, if you know them, can you introduce them? You know my sister. She's pretty. I think the two of them would be a good match."

Upon hearing this, the saleswoman at the scarf counter shook her head and laughed, "They're here to buy scarves, how would I know them?"

"What's wrong with not knowing him? When he gets back, Sister Li, can you ask him for me?"

"Yes, Sister Li, could you help me ask around? My niece is looking for a boyfriend. If he's single, could you help me set them up? If it works out, I'll definitely thank you properly..."

"Stop, stop talking now."

Before the short saleswoman could finish speaking, the saleswoman at the scarf counter interrupted her, saying:

"With their qualities, how could they not find a partner? Besides, how could I possibly introduce you to someone I don't even know? People would think I'm crazy! I just can't bring myself to do that."

When the two saleswomen saw that Sister Li disagreed, they exchanged a glance. Neither of them gave up, and they started saying nice things to each other in perfect unison.

Just as the female sales clerk at the scarf counter was getting annoyed by the two men, He Yuanchao, who had gone to pay, returned.

(End of this chapter)