novelraw Chapter 32 Underwear and Clothing Business Specialized in Foreign Trade
Chapter 32 Underwear and Clothing Business Specialized in Foreign Trade
Wen Kai put the money away, turned around, and his eyes shone like two light bulbs.
"Brother," he said, "are you free this afternoon?"
"What's wrong?"
"You and your girlfriend can just stay at my shop this afternoon."
You don't need to do anything else, just stand there, chat if you want, look at clothes if you want.
Wen Kai rubbed his hands together. "If you can help me sell for an afternoon, I'll give you a commission. You'll get 10% of everything that's sold."
Li Si'an glanced at Tang Yun. Tang Yun thought for a moment and said, "Okay."
So Li Si'an and Tang Yun spent an afternoon as "models" in Wen Kai's shop.
They were just sitting there—Li Si'an was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt over a light gray long-sleeved shirt, and Tang Yun was wearing a white dress. The two of them stood by the shelf chatting, looking at clothes, and occasionally trying them on.
The customers who came in glanced at Li Si'an, then at the clothes he was wearing, and thought he looked really good, so they bought one too.
The number of customers in the afternoon was much higher than in the morning, including both Chinese and foreigners.
Li Si'an noticed that the customers were not buying clothes because they thought he was Takuya Kimura—most Chinese people simply didn't know who Takuya Kimura was.
Their reason for buying the clothes was simple: this young man is handsome, has a good physique, and looks good in anything. Since he looks good in this T-shirt, then this T-shirt must be good too.
The same goes for Tang Yun.
She stood in front of the mirror looking at herself in a floral dress from Wenkai's store, and a middle-aged woman next to her asked, "Young lady, this dress looks really good on you. Where did you get it?"
Tang Yun pointed to the shelf, and the woman took an identical one without saying a word.
They sold about forty pieces of clothing that afternoon, generating over six thousand yuan in sales. Wen Kai was overjoyed. At five o'clock, he settled the accounts and gave Li Si'an a commission of one thousand two hundred yuan.
"1200," Wen Kai handed over the money, "count it yourself."
Li Si'an didn't count it and just stuffed it into her pocket. Tang Yun's share was in there too—Wen Kai said they should be counted together.
"Brother Wen," Li Si'an said suddenly, putting the money away, "could you supply me some of your goods?"
Wen Kai looked at him: "You're going to sell clothes too?"
"I own a music and video store in Haidian District. It's across from the Affiliated High School of Beijing Dance Academy, and there are several universities nearby. There are a lot of students."
Li Si'an said, "I want to set aside a space in the store to sell clothes. The styles here are popular with students, and the prices are reasonable."
Wen Kai thought for a moment: "How much are you planning to take?"
"Take 20,000 yuan worth of goods first: T-shirts, jeans, and hoodies. You help me pick out the styles. If they sell well, we can add more."
Wen Kai thought for a moment, then nodded: "Okay. When do you need it?"
"I'll come pick it up next weekend."
The two shook hands, acknowledging the agreement verbally. Wen Kai went to attend to other guests, and Li Si'an turned around, glanced at Tang Yun, and suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right, I've been so busy selling things that I haven't bought you any clothes yet."
Tang Yun paused for a moment. "No need, I—"
"Since we're already here," Li Si'an said, pulling her around the store.
He rummaged through the hanging sample garments and pulled out an apricot-colored slip dress. The fabric was smooth and glistened faintly under the light.
He held the dress up against Tang Yun—the hemline was just above her knees, the straps were thin, and the neckline was neither too big nor too small.
This is a knock-off of Calvin Klein. The fabric of this batch of goods from Wen Kaijin is soft, has a good drape, and fits the body very well.
"This one."
Tang Yun glanced at it, said nothing, and took it, draping it over her arm.
Li Si'an rummaged through the shelves again and found a white shirt dress. It was made of cotton and linen, with two thin straps at the neckline that could be tied into a bow. The waistline was high and the skirt was puffy.
This is a Miu Miu imitation, with simple lines that have a touch of girlish charm. It's understated yet pleasing to the eye.
"Try this one too."
Tang Yun then draped the garment over her arm.
Li Si'an then took a pair of light blue high-waisted jeans that resembled Levi's from the shelf. The creases were straight, and the cuffs were slightly flared.
Finally, I picked out a lightweight beige trench coat that resembled a Burberry style. It was so light and airy that it could be folded up and stuffed into a bag.
Four sets of clothes, from the inside out and from head to toe, were complete.
Tang Yun stood there, holding a stack of things in her arms, without moving.
"Go try it on." Li Si'an pushed her towards the fitting room.
Tang Yun went into the fitting room and drew the curtain. After a while, the curtain was pulled open a crack, and she peeked out, her face flushed, her voice soft: "I've put on the apricot-colored one."
The curtain was drawn back, and Tang Yun stepped out. Her apricot-colored dress with thin straps clung to her body, the soft fabric draping down her waist and hips.
Her skin was fair, and the apricot color made her look gentle and radiant. The thin straps of the tank top exposed her collarbone and shoulder line, making her neck appear even longer.
She stood in front of the mirror, awkwardly tugging at her skirt and adjusting her straps.
"How is it?" she asked.
Li Si'an looked at her, didn't say anything, and nodded.
Wen Kai leaned over for a look and said, "This dress looks ten times better on you than it does hanging there."
Tang Yun glanced at the mirror again, pulled the straps up a bit, went into the fitting room, and changed into her second outfit.
When she came out in the white shirt dress, her whole demeanor changed. The neckline was tied in a bow, the waistline was high, and the skirt was puffy, swaying gently as she walked.
Like a good student, the kind of good student that all the boys regarded as their childhood sweetheart.
"What about this one?" she asked.
"It looks good," Li Si'an said.
She tried on the jeans and white short-sleeved shirt outfit, and the beige trench coat outfit. Standing in front of the mirror, each piece fit her perfectly, as if it had been made to fit her figure.
"Take them all?" Li Si'an asked.
She nodded.
Wen Kai pressed a few buttons on the calculator, then looked up:
"Dress 150, shirt dress 180, jeans 120, white short-sleeved shirt 60, trench coat 280, total 790. Since we're acquaintances, I'll give you a discount, 680."
Li Si'an counted the money and handed it over, then put the clothes into a bag. Tang Yun stood beside her, head down, her fingers tracing patterns on the counter.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"You spent too much."
"I'm buying you pretty clothes, and I'm the one who appreciates them. I'm spending money to make myself happy, and I'm happy to pay any price," Li Si'an said confidently.
Tang Yun didn't say anything more.
Wen Kai watched from the side, chuckled, said nothing, and turned to greet other guests.
Li Si'an, carrying the bag, pulled Tang Yun out of the store. It was a May evening, and the sky was still bright. He pushed his bicycle, and Tang Yun walked beside him.
The two walked along Xiushui Street. There were people selling roasted sweet potatoes and candied hawthorns at the roadside stalls, and the air was filled with various smells.
"Are you really going to sell clothes in the store?" Tang Yun asked.
"Why not give it a try? It won't hurt," Li Si'an said. "The music store is located in a place with a lot of foot traffic, and our school is across the street, with several other universities nearby. People should be able to buy clothes there."
"Can you manage all this by yourself?"
"Chen Dong runs the shop, Chen Nan manages the accounts, and I'm in charge of purchasing. We can manage."
Tang Yun said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions.
Li Si'an got on the bicycle, with Tang Yun sitting sideways on the back seat. The bicycle made several turns and then turned into a narrower alley next to it.
Tang Yun didn't know what he was going to do, but she followed him. When they arrived at a small storefront, Li Si'an stopped.
The storefront wasn't large, and the window displayed a few pieces of lingerie, with styles much more fashionable and bolder colors than those in department stores—black lace, burgundy silk, and deep purple tulle.
The sign at the entrance reads "Exclusively for Foreign Trade," with a line of English text below.
Tang Yun glanced at the shop window and her face flushed instantly.
"Let's go." Li Si'an pulled her inside.
"What are you doing..." Tang Yun struggled, but couldn't break free.
"I'll buy you a few."
"I do not want."
"Your things are all old, it's time to replace them."
Tang Yun didn't say anything more, and followed him inside with her head down. There weren't many people in the store. A female shop assistant in her forties was sitting behind the counter knitting. When she saw them come in, she looked them up and down, but didn't say anything.
Li Si'an strolled around the store, took a few items from the shelves, and placed them on the counter. One was black lace, one was burgundy silk, and another was a light pink sheer piece.
None of them are the exaggerated styles, but the lines and cuts are much better than those bought in shopping malls.
"Want to give it a try?" he asked Tang Yun.
Tang Yun stared at the few pieces of lingerie on the counter, her face flushed red, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt, and she didn't move.
The female shop assistant put down her knitting needles, glanced at Tang Yun, then at Li Si'an, and stood up, saying, "Miss, come in with me, I'll help you check the size."
Tang Yun glanced at Li Si'an, who nodded at her. She followed the female shop assistant into the fitting room.
After a while, Tang Yun finally came out. Her face was flushed, her head was down, and she walked up to Li Si'an without saying a word.
"Is it appropriate?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Take them all?"
She nodded again, her voice barely audible. "Mmm."
Li Si'an paid and handed her the bag. Tang Yun took it, stuffed it into her bag, and didn't look up.
The two came out of the store; it was almost dark. Li Si'an pushed his bicycle, and Tang Yun walked beside him. The streetlights were on, casting long shadows of the two of them.
"Li Si'an," Tang Yun said softly.
"Um."
How did you find out about that store?
"I saw it when I passed by before," Li Si'an said. "I've always wanted to bring you here."
Tang Yun didn't reply. After a long while, she finally muttered, "You..."
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
She sat in the back seat, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her face against his back.
Li Si'an pushed off the pedal, and the bicycle shot forward.