"We're going to the post office. I want to buy a few sheets of stamps and save them so they'll appreciate in value," Shen Moxi said, slipping her arms around his arm. "Stamps from this era, especially complete sets like these, have a lot of room to rise in value later."
Song Qi stroked her head and said gently, "Then let's buy them. I don't know what the future world will be like anyway. If you say we should buy them, we'll buy them. I'll listen to you."
Shen Moxi looked at him, and the two nestled against each other, quietly enjoying the beauty of the moment.
Only when it grew late did they return home. After washing up, they went back to their room to rest. Before bed that night, Shen Moxi made some more clothes in the workshop. In another ten days or so, it would be time to sell summer clothes, so she would stop making these once she finished this batch.
That night, they slept in each other's arms instead of separately at opposite ends of the kang.
Their hearts were growing closer and closer, and Shen Moxi liked this kind of peaceful, settled affection.
They both slept soundly through the night and woke feeling well rested.
Early the next morning, they got up, ate breakfast, and hurried toward town. The days were getting longer, and it would be fully light shortly after five, so they had to get there early.
By the time they reached town, dawn was breaking. Song Qi checked that no one was around, quickly took everything out, and then began arranging it at a more leisurely pace.
Shen Moxi parked the bicycle, set up the racks, laid out the table and chairs, and joined him in organizing the clothes.
Only after all the clothes were hung up and the mannequins were ready did they have time to sit down and rest.
"Whew, we were really rushed today. It gets light so early now. We'll have to come earlier and earlier." Shen Moxi took a big gulp of water and slumped over the table, panting.
"Yes, at this time of year, it gets light earlier and earlier in the morning." Song Qi nodded.
Shen Moxi thought for a while. They couldn't keep doing this over the next few days. It would be exhausting.
"How about this? Let's rent one of those big handcarts later and leave everything at the shop. Then when we come, we can just pull it over from there. That way, we won't have to worry about anyone seeing us." After some thought, Shen Moxi discussed it with Song Qi.
"That works. Then we won't have to rush every time for fear of being discovered." Song Qi nodded in agreement after hearing her out.
"All right. After lunch, I'll look around and see if there's anywhere that rents big handcarts." Shen Moxi stood up to stretch.
Although it was light, it was still early. They ate a little more to replenish their energy.
Once it was time for people to go to work, the crowds began to grow. Several young women who hadn't managed to buy clothes the previous afternoon also arrived early.
"Boss, you left too early yesterday afternoon! We came to buy clothes, but you were nowhere to be found," one young woman said as she approached, laughing.
Shen Moxi looked up at her and smiled. "We live a little far away, so we leave when it's time in the afternoon. But I've rented a shop here, and it's being renovated. You can all come to my shop whenever you need anything."
"Really? Where is it? We can come to your shop from now on instead of worrying about not finding you. Your clothes look better than the ones in the department store," another young woman asked.
Shen Moxi gave them the address. The shop was called Reluctant to Part with Clothes, and the renovations would be finished in another five or six days. There would be promotions when it opened.
"All right, we'll come take a look in five or six days and bring our girlfriends along. My friend bought some of your clothes the other day and showed us. She looked like a completely different person in them. The styles are lovely, and they're comfortable too." Once the young women started talking about clothes, their chatter never seemed to end.
To encourage repeat customers, Shen Moxi generously gave each of the young women a two-yuan discount before they left. They were overjoyed, as though they had snagged an incredible bargain.
People came and went all morning, and they sold quite a few clothes for both adults and children. After twelve, the crowd gradually thinned as everyone went home to eat and rest. Only then did the two begin their lunch.
They hadn't had time to cook at home that morning, so lunch was once again self-heating hot pot with rice.
After making do with their meal, Shen Moxi left Song Qi to watch the stall while she went around on foot asking where she could rent a handcart.
She walked around for a while before finding a place and renting their largest handcart. It cost one yuan a day, with a twenty-yuan deposit that would be refunded when she returned the cart.
She paid for seven days, which came to twenty-seven yuan including the deposit.
She pushed the handcart back to the stall and put the cardboard boxes onto it first to clear some space. Otherwise, there wouldn't even have been room for the cart.
Once that was done, Shen Moxi bought a big bag of sunflower seeds, and they sat there cracking seeds and chatting. After checking that no one was nearby, she thought for a moment, then bought a radio from this era through the system and took it out. She found a station playing songs, and they listened while eating sunflower seeds.
It was Song Qi's first time seeing an electrical appliance like this, one that could even make sounds, and he was incredibly curious.
Shen Moxi gave him a general explanation. A radio could be used to listen to the news, music, crosstalk, opera, and so on.
This was an old-fashioned radio from the eighties, with very few functions. In later times, the devices were all smart and could display all sorts of images and people.
At this point, in their region, things like grain and fabric no longer required ration coupons, but electrical appliances such as radios, televisions, and washing machines still did. Money alone wasn't enough to buy them. In a few more years, the coupon requirements for appliances would probably be abolished too.
At that thought, another occupation that could make money quickly instantly popped into Shen Moxi's mind: "reseller."
She could buy things this era needed through the system and sell them: radios, sewing machines, televisions, washing machines, and so on. But to do that, she would need a well-connected backer.
After turning it over in her mind, she put the plan aside for now. She could revisit it if she met someone in the future. It was dangerous. If someone with ulterior motives noticed, it would be serious trouble, and she wouldn't be able to handle it herself.
They rested until around two. Shen Moxi put away the radio, then got up to walk around and stretch.
After selling a few more pieces that afternoon, they began packing up. Shen Moxi still had the stamps on her mind. They had to pull the handcart back to the shop and then go to the post office, which would take quite a bit of time.
Shen Moxi pushed the bicycle while Song Qi pulled the handcart ahead of her. It took them nearly twenty minutes to reach the rented shop.
Shen Moxi went inside and called Shen Tao and Shen Yuan out to help push everything in.
"Little sister, these are the clothes you sell at your stall? They all look very pretty," Shen Tao said, taking a look.
"Of course! I've always had excellent taste." Shen Moxi lifted her chin proudly.
"As expected of my little sister!" Shen Tao patted her head.
Shen Yuan: ... Brother, have you no shame?
"Little sister, where did you keep everything before?" Shen Yuan asked Shen Moxi after putting things away.
"At a friend's place. Her family has to go away for something over the next few days, so we brought it here. Good thing we rented the shop ahead of time, or we wouldn't have anywhere to put it." Shen Moxi spoke without blushing or missing a beat.
Song Qi looked at her and smiled. "We can leave it here. You still have a key, so when we get here tomorrow morning, we can come straight over and pull it out. Didn't you want to buy something? Let's go."
"Right, we're heading off now. Eldest Brother, Second Brother, goodbye!" Shen Moxi waved and pulled Song Qi away.