The two of them arrived in town, parked their bicycles, opened the shop, drew back the curtains, and turned on all the lights so people could see inside.
Shen Moxi took all the flyers out of the storeroom and gave a little under half to Song Qi. "We'll go hand these out in a moment. Be polite when you give them to people. For women, say, 'Hello, beautiful. Reluctant to Part with Clothes on West Street opens tomorrow. Come take a look if you have time.' For men, change it to 'brother.' Got it?"
Song Qi frowned. "I... I don't think I can get the words out?"
Shen Moxi patted his shoulder. "I believe you can do it. We'll take it slowly until you get used to it. When you're doing business, you have to put your pride aside."
"All right, I'll give it my best shot." Song Qi nodded helplessly.
"Let's go." Shen Moxi closed the door, and they started right outside, handing flyers to everyone they met. They went all the way to the cotton mill in the most out-of-the-way area, where they happened to catch the workers getting off their shift and handed out the hundred or so flyers they had left.
Song Qi felt that handing these out wasn't really so hard to speak up about. He really just had to loosen up gradually.
"You did well just now. Come on, let's head back." Smiling, Shen Moxi wrapped her arms around his arm.
Song Qi nodded. "It wasn't as hard as I imagined. Once I loosened up, it was fine. I watched what you did and followed your example. If you can do it, a grown man like me certainly can't do too badly."
"Haha, you've got a bright future. I'll treat you to spicy strips. Two packs." Shen Moxi gave him a thumbs-up.
By the time they reached the shop, quite a few people had gathered outside, looking through the glass wall at the clothes inside.
"Oh, they really are lovely. Looking at this, even the department store can't compare."
"Exactly. I wonder how much these clothes cost. They must be expensive, right?"
"Look at the decor, the lights, and the furnishings in there. Even the Capital probably looks like this, doesn't it?"
"Tsk, tsk. The owner must really be rich."
"I'd be embarrassed to walk out of a place like this without spending any money."
"It opens tomorrow morning. Let's come early and have a look. It even says up there that there's a prize draw for red envelopes."
Everyone talked over one another, craning their necks to look inside.
Amused, Shen Moxi pulled Song Qi over. "Comrades, please make way. Let us through."
Someone sharp-eyed recognized them as the two who had been handing out flyers. "The owners are here! They're the owners."
Shen Moxi clapped her hands to ask everyone to quiet down. "Comrades, I heard some of what you were discussing just now. I'm the owner of this shop, and this is my husband."
"Let me tell you all a little about it. Reluctant to Part with Clothes opens tomorrow morning, and we'll have some very generous grand-opening promotions. All our clothing styles are our own designs, unlike anything else in Hua'an Town. The quality is excellent, too, and the prices are much lower than in the department store. I hope you'll all come support us tomorrow morning."
After speaking, Shen Moxi bowed to everyone, and Song Qi bowed along with her. "Thank you for your interest and support. See you tomorrow morning. We need to go inside and tidy up some more."
At that, some of the crowd applauded. "All right, we'll come back tomorrow and take a look. Go on with your work, young comrade."
The onlookers soon dispersed. The two of them unlocked the door, went inside, closed it securely, and drew the curtains.
"Come on, let's go upstairs and make something to eat." Shen Moxi pulled Song Qi up to the second floor.
"Let's have dumplings for lunch. We can buy some frozen ones with all-meat filling." Shen Moxi looked at Song Qi.
"Anything is fine with me. I'm not picky," Song Qi said with a smile.
"Then go wait in the bedroom. Let's take the first one next to the storeroom." Shen Moxi pointed.
"Don't you need my help?" Song Qi pinched her cheek.
"No, go rest for a while. This will be ready in no time." Shen Moxi swatted his hand away. He was so annoying, always pinching either her nose or her cheeks.
Song Qi: They feel so nice. I can't help it. ξ( ✿＞◡❛)
Shen Moxi bought two jin of bagged pork dumplings from the system, put a pot of water on to boil, and cooked them. Once they were ready, she bought two packs of spicy strips as well.
"Brother Song, come carry the dumplings!" Shen Moxi called loudly from the doorway.
She had barely finished speaking when Song Qi opened the door and came out. "Coming, coming."
"You certainly are quick." Smiling, Shen Moxi served the dumplings onto a large plate and gathered two bowls, two pairs of chopsticks, a small bottle of vinegar, and two packs of spicy strips.
"Off we go. Time for dumplings." Song Qi led the way with the plate.
When they reached the bedroom, Shen Moxi put everything on the table by the door. "I'll buy another little table for eating. Let's leave this one by the door where it is. Moving it is too much trouble."
She soon picked out a small, square folding table, placed the order, and brought it out, setting it in the middle of the room. "Hurry and put the plate down. It's still very hot."
She brought over the bowls and chopsticks and poured a little vinegar into each bowl. "Dumplings taste best with vinegar. Dumplings without vinegar have no soul."
Song Qi shook his head with a smile. "Even when you're eating, you've got a whole spiel."
Shen Moxi gave a little huff. "Of course. Good food is the one thing in life you must never let down."
With that, she picked up the spicy strips and tore the packs open. "Add another soulful delicacy, spicy strips, and it's absolutely perfect."
Song Qi accepted them with a smile. "Eat while it's hot. Let me see how good these dumplings are. They look nice and plump and white."
They each took a dumpling and began eating, dipping them in vinegar. A bite of dumpling, then a bite of spicy strip-life could hardly have been more enjoyable.
"Mm, I used to eat spicy strips in secret. I never dared eat them openly. Because of my particular status, I couldn't eat them at the company, and I didn't dare eat them at home. I was afraid they'd laugh at me and say I was cheapening myself. Every time, I'd sneak some when I went out for a walk. Just one bite made me so happy," Shen Moxi said quietly.
"They really are delicious. I like this flavor very much. I never knew anything this tasty existed in the world," Song Qi said, nodding.
"Hurry and eat. Once we're finished, we can get some rest. Eldest Brother and the others will be here this afternoon, and we'll have more work to do." Shen Moxi ate quickly.
After they finished off the dumplings on the plate, Shen Moxi bought two bottles of soda water and handed one to him. "Have some soda water. We haven't boiled any water yet."
"Mm. I'll boil some when I wash the dishes in a bit, and fill the flasks in every room. Then Eldest Brother and the others will have water to drink when they arrive." Song Qi took it.
"Ah, you're the thoughtful one. I didn't even think of boiling water for them." Shen Moxi took a long drink, screwed the cap back on, and stacked the bowls and chopsticks together.
"All right, give those to me. Go lie down and get some sleep." Song Qi set down his water and took them from her.
Shen Moxi didn't stand on ceremony. She handed them to her, took off her coat and shoes, and lay down on the bed to rest.
By the time Song Qi had finished everything and carried the kettle into the room, Shen Moxi was already asleep. He tiptoed inside, filled the thermos with water, and withdrew.
He wasn't sleepy, so he took a mop and mopped the floors upstairs and downstairs again, then rearranged the clothes on the first floor wherever he felt they weren't quite right.
Once he was finished, he sat down on the first floor, took the iPad he had asked Shen Moxi for out of his space, switched it on with practiced ease, and found the drama he had been watching the night before to continue watching.