Su Jinle ironed the clothes once more, pressing them until they were perfectly flat without a single crease. Then she took out a sachet she had made from flower petals and placed it beside the shirt so it would carry a pleasant scent.
Freshly ironed clothes always had a strange smell, so she had long made it a habit to tuck in a sachet.
Although she had decided to sell the shirt, she had never really thought about making money. She only felt sorry for the three yuan she had spent. With no experience in doing business, she didn’t dare to think too far ahead. If the three-yuan cost could be sold for four, that would already be good enough—at least she wouldn’t lose money.
If it really didn’t work, three yuan was fine too. She could forgo the labor cost…
She remembered her mother saying she would bring back meat buns in the evening. One meat bun cost ten cents. If she sold it for three yuan, she could exchange it for thirty big meat buns! Ever since her older brother returned injured, the family had been struggling. It had been a long time since they had eaten meat.
The thought made her even sadder. She must have had straw in her brain to spend three whole yuan making clothes for Gu Jingxiu. She might as well have bought four jin of pork instead.
By the time she folded and put the shirt away neatly again, it was already past four in the afternoon. Su Yian tentatively asked, “How about going tomorrow? It’s getting late today.”
She had already turned back once before. Clearly, going out alone to sell clothes was a huge challenge for her. He couldn’t help but worry about his younger sister.
Su Jinle was nervous too, but when she thought of the thirty meat buns, she somehow found a bit of courage. She encouraged herself softly, “I can do it.”
Su Yian chuckled. “Alright.”
Even so, he still took a dime from his pocket. “If it doesn’t sell, that’s fine. Use this to buy candied hawthorn.”
“I’m not… a child…” she protested.
“If you’re not a child, what are you?” Su Jinghe laughed, ruffling her hair before letting go when she glared at him. “Alright. Go early and come back early. Don’t talk to strangers.”
She had the same thought. She even deliberately avoided passing by Gu Jingxiu’s house, not wanting to see him again at all. This time, she arrived smoothly at her destination—the street opposite the department store, where small vendors gathered.
It was her first time coming to such a place alone. Nervous, she chose a quiet corner, spread a large sheet of newspaper on the ground, carefully laid the white shirt on top, and then took out a piece of cardboard.
On it were written the words: Selling Clothes…
She hadn’t dared to write a price. She was afraid people would think it too high, yet she was also afraid of underselling herself. She decided to let interested buyers name their price. As long as it was over three yuan, she would sell!
People passed by, many glancing curiously at her, but none stopped to ask.
After standing stiffly for a while, she began to grow anxious. The auntie selling eggs beside her advised, “Girl, you can’t sell things like that. You have to shout loudly, like me—Fresh eggs! Fresh eggs! Who wants eggs?”
The auntie demonstrated with full, ringing energy. “See? That’s how you shout!”
But how could Su Jinle dare? If she shouted that loudly, wouldn’t everyone laugh at her?
She waited a while longer. Still no one came.
Gritting her teeth, she finally mustered the courage to try. Because she stuttered, she could only shout one word at a time. “Sell… clothes…”
The auntie thought she was just nervous and kindly encouraged her, “That’s good! Just like that!”
Seeing no one looking at her strangely, Su Jinle found a bit more strength. Her voice grew louder. “Clothes!”
The auntie praised her generously, “That’s it! You’ve got lungs on you!”
Her face flushed red, but gradually her worries faded. Word by word, she grew more confident, calling out again and again.
Finally, a well-dressed middle-aged woman was drawn over. She immediately took a liking to the white shirt. “This is pretty. It’s different from the styles in the department store. Did you make this yourself, girl?”
Su Jinle nodded quickly. “Yes!”
The woman came from a cadre family and was particular about clothing. She loved handmade pieces that stood out, though having everything tailored was too expensive. She had been browsing for something for her son to wear to his engagement ceremony but hadn’t found anything satisfactory—until now.
The shirt’s design was attractive. The fabric felt comfortable. It even carried a faint floral fragrance.
“What size is it?” the woman asked.
“Around one seventy-five,” Su Jinle replied nervously. “It fits.”
When she slowed down, her stutter wasn’t as noticeable. The woman didn’t pay it much attention. The size seemed suitable, so she asked, “How much?”
Su Jinle hadn’t expected to be asked so quickly. With no experience at all, she panicked. Her mind went blank. “What do you… think?”
“Me?” The woman pointed at her own nose. It was the first time she’d encountered a seller asking the buyer to name the price.
But the girl looked young and gentle, so she felt a bit more patient. And the more she looked at the shirt, the more she liked it. After a moment’s thought, she ventured, “How about eight yuan?”
It was a reasonable offer. White shirts in department stores ranged from eight to over ten yuan. Of course, some cost more than twenty, but those rarely sold. Most white shirts went for eight or ten yuan. Bargaining was expected; she couldn’t start too high, or there’d be no room to negotiate.
In truth, she felt this shirt was worth twelve.
Su Jinle’s eyes widened. She stammered excitedly, “Eight… eight yuan…”
She repeated “eight” for so long that the woman misunderstood, thinking she found it too low. Smiling, she said, “Just tell me if that works. You can’t think it’s too little, can you?”
“N-no…” Su Jinle meant to say it wasn’t too little—it was too much! She had only planned to sell at cost. Even four yuan had seemed expensive to her.
She rarely went to department stores. She made her own clothes. How could she know the market price?
But before she could finish, the woman misunderstood again. “Not selling?”
Su Jinle grew frantic. The more anxious she became, the harder it was to speak. Her eyes turned red. “No…”
Seeing she was on the verge of tears, the woman realized her offer might seem stingy. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she said, “Alright, alright. Why are you crying over selling a shirt? I’ll add two more yuan. Even the Haishan brand shirts in the store are only about this price!”
Su Jinle swallowed hard. Ten yuan?
When she didn’t respond immediately, the woman grew a little annoyed. “If you’re selling clothes, you have to state a price. I can’t keep raising it. So, are you selling for ten or not?”
Su Jinle pinched herself hard and blurted loudly, “Sell!”
“Huh?”
“Ten yuan! Sell, sell!”
Afraid the woman would walk away, she nodded vigorously, trying to show just how eager she was.
The woman: “…”
Well then. She suddenly wondered if she had offered too much.