"How’re you going to do that?" Evelyn asked, stepping closer to him.
Picking up the marker, Ethan began to write on the suggestion board.
"If they’re not going to sell quickly, then we simply have to make people have no choice but to buy them."
Once he was done writing, he checked the time on his phone and hung the suggestion board again.
"This..." Evelyn muttered. "Do you think it’ll work?"
Ethan smiled, completely relaxed. "Wait and see."
It didn’t even take five minutes before the first customer approached.
The young man looked at Ethan and asked skeptically. "Is it true? A 15% discount until 3 p.m?"
Ethan nodded, gesturing at the oranges. "You’re free to buy as many as you want."
The young man’s eyes brightened, and he said, "Alright. Give me ten."
Ethan immediately helped him package it, then handed him the plastic bag after receiving payment.
He turned and saw Evelyn still looking at him with a dazed expression.
"You’re wondering if it’s going to result in a loss, right?"
She unconsciously nodded.
Ethan paused, then explained, "If you don’t offer a discount, you’ll probably only be able to sell about thirty percent of them, and the rest will likely go to waste. However, if we sell them all at a discounted price, it will be far better than selling just thirty percent of them."
Evelyn nodded, understanding his explanation. "However... why did you set a time limit? Are you sure you’ll be able to sell everything in an hour?"
He shrugged, spotting another customer walking over to them.
"When there’s a time limit, there’s always urgency."
He immediately turned away from her and attended to the new customer who bought five oranges and a bunch of grapes.
Meanwhile, Evelyn quietly pondered what he had just said, realizing it was all true.
’But it’s strange. Ethan has never shown interest in business. How does he know all these things?’
She stared at his back, watching him attend to the customers like a seasoned salesman. It was different from the Ethan she was used to. He was usually the lazy type, either drinking or gambling with his friends.
Seeing him like this... reminded her of the time they had just gotten married, and why he had changed.
In the past, Ethan wasn’t a wayward, useless husband. He had a decent job when he married her, and he always took care of her and Nora.
However, in his workplace, the female boss had shown interest in him, wanting to make him her husband. Unfortunately for her, Ethan loved Evelyn deeply and wouldn’t cheat on her.
The woman kept pursuing him for a whole year, but had no results. In the end, out of spite, she framed him and sacked him, kicking him out of the company.
After being taken to court, the young man was pulled into a debt that he could barely pay off with everything he had.
Ethan fell into depression, and that depression changed him. He began to blame his wife for everything, and turned his aggression towards her.
Knowing that he was in that state because he hadn’t agreed to divorce or cheat on her, Evelyn endured everything he did without complaining.
’Now... why is he...’
Her eyes flickered with confusion and doubt. Her fear had almost disappeared, replaced by doubt. Had he really changed, or was this just his way of pretending to be normal before hurting her again?
Even though she still loved him, it had become an emotion born out of stubbornness and determination that she wouldn’t leave him.
Having experienced his cruelty, it was hard for her to believe that he could suddenly change like a switch had been flipped.
Unaware of his wife’s thoughts, Ethan stuffed six dollars into the waist purse, zipped up the purse, then turned to the next customer.
He engaged each and every one of them in a few words, ensuring he left an impression on them.
Just like he had told Evelyn, the time limit for the discount rate made the customers feel a sense of urgency.
During the last thirty minutes, they began rushing to the shop, abandoning other stalls that sold the same fruit. After all, every customer loved something cheaper.
The oranges in Evelyn’s shop were no exceptions.
Soon, Evelyn had to join Ethan in selling, and they both attended to the customers.
The other shop owners began to grow annoyed and shot glares at the couple. Even the people who had greeted Evelyn warmly in the morning were now looking at her coldly.
Their own customers were now leaving and heading to Evelyn’s shop. It felt like slaps to their faces.
The white-haired young woman pretended not to notice, dutifully attending to the customers.
Once it was 3 p.m on the dot, Ethan took down the suggestion board and wiped off the discount writing.
He turned to the remaining customers—people who had arrived too late.
"Sorry, but the offer is gone now, and the remaining oranges are being sold for their original price."
A few grunts of dissatisfaction were heard, but Ethan turned a deaf ear to them.
Just then, Ethan smiled. "Well, let’s have it like this. For the next ten minutes, a 5% discount. Agreed?"
The customers glanced at each other in disbelief. "Really? Just 5%?"
Ethan shrugged. "If you still want to buy it at the original price, no problem."
A few people cursed and walked away, but the others stayed. Even though it was merely a 5% discount, it was still a discount.
Soon, the section displaying oranges was completely empty just like the others.
Evelyn stared in a daze, almost unable to believe her eyes. This had never happened in her shop—selling all the fruits until there was none left.
Today was definitely special, and it was all because of Ethan.
She turned her gaze to him, then said, "Thank you. For helping out today."
Ethan nodded casually, removing the waist purse from his body.
Evelyn lowered her head and spoke softly. "How... how much do you want to borrow today?"
Ethan paused, then chuckled. He was amused by how fast she had jumped to such a conclusion.
To her, however, his chuckle sounded almost devilish, as though he were about to reveal the purpose of his grand plan and declare, ’This is my perfect victory! I win!’
Sadly, or perhaps not, Ethan had no such intentions. He handed her the waist purse.
"I’m not borrowing," He clarified. "It’s your money and not mine. I’ll make my own money, anyway."
Evelyn stared at the purse in her hands, blinked, and replayed his words in her mind. When she fully processed it, her vision blurred, and she fell forward.