boyutpedia Chapter 25 The Whole Family Buys New Clothes
Chapter 25 The Whole Family Buys New Clothes
The next morning, Xu Chunsheng asked his parents:
"Dad, Mom, is there anything we need to bring?"
"No need, we have everything we need at home. You sisters can go and attend the fairs."
After saying this, Xu's parents also told Xu Chunsheng and his eldest sister to take good care of their younger siblings. They thought that Xu Chunsheng, his eldest sister, and his youngest sister were just going to town to send the three children off to catch the bus. No one expected that the sisters would bring back "gifts" for the two elders.
At the market, Xu Chunsheng stood in front of a stall, pointed to a blue and white striped sweatshirt, and asked, "Boss, how much is this outfit?"
The shopkeeper glanced at the group of people in front of his stall. Their clothes were clean, but clearly old. He assumed Xu Chunsheng and the others were just like everyone else, simply asking about prices. Although he experienced this many times a day, he wouldn't overlook anyone who came to ask a question.
"Young man, you have a good eye! This style is very popular outside. If you like it, I'll sell it to you for 43, which is originally 45! Come and try it on. You can also take a look at other styles."
"Okay, thank you, boss. Let's look at the others."
Besides Xu Chunsheng, Xu Dajie, Xu Sandi, and Xu Yaomei all exclaimed in surprise, marveling at how expensive the clothes were.
Xu Chunsheng frowned; he also felt the clothes were a bit too expensive.
The boss wasn't annoyed at all; he was still cheerful. Pointing to a corner, he saw a makeshift fitting room set up with two nails hammered into the wall, ropes strung at both ends, and a bed sheet hung on top for stability. He said:
"Yes, feel free to browse. If you see something you like, you can try it here."
It wasn't that Xu Chunsheng and his group didn't "compare prices," but rather that they had already looked at several shops, some of which either didn't even bother them, while others said, "Just look at the clothes, don't touch them."
Such situations made the sisters very resentful, and even though they had money, they wouldn't patronize his business!
The eldest sister tugged at Xu Chunsheng's sleeve and said, "Erwa, why don't we buy Sanwa an outfit to wear to school? I brought cloth coupons; we can go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy some cloth to make an outfit."
Hearing what the eldest sister Xu said, the shopkeeper quickly took out a bundle of floral fabric from under his stall and said, "Sister, look at my fabric. You won't find such nice fabric at the supply and marketing cooperative."
After saying that, he pointed to a floral dress hanging on the wall and said to them:
"This is how it turns out. Making your own dress is perfect for hot weather, and it's cheaper than buying ready-made clothes from me. Plus, if you buy an extra meter or two of fabric, you can make the same dress for your sister too. It's called 'matching outfits,' and it's very trendy. You two are such sweet girls, you'll definitely look great wearing them together!"
The older woman was somewhat tempted by the boss's offer, but since the fabric wasn't suitable for work and wouldn't get dirty easily, she said, "Could you please make me a smaller set? I don't need it."
Before the eldest sister could finish speaking, Xu Chunsheng interrupted her, saying, "Boss, bring three people, two adults and one child."
Xu Chunsheng had just noticed that his eldest sister and youngest sister were drawn to the clothes on the wall, and then turned to his eldest sister and said:
"You haven't worn new clothes in a long time. Besides, if you dress up nicely, you'll have a better chance to meet your date in a couple of days. Make one for Mom too, so you can wear matching 'mother and daughter' outfits."
The eldest sister was amused by Xu Chunsheng's words and felt a little embarrassed.
Hearing this, the shop owner took down a dress from the wall and said, "Hey, little sister, come in and try on this dress. It's okay if you don't buy it; just consider it adding some customers to my shop."
The older sister was indeed very tempted, so she took the dress and went inside to try it on.
Meanwhile, the shopkeeper patiently looked for clothes for Xu San Di. She had overheard that they were buying clothes for the little boy to take to school, as ready-made clothes were much more profitable than fabric.
The shopkeeper bent down and rummaged through the pile of clothes on the floor for a while before pulling out a navy blue polyester twill shirt.
The shopkeeper showed the clothes to Xu Chunsheng and the two children: small lapel, three pockets, and tight stitching, saying:
"How about this one? The color is simple and suitable for studying. The style was also popular before. However, it's a piece of clothing that I left in the store for people to try on. I originally planned to give it to a relative's child. If you don't mind, I'll sell it to you for ten dollars."
The shopkeeper pulled out a pair of black elastic polyester trousers and held them up in front of Xu San Di to show him:
"These pants are elastic and not tapered. Once I grow taller in two days, I can find a similar piece of fabric to attach to the cuffs and wear them for another two years."
"Together with that dress, you'll give me eighteen in total, it's a great deal."
Xu Chunsheng was somewhat dissatisfied; he still preferred the blue and white tracksuit he had asked about at the store entrance earlier.
However, he now has to consider the funds he has. After selling the Ophiopogon japonicus last time, Xu Chunsheng paid off all the debts he owed, including the money his father and eldest sister had advanced. He only had a little over a hundred yuan left.
I simply can't afford forty-odd yuan to buy a new outfit.
As Xu Chunsheng was still pondering, his third brother Xu said to him, "Second brother, I can still wear my clothes, there's no need to buy any."
Hearing this, Xu Chunsheng felt a pang in his heart. He patted Xu Sandi's head, said nothing, and simply gestured to the boss not to put it back yet.
Xu Chunsheng then pointed to a "Dacron" shirt and asked, "How much is this shirt? Please take it down for me so I can take a look."
"The ones with prints are ten dollars, and the ones without prints are nine dollars."
……
Wow~
A gasp came from the fitting room; it was Xu Yaomei's voice.
It turned out that when her older sister went to change clothes, she followed her in, saying she wanted to be the first to see her sister in her floral dress.
A short while later, the older woman lifted the curtain of the "fitting room," ducked to avoid the rope, and came out.
"Second brother, third brother, look, look! Big sister is so pretty! Little sister wants such a pretty dress too."
Hearing her youngest sister's voice, the eldest sister's cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked at her two younger brothers with a hint of shyness in her eyes.
Seeing Xu Chunsheng and Xu Sandi nod in unison, the eldest sister instantly relaxed her tense body.
"Come here, little sister, there's a mirror here."
As the boss spoke, he took a small square mirror with a large red frame from the drawer and handed it over, occasionally uttering words of praise:
"This floral dress looks best on young girls. With two braids, two ribbons, and a pair of little leather shoes, they really look like city girls."
The older sister felt a little embarrassed by what the boss said, so she asked the younger sister to hold up the mirror for her while she stood further away, wanting to see the effect more clearly.
"Boss, could you help us take our measurements? This one is a bit big; I'd like one that reaches my calves. Could you also help me choose another color that suits someone in their late thirties?"
The eldest sister overlooked the fact that Xu Chunsheng had just worn the same "mother-daughter outfit," but she could have chosen a different pattern and made the same style.
The boss agreed, then stretched out a soft ruler and measured the two women against each other, while his mouth was also busy, making the older sister and younger sister laugh with just a few words.
"Yes, yes, I'll bring you an elastic band later so you can cinch your waist. You're slim, it'll look good this way. Plus, it'll save you a lot of money compared to buying it directly; the money for one is enough to make a smaller one."
"Come here, little sister, let me measure you. Oh my, such big eyes, and such fair skin. You'll definitely grow up to be as beautiful as your older sister."
Xu San Di listened in stunned silence.
Xu Chunsheng couldn't help but sigh to himself: Women are really good with words. Boss, with your eloquence, you'll succeed at anything.
Thinking it over, Xu Chunsheng took a pair of bell-bottoms off the wall, walked up to his older sister, and handed them to her, wanting her to try them on.
But before Xu Chunsheng could speak, a sharp explosion came from outside the shop.
"Xu Chunsheng! You won't buy me bell-bottoms, but you buy them for other women! You're shameless!"