Chapter 90: Chen Xuelian’s Shock!

“He really is capable!”

Qi Genshou couldn’t help but smack his lips and sigh. “If our Qiao’er could marry into their family, she wouldn’t have to worry for the rest of her life!”

Zhang Shuixian glared at him. “That Xie Er Xiaozi is already married. What are you thinking?”

Qi Genshou gave her a strange look.

“What are you thinking? I’m talking about the eldest brother of the Xie Family! The second one is too capable; our daughter wouldn’t be able to handle him. Look at the eldest Xie brother. He doesn’t say much, but he’s a hard worker. He hasn’t rested once since he came into the shop! If our daughter really ends up with him, he’ll definitely be the type to dote on his wife! Just like me!”

Zhang Shuixian was taken aback, then reached out and pinched him.

“You’re too old to be so shameless.”

After saying that, she turned to look outside again.

Xie Cheng had finished sweeping the floor and was tidying up the scraps of fabric under the sewing machines.

Those were to be taken back to Shishui Village to be starched and used as linings.

Ever since he walked in, he hadn’t rested for a single moment. He was hardworking and diligent, clearly an honest and down-to-earth person.

If their daughter really started a family with him, then she and her old man could finally rest easy!

…

Meanwhile, Xie Zhao was balancing the books.

One business, one ledger.

He had to organize everything for this handbag business, including the capital, profits, wages, and so on. Otherwise, a messy ledger would cause massive headaches once things got onto the right track.

Without rules, there could be no order.

With his head down, he was extremely focused, so he didn’t notice a woman quickly running out of the crowd and ducking into a street corner.

It was Chen Xuelian.

She had been his eldest sister for eighteen years.

Actually, Chen Xuelian had arrived very early.

Zhao Lanzhi had called her over.

Yesterday, she had a fight with her husband and went back to her parents’ home in a fit of anger. She hadn’t expected her mother, Zhao Lanzhi, to drag her out of bed first thing in the morning and tell her to take a day off work to buy a handbag at Jinxiu Tailor Shop.

She hadn’t even understood what she was hearing at first!

Handbags?

What on earth was that?

So Zhao Lanzhi explained what had happened at the banquet, and then said with a grim expression, “Mrs. Liu specifically demanded that bag. If we don’t give it to her, your brother’s bags won’t even get into the department store. Hurry up and go, don’t delay. No matter what, you must buy one back!”

Chen Xuelian was both surprised and shocked.

What kind of bag could be so beautiful and fashionable?

And so, she arrived at Chunshui Street. However, she had underestimated how many people wanted to buy this bag. By the time Chen Xuelian finished breakfast and reached Jinxiu Tailor Shop, the crowd was already packed three layers deep, blocking the street completely.

She was stunned.

Was this bag really in such high demand?

At that moment, she could only stand outside the crowd, crane her neck, and peer inside. But she couldn’t see what was happening at all; she could only hear a familiar voice drifting out.

Chen Xuelian was still a bit dazed.

Why did this voice sound so familiar?

It was incredibly familiar!

But there were simply too many people, and since she was at the very back, the voice from inside came through in fits and starts. She didn’t realize who it was at first. It wasn’t until the crowd began to disperse that she stood on her tiptoes, desperately pushing her way forward to catch a glimpse inside.

One look, and her soul nearly leaped out of her body!

Heavens!

It was Xie Zhao!

How could it be him?!

The familiar voice instantly connected with the face before her. She froze in shock until Xie Zhao looked up, seemingly about to glance in her direction. Jolted awake, she instinctively spun around and bolted into an alley!

I can’t let him see me!

At that moment, this was the only thought in her head!

Waves of shock crashed through Chen Xuelian’s heart. Hiding at the corner of the alley, she peeked back toward Jinxiu Tailor Shop again and again, unwilling to accept it.

Maybe it was just a coincidence?

Or maybe Xie Zhao just happened to be there to buy a bag too?

How could he be the one selling them?

What right did he have to sell bags?!

A chaotic jumble of thoughts flashed through her mind. It wasn’t until Xie Zhao finished balancing the books and left on the donkey cart with Xie Cheng and Sanliuzi that a cold shiver ran down her spine, snapping her completely back to reality.

And Chen Xuelian finally confirmed one thing for certain.

Xie Zhao was the one selling these bags.

In other words, he could sell them to whomever he pleased!

Chen Xuelian ran all the way back home.

She pushed open the door and shouted, “Mom! This is bad! Something bad happened, come out quickly!”

Zhao Lanzhi was in the living room eating breakfast.

She was taking a sip of soy milk, and Chen Xuelian’s sudden shout almost made her choke!

“What is it? Shouting like this first thing in the morning, are you trying to scare me to death?”

Zhao Lanzhi frowned, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and turned to look at Chen Xuelian. Seeing her empty hands, Zhao Lanzhi’s expression instantly soured.

“Where is the bag? You went out so early, how did you come back empty-handed?”

Zhao Lanzhi was rather angry. “I have tea scheduled with Mrs. Liu this afternoon. How am I supposed to account for this?”

Chen Xuelian rushed up to her in a panic and said loudly, “Mom! Forget about tea! Do you know who is selling those bags?”

“It’s Xie Zhao! It’s him!”

Zhao Lanzhi froze.

“Xie Zhao?”

“How is that possible? You must have seen wrong!” Zhao Lanzhi blurted out in instinctive denial.

“I saw him with my own eyes! He set up some kind of purchase limit, only selling ten bags a day, and every bag is numbered. He’s made it all fancy!”

Chen Xuelian said excitedly, “Mom! Do you know how much one bag sells for? One hundred and eighty-eight yuan! He might as well be robbing people!”

Zhao Lanzhi’s eyes widened in shock.

She stood frozen in place, her mouth hanging open, but not a single word came out.

She suddenly remembered seeing Xie Zhao at Mrs. Liu’s house that day.

Could he have been there to sell a bag?

That was it!

That day, Mrs. Ye had also mentioned that a young man had sold the bag to her!

That young man was highly likely to be Xie Zhao!

Zhao Lanzhi’s heart instantly plunged into an icy abyss. She stood up in a daze and began pacing around the sofa.

She kept muttering to herself, How could it be him?

After gulping down a few mouthfuls of soy milk, Chen Xuelian finally calmed down completely.

“Mom, don’t worry too much. He’s probably just short on money and working as a laborer at Jinxiu Tailor Shop!”

Chen Xuelian said, “That Jinxiu Tailor Shop isn’t his, did you forget? He must have just gone there to help out! There’s no way that bag is his!”

Hearing this, Zhao Lanzhi finally calmed down as well.

She walked over to the sofa, sat down, and took a few deep breaths. Her head finally cleared up a bit.

That was true.

She had met the elderly couple who owned Jinxiu Tailor Shop before. The shop had been open for so many years; they couldn’t have sold it to someone else overnight.

Besides, where would Xie Zhao get the money to buy a tailor shop?

He must just be working there!

The elderly couple was getting on in years and probably weren’t good at talking to customers or selling things, so hiring a young person was only natural.

Didn’t her own family hire someone specifically to watch over the clothes at the department store?

Once she figured this out, Zhao Lanzhi’s expression finally softened.

She picked up her soy milk and took a sip, only to realize it had already gone completely cold.

Hmph.

He just had a bit of luck and got a little authority in his hands.

An employee and a boss.

How could they even compare?

“In a couple of days, I’ll have someone else go buy it. We’ll find an unfamiliar face. As long as they can buy the bag, that’s fine. The urgent matter right now is to get through to Mrs. Liu. Your brother’s bags are about to go on sale, and that’s what we should be focusing on.”