“Move inside, move inside! Hey, those picking up goods, come inside, don’t block the doorway, you’re in the way of the lady behind you!”
“This is a hot-selling mink fur jacket, designer style from Europe. We’re the only ones in the market selling it.
It looks super stylish and enhances your figure. Honestly, you won’t find another store in all of Shenyang selling this. I guarantee it will sell well if you take it back—”
On the narrow and crowded second floor of Wu’ai Market, inside a small room, clothes hung on every wall.
Shelves along the edges were packed with more stock, a counter stood in the middle, and plastic bags, packing boxes, and plastic ropes were scattered all around.
Qian Dailan stood on a plastic high stool in front of the counter, lifting her coat to show the clothing inside.
Her voice was clear and sharp: “And this one I’m wearing inside, it’s a trending Korean piece, made of South Korean silk blend.
It’s super stretchy, doesn’t pill or fade. Perfect under a coat, paired with a wool skirt—it’s stylish and beautiful. Cui-jie, what did you say?”
The place was so crowded that she had to lean down to finally hear Cui-jie’s question.
Cui-jie asked, “How do you sell this South Korean silk one?”
“Single color, five pieces minimum; mixed colors, ten pieces. No size restrictions.”
As Qian Dailan spoke, she bent down, reached into a plastic bin at her feet without even looking, and accurately pulled out the right piece, unfolding it for Cui-jie.
“Feel it—this fabric is super comfortable. Only twenty yuan a piece. Genuine Korean stock. I personally picked it up at the Qingdao port; it was shipped from Seoul.
The one I’m wearing is black, but we also have iris blue and mimosa yellow—both trendy colors. Cui-jie, your usual style is more classic, so go with the black one like mine.
If your shop attracts younger girls who follow trends, take the iris blue and mimosa yellow… Alright, so two S, five M, and three L, all in black, right?”
After confirming the order, Qian Dailan called out, “Jingxing, did you write down Cui-jie’s order?”
Zhang Jingxing squeezed through, holding a silver calculator covered in pink rhinestones in one hand and a notebook and pen in the other, calculating Cui-jie’s total.
At the doorway, the boss, Mai-jie, stood with her hands in her pockets, the heels of her high shoes loudly tapping against the floor.
She shouted, “…Two pieces? We don’t sell in twos! We don’t do small orders here. Either buy properly or leave—don’t block my doorway! And don’t mess with the curtain, if you break it, you’ll have to pay!”
They were so busy that even by noon, there was no time for a proper meal.
In the tiny stall, the three of them made do with a few bites of biscuits.
It was the end of August, and the first batch of autumn clothing had just arrived in the wholesale market.
Among all the stalls in Wu’ai Market, Mai-jie’s was the busiest, packed with customers.
It was shoulder to shoulder from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., barely any space to breathe.
At 7:30 p.m., Qian Dailan finally got a break.
Her throat was so dry it felt like it was burning.
While Zhang Jingxing and Mai-jie checked the accounts, she took off her coat and sat in front of a small fan, letting the air blast at her.
Using a splintered disposable chopstick, she ate a bowl of spicy potato noodles.
The noodle shop owner knew Mai-jie well, so she always called in an order for them.
Every portion they received had an extra quail egg.
“The shirts Cui-jie took today are already sold out,” Qian Dailan said.
“The one I wore today sold especially fast. Mai-jie, you should restock some more— but not too many. I figure just over two hundred more should be enough. Sales won’t be as hot later on.”
“You really have an eye for trends. Last time, you told me this one would sell well, but I hesitated,” Mai-jie admitted.
“I only stocked around three hundred, and in less than two days, they were gone. But no worries, I have a good connection with Yi-jie in Guangzhou.
I can reorder at the same price—ten yuan per piece. It’ll just take a few days to arrive.”
As she ate, Qian Dailan continued checking inventory, never letting her mouth rest.
The vegetables soaked in chili oil and vinegar, the plump white bean sprouts, the quail egg she speared with her chopsticks.
She sat beneath a sign that read “No Competitors Allowed,” “No Haggling,” and “Minimum Order of Five, No Retail Sales,” sweating as she ate.
The room was filled with the heavy, stale scent of fabric.
After finishing the stock check, she finally said to Mai-jie, “After this month, I’m quitting.”
“What?”
Mai-jie was stunned by the news and asked, “What are you planning to do?”
Qian Dailan firmly clamped a piece of fish tofu with her chopsticks, the egg yolk from her quail egg still clinging to it.
“I’m going to Beijing.”
“Oh, come on, listen to me,” Mai-jie said, exasperated.
“You can’t rely on men—especially rich men. Your boyfriend may look nice and delicate, but what use is that? Mosquitoes could slip off his face.
He can’t even stand on his own, let alone support you. Don’t go to Beijing. What’s so great about Beijing anyway?”
“I don’t know either,” Qian Dailan sighed in confusion.
“It’s hard to explain, but it just feels lively.”
“If you had money, anywhere could be lively. Even a sewage pit could be turned into a little Iceland.”
After a moment, seeing the uncertainty on Qian Dailan’s face, Mai-jie lowered her voice.
“Remember Feng-jie? The one who used to run the stall next to us? She used to be a big shot, always arguing with customers.
In one month, she fought thirty-eight times and got arrested nineteen times. Her business was booming. But last year, she trusted a man, got married, and had a baby.
The other day, I saw her in the basement level, carrying a kid, haggling over a one-yuan discount on a clearance-sale nightgown for half an hour. If she had just kept running her store, would she have ended up like that? You tell me.”
Qian Dailan said, “I’m not going to Beijing just for Xijing. And honestly, Mai-jie, I’ve been happy working here with you. It’s just that… I can see the end of the road here.
Sure, I’ve made money, and I know you’ve looked out for me these past two years. But I just… I’m not satisfied.”
Zhang Jingxing quietly continued calculating, her pink rhinestone calculator clicking away.
On the metal shelf in the top corner, a small TV played Chinese Paladin 3.
The music swelled with emotion as the blue-haired Long Kui turned red, pushing Jing Tian and Xue Jian away before resolutely leaping into the sword-forging furnace.
A large moth fluttered against the lampshade, shuddering from the heat.
Its shadow flickered across the cramped little shop, sweeping across Qian Dailan’s face.
Mai-jie saw the brightness in her eyes beneath her messy hair.
“When I visited Beijing last time, I thought—there are so many people making it big there. Why can’t I be one of them?” Qian Dailan said.
“Don’t laugh at me—I want to make big money. I want to go out and explore. Before, I didn’t dare run around because of my mom’s illness.
But after her surgery, she’s been much better. Two years ago, she got urban health insurance, and most of her meds are covered. The money I’ve saved over the years is enough for her.”
“And what about you?” Mai-jie frowned.
“You’re going to Beijing without savings? How do you plan to make money? That place is expensive—you’ll need to pay for food, housing, everything.”
“I checked. Renting a whole place costs over two thousand a month—too expensive. I plan to share a place. A small room should be four or five hundred. That should work.”
“So, you’ve been planning this for a while?” Mai-jie sighed.
“No wonder you told me last month that you’d leave after this one… Ah, it’s hard to talk sense into someone determined.
Your legs are your own—I can’t stop you. But to be honest, I feel a little sad about you leaving.”
“That’s why, my dear, kind-hearted Mai-jie,” Qian Dailan softened her voice, “didn’t you say before that your cousin is a store manager in a shopping mall? Could you ask her if she’s hiring?”
“Forget it, Qianqian, my cousin has a master’s degree from Hei University! That mall caters to foreigners—you need to speak English and have a degree. You only finished middle school; they wouldn’t even consider you,” Mai-jie rolled her eyes.
“And now that you’re leaving, I have to find someone new—it’s a hassle. Why should I help you?”