Chapter 11
When Xia Sheng returned to the private room, Fang Rong and Jiang Zhongqing were already deep in conversation.
They were talking about the first half of their lives, both feeling a bit emotional and sighing at the unpredictability of the world.
Seeing how well they were getting along, Xia Sheng hesitated, wondering if she should go back to the restroom for a while longer. But Fang Rong noticed her and called her in to keep eating, saying that otherwise there would be no dishes left soon.
Xia Sheng nodded and walked over to sit down.
After the meal, Xia Sheng planned to take Fang Rong shopping for clothes, and also to buy a phone and a computer.
While running her stall today, several people wanted to pay by phone, but she only had a basic phone, so in the end she had to ask them to go get cash instead.
If she bought herself a smartphone, it would be much more convenient for receiving payments in the future.
Jiang Zhongqing originally wanted to accompany the mother and daughter shopping, but he had work in the afternoon, so he left first.
Xia Sheng took Fang Rong to a nearby mall.
It was Xia Sheng’s first time shopping in a mall, so she didn’t have much experience and just randomly picked a women’s clothing store to enter.
The store was exquisitely decorated, with all kinds of new styles on display.
It was noon, so the store was crowded and the sales assistants were mostly busy. Xia Sheng didn’t like being followed while shopping for clothes anyway, so she and Fang Rong browsed on their own.
She spotted an outfit with decent quality and style, reached out to take it from the rack, and wanted to ask Fang Rong if she liked it.
“Don’t touch that.”
A shop assistant walked over, snatched the clothes from her hand, hung them back on the rack, and brushed the garment for a while as if it had been contaminated by something dirty.
While tidying up the clothes, she looked Xia Sheng and Fang Rong up and down, her eyes full of disdain.
Xia Sheng’s expression didn’t change. She said, “Hello, I’d like my mother to try on this outfit.”
The shop assistant rolled her eyes. “Let me say this first, this outfit costs twelve thousand yuan.”
After speaking, she glanced again at Xia Sheng and Fang Rong’s inexpensive clothing, clearly implying something.
Fang Rong felt uncomfortable under the shop assistant’s gaze, tugged at Xia Sheng’s hand, and whispered, “Sheng’er, let’s go look somewhere else.”
The shop assistant didn’t hear what Fang Rong said, but just seeing her timid demeanor, she knew they were about to leave and sneered as if to say, “Just as I thought.”
“Go downstairs and cross the street. There’s a wholesale market with street vendors over there. You can check it out; it should suit you both.”
Fang Rong was even more embarrassed and wanted to pull Xia Sheng away.
Xia Sheng comfortingly held her mother’s hand and was about to say something when another sales assistant walked over. “Ladies, sorry about that. Xiao Zhu is new here, so her service might not be very attentive.”
As she spoke, she signaled to Xiao Zhu to step aside, then took the outfit Xiao Zhu had just hung back and handed it to Xia Sheng. “If your mother likes this outfit, she can try it on in the fitting room over here.”
Fang Rong said awkwardly, “But we don’t have that much money…”
The sales assistant maintained a warm smile and was very friendly. “It’s fine, you can try it on even if you don’t buy.”
Xiao Zhu, having been reprimanded by her senior, felt a bit resentful. Seeing her senior still wanting to let Fang Rong try on clothes, she was even more displeased and muttered, “Sister Zhou, why let them try? They can’t afford it anyway.”
Xia Sheng glanced at Xiao Zhu, then said to Sister Zhou, “Just wrap it up, no need to try. And those two dresses and the suit next to it-wrap those up too.”
Sister Zhou was stunned for a moment, and Xiao Zhu was also a bit dumbfounded.
Within seconds, Sister Zhou recovered and smiled brightly. “Alright, just let me know your mother’s size and I’ll get the items.”
When Sister Zhou finished packing the clothes and brought them out, Xiao Zhu saw that Xia Sheng wasn’t pretending but really intended to buy these clothes. She immediately became eager to please, her smile blooming brighter than a chrysanthemum.
“Miss, you really have an eye for things. These clothes are perfect for your mother. Let me help you with the bill.”
Salespeople all work on commission. Xia Sheng bought so many clothes at once that the salesperson in charge would earn several thousand yuan just from the commission alone.
You have to know, their base salary during the internship is just over two thousand. This amount of money is already quite significant for Xiao Zhu.
Xia Sheng’s expression was a bit cold. “No need.”
After refusing, she looked at Sister Zhou. “Could you please help me with the checkout?”
“No trouble at all, it’s my duty.”
Sister Zhou replied with a smile and led Xia Sheng to the cashier.
Xiao Zhu gritted her teeth hard, unwilling to accept it.
Before Xia Sheng left, she glanced back at Xiao Zhu. “By the way, let me remind you: don’t run inside the store.”
Xiao Zhu didn’t understand, watching the group walk away, the frustration in her heart growing even stronger.
This mother and daughter are really crazy, coming to a luxury store dressed like that-aren’t they just messing with her on purpose?
And Sister Zhou, those two were clearly her customers first, yet she snatched the sale!
That commission should have been hers!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Xiao Zhu ran after them, “Sister Zhou, those are my customers, I should be the one handling the bill… Ah!”
Xiao Zhu had just run a few steps when the heel of her high-heeled shoe suddenly broke. Her left foot tripped over her right, and she fell straight to the ground.
Her hands flailed in the air, grabbing onto a dress, stabilizing herself for a second, but then both she and the dress toppled forward.
The sound of fabric tearing rang out. Xiao Zhu thought it was her own clothes ripping, but when she sat up and looked, she realized it was the dress she had grabbed that was torn.
Her pupils contracted. Trembling, she picked up the tag and glanced at it.
Twenty-one thousand!
That’s several months of her salary!
The Shop Manager’s angry voice sounded above her head. “Xiao Zhu!”
Xiao Zhu looked up. The Shop Manager asked with a fake smile, “Card or cash?”
Xiao Zhu’s eyes rolled back, and she nearly fainted.
Fang Rong was waiting by the counter for her daughter to finish paying, noticed the commotion over there, and remembered her daughter’s strange skills. She whispered, “Sheng’er, was that your doing?”
“No,” Xia Sheng curled her lips. “I noticed earlier that her heel was coming loose, so I kindly reminded her not to run in the store.”
If someone insists on not listening, what can you do?
After paying and leaving the store, Fang Rong looked at the large and small bags in Xia Sheng’s hands, feeling a bit distressed about the money.
Just a few pieces of clothing, and it cost over a hundred thousand.
“Sheng’er, let’s not spend so much just to prove a point next time. It’s not easy for you to earn money…”
She had wanted to say this in the store, but was afraid of embarrassing her daughter, so she held back.
Xia Sheng said calmly, “People live for dignity. It’s not hard for me to make money, Mom, you don’t need to save for me.”
She never provokes others, but that doesn’t mean she will let herself be bullied.
Fang Rong wanted to argue, but then remembered how Jiang Zhongqing had said at lunch that he would give her daughter fifty million, but her daughter didn’t take it.
It seems her daughter really does find it easy to make money.
Even though she knew her daughter was capable, Fang Rong, having lived frugally all her life, still felt a bit pained about the money.
Xia Sheng took Fang Rong’s arm affectionately. “Mom, don’t worry. I’ll have another payment coming in tomorrow. Everything I spent today, I’ll earn back.”
Fang Rong was puzzled. “How do you know you’ll have money coming in tomorrow?”
Xia Sheng pretended to be mysterious. “I met someone today, and I calculated that he’ll bring me a huge sum tomorrow.”
Seeing her daughter’s confidence, Fang Rong stopped worrying and went with her to buy a phone and a computer.”