Chapter 20: Lining Up to Pay

Lu Fan stood one meter eighty-two tall, with a well-proportioned figure and striking good looks. Once he put on the shirt, he appeared even more upright and imposing.

Instantly, the middle-aged woman’s eyes brightened.

At that moment, she was somewhat tempted, but the price of the shirt was still too high. If this were a mall, she would have bought it at that price, but since it was a street stall, she felt it wasn’t worth it.

“Sister, I can tell you really want to buy it. How about this: there will be a promotion here at seven o’clock tonight, and it’ll be much cheaper then.”

“What kind of promotion?”

“The second item is half price, and the third one is free.”

“Ah, so cheap! Why don’t you do it now? I have the money, you can just let me take three.”

“Sorry, sister, that’s the company’s rule. We’re just working for the company. If we don’t follow their rules, they won’t pay us.”

“What kind of lousy company is this? That’s a ridiculous rule. Your boss must be crazy.”

Lu Fan smiled. “Maybe he has OCD. Sorry about that. To make it up to you, you can pay one yuan now, which will count as ten yuan later.”

The woman glanced at Lu Fan and Bai Lu. “You won’t take my money and run, will you?”

“Not a chance. That would be fraud, wouldn’t it? Do you think we’d scam you for one yuan?”

“Hehe, I’m just joking. Okay, I’ll give you one yuan. Seven o’clock, right?”

“Yes, just come a few minutes early. It might get crowded, so I’ll save a spot for you.”

The woman handed Lu Fan one yuan, then continued strolling while holding her dog’s leash.

Lu Fan passed the money to Bai Lu. “You’re in charge of collecting money tonight. This is the first yuan we’ve earned. Think carefully with me; those people have already paid.”

Bai Lu had many questions swirling in her mind. She wanted to ask why, if buyers were here, they hadn’t sold the clothes yet. Three shirts could sell for 150 yuan, with a cost of only 30—earning 120 yuan, which was equivalent to a week's wages for Liu Yue’e. Yet Lu Fan just let the customers go.

But when she saw Lu Fan hand over that one yuan, her mind went blank. Especially when she heard him say this was their first earned yuan, her heart pounded fiercely, so much so that she hardly felt the burning pain in her rear.

“Hey! What are you thinking? Curious why I don’t sell when there’s business? Hehe, you’ll know at seven o’clock.”

Bai Lu took the yuan, feeling a sweet warmth flood her heart. Nothing else seemed important.

Over the next half hour, Lu Fan collected one yuan from seven more people using the same method.

Many didn’t pay, saying they’d come back and see later, and Lu Fan didn’t press them.

Most of those who paid were women.

As dusk fell, streetlights flickered on, and vendors began setting up stalls on both sides of the street.

To Lu Fan’s left was a tricycle stall selling small accessories.

On his right was another clothing stall, operated by a young couple. They opened the back of a small truck, spread plastic sheets on the ground, and piled two heaps of clothes—one priced at ten yuan, the other at twenty. Customers would squat and rummage through them.

When they first arrived, the woman scolded Lu Fan for taking their spot, but after Lu Fan handed her partner a cigarette, she wisely ceased complaining.

While Lu Fan collected yuan by yuan, the stall on his right had already sold more than a dozen pieces.

During quiet moments, the young woman approached, flashing a wad of tens and twenties, smiling, “Little brother, this is the first time I’ve seen someone do business like you. Where in the world do you push customers away?”

“That elderly man just wanted to buy your clothes, but you scared him off with just a few words. That’s not right!”

Lu Fan chuckled. “Sister, it’s the company’s rule. I can’t help it. Sell what you can. I just take a small commission from what we earn.”

As the city lights came on, the street grew busier.

Lu Fan collected four more yuan, but once a crowd gathered, his method faltered. A single shout would scatter them.

After six-thirty, he stopped explaining and simply placed a pre-made sign on his stall:

One item at full price, the second half price, the third free.

Some people showed interest, but Lu Fan stubbornly insisted the sale started at seven.

The two neighboring stall owners shook their heads in disbelief.

Running a business isn’t supposed to be so rigid. Even if it’s company policy, there should be some flexibility.

People came and went.

As seven approached, a small crowd formed in front of Lu Fan’s stall.

At the very least, those who had paid one yuan earlier began returning.

In the final five minutes, Lu Fan organized the queue, placing those who had prepaid at the front, with others lined up behind in order of arrival.

To show his apology, he sent Bai Lu to buy a bag of ice cream from a nearby stall and handed one to each person in line.

The three-yuan ice cream worked wonders; complaints ceased instantly.

Some began to speak up for Lu Fan.

“The young man isn’t easy. The company has rules, and he can’t do otherwise.”

“Yes, yes, the quality is good. I checked earlier. These clothes would cost at least a hundred yuan each in a mall.”

“Anyway, it’s cool to hang out here in the evening, isn’t it?”

Watching the seconds tick down, Lu Fan finally spoke loudly in the last minute.

“Thank you all for your support—brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grandmas. Please keep the line orderly; come one by one. Pay first, then choose your clothes.”

“Once you’ve picked, please move aside to make room for others. Thank you.”

“Half a minute left: ten, nine...”

“Three, two, one!”

“To this lady: you prepaid one yuan, which counts as ten. The first piece is 98 yuan, minus 10, so 88; second piece 49; third free. You owe 137 yuan and can choose three pieces.”

The dog-walking lady had let her dog off the leash and now beamed with excitement. “Then I’ll pick now.”

“Go ahead.”

She smiled at the others waiting behind her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.”

Bai Lu collected the money and explained where sizes were located.

The lady quickly chose her clothes, inspected them briefly for quality, and left the stall.

But she didn’t go far—she stayed at the back, watching the scene unfold.

After chatting for a while, she found the atmosphere quite pleasant.

People love a lively scene. Soon, the crowd grew larger, more people joined the queue.

Lu Fan controlled the queue’s length. When it grew too long, he signaled Bai Lu to hurry and help find sizes.

When it was short, he told her to slow down—this was all prearranged.

In truth, Bai Lu didn’t need signals; she could sense it herself.

The neighboring stall owners watched the scene with wide eyes.

Especially the young woman who had mocked Lu Fan earlier. Seeing Bai Lu’s pockets stuffed with cash, while her own hand held only a thin stack of bills, she felt a heavy weight in her chest.