After two days of exams in Anqing, Xia Xiaolan had all her meals at Mrs. Huang’s shop.
With her influence, or perhaps due to word-of-mouth from the female students, Mrs. Huang’s long tables were full during meal times. Though it was quick-service food and customers ate rapidly, as business improved, they still had to wait for tables to turn over. Mrs. Huang couldn’t stop smiling. When the indoor seating was full, she added several tables outside along the street. Cars with four wheels were rare on the streets then, with traffic mainly consisting of pedestrians and bicycles.
Mrs. Huang’s setup didn’t obstruct traffic on the ten-meter-wide street.
There were no city management officers to chase people away – the “City Management” department hadn’t even been established yet.
However, since Mrs. Huang ran a food business, many departments could restrict her. Xia Xiaolan kindly reminded her to maintain good relationships with various parties and be wary of competitors making malicious reports to cause trouble.
Mrs. Huang agreed.
“You’re right.”
Since she was taking business from Zhang’s, they would certainly be unhappy, so Mrs. Huang needed to be careful.
Having stirred up trouble and finished her final exams, Xia Xiaolan left satisfied, planning to return to Anqing in a few days to collect her report card. She’d given Zhang Cui something to worry about, preventing that drama queen from bothering her.
Back in Shangdu, Xia Xiaolan had no time to rest. Though her family was understanding of her being a student, she couldn’t just focus on exams and nothing else. The store renovation had been going on for 20 days, with Liu Yong keeping close supervision, and progress was becoming visible.
“It’ll be finished in 10 more days!”
Today was January 14th, and the 1984 Spring Festival would be on February 2nd. If the renovation is finished in 10 days, around January 24th, “Blue Phoenix” could open before the Spring Festival. Recently, Li Fengmei has been managing the stall. Though this batch of goods was selling slowly, with Xia Xiaolan’s help, they could sell most of it by the 20th.
Then she could go to Yang City for new stock after the 20th.
Zhou Cheng had suggested Kang Wei go along, so Xia Xiaolan planned to contact Kang Wei in a few days to confirm the timing – whether to meet in Yang City or depart together from Shangdu.
Thinking about the opening, Xia Xiaolan was quite happy. “I need to follow up on the business license matter.”
Xia Xiaolan hadn’t handled the business license personally, having entrusted it to Hu Yongcai. She was used to dealing with him – she provided money while he provided effort, and she still had plenty of “Colored Butterfly” goods, which were considered valuable currency.
However, at the mention of the business license, Liu Yong’s expression turned sour.
Xia Xiaolan immediately understood there was a problem.
“Uncle, you need to tell me what’s wrong.”
Liu Yong wrung his hands. “You were sick after returning from Yang City, and then you had final exams, so I didn’t tell you. Hu Yongcai said our business license application is being held up, probably by the Zhu family…”
The Zhu family?
Xia Xiaolan frowned.
She hadn’t appeared in person for the business license application, so how did the Zhu family know “Blue Phoenix” was her store?
Even Ding Aizhen didn’t know initially.
Though she had found Xia Xiaolan’s figure familiar at the State Cotton Mill, she hadn’t made the connection at first. Yuan Honggang had merely mentioned renting to an individual business owner at 45 Second-Seven Road, and Ding Aizhen’s focus had been on the residential rooms above the shop.
Various factions in the factory had fought fiercely over these residential units, with Yuan Honggang, who had the authority to make decisions, being constantly surrounded by people.
Ding Aizhen had managed to snatch two quota spots through forceful means.
Why would others side with “Director Ding” if she couldn’t offer them benefits?
The two quotas in Ding Aizhen’s possession could naturally be exchanged for many favors, making her work at the unit smoother. No, Director Ding had always been smooth sailing, except for being angered by Xia Xiaolan – she was practically a winner at life.
When Zhu Fang returned home wearing a new coat, Ding Aizhen felt the fabric and heard it only cost 100 yuan, praising her son for his shopping skills.
“My son looks so good in it!”
Though mother and son argued, Ding Aizhen had been angry with her precious son then. The navy blue wool coat did look good on Zhu Fang – his fair skin and tall stature complemented the color well.
Hearing there was also a black version, Ding Aizhen thought about getting one for Zhu Fang’s father.
Zhu Fang said he’d bought it casually, which disappointed Ding Aizhen. However, Zhu Fang’s friend’s new wife, Xiao Qin, worked at State Cotton Mill Three. Ding Aizhen had been Xiao Qin’s matchmaker, and when they happened to chat at the factory, Xiao Qin mentioned buying two coats:
“One navy blue and one black. I bought them after seeing how good they looked on your Zhu Fang. The girl selling the coats was so pretty and had such good taste!”
Xiao Qin was just making casual conversation, but when Ding Aizhen heard about the pretty girl selling coats, all her radar sensors went up.
Xiao Qin said she paid 138 yuan for her coat, while Zhu Fang’s only cost 100 yuan. Who would give Zhu Fang a thirty-plus yuan discount?
Xia Xiaolan!
The name immediately jumped into Ding Aizhen’s mind.
The last time she’d seen Xia Xiaolan, wasn’t she selling clothes from a street stall? Well! She claimed to have no interest in her son, and was seen coming and going with another man last time, so why was she baiting Zhu Fang now?
In Ding Aizhen’s mind, there could be no pure friendship between men and women… This thinking wasn’t entirely wrong – having worked in a state unit all her life, Director Ding lacked a businessperson’s diplomacy.
Xia Xiaolan liked to leave room for maneuvering in her dealings. As long as it didn’t cross her bottom line, she wouldn’t burn bridges, and she particularly remembered kindnesses. If someone helped her even a little, she would repay them many times over when possible. This approach combined workplace diplomacy with a touch of jianghu spirit. In her previous life, unable to take shortcuts based on looks, Xia Xiaolan had developed many clients into friends, creating her unique network, inseparable from her “quick to reciprocate favors and grievances” jianghu spirit.
After careful questioning of Xiao Qin, Ding Aizhen was certain that Zhu Fang had bought his coat from Xia Xiaolan.
Xiao Qin said Xia Xiaolan’s coats were in such high demand that she was planning to open a physical store. Ding Aizhen had a revelation – the three people who had left Yuan Honggang’s office that day were there to sign the lease for 45 Second-Seven Road, and that familiar figure must have been Xia Xiaolan!
Who else would walk with such a bewitching air except that vixen!
Ding Aizhen maintained her composure in front of Xiao Qin but went to probe Yuan Honggang.
The three storefronts at 45 Second-Seven Road were indeed rented for opening a clothing store.
Ding Aizhen sneered and went home to tell Zhu Fang’s father everything.
“Trying to keep two boats under one foot, or coming back to cling to our son after being dumped by someone else? If I don’t teach her a lesson, my name isn’t Ding!”
Zhu’s father was dismissive. “There hasn’t been much activity lately. Her boyfriend wasn’t all that. If you don’t like her, just block her a bit.”
Individual business owners had little status to begin with. When Zhu’s father said to “just block her a bit,” “Blue Phoenix’s” business license application became impossible to process. As soon as they saw the application address was “45 Second-Seven Road,” they directly said it couldn’t be approved.
“Doesn’t meet requirements.”
What requirements weren’t met?
Sanitation or something else?
Hu Yongcai called in favors to inquire and after much effort vaguely understood – someone had been offended, and they were targeting “45 Second-Seven Road” specifically!