“They say the small market buys their stock from who-knows-where.”
“I heard it’s from Wencheng.”
“Really? Wencheng’s been on the news for fake leather—now the hair clips are this bad too?”
“Who knows. Might not be from there. Either way, wherever it came from, the quality just isn’t good.”
…
At the small market, the stall that used to sell fabric had switched to umbrellas, water bottles, false lashes—basically whatever could sell. The stand was packed with all kinds of odds and ends.
Right now, a middle-aged man was holding a black folding umbrella, pointing out where the metal rib had snapped. “Look, I bought this two weeks ago. My daughter only used it for sun shade for a few days, and it’s already broken.”
The woman running the stall checked it. One of the metal arms really was snapped.
She’d already made the sale and didn’t want to take responsibility two weeks later. She said, “Well, you’ve gotta use it gently. Opening it, closing it over and over—of course it’ll break if you’re rough.”
The man frowned. “Hey now, that’s not right.”
“So it’s not the umbrella’s problem, it’s my problem?”
“I paid for it, and it wasn’t cheap either. At the very least, an umbrella shouldn’t fall apart after a few uses, right?”
…
At the farmers’ market, two middle-aged aunties bumped into each other. One of them held up her purse. “This bag was fifteen bucks. I bought it at the small market—tons of people were buying it. I had to go several times before I finally got one.”
“And look what happened. Half a month later, the zipper’s broken, and the corner leather is already peeling.”
The other auntie said, “That’s what happens when you buy from the small market. There’s no quality guarantee. You should’ve gone to Pacific or Wing On, the big department stores. Buy a brand—it’ll last.”
“But the mall stuff is expensive. A bag like this won’t be fifteen there.”
“It’s pricey for a reason. You get what you pay for.”
“That’s true.”
…
After Jiang Luo returned from Wencheng, Wang Chuang had already smoothed things over with Manager Yu at Wing On Department Store—apparently after countless dinners.
Manager Yu even agreed to let them replace all the counter staff with people they hired themselves, wages paid directly by their company, not through Wing On.
“We’ve already hired three girls.”
Their office building had a job-posting board downstairs. Any company hiring would post their notices there, and job seekers often stopped to look. Right after Wang Chuang got Manager Yu to agree, old Accountant Xue went downstairs and posted a hiring notice for department-store salesgirls.
People came asking about the job that very day—mostly young women.
He and Wang Chuang picked through them and selected six girls with pleasant looks and decent speaking skills. They sent them to Wing On to test them out for a few days. If they adapted well, they’d stay. If not, they’d get paid for the trial days, and then replaced.
When Wang Chuang told Jiang Luo all of this, Jiang Luo had just gotten off the green-car train, taken a cab to the office, and walked into their shared workspace.
Jiang Luo shot him a sidelong look. “Not bad. You got Manager Yu on board that fast?”
Wang Chuang grinned. “Learned from those Wencheng bosses you hang out with. The way they drank with you and buttered you up? I copied it—went to drink with Manager Yu, flattered him.”
“I had dinner and drinks with him several times.”
“Remember that bird’s nest you bought for my parents? I bought a box too and slipped it to him.”
“He drank with me one night and accepted it, and the next day he called saying we could replace all the counter staff.”
Jiang Luo didn’t hesitate to praise him. “Nicely done.”
“Keep it up—be flexible and sharp.”
Again he said, “You’re really starting to look like a businessman.”
“Of course.”
Wang Chuang was smug.
Jiang Luo thought Wang Chuang had already finished hiring and didn’t plan to bother with minor details.
But after he’d been sitting for only a few minutes, discussing with Wang Chuang whether they should get a fancy tea table like those Wencheng bosses had, Accountant Xue knocked, opened the door, and said:
“Boss Wang, Boss Jiang, someone’s here looking for Boss Wang. Says she was introduced by a family member and wants the department-store job.”
“Oh, oh.”
Wang Chuang stood up—then suddenly sat back down, pretending to be seasoned. “Old Xue, you talk to her first. See if she seems suitable. If she is, then bring her in.”
Accountant Xue agreed, then glanced at Jiang Luo, waiting for his input.
Jiang Luo didn’t care much. “Mm.”
Once the door closed, Jiang Luo asked, “Which relative sent her?”
“My mom.”
He explained, “One of my mom’s good friends—an auntie I know—her distant niece. She needs work, so they sent her over.”
A friend of Bai Ting’s niece?
Jiang Luo felt that sounded familiar.
Could it be…?
His heart gave a small jolt.
Soon, Accountant Xue knocked again and led the girl in, saying she seemed pretty good.
The moment Jiang Luo saw her, he almost laughed. Wasn’t this the woman who became Wang Chuang’s wife in his previous life?
Wang Chuang froze too—but not for the same reason. He froze because she was gorgeous: tall, fair, long hair, big double-lidded eyes.
He stared like his soul had left his body.
Jiang Luo almost snorted. Useless kid.
The girl looked a little shy but also cautious. Her big eyes moved between Jiang Luo and Wang Chuang—nervous, but not timid. There was honesty and the tension of someone new to the environment.
She nodded politely. “Hello, bosses.”
Then introduced herself with a clear, confident voice: “My name is Mo Wanzhen. I’m twenty. My family sent me over to see if there’s a suitable job.”
Jiang Luo grinned and immediately shifted his gaze to Wang Chuang. “Your call.”
“Huh? M-me?”
Wang Chuang’s voice cracked. When the girl looked at him, his face flushed bright red.
“You… you…”
He finally found his words. “We mainly hire girls to work the department-store counters. Do you… do you think you can do that?”
Mo Wanzhen was confused about why the bosses here were so young, and why the chubbier one was stuttering. Still, she nodded. Holding the strap of her shoulder bag, she replied clearly:
“I should be able to. I used to sell gold jewelry in my hometown.”
“Oh, experience!”
Wang Chuang’s face went even redder. He shot a miserable plea at Jiang Luo. “Aren’t… aren’t you going to ask something?”
Jiang Luo leaned back comfortably, arms crossed, watching the show. “You ask. You’re the one hiring her. Your mom sent her.”
He was amused. In the previous life, Wang Chuang had said he fell in love with his wife at first sight, which Jiang Luo had never believed. But looking at him now—blushing like a monkey’s butt—Jiang Luo believed it.
Such a pure idiot.
He was delighted.
Wang Chuang, red to his ears, told her, “Th-then go outside and register your employee info.”
“Wh-wh-which… which day can you start?”
Mo Wanzhen said, “I can start today.”
“Th-then tomorrow. Come to the entrance of Wing On before nine—I’ll take you to the counter.”
“Okay.”
She nodded, looked at the two young bosses again, and left to register her information.
Accountant Xue followed. As he walked out behind her, he snorted and teased, “She’s here to work, not to date. Why’re you blushing?”
Shut up!
Wang Chuang glared.
Jiang Luo finally burst into laughter.
“What’re you laughing at!?”
Wang Chuang glared at him too.
Jiang Luo kept smiling, feeling completely at ease. Everything was going according to plan in this second life—and now, even Wang Chuang’s future wife had walked right into their lives.
Not bad at all.
The next morning, Wang Chuang went to Wing On early to take Mo Wanzhen to the counter. Meanwhile, Jiang Luo left the Hilton, took a cab to the car-rental place he’d used before.
In the courtyard behind the shop, the owner led him under a plastic canopy. He lifted the cover off a car, revealing a black body and the three-pointed star on the hood—a Benz Tiger-Head model.
“Appreciate it,” Jiang Luo said, satisfied, circling the vehicle.
In this life, he finally had a car.
The plate read 26988—“269” for the lucky number he and Wang Chuang liked, plus “88,” the classic wealth-luck digits bosses loved.
The owner, cigarette dangling between his lips, folded up the cover and said, “Drive a Tiger-Head Benz and everything you wish will come true.”
Jiang Luo walked to the driver’s side and pulled the door open. “From your mouth to God’s ears.”