Don't Turn from Summer Chapter 12

Don't Turn from Summer (莫负寒夏) by Ding Mo (丁墨)

Chapter 12

Meng Gang hasn’t done it with much strength. But Mu Hanxia pushes him away with almost all her might.

She stumbles backwards a little. He is still seated, and she is standing. For a while, neither of them speaks.

“Mu Hanxia,” he just gently calls her name. With her eyes looking at the ground, Mu Hanxia pretends to smile light-heartedly, “Manager Meng, thank you for considering it for me, really. In my situation like now, your help is like a pie dropping from the sky. If I’m not thankful, I would be heartless. But...about going to college, even though I want it, I still don’t want to quit my job right now. I think I will wait until later to try for it when the time is right.” She pauses for a moment, and looks up at him, “For now, I just don’t want to draw a circle to limit my life yet.”

Meng Gang says nothing for a moment. If his eye was a little turbulent just now, it has returned deep and calm now. He takes out a cigarette and lights it up. Giving it a couple sucks, he says in a very plain tone, “As long as you’ve thought it through.”

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The next few days, the grand promotion continues. The whole Le Ya is busy like crazy.

Mu Hanxia is also very busy, but she no longer goes to the athletic field. Sometimes she may get lost in her own thoughts. Once a lunch, He Jing asks, “Got something on mind lately?”

Mu Hanxia doesn’t want to lie, but she doesn’t want to bring the thing up either. So she replies, “Not really. Just that I was hit by a huge pie the other day but I didn’t take it.”

She is very vague at it, and He Jing blinks, “Why didn’t you?”

“What if the price is to be trapped in it? Stay there obediently. Whenever the master wants a bite, just let him take a bit.” Mu Hanxia says, “I simply don’t want that kind of life.”

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Before one realizes it, the opening day of Yong Zheng is almost here.

The employees of Le Ya are still thrilled about their brilliant performance of the one-week grand promotion, whereas Yong Zheng across the street is still all quiet with no sign of any move, which makes people believe that they are defeated and can’t come up with any countermeasures. Therefore, there is no need to worry about them any more.

However, when Mu Hanxia thinks of that face of Lin Mochen’s, she is still nervous. The feeling is somewhat like the calmness before the thunderstorm, while you can’t tell what this guy is scheming behind that face of his.

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Nobody ever imagined that Yong Zheng’s attack arrives in such a violent, unusual, and even frantic manner.

First week, all apparels are 50% off.

Mentioning apparels section, maybe everyone will be surprised. As everybody knows that apparels in supermarket are rather old-fashioned and the quality is not super good. Only elderly people would buy them from supermarkets, and not before they compare the prices with those beside the farmer’s market. So traditionally, people seldom see supermarkets make a fuss over apparels.

But Yong Zheng, they just play their cards against the common sense. Or you can even say that they’ve undermined all the usual approaches a supermarket has for apparels.

On the opening day, when the customers come into the store, what they see first are the very prominently displayed huge posters of apparel promotion with all kinds of promotional catchwords, catching the full attention of everybody.

Then, when they get to the apparel section, they go: wow, no bad at all! The layout of shelves are already different from the wholesale style in other supermarkets. Instead, it’s more like a open fashion store, with soft lighting, comfortable arrangement, simple but elegant styles, and fairly good quality.

Next, when they look at the prices -- 50% off! Almost as low as the price on Taobao, but with texture and quality that one can see and touch.

What’s more, in the center of the apparel section, there are two super big neatly arranged stacks of classic style T-shirts for both men and women, with colors of solid black, white, blue, gray and red and fabric very soft. But the man-size price tag standing next says, “Only 9.9 Yuan!”

Next to it is another sign that writes, “All the apparels are on special sales due to our grand opening. At the present price only when the stock lasts. Don’t hesitate if you are interested.”

How can those elderly folks wait any longer at the sight of this? Immediately, they grab the carts and start shopping like crazy! Once they get started, the impulses and emotions will spread in the crowd and then everybody start to shop crazy. As long the the price and style is not too bad, they will be grabbed and thrown into the carts. So, in almost every shopping cart, there are a few pieces of clothes, some even a half cart of them, for the whole family. Especially the classic style T-shirts, they are sold out as soon as they are brought out from the warehouse.

Stimulated by apparels, Yong Zheng quickly sees a increase of customers as the word quick spread. People also notice that other merchandise here are not more expensive than those in Le Ya, and the shopping environment is very comfortable -- clean, spacious, fashionable, and more upscale than Le Ya who has existed for many years. Walking in the store, one’s spirit rises. The store assistants are also kinder and warmer, very considerate, making people feel even better. What’s more, they also find out that some merchandise here look even better than those in Le Ya, such as cooked food or river food and meat.

As a result all merchandise sell increasingly better.

The first week after Yong Zheng’s opening, their sales exceeds two million on a daily average. On the second and third day, the sales even get as high as three million, tie with the regular sales of Le Ya. In the same week, Le Ya gets badly impacted, sales dropping from three million at peak during grand promotion to two million.

This week, almost everybody in Le Ya is in shock. The atmosphere in the office turns from the earlier happy and light to solemn and quiet.

One day, Mu Haxia goes upstairs to deliver documents. When she passes Meng Gang’s office, she vaguely hears his serious voice, “What? You can’t do 50% off? I put you in the Le Ya system and let you stay comfortably for so many years...You must do it...”

Mu Haxia doesn’t dare to listen more and walks quickly downstairs.

Since that morning, she hasn’t seen Meng Gang much. But apparently, the all-new first move by Lin Mochen has shaken even a seasoned veteran in supermarket business like Meng Gang.

One night after work, Mu Hanxia and He Jing are enjoying bbq night snack as usual.

The moonlight is clear and the city serene. The two of them sit in front of the food stand and eat away, but all they’ve eaten is no more than 32.5 Yuan. Each holding a can of Fanta in her hand, it’s as if the days are as care-free as before. But, even as unimportant as them, they can still sense the shake brought by Yong Zheng’s opening.

He Jing mutters, “You say why Yong Zheng’s apparels sell so well? Why can’t we do like them, bringing in some prettier clothes with better quality, rearranging the display and packing, and then doing some promotion? Then we won’t suffer so much customer loss during the last few days.”

Mu Haxia has come in contact with a lot of inside business in the sales department these days. She lowers her head and give a bite of the chicken wing, and replies, “How can it be that easy? To begin with, this move of Lin Mo...Yong Zheng, has great risks. Apparels are different from other merchandise, they are more personalized and they change quickly in styles, which makes it easy for them to get overstocked. Yong Zheng got it going pretty well this time. If they didn’t, the whole inventory would have backfired for them. That’s why our supermarket usually just gets clothes of some regular styles and is satisfied at it maintaining a normal sale. Look at other supermarkets, who dare to take such a big risk to attack the apparel section?” After a pause, she continues, “I guess based on Manager Meng’s personality, he won’t do it either.”

Chapter end