"Sister Chen, you really know how to handle things. A few words and she bought our lingerie," Zhang Li said with admiration, watching their retreating figures.
"You might be a bit shy usually. We're all women. Guiding them and helping them choose the right lingerie is what a sales assistant needs to do. If they're shy, you can't be too embarrassed to mention it."
Chen Lishu then explained the importance of lingerie for women's health to Zhang Li, and encouraged her to be more outgoing. Once she felt she had conveyed enough, she left to go to the clothing store opposite the train station.
...
After Li Fang left, Zhao Deyou sat behind the counter with his legs crossed, reading a newspaper. He glanced up when he heard the door open, then quickly lowered his head to continue reading.
Chen Lishu paused when she saw an unfamiliar man sitting behind the counter. She looked around to confirm she hadn't entered the wrong store, then stepped forward and asked Zhao Deyou, "Where is Li Fang?"
"Not here," Zhao Deyou replied without looking up, impatiently tossing back, "If you want to buy something, come back tomorrow."
Chen Lishu frowned, "Then what are you doing here?"
Zhao Deyou turned a page of his newspaper, finally deigning to give Chen Lishu a look. "You're just here to buy things, why ask so many questions? I told you to come back tomorrow, so come back tomorrow. If you don't want to buy, then leave. The door is that way, have a good day."
Chen Lishu's brows furrowed into a knot at his terrible attitude.
If the salesperson had changed, Lin Qi would have informed her beforehand, so Chen Lishu was certain this man was not a store employee.
Thinking of Li Fang's absence during her shift and the presence of such an arrogant person, Chen Lishu's expression darkened.
"You're not from the store, are you?"
Upon hearing her question, Zhao Deyou slapped the newspaper onto the counter, stood up, and looked at Chen Lishu. "I say, woman, are you sick or something? Didn't I tell you the salesperson isn't here and to come back tomorrow? Besides, what business is it of yours whether I'm from the store or not? Let me tell you, this store is mine. From now on, I'm not selling a single piece of clothing to you. Get out."
Zhao Deyou then waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.
Chen Lishu almost laughed at his words. "Your store? Since when did my store become someone else's!"
Zhao Deyou faltered, "Wh-what do you mean?"
Chen Lishu's eyes turned cold. "Who exactly are you? If you don't explain yourself today, I'm going to the police station to report this. You can stay here and explain it to the officers."
Zhao Deyou was initially taken aback by her assertiveness, feeling a bit flustered. Then he reconsidered. The person in charge of this store was Lin Qi, whom he had met once. "Alright," he thought, "this woman is trying to trick me!"
Once he understood, Zhao Deyou immediately felt more confident. He straightened up and sneered at Chen Lishu, "Is that so? You want to call the police? Do you dare? Seeing Li Fang isn't here, you want to impersonate the owner, what are you up to? Judging by your clothes, you want to cheat us out of some clothes. Let me tell you, people like you can't afford the clothes in this store. Be smart and scram!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two customers entered the store. Before they could say anything, Zhao Deyou directly turned them away. "The store is not doing business today, you can leave."
"But... the door is open," one of the girls said, sounding unwilling.
Zhao Deyou said impatiently, "Who says that just because the door is open, we have to be open for business? I said we're not selling, and we're not selling."
Chen Lishu narrowed her eyes, then turned to the two girls with a smile. "My apologies to both of you. There's a slight issue in the store. If you come back tomorrow, I'll give you a 10% discount."
The two girls' expressions softened upon hearing this, and with the offer of a discount, they left without another word.
After watching them leave, the smile on Chen Lishu's face vanished instantly. She glanced at Zhao Deyou and walked to the counter to sit down.
"Who sent you here? Lin Qi or Li Fang?"
Zhao Deyou raised an eyebrow, surprised that she even knew Lin Qi. He thought this scammer had put in a lot of effort.
"No need to pretend like it's the truth. I'm telling you, I won't fall for this. If you have the guts, don't leave. Li Fang will be back soon, and we'll see who looks foolish."
So, it was Li Fang who had brought him here.
Chen Lishu stopped speaking and waited for about an hour. Li Fang finally arrived, fashionably late.
"Huh? Deyou, why are you standing there?" Li Fang started to walk towards the counter but then saw Chen Lishu sitting beside it, and her face instantly changed.
"Sister, Sister Chen?"
Chen Lishu nodded towards Zhao Deyou. "Explain yourself."
"He's my boyfriend, Zhao Deyou. I had some family matters to attend to, so I asked him to keep an eye on things for a while," Li Fang fabricated an excuse, unable to say she had gone home to sleep.
Seeing Li Fang's demeanor, Zhao Deyou leaned in curiously. "Who is this woman? Isn't this store owned by that Lin Qi guy?"
Li Fang shook her head, forcing a smile that looked worse than a grimace, and whispered, "Sister Chen owns it. She's been studying in the provincial capital and rarely comes back."
She hadn't expected to be so unlucky. She'd only skipped work for a short while, and it had to be at precisely this moment that she was caught.
"I entrusted the store to you out of trust, and you casually ask someone to watch it? And the person you chose is worse than no one. Ask him how many customers he drove away."
Li Fang looked at Zhao Deyou. He avoided her gaze and argued, "I didn't know the prices. Besides, if they really wanted to buy, they'll definitely come back next time."
Chen Lishu didn't even spare him a glance, her gaze fixed on Li Fang. "I didn't see your work attitude before, and I won't pursue it. However, since I've witnessed today's events, I expect an explanation."
Chen Lishu paused before continuing, "Your commission for this month is canceled. Also, I don't want to see similar incidents happen again in the future."
Their basic salary was thirty yuan, and their monthly commission was usually much higher than their base pay. Suddenly, more than half of their salary was gone!
Before Li Fang could speak, Zhao Deyou objected.
"What kind of leader are you? Xiao Fang just had a family emergency and went home for a bit. You can't just deduct half her salary! Are you being reasonable? Who would want to work for someone like you?"
Chen Lishu turned to look at Li Fang. "Do you feel the same way?"
Li Fang pursed her lips but remained silent, though her expression suggested disagreement.
Chen Lishu sighed inwardly, stood up, and said, "It seems you still haven't realized your mistake."
"Sister Chen, I really did have a family emergency. I promise I won't make the same mistake again. Can you not deduct my commission? Or you can deduct my salary for today." She had only been gone for less than two hours, and Li Fang felt deducting a day's pay would suffice.