Things were not selling? How could this be? Su Mian could not believe it no matter what. Although in her previous life, supermarkets had appeared later, the principle was the same. Who could not live with convenience?
“How were the sales for the first few days?” Su Mian walked to the back shelves. Many daily necessities were on the shelves covered in dust of the same thickness. Obviously, they had not been sold when put up, so it was not restocked.
“It wasn’t good, it was never good. I went out to take a look the other day and our business was not as good as the ordinary convenience stores.” Aunt was very worried. Her eldest daughter will be going to junior high school in September and she had to buy a bicycle. A bicycle cost more than 100 yuan and now the money had been used for the goods, where was she going to find 100 yuan?
There was nothing wrong with the daily necessities on the shelves, it was just that the vegetables, fruits, and pork were clearly not fresh. It was estimated that they had been stocked for at least two or three days. It really fell short in comparison to the vegetable markets. Even Su Mian did not want to buy it when she saw them.
In addition, with this foot traffic, no other visitor had entered after Su Mian had come in. Her aunt’s house was supposed to be in a good location, so how could there be no customers? Su Mian thought about it and went to head out.
“Xiao Mian, you’re leaving, where are you going?” Youngest Aunt thought Su Mian was leaving so she stood up hurriedly and shouted.
“I’m not leaving, I’m going to take a look outside.”
It was bright and sunny today. The people on the street were wearing thinner and thinner clothes. Although the styles were still very conservative, the younger girls had begun to dress fashionably with flared bell bottoms everywhere.
Su Mian stood at the fork in the road in front of the supermarket, watching the bustling crowd.
“Say, what do you think is going on with that three sisters’ supermarket over there? I think it has been open for a few days.” An aunty carrying a vegetable basket looked at it as she walked with two other women.
“Who knows what they’re doing, I don’t understand and haven’t been inside.”
“I heard that it sells things. I went inside once. It has tobacco, alcohol, sugar, and tea, as well as vegetables and fruits, but they are not fresh. They are not as good as the ones at the vegetable market, and the price is expensive. Who would buy it from there?!”
“Then let’s go to the vegetable market, it’ll be better to just walk a few more steps.”
Su Mian watched them walking past her in silence. At this time, another woman came near, carrying a basket in one hand and leading a five or six year old child in the other.
“Sister, are you going to buy groceries?” Su Mian stepped forward and greeted them.
The woman sized Su Mian up and seeing that she had no malicious intent, began to mutter, “That’s right, there’s no one to watch the child on the weekends. First I need to go to the vegetable market to buy food then go to the convenience store after to buy two catties of soy sauce. I couldn’t be any busier today.” The woman was probably very anxious and after she finished speaking, she began to head off with her child.
“Sister, I know you are in a hurry, but please spare me two minutes. If there is a place where you can buy both groceries and daily necessities, would you be willing to go?”
When the woman heard that Su Mian wanted to delay her for two minutes, she became a little impatient, “That would be good. But have you seen that three sisters’ supermarket? At first, I didn’t know what it was so I went in boldly, only to find that it was exactly like what you’ve said. However, the vegetables were very stale and it wasn’t as cheap as the vegetable market. After going once, I don’t want to go there again.” After speaking, the woman took her child and left.
Su Mian stood for another while and asked a few more people. When she understood the situation, she entered the house again.
“Xiao Mian, how was it, what did you learn?” Youngest Uncle did not think that Su Mian was just standing there basking in the sun. If she was doing that, she would not be chatting with strangers.
