Chapter 2 Time-honored brand

After the shopkeeper Qian left, Xin Dezhi—Sanhexiang's big apprentice, who is very important now—had not had a serious meal for several days.Shopkeeper Qian is a recognized veteran in the silk business, just as Sanhexiang is a recognized time-honored brand.Xin Dezhi is a trainer under Qian Treasurer.But he didn't feel so sad because of his personal feelings, nor did he have any ambitions.He couldn't explain why he was so afraid. It seemed that Master Qian had taken away something that could never be recovered. Shopkeeper Zhou arrives.Xin Dezhi understood that his terror was not unfounded; "sad" was almost changed to a curse.Shopkeeper Zhou is a "pheasant", Sanhexiang - how many years of time-honored brand! ——It's going to solicit customers all over the street!Xin Dezhi's mouth curled like a boiled dumpling.Veterans, time-honored brands, old rules—all go with Qian, or never come back.Shopkeeper Qian, who is so upright and well-behaved, lost the deal.The boss doesn't care about anything else, just ask for more dividends at the end of the year.

For many years, Sanhexiang has always been so official: golden plaque with black characters, green decoration, black cabinet with blue cloth surround, big stool ① wrapped in blue woolen cover, and flowers are always placed on the coffee table.For many years, Sanhexiang only hangs four palace lanterns during the Lantern Festival, and hangs red tassels without any unruly nonsense.For many years, Sanhexiang has never raised the price, wiped off the zero, posted an advertisement, or reduced the price for half a month; what Sanhexiang sells is a brand name.For many years, there are no smoking rolls on the cabinet, and no one talking loudly; a little noise is just the old shopkeeper's snoring hookah and coughing.

These, and many more precious old manners and old rules, as soon as shopkeeper Zhou entered the door, Xin Dezhi could see that it was all over!Shopkeeper Zhou's eyes are irregular, he doesn't lower his eyelids, but scans the world, as if looking for a thief.The shopkeeper Qian always sits on the big stool and closes his eyes, but he also knows which guy has made a mistake. Sure enough, shopkeeper Zhou—it’s not been two days since he came here—is going to change Sanhexiang into a shed for bouncing opera①: in front of the door is a colored card with bloodshot Hula, and each word of "big discount" has five The size is square, and two gas lamps illuminate people's faces green.This is not enough, there is a foreign drum and foreign horn at the gate, blowing from dawn to midnight; the four apprentices, all wearing red hats, hand out leaflets to anyone at the gate or on the road.This is not enough, he assigned two apprentices to deliver cigarettes and tea to the guests, even if they bought half a foot of white cloth, they would also pass cigarettes to the back cabinet: the soldiers, the sweepers, and the waitresses all burned cigarettes and left the house. It burned like a Buddhist temple.This is not enough, buy a foot and give back a foot, dolls are also given away, and the guys have to joke with the guests casually; if the customer wants to buy something, if it is not on the cabinet, do not tell them that it is not available, but take out other things to force them to see; I bought something for ten yuan, and sent my apprentice to give it away. I bought two bicycles that were crooked on the cabinet!

Xin Dezhi wants to find a place to cry a lot!It has been on the cabinet for fifteen or sixteen years, and I never thought—let alone saw—Sanhexiang would fall into this world!How to meet people?Is there anyone on Hejie who doesn't respect Sanhexiang?The guys came out at night, carrying the big lanterns of Sanhexiang, and even the patrolmen looked at them differently.In the mutiny that year, although Sanhexiang was also robbed, but not like the left and right shopkeepers, even the door panels and the sign of "no second price" were taken away-the golden plaque of Sanhexiang has a kind of dignity!He has been in the city for over 20 years, of which 15 or 16 years were in Sanhexiang, which is his second family, his talking, coughing and blue cloth shirt are all given by Sanhexiang. his.He is proud of Sanhexiang and also for Sanhexiang.He went to the shop to collect debts, and was always invited in for a bowl of tea; although Sanhexiang was a business, he seemed to be friends with the caretakers.The money shopkeeper often makes red and white favors for the caretaker.Sanhexiang is a "gentleman's style" business: the most decent people in the neighborhood often sit on the door stool; when there is excitement on the street, the women who take care of the master come here to borrow a seat from the old shopkeeper.This glorious history has long been in Xin Dezhi's heart.But now?

It's not that Xin Dezhi doesn't know that the year has changed.Take Sanhexiang's left and right shop owners as an example, how many have abandoned the old rules, and those new ones can't be mentioned, because there are no rules at all.He knows this.But because of this, he loves Sanhexiang even more and is proud of it.If Sanhexiang also got off the bridge, the world would be gone! Hmph, now Sanhexiang is the same as others, if not worse! What he hated the most was the Zhengxiang village across the door: the shopkeeper had tala shoes, a cigarette in his mouth, and golden front teeth.The proprietress was carrying it on her back, as if she was still carrying it in her pocket. A few men, women and children went in and out all day long, chirping and shouting for some reason.The boss and the boss's wife are also on the cabinet when they quarrel, beat the child, and breastfeed the child, also on the cabinet.I can't figure out whether they are doing business or what they are doing, but there is no doubt that the proprietress's chest is always displayed in front of the cabinet.Those guys, who I don't know where to find, are all wearing broken shoes, but most of their clothes are silk and satin.Some wear sun cream, some have their hair combed like a lacquer spoon, and some wear gold-rimmed glasses.And that boredom: always the big sale all year round, the gas lamps, the phonograph.After buying something worth two yuan, the boss will personally let the customer eat a piece of crispy candy; if he doesn't eat it, he can give it to the customer!There is no fixed price for anything, and there is no fixed market for foreign money.Xin Dezhi never looked directly at the words "Zhengxiang Village", and never went there to buy something.He never imagined that there would be such a business in the world, and it was directly opposite to Sanhexiang!

What's even more strange is that Zhengxiang Village is getting rich, while Sanhexiang is getting weaker day by day.He did not understand why this was so.Is it necessary to do business without following the rules?Sure enough, why should you be an apprentice?Is a person can do business!It can't be like this, it can't; Sanhexiang won't be like that!Unexpectedly, a shopkeeper Zhou came here. The gas lamps of Sanhexiang and Zhengxiang Village lit up a lot of the street. They are a pair!Sanhexiang and Zhengxiangcun became a couple? !Could this be a dream?It's not a dream, Xin Dezhi has to follow the method of shopkeeper Zhou.He has to talk nonsense with customers, he has to make people smoke, he has to lure people to the back cabinet, he has to sell fakes as real ones, he has to wait for customers to compete before putting an extra two inches, he has to use surgery to measure cloth—— With a twirl of your finger, a piece will come back!He can't take this!

But most fellows seem willing to do so.When a female customer came in, they wished they could surround her, show her all the things in the shop, and when she finished shopping—even if it was a two-foot cloth—they wished they could give her away. go home.Shopkeeper Zhou likes this, he would like his guys to do somersaults, do somersaults, and even better, be able to fly in the air. Shopkeeper Zhou and the owner of Zhengxiang Village became good friends.Sometimes people from Tiancheng play "Mahjong".Tiancheng is also a silk shop on this street, and it has been open for four or five years, but shopkeeper Qian never greeted them.Tian Cheng deliberately fought against San Hexiang, and blew the wind, so he had to push San Hexiang to the ground.Shopkeeper Qian didn't say a word, only saying once in a while: What we are doing is a brand name.There are 365 days a year in Tiancheng as anniversaries, and there are big discounts.Now Tiancheng's people also came to play cards.Xin Dezhi couldn't answer them.He was a little free, so he sat in the closet in a daze, facing the shelf - the cloth on the shelf was wrapped in white cloth before, but now it is decorated with a whole piece of sky and earth, it makes me dizzy to look at it, so colorful and willow green !Sanhexiang is over, he thought to himself.

However, after a section, he couldn't help but admire Shopkeeper Zhou.Reimbursement under the festival, although I didn't earn anything, I didn't lose money.Shopkeeper Zhou explained to everyone with a smile: "You have to remember, this is my first section! I still have a lot of skills that I haven't shown. There is another floor, the archway, the gas lamp... which one doesn't cost money? ? That's why!" He always said "So" when he talked about his energy. "In the future, there will be no need to tie up the archway. We will use a newer and more economical method, and then we will make money, so!" Xin Dezhi could see that the treasurer Qian would not come back; the world has indeed changed.Shopkeeper Zhou is in agreement with the people of Tiancheng and Zhengxiang Village, they are all rich.After the holidays, check the Japanese goods clamor to move.Shopkeeper Zhou frantically bought oriental goods.The inspection team had already been dispatched, and shopkeeper Zhou put all the oriental goods on the big board, and gave an order: "Buyers who come in, take Japanese cloth first; if you don't dare to sell elsewhere, we just do a batch of business. Seeing the countryman, he said clearly that this is Dongyang cloth, they recognize this; to the people in the city, they say German goods."

The inspection team has arrived.A few butterflies would appear on Shopkeeper Zhou's face, allowing him to smoke and drink tea. "Sanhexiang, Chong these three words, it's not a place that sells oriental goods, so! Look, everyone! There are German cloth and homemade cloth at the door; the inner cabinets are all domestic silk and satin, and the trumpet has a joint number in the south. Do it yourself." Everyone is suspicious of those floral cloths.Shopkeeper Zhou smiled: "Zhang Fulai, bring the remaining piece of Oriental cloth." Cloth is brought.He grabbed the captain of the inspection team: "Sir, don't give up. There is only this one piece of oriental cloth left, which is the same material as the big shirt that Mr. is wearing, so ah!" He turned around, "Fulai, take this piece of cloth. Throw the material into the street!"

The captain looked at his shirt and walked out without raising his head. This batch of Japanese cloth, which can be turned into German, domestic, and British products at any time, has made a lot of money.Those who know the goods will throw the cloth on the ground in front of Shopkeeper Zhou. Shopkeeper Zhou will smile and order his apprentice: "Take the real Western goods, can't you see that Mr. is a sensible person?" He said: "Whoever wants what kind of goods, I will give you this for nothing, and you don't want it, so!" So he made the No. 1 deal again.Before the guests left, it seemed that they were reluctant to part with shopkeeper Zhou.Xin Dezhi sees it through, if you want to make money in business, you have to be able to juggle and talk about cross talk.Shopkeeper Zhou is a character.But Xin Dezhi didn't want to work here anymore, the more he admired shopkeeper Zhou, the sadder he felt.His food went down his spine.In order to sleep more peacefully, he had to leave this Sanhexiang.

However, before he could find a good position elsewhere, shopkeeper Zhou went to Tiancheng to lead him east.Tian Cheng needed such a person, and Shopkeeper Zhou was willing to go, because San Hexiang's old rules were too deep, as if they had grown roots, and he could not fully display his talents. Xin Dezhi sent shopkeeper Zhou away, as if he had sent away a heartache. To his masters, Xin Dezhi, with his qualifications as a fifteen or sixteen-year old man, can say a few words, although it may not necessarily have any effect.He knew which clubs were more old-fashioned, and he knew how to impress them.He went to campaign for Shopkeeper Qian, and also asked old friends of Shopkeeper Qian to help.He didn't say that everything about shopkeeper Qian is good, but that Qian and Zhou have their own strengths, and they should make a compromise, and they can't stick to the old law, and don't change too much.Time-honored brands are worth preserving, and new methods must be learned and used. Taking care of the name and profit-he knew that this would impress the bosses. In his mind, however, he had another idea.When shopkeeper Qian comes back, everything will come back. Sanhexiang must be the "old" Sanhexiang, or else he is nothing.He thought it over: minus the gas lamps, foreign drums, advertisements, leaflets, and cigarettes; when it was absolutely necessary, he could also reduce the number of people, which would probably save a lot of expenses.What's more, it sells cheaply without making a sound, and the goods are authentic with a large size.Are people all fools? Shopkeeper Qian really came back.Only the gas lamps of Zhengxiang Village remained on the street, and Sanhexiang regained its former tranquility, although the four palace lanterns were hung and red tassels were hung to welcome Treasurer Qian. On the day Sanhexiang hung up the palace lanterns, two camels were placed at the gate of the Tiancheng. The camels were covered with satin strips of various colors, and on the humps of the camels were installed multicolored lamps that flickered on and off.On the left and right of the camel, there are lottery departments, each person pays a dime, and when ten people are gathered, the lottery will be drawn, and there is hope for a horse of modern silk for a dime.Outside the gate of Tiancheng became a temple fair, which couldn't be crowded with people.Is there really someone who is smiling and taking away a piece of modern silk? Sanhexiang's door stool was covered with a blue blanket again, and shopkeeper Qian sat there without raising his eyes.The guys sat quietly in the cabinet, some fiddled with the abacus pearl lightly, some yawned slowly, Xin Dezhi didn't say anything, but was anxious in his heart.It takes a long time for a buyer to come in.Occasionally, someone would glance outside, as if they wanted to come in, but they looked at the golden plaque and walked towards Tian Cheng.Sometimes I have already come in, looked at the goods, and left empty-handed because I didn't ask for a price.There are only a few regular customers who come to buy things from time to time; but sometimes they just talk to the treasurer Qian, lamenting how poor the years are, and leave after drinking two bowls of tea without buying anything.Xin Dezhi likes to listen to their conversations, it reminds him of the past, but he also knows that the past may not come back; only Tiancheng "is" a business on this street! After a festival, Sanhe Xiang must reduce the number of people.With tears in his eyes, Xin Dezhi said to shopkeeper Qian: "I do the work of five people alone, we are not afraid!" The old shopkeeper also said: "We are not afraid!" Xin Dezhi slept very soundly that night and planned to do the work of five people the next day.But after a year, Sanhexiang fell to heaven.