Chapter 277: Shoddy Clothing Sells Big

Chapter 277: Knockoff Fashion Flying Off the Shelves

"Wow, so beautiful! Auntie An, are these clothes?" Ren San's eyes lit up as he stared at the dazzling colors, blurting out in amazement.

Auntie An dug into the pile and pulled out a few pieces to examine.

A red-striped button-down for women, featuring a slight V-neck design, long sleeves, made of polyester blend—durable, wrinkle-resistant, with a smooth touch, glossy texture, and lightweight material.

A flash of delight crossed Auntie An's eyes. Jackpot—we're gonna clean up!

She upended the whole load, and with Ren San's help, they grabbed the bottom corners and spilled all the goods out.

Inside were all sorts of vibrantly colored women's casual blouses—both long and short-sleeved—along with skirts and flares.

There was also a bag of accessories, filled with statement plastic earrings and colorful headbands like those seen in movies.

The moment the items were spread out, women nearby immediately crowded around, hooked.

Though society had become more open by this time, mainland clothes were still dominated by dark colors like black, gray, and blue. Only in the past couple of years had brighter hues started appearing on the streets.

Now, this dazzling array of colors piled together was a massive visual impact for style-hungry girls.

A girl with a pixie cut pointed excitedly at a red blazer-style shirt and called out to her friend, "Look, this one! Isn’t this the same shirt that screen siren Cherie Chung wore? The one from the poster we bought last New Year!"

"Yes, yes! I remember! And this green one—I’ve seen it in a movie too, the one with that it-girl."

"Hey, miss, how much is this? I want it!"

"Me too! I want the green one!"

As the two women exclaimed, others around them chimed in, chattering excitedly and reaching out to touch the clothes.

"How much is this one?"

"What about this? I like this one—it looks like it pairs with pants, tucking it in would look so good!"

"It’s polyester! I think this fabric is polyester!"

Auntie An started corralling the merch back onto the tarp—otherwise, with everyone grabbing at them, things might go missing without anyone noticing.

"Listen up, everyone!"

"This sister here knows her stuff. These clothes really are imported from Hong Kong—screen-accurate replicas, and as you can see, the quality is top-notch."

Auntie An picked up a green polka-dot blouse, gave it a hard scrunch, then smoothed it out to show the crowd. "See? Even after this, it doesn’t wrinkle. Just like that sister said, this fabric is polyester."

"They all have buttons—you can wear them alone or layer them, pair them with..."

One impatient young woman, seeing the crowd growing, cut in, "Just tell us the price! How much?"

Another customer quickly agreed, "Right, right! No need for the sales pitch—we can see for ourselves. Just tell us how much!"

Auntie An took a deep breath. "Forty bucks apiece, whether it’s a blouse, skirt, or pants. Buy a set, and it’s five bucks off. Earrings and headbands are six bucks each, take your pick. As you can see, most of these are limited runs—once they’re gone, they’re gone. If you like them, don’t hesitate!"

"Check the sizes yourselves—feel free to try before you buy. If you’ve seen the movies or posters, you know these blouses are boyfriend cuts. Tuck them into jeans or skirts, and they look amazing!"

Considering the average income at the time, Auntie An felt uneasy quoting such prices. But to her surprise, though people winced at the price tag, they couldn’t stop fingering the merchandise.

The two trendsetters who had been the first to gather around—likely from well-off families—hesitated only briefly before walking away with complete outfits.

One customer picked a red striped V-neck shirt and bell-bottoms, and also asked Su An to choose earrings and a headband.

Another chose a green polka-dot shirt and a dark-colored knee-length body-hugging skirt.

As soon as the two customers made their purchases, the place instantly erupted in commotion.

One woman, clutching the clothes in her hand, turned bright red and mustered the courage to nervously say to Su An, "Miss, I... I didn’t bring enough money, but I really want this piece. Can you hold it for me? I’ll go home and get the money right away, okay?"

Su An reached out to take it back. "Alright, I won’t sell this one. I’ll set it aside in the truck. Make it quick. If you don’t return before it’s all sold, I won’t wait for you."

"Okay, okay, thank you, thank you!" The woman, full of gratitude, immediately dashed out of the crowd and ran home.

A few customers who had been haggling over prices, seeing others snatch up the clothes they wanted, stopped haggling and paid up immediately.

As several more deals were made, the remaining customers couldn’t resist any longer. "I want that red peony-patterned shirt—hands off, I saw it first!"

"This blue skirt is mine—I got to it first!"

"Miss, I’ve picked this one out. Hold this for me, don’t let anyone else take it. I’ll go home and get the money—please keep it safe for me!"

Su An was busy making change while answering the flood of questions from the crowd.

Ren San kept straightening up the scattered clothes while staying alert for would-be thieves.

"Miss, what’s in those sacks on your cart? Open them up and let’s see!"

"Yeah, yeah, let’s see if there’s anything else we like. If there is, we’ll buy more!"

"It’s not fair if I’m the only one getting new clothes. Do you have anything for men? I want to buy a couple of pieces for my husband."

Su An, still busy handling money, replied, "Hold on, just a moment."

"Ren San, quickly move the remaining clothes aside—we’re opening the next sack!"

Like unwrapping mystery boxes, they opened the next sack—filled entirely with sportswear, loose-fitting in black and white.

The sizes were all one size, fit most people unless they were really big, and the style was unisex, wearable by both men and women.

These were even more sought-after than the Hong Kong-style women’s wear earlier. The moment the sack was emptied, the onlookers dove in to grab what they wanted.

The truck still held plenty of items that customers had had Su An hold while they rushed home for money.

The crowd in the square grew larger and larger, with customers returning with cash and bringing friends along.

The third sack was opened—more sportswear, the exact same style as the previous batch.

The fourth sack revealed all denim pieces—pants, jackets, and vests.

Su An and Ren San were so busy they had no time to eat or drink. From setting up the stall at 10:30 a.m. until past 2 p.m., all four sacks of clothing were cleaned out.

Many still lingered, unwilling to leave, eyeing the remaining two sacks Su An had left.