Chapter 134 Down Jacket

Chapter 134 Down Jacket

Xia Li enviously touched Ye Xiaoxiao's clothes, "You’re right, never mind. I haven’t saved enough for a leather jacket yet, and this one looks expensive."

Ye Xiaoxiao hadn't looked closely before. After trying it on and taking it off, she noticed that this down jacket was from a foreign brand that would remain popular decades later.

Even though this one was likely domestically manufactured, it still wouldn’t be cheap.

Hearing this, Wang Jiao glanced at Xia Li, "Look at you, so unambitious. It's just a piece of clothing. You can get it at the mall, but the styles aren’t as trendy as in the south."

Xia Li wasn't angry and said frankly, "Yeah, my family isn’t as well-off as yours."

Wang Jiao sneered, "How expensive can a piece of clothing be?"

This annoyed Xia Li a bit. She couldn’t stand Wang Jiao’s condescending attitude.

Though they both came from working-class families, she acted like some rich girl, so full of herself.

Ye Xiaoxiao, worried that the two might argue, held onto Xia Li, "Next time, I’ll help you check the prices of leather jackets. You can pick one that’s reasonably priced."

Xia Li knew Ye Xiaoxiao was deliberately changing the subject but still happily said, "Thanks, Xiao Xiao, I’ll count on you."

Later, the rest of the roommates came back, and Ye Xiaoxiao no longer had to worry about breaking up a fight.

She settled down to read her books. The medical books on her desk kept getting replaced, and Ye Xiaoxiao's understanding of traditional Chinese medicine continued to deepen.

She wasn’t stressed about the final exams. No matter how hard the students crammed, the teachers would still test what was taught in class.

The finals lasted three days. After the exams, students could head straight home for the break.

After finishing her exams, Ye Xiaoxiao found that her roommates weren't in a hurry to leave.

Tang Xiuxiu and Wang Jiao were the first to leave.

Li Meiru had already decided to stay on campus during the winter break.

Ye Xiaoxiao packed her things, planning to stay outside first.

"Aren't you in a hurry to go home?"

Xia Li: "Haven’t gotten the tickets yet. Tomorrow I’ll line up at the train station to get tickets, hoping to get some."

It was then that Ye Xiaoxiao realized, without online ticket sales, buying tickets was very troublesome.

Tickets at the end of the year were even harder to get.

No wonder Lu Hanchuan kept offering to help with the tickets; it really was necessary to ask for his help.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Then I'll leave first. I'm going to find my third brother to see if he needs any help."

Xia Li: "Go ahead, be careful on the road."

Ye Xiaoxiao cleaned up her desk and bed, locked everything in the cabinet, said goodbye to her roommates, and left with a suitcase.

She first stayed at a house in the teachers' residential compound.

The room had some of her belongings, making it feel more like home.

Early the next morning, Ye Xiaoxiao had breakfast and then rode her bicycle to the place Ye Changning had mentioned to find him.

Perhaps because she arrived late, Ye Xiaoxiao only found Yu Gang in the guesthouse room when she went to look for someone.

"Where’s my third bro?"

"Changning told me to stay and keep an eye on the leftover goods. He and Shengzi went out to sell them."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Why’s Wang Sheng here this time?"

Yu Gang didn’t hold back with Ye Xiaoxiao, "Shengzi’s the driver."

Ye Xiaoxiao then understood that the truck her third bro rented this time was from Wang Sheng’s boss, so Wang Sheng was arranged to deliver the goods.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Do you know where they’re selling the goods today? I’ll go take a look."

Yu Gang told Ye Xiaoxiao that they’re probably at the gate of the nearby compound because the goods are selling like hotcakes, so they wouldn’t go too far.

After hearing the answer, Ye Xiaoxiao said, "I’ll go find them then."

It took Ye Xiaoxiao an hour to bike here, but fortunately, the weather was good today, with no wind or snow.

If she had to spend another hour looking for Ye Changning, she’d be wiped out.

Yu Gang tried to say something, but Ye Xiaoxiao was already gone.

Ye Xiaoxiao found Ye Changning at a small square nearby. The truck was swarmed by four or five layers of people, showing how popular the goods were this time.

Ye Xiaoxiao squeezed in and looked up, "Third brother."

Ye Changning was counting out change for someone. He looked down, "Xiao Xiao, why are you here? You’re just in time, help me with the cash."

Ye Changning pulled Ye Xiaoxiao into the truck's compartment.

"A sweater’s five yuan, a cotton jacket’s eight, and they gave twenty yuan."

Ye Xiaoxiao counted out seven yuan from the money and handed it over, "Here’s your change, seven bucks."

Ye Changning: "Xiao Xiao, you’re a lifesaver."

Ye Xiaoxiao ended up helping here for the whole day.

She didn’t even get to eat lunch, and around three in the afternoon, Ye Changning grabbed two pancakes and handed them to Ye Xiaoxiao.

"Around five, when the factory lets out, there will be even more people buying things here."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Third brother, why are the sweaters and jackets cheaper than the denim from last time?"

Ye Changning explained while munching on the pancake, "The sweaters aren’t made with new material, and the yarn isn’t the best kind. Anyone can knit a sweater, so if it’s pricey, no one’s buying.

As for the cotton-padded jackets, feel them. This is a new thing from the south, called downy cotton, but it’s neither down nor cotton. The best part is it’s cheap and warm.

We also have good down jackets, but fewer people buy them. I’ll take them out to sell last."

Ye Xiaoxiao felt the clothes on the truck. The filling inside was softer than cotton, a bit like fluffy cotton.

This stuff is cheaper to produce than cotton, and the warmth isn’t that bad, but the breathability isn’t great.

Ye Xiaoxiao held the pancake and glanced around.

Ye Changning asked, "What are you looking at?"

"I heard from Yu Gang that your friend Wang Sheng came along this time. Why isn’t he here?"

Ye Changning: "Wang Sheng is just the driver. He’s not part of our sales team. He probably went out to hang out. He’ll show up when we pack up later."

At 5:30 PM, the stall hit another busy sales rush, and over half the truck’s stock was gone.

Ye Xiaoxiao quickly did the math. Just today’s earnings were over three thousand yuan.

When it was time to pack up, Wang Sheng arrived.

Wang Sheng was surprised when he saw Ye Xiaoxiao. "Changning, where’d you find this pretty helper?"

Ye Changning: "Cut it out. This is my sister."

Wang Sheng: "No way. I’ve met your sister, and she doesn’t look like this."

The matter of the Ye family changing daughters had spread throughout the Ye family and the neighbors, but Wang Sheng had been out and about, not so well-informed about the village news.

Ye Changning: "Knock it off. This is my real sister."

"Let’s go, drive us back!"

Wang Sheng had no choice but to drive. When he closed the truck door, his eyes widened in an instant.

"Changning, you sold out fast! How much did you make?"

Ye Changning: "What... regretting not joining me?"

Wang Sheng consoled himself: "This is just a one-off for you. Next time might not be as good, but my driving gig’s steady—it’s like half a guaranteed job."

Why only half a guaranteed job? Because his contract with the boss was for ten years.

But in Wang Sheng’s view, this job was well-paid and low-pressure, the kind of job that the village kids used to envy the most.