Chapter 312: Customer: This Supermarket Is Addictive, Once You Start, You Can't Stop

Chapter 312: Customer: This Supermarket Is Addictive, Once You Start, You Can’t Stop

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It was the 14th day of the eighth lunar month, a Saturday.

Midday.

Songshan High School.

After school, Deng Yunzhu met up with her younger brother, Deng Yunhua, and they walked together towards the school's bicycle shed.

Although Deng Yunhua, like his second sister, was a poor student, he was inspired by his older brothers and did not give up on his studies. This year, he successfully enrolled in Songshan High School, which greatly relieved him.

Even though his academic performance was poor, his father did not blame him too much. However, if he could not even attend high school, he would have no face to show in public.

After all, his second sister, who had dropped out of school after elementary school and later returned to complete her education, had managed to get into high school. He couldn’t be worse than her, could he?

"Second Auntie!"

"Fourth Uncle!"

At that moment, Deng Sibao from Shanggao Village and Deng Sida from Meitian Village were already waiting at the bicycle shed. Seeing Deng Yunzhu and her brother approach, they called out to them.

Every time Deng Yunzhu heard the term "Second Auntie," she felt quite helpless. She waved her hand weakly and said, "Let's go quickly. This week, we won't be going back to Bangjie. We'll take the bus directly to Bobai. We'll have a bowl of noodles on the street first, and then you two can go back!"

"Okay, got it!"

Deng Sibao and Deng Sida were not surprised. The family of the Second Auntie had a large restaurant in the county town. With the Mid-Autumn Festival the next day, it was quite normal for the siblings to go to the county town to celebrate.

While waiting, the two had already taken out their bicycles, so they could leave immediately.

Soon, they arrived at a noodle stall they frequently visited.

Deng Yunzhu called out, "Boss, give us four bowls of noodles, just like last time."

The boss smiled when she saw Deng Yunzhu and said, "Sure, take a seat. It'll be ready soon."

The boss remembered Deng Yunzhu very well because this girl always ordered the 50-cent bowl of noodles.

Even though it was 1985, 50 cents for a bowl of noodles was still a luxury for most people. Few could afford to eat like that, and this girl, who looked like a student, always came to eat the same way. It was hard for the boss to forget her.

Soon, the four bowls of noodles were ready.

When they were served, the steam rose, and the bowls were topped with slices of pork and pork offal. They came with a small dish of condiments for dipping, and the taste was truly excellent.

Being young, they had strong digestive systems. The breakfast they had in the morning had long been digested, and they were all very hungry. As soon as the noodles were served, they started eating quickly.

In less than ten minutes, they had finished their bowls of noodles, feeling satisfied.

After finishing the noodles, Deng Sibao and Deng Sida vied to pay the bill.

However, with Deng Yunhua present, there was no way they could pay.

When he was in middle school, due to his generous allowance and his outgoing personality, he had quite a few followers and was a well-known "big brother" figure at school. No one, whether they knew his identity or not, dared to provoke him.

Now in high school, his allowance was even more generous. Paying for a few bowls of noodles was a small matter for him.

Therefore, Deng Yunhua waved his hand magnanimously and said, "Alright, no need to argue. I’m your Fourth Uncle, after all. Who needs you to pay for a few bowls of noodles? I’ll take care of it. You two should head back quickly!"

Deng Yunzhu added, "Be careful on the way."

Deng Sibao and Deng Sida exchanged a glance. Since Deng Yunhua had used his seniority to assert his authority, they had no choice but to accept it.

After the two left on their bicycles, Deng Yunhua paid the bill, and the siblings waited at the street corner for a bus heading to Bobai or Yulin.

While waiting for the bus, Deng Yunhua said, "Second Sister, Second Brother’s influence at our school is huge, haven’t you noticed?"

Deng Yunzhu glanced at her younger brother and said, "That’s obvious. If it weren’t for Second Brother’s influence, you wouldn’t have a chance to stay in the teachers’ dormitory. You’d be sharing a room with your classmates."

Because of their successful experience last year, when her younger brother came to Songshan High School this year, Deng Yunzhu took him directly to the office and spoke to the head of the teaching department. They managed to get Deng Yunhua to stay in the teachers' dormitory.

Deng Yunhua said, "Second Sister, I know Second Brother has a lot of influence at school, but I didn’t realize it was this much. Our homeroom teacher keeps using him as an example. It’s only been a few weeks, and he’s already mentioned Second Brother’s name at least thirty times."

Hearing this, Deng Yunzhu sighed, "Second Brother’s name is mentioned quite frequently in our class too. Not just the homeroom teacher, but other subject teachers often use him as an example. That’s the influence of a Peking University student. Until someone breaks Second Brother’s record, every new batch of students will probably hear his name for three years."

Deng Yunhua looked dejected and said, "It’s not that bad when the teacher mentions Second Brother’s name, but the problem is that he knows I’m Second Brother’s brother. Every time he mentions Second Brother, he looks at me with a meaningful gaze, which gives me the creeps."

At this, the two struggling students exchanged a look, both feeling the same way.

...

The next day.

Mid-Autumn Festival.

The moon hung high in the sky.

Deng Shirong and his children, daughters-in-law, and nephews gathered on the rooftop of the Suifeng Restaurant to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The tables and chairs were naturally brought up from the first floor of the restaurant. On the table were grapes, apples, pears, and some taro, along with several bundles of mooncakes.

These mooncakes were not packaged as elaborately as those in the future. They were wrapped in oiled paper with a red square "advertising paper" printed with "Mid-Autumn Mooncakes" and the manufacturer's name, then tied with coarse hemp rope. This was how mooncakes were packaged in this era.

Now, white sugar filling was the classic choice for mooncakes. It wasn't that this filling was particularly delicious; in fact, these overly sweet white sugar mooncakes weren't that great. They were considered classic because they were the most common type of mooncake in this era. Mooncakes with lotus seed paste, red bean paste, and other fillings were too expensive for most people to afford.

Of course, while most people couldn't afford them, the Deng family could. Therefore, the table was laden with mooncakes filled with lotus seed paste, red bean paste, five nuts, and coconut.

At this moment, Deng Shirong was burning incense and making offerings to the Moon Goddess.

In Bobai, the Mid-Autumn Festival was not as elaborate as in other places. They simply placed taro, fruits, and mooncakes on the table, burned incense to worship the Moon Goddess, and then enjoyed the mooncakes while admiring the moon and chatting with family. This was how they celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Some more sophisticated city dwellers would bring mooncakes, fruits, soda, and tape recorders to parks or the outskirts to enjoy the moon and have a pleasant evening.

However, Deng Shirong had little interest in such activities. He thought it was nice enough to gather the family on the rooftop to admire the moon.

At most, he might try something like a barbecue on the rooftop, as was common in the future. However, this required a lot of preparation. Unlike in the future where supermarkets sold everything needed for a barbecue, in this era, everything had to be prepared from scratch. He decided to wait until his grandchildren were older before trying it, as it was too much trouble now.

While eating the mooncakes, Bu Dashou asked, "Uncle, when the Suifeng Restaurant opened, you had people parade through the streets with copper gongs and advertising signs, making the whole county aware of it. The Yongjia Supermarket opens the day after tomorrow. Are you planning to do the same thing?"

Deng Shirong shook his head and smiled, "Back then, we had no roots here, so we had to make a big fuss to let everyone in the county know. Now that we have a foothold in the county, there's no need for that. We'll just hang a banner at the entrance and set off some firecrackers, and that will be enough."

Deng Yuntao added, "Our clan, the Dengs, has over a thousand members. We'll let them know about the opening, and they can come to buy what they need. We'll also inform the clanspeople in the new village. With their support, we won't have to worry about a lack of customers."

Bu Dashou nodded, "That's true. With over a thousand clanspeople, the supermarket's business will surely take off quickly."

Liu Aihong, who was pregnant, sighed, "Uncle, this supermarket you're setting up is truly novel. In the past, when customers went shopping, the seller would hand them what they needed. Now, in the supermarket, customers can pick up what they want themselves and then pay at the cash register. I've never heard of such a shopping method before."

In fact, supermarkets had already appeared in Shanghai the previous year, but information was much more limited in this era compared to the future, where the internet made news instantly available worldwide.

Deng Shirong smiled, "I didn't invent this. Supermarkets like this have existed in America for decades."

Deng Yuntao couldn't help but sigh, "America is indeed impressive. I wonder when our country will catch up."

Deng Shirong said, "Our country is developing rapidly. I believe that in a few decades, we will surpass America."

"Perhaps it won't be that easy. Our country is so poor, and our technology is not advanced."

Deng Yuntao shook his head and looked at the moon in the night sky, his expression serious. "America sent a man to the moon over a decade ago. The technological gap between our country and theirs is immense. Our current living standards might not even match theirs from a hundred years ago!"

Deng Yunzhen also admitted, "America is indeed impressive. Sending a man to the moon is truly unbelievable."

Zhang Xiuping nodded and sighed, "The gap between us and them is indeed too great!"

Seeing his children and daughters-in-law feeling discouraged, Deng Shirong understood. People in this era lacked confidence, especially when facing powerful countries like America and the Soviet Union. Many felt inferior and believed it was impossible to catch up.

This is also the main reason why many countries struggle to cultivate talent, only for those individuals to leave the country and never return. Such people, compared to those who achieve great success abroad and still yearn to return to serve their country, truly appear like clowns.

Having experienced the future, Deng Shirong was naturally full of confidence in his country. The tremendous achievements of the country's forty years of reform and opening-up have made the world take notice.

However, in our country, this is not called a rise, but a revival.

Recalling an inspiring speech from the future, Deng Shirong said, "Don't be so pessimistic. Our Chinese nation has a long history of five thousand years and has always stood at the pinnacle of the world.

Five thousand years ago, we faced floods just like the Egyptians.

Four thousand years ago, we played with bronze artifacts just like the ancient Babylonians.

Three thousand years ago, we pondered philosophy just like the Greeks.

Two thousand years ago, we waged wars just like the Romans.

A thousand years ago, we were as wealthy as the Arabs.

And now, our country is reforming and developing at a rapid pace, and it is only a matter of time before we can compete with America.

So, for these five thousand years, we have always been on the chessboard of the world, and our opponents have changed many times."

When these words were spoken, although the many struggling students did not fully understand the meaning, they felt it was incredibly inspiring.

Deng Yunsong, the top student, immediately understood his father's words and excitedly slapped his thigh, saying, "Dad, you summarized it so well. What you said is absolutely correct. Our country has always been ahead of the world, but because of the incompetence of the Qing government, we suffered humiliation for nearly a hundred years.

But now we have risen again, and the thousand-year period has arrived. The country will surely achieve a great revival, and it will not be inferior to America."

Deng Yunsheng, a high school student, also quickly understood his father's words and was equally excited.

Then, Deng Yunzhen, Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yunzhu, and Deng Yunhua also gradually understood and were as energized as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

It can be said that anyone who has affection for our country, upon hearing such an inspiring speech, cannot help but be moved.

Only Bu Dashou, Liu Aihong, Chen Bangguo, Chen Bangli, and Chen Bangfeng looked at each other, not fully understanding the examples their uncle (or father-in-law) had given, though they could tell he was praising the Chinese nation's historical greatness.

Seeing their cousins excitedly discussing the topic, they regretted not studying harder in the past, as they could not contribute to the conversation.

...

Before they knew it, National Day 1985 had arrived.

This day marked the grand opening of the Yongjia Supermarket.

Early in the morning, after a quick bowl of rice noodles, Deng Shirong and his children and daughters-in-law came to make the necessary preparations for the opening. He directed the supermarket employees to hang the banners prepared beforehand from the third floor, one by one.

After hanging the banners, the employees took their positions, ready to welcome customers.

Firecrackers were also prepared, waiting for the auspicious time to announce the official opening of the supermarket.

By 8:00 AM, the Deng clan members from Naye, who had been informed in advance, had also arrived.

Although they were not entirely clear about what a supermarket was, it was the clan leader's business, and they naturally came to support it, hoping to boost the atmosphere.

It is undeniable that people have a herd mentality. With the arrival of over a thousand members of the Naye Deng clan, the entrance of the Suifeng Restaurant was bustling with people. The red banners hanging from the third floor naturally attracted passersby.

When these passersby approached, they saw the banners read:

"Long Live the Yongjia Supermarket, Congratulations on a Prosperous Business!"

"Spencer Real Estate Congratulates the Yongjia Supermarket on a Prosperous Business, May Wealth Flow from All Directions!"

"New Village Patriarch Congratulates the Yongjia Supermarket on a Prosperous Business, May the Wealth Flow in Abundance!"

"Yongjia Supermarket is the First Self-Service Mall in Our County, with Over a Thousand Items Clearly Priced, Free for You to Choose."

"Take What You Want, All Items Openly Available to Customers, Free to Exchange if Unsatisfied, No Need to Look at Anyone's Face."

"This is a Brand New Shopping Experience, Everyone Who Tries It Says It's Great."

Seeing these banners, the curiosity of the passersby was piqued!

At 8:18 AM, as the firecrackers sounded, Deng Shirong officially announced the opening of the Yongjia Supermarket.

Driven by curiosity, the passersby followed the crowd upstairs, including Helan Ying, who had come out for a morning exercise.

Upon reaching the second floor, a vast array of goods greeted her eyes. Indeed, as the banners said, there were at least a thousand items available. Helan Ying entered the supermarket through the entrance marked with a sign.

"Welcome! This is our supermarket's shopping basket. Customers who need one can take it and place the items they like into the basket. It makes shopping much more convenient!"

Hearing the introduction from the supermarket staff, the customers who entered the supermarket all picked up a shopping basket with curiosity and headed towards the shelves lined with various goods.

Helan Ying was naturally one of them. She picked up a shopping basket and followed the signs to the food section. Her family was out of noodles, and she had originally planned to buy some after her morning exercise. Since she unexpectedly entered this supermarket, she decided to check the prices here.

If the prices were reasonable, she could buy them directly here.

Soon, Helan Ying arrived at the shelf dedicated to noodles. She saw various sizes and weights of noodles, each with a clearly marked price. She nodded in approval; the prices were indeed clearly labeled, and the cost of each bundle of noodles was clearly stated.

Helan Ying chose a type of noodles that her family often ate. The price was slightly cheaper than usual, so she happily picked up a few bundles and placed them in her shopping basket.

She then began to leisurely browse through the food section and other areas.

"Hmm, these fruit cans are also quite cheap. I'll buy them!"

"Wow, these cookies are cheaper than elsewhere. I'll buy them!"

"Tsk, this toothpaste is good too. We don't have much left at home. I'll buy it!"

"…I'll buy it!"

Helan Ying felt as free as Zhu Bajie returning to his old home. She was completely at ease!

With all the goods clearly priced and available for selection, she could pick whatever she wanted without having to deal with the impatient looks of sales clerks. This was her first experience with such a convenient shopping method, and she couldn't stop.

After some time, when Helan Ying picked another item and was about to place it in her shopping basket, she suddenly realized that the basket was already full!

So, Helan Ying excitedly headed to the checkout counter with her full basket.

There was already a queue, but with ten checkout counters, the wait wasn't too long. She only had to wait for two minutes before it was her turn!

She took out the items from her shopping basket one by one. Items that needed to be weighed were handled by a dedicated person, and those that didn't need weighing were directly priced. In less than a minute, the cashier used a calculator to tally up the total cost.

After paying, the cashier took out a plastic bag, put all her purchases into it, and handed it to her.

It was 1985, and although plastic bags were not as widely used as in the future, most residents of the county had seen or used them. So, seeing the plastic bag wasn't too surprising, just a bit unexpected that Yongjia Supermarket provided them for free.

Helan Ying carried a large bag of items out of the supermarket. As she went downstairs, she gradually came to her senses. She had only intended to look around and maybe buy a bundle of noodles. She hadn't planned to buy anything else.

But she ended up buying a whole large bag of items…

At this moment, if Helan Ying knew the language of the future, she would definitely say—this supermarket is addictive!

However, Helan Ying was not the first customer to have this feeling, nor would she be the last.

After experiencing the unrestricted shopping experience in the supermarket, customers who had only intended to look around or buy a needle or a box of matches couldn't resist buying a lot more. Before they knew it, their shopping baskets were full.

When they finished checking out and came to their senses, they could only laugh bitterly.

It wasn't just the regular customers. Even the Deng clan members who had come to support their clan leader couldn't resist buying a lot of items. The freedom of self-service shopping in the supermarket was incredibly appealing in this era.

As time passed, more and more customers arrived.

The moment these customers entered the supermarket, they felt a sense of novelty. The feeling of being able to shop without the need for assistance and having complete control over their choices was truly amazing, something they had never experienced before.

It was as if the items in the supermarket were free, and they stuffed their shopping baskets as much as they could.

All ten checkout counters were lined with long queues, and the business was so booming that Deng Yuntao, Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yunzhen, and others were left speechless.

Even Deng Shirong, who had been mentally prepared, was surprised by the customers' purchasing power.

By mid-morning, some shelves were already empty, and Deng Yuntao immediately led the staff to restock them.

This was when the role of the third-floor warehouse became evident.

Because the larger the quantity purchased, the cheaper the price, the opening of the supermarket, supported by his father's funds, allowed Deng Yuntao to purchase in large quantities. Now, the third floor was stocked with goods worth hundreds of thousands, ensuring a steady supply for the foreseeable future.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end