Chapter 126: Beyond My Reach Now

"Are you looking to buy the most expensive pair of red high heels in the display case?" Liu Xing asked the stylish woman with a smile the moment they met.

"Yes, are they not for sale?" the woman asked.

"It's not that they aren't for sale, but what is your shoe size? Does it match the size of this pair in the cabinet?" Liu Xing’s smile remained unchanged.

"I wear a size thirty-nine," the woman replied.

"Then you can't wear these; they are a size thirty-seven," Liu Xing said softly.

"Oh? Then what should I do?" The woman sounded a bit annoyed. She rarely found a pair of shoes she truly liked, and now that the size was wrong, it was quite a disappointment.

Liu Xing laughed, "All the styles I have here can be custom-made, including these red heels. If you’re willing, you can pay a deposit, and I can have them made for you."

"Really? That’s wonderful!" The woman smiled happily upon hearing this. "How much is the deposit? I’ll give it to you right now."

"Fifty," Liu Xing replied.

"Alright!" The woman didn't hesitate, took out fifty yuan, and handed it to Liu Xing. Seeing other attractive shoes in nearby cabinets, she turned and led her chubby little boy over to look.

Liu Xing put the money away and caught up with her. "Wait a moment, let me write you a receipt. Also, please tell me your name and contact address so we can avoid any trouble later."

"Oh, what's the point of a receipt!" The woman turned to look at Liu Xing, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I’m the wife of Mr. Zhang, who sells coal at the market. My place is only two hundred meters away; are you afraid a kid like you would take my money and not do the job?"

"Oh! I see." Liu Xing had a sudden realization. He had thought the woman didn't look like an ordinary person; it turned out she was the wife of the coal merchant. In the eighties, the coal business was a highly lucrative and strictly controlled industry. Without significant connections and financial strength, one couldn't easily manage such a business. In other words, this stylish woman was clearly not short on cash.

Fortunately, he had been quick-witted, using the shoe size to steer the woman’s intentions. Otherwise, if the red heels had been bought, he wouldn't have known how to explain it to Sister Ding Lan. Thinking of this, Liu Xing hurriedly and quietly changed the price tag of the red heels to 188. It wasn't that he was greedy; it was simply that, currently, he lacked the materials to make another pair of red high heels. If he encountered another wealthy patron, he would be at his wits' end. After all, in the eighties, having money didn't guarantee you could find quality leather. His offer to customize the shoes was just a stalling tactic. Who would have guessed it would lead to this result?

"Sigh! It turns out having money is also a source of trouble," Liu Xing muttered to himself before rushing to the backyard to fetch more stock. There was no helping it; many of the cabinets were already sold out. If he didn't restock now, he wouldn't be able to make sales once the market crowd dispersed.

...

At a quarter past nine, Ding Lan drove up in a jeep, dressed in civilian clothes, accompanied by several colleagues, and arrived at the entrance of the shoe store. She had expected that Liu Xing’s new business wouldn't be doing very well on its first day, given that his reputation and popularity hadn't yet been established. However, the moment she stepped out of the car, she realized how wrong she had been—spectacularly wrong. The villagers queuing to buy shoes had stretched all the way to the road outside.

If not for the fear of blocking traffic, the line would likely have been even longer.

"How can this shoe store be doing so well?" a male colleague exclaimed.

"Indeed! If we had known, we should have come earlier," said Wu Guoqing, his voice tinged with helplessness and, more so, envy. He knew the profit margins of the shoe store; selling ten pairs a day was enough to live very comfortably. But for Liu Xing's store to be this successful right at the opening, it was like making money by the bucketful.

"Stop grumbling, let's go inside and take a look," Ding Lan said with a faint smile. Just as she was about to lead the way into the store, the sound of a horn came from behind. Looking back, she saw Zhang Xiangjun arriving in a jeep and quickly went to greet her. Wu Guoqing and the others followed close behind.

"Hello, Sister-in-law!" Wu Guoqing greeted her as they approached.

"Hello! Hello!" Zhang Xiangjun parked the jeep under a pomelo tree to the right of the store and joined Ding Lan, who was waiting by the roadside. "I truly can't believe it! Liu Xing's shoe store is doing so well."

"Yes, I expect his business is the best at the market today," Ding Lan checked the time. "By the way, where is Director Wu? Why didn't he come with you?"

"He arrived early; he's busy with a case," Zhang Xiangjun replied softly, then linked arms with Ding Lan and walked toward the entrance of the shoe store. Wu Guoqing and the other colleagues followed, carrying the firecrackers Ding Lan had bought.

One after another, Liu Xing's relatives arrived to offer their congratulations. Liu Dazhu was the first to arrive, riding his '28-inch' bicycle with his wife. Following them were Kang Fuchuan and Liu Qiuyuan, who also came by bicycle, carrying two old hens and a long string of firecrackers. Fifth Uncle, Liu Deqi, also arrived, smoking his long pipe and bringing along a child with a runny nose. Seeing his sixth younger sister, Liu Qiuyuan, holding the hens, he felt quite embarrassed. He had come to Liu Xing’s place without bringing anything, arriving only with his mouth to eat.

However, Liu Dazhao, who was greeting guests at the entrance, didn't mind at all. He stepped forward and led Liu Deqi, the Liu Dazhu couple, Kang Fuchuan, and Liu Qiuyuan into the shop.

Inside the store, it was packed to the rafters. Fortunately, the villagers waiting to buy shoes were very disciplined, neither causing a scene nor making loud noises. At the counter by the entrance, a wooden box was already piled high with small-denomination bills. This made Liu Dazhu and the others incredibly envious, and some villagers even looked on with jealousy. But upon seeing Zhao Gou, who stood two meters tall, standing nearby with Zhao Liang, they quickly looked away.

Liu Xing, who was busy attending to Zhang Xiangjun, saw this and said, "Aunt, today is Saturday, and you're on break. If you have nothing else to do, could you help collect the money? I'm afraid my two older sisters can't handle it alone." The ones collecting money were Liu Ziran and Liu Dongjue. He didn't trust anyone else, so he hadn't made any other arrangements. But now, as the total amount of money increased, if he didn't find someone to clear the wooden box, it could lead to trouble. After all, the people were very poor; who wouldn't be tempted by a whole box of money? Not to mention that, by his estimation, there was at least over a thousand yuan in there.

Zhang Xiangjun naturally understood what Liu Xing meant. After a smile, she pulled Ding Lan over to help collect and categorize the money. Liu Xing breathed a sigh of relief and was about to head to the backyard to check the remaining inventory when he heard Gua Zi's sweet, melodic voice from outside: "Brother! Brother! Uncle Li is here, and so is Sister Weiwei."

As soon as the words left her lips, the sound of firecrackers popped and crackled.

"Uncle Li?"

"Sister Weiwei?"

Liu Xing was stunned for a moment, but once he regained his composure, he knew exactly who they were. It had to be Li Dawei, the factory manager of the Hengshui Winery, and his daughter, Li Weiwei.

"At a time like this, Li Dawei still has the nerve to come here?"

"Could it be about the repairs for the bottling equipment?"

Thinking of this, Liu Xing frowned and walked out. In the open space at the entrance, Li Dawei was pushing Li Weiwei in her wheelchair, teasing Gua Zi and Xiao Budian; both of them had faint smiles on their faces. However, the smiles vanished as soon as they saw Liu Xing emerge. Li Dawei, in particular, awkwardly scratched his head, standing there not knowing what to say. After how he had treated Liu Xing at the Hengshui Winery, he felt deeply ashamed.

Li Weiwei’s expression was slightly better, but she couldn't smile either. She looked at the approaching Liu Xing, exchanged a glance with her father, and then said softly, "Brother Liu Xing, it’s been a long time."

"Yes, it has been a long time," Liu Xing replied expressionlessly, nodding.

"Well... my father has something he wants to say to you," Li Weiwei said before asking Gua Zi to push her away. Xiao Budian skipped along behind her, completely unaware of the coldness in Liu Xing’s demeanor.

Seeing this, Li Dawei let out a long sigh. "Liu Xing, I apologize for what happened before. I’ve already received my retribution; can you forgive me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Liu Xing said, suddenly smiling.

"You..." Li Dawei felt awkward. After a hesitant laugh, he continued, "I’m talking about how I conspired with Director Zhang and Old Yu at the winery to cheat you out of the plastic film covering method."

"Oh!" Liu Xing nodded meaningfully. "That was your skill. I was young and naive, so getting swindled was to be expected."

"Don't say that. Director Zhang has already confessed and been sentenced, and Liu Changsheng has also been arrested. I hope you can let bygones be bygones and help me—help the Hengshui Winery get through this current crisis, will you?" Li Dawei sighed softly. "As for the compensation... we can discuss it."

"Heh... do you think I'm still short on money?" Liu Xing laughed and walked back into the shoe store. Li Dawei hesitated for a moment before following him in.

"See for yourself! In the two hours since I opened today, the turnover has already exceeded one thousand," Liu Xing said with his hands behind his back, leading Li Dawei to the money-collection counter. "Based on these figures, it's safe to assume that a gross daily income of two to three thousand is well within reach."

"Ask yourself, with my current income, would I even care about the little compensation you’re offering?" Liu Xing looked at Li Dawei, his eyes filled with mockery.

"I... I..." Li Dawei stammered, unable to speak. It was only now that he realized the Liu Xing he had once looked down upon was no longer the same person.

"You should go back. My personality isn't particularly good, and I hold grudges. While I won't necessarily seek immediate revenge, I will remember what you did to me for the rest of my life. So... as for wanting me to repair the bottling equipment again, that is impossible." After saying this, Liu Xing turned and walked away, leaving Li Dawei standing there, speechless.

After all, if he were in Liu Xing's position, he would likely do the same. Because in front of Liu Xing, he had already lost his integrity as a person, along with any basic trust.