C4 The Little Girl Selling Leather Shoes

Qiaoqiao turned to the customer and said, "Sir, size 10 shoes are pretty rare. Try them on and see if they're comfortable." She knew that people from the '80s generally had smaller feet, and handmade shoes were mostly made in medium sizes. Women's shoes were typically size 6 or 7, and men's were size 8 or 9, which sold well. Qiaoqiao was aware that her family had a pair of size 10s stashed away, and she could tell by looking at the customer's feet that they might fit. She quickly fetched the shoes for him to try on, her movements swift and efficient. Watching her bend over to grab the shoes, who could resist such a charming little helper?

The customer chuckled at her antics and tried on the shoes she handed him. Although fifteen dollars was a steep price in this market, she negotiated back and forth with him and sold the pair for twelve dollars.

Bai Shengli was bewildered. "What?! My three-and-a-half-year-old daughter sold a pair of shoes?! And for twelve dollars?!"

Shen Jian, surprised, remarked, "Shengli, your little girl is quite the treasure..." Just as he was about to scoop Qiaoqiao up for a playful squeeze, the little girl darted away with surprising agility.

She had been watching the passersby, looking for potential customers, and now she had a new target. Spotting a pleasantly plump woman, she approached and asked, "Ma'am, interested in buying some shoes?" The woman, probably in her late twenties, was taken aback when this adorable child called her "ma'am."

She laughed, "Are you calling me?"

Qiaoqiao smiled sweetly, "Sister, I've got you, haven't I?"

At twenty-seven or twenty-eight, calling her "sister" was perfectly fitting!

The woman customer was delighted but said, "I'm not here to buy shoes today, just looking for a couple of baskets."

Shen Jian, who sold women's shoes, thought Qiaoqiao had brought him a customer and felt a bit disappointed.

But Qiaoqiao didn't give up and said to the customer, "Sister, your skin is so fair, and your dress is so pretty. A pair of nice shoes would look great on you."

The woman was wearing a floral dress with a pair of classic 1980s elastic nurse shoes. They matched, but the look was quite casual.

Qiaoqiao pointed to Shen Jian's stall and said, "Sister, give it a try. Trying them on is free."

That line again! Shen Jian thought to himself, learning something new.

The woman, with a good-natured temperament and finding the child amusing, let herself be led to Shen Jian's stall.

Without Shen Jian needing to say a word, Qiaoqiao picked up a pair of white, chunky-heeled shoes and smiled, "Sister, try these. They're a size 7.5. See how comfortable they are."

The woman, knowing quality when she saw it, tried on the shoes. They fit perfectly, confirming the craftsmanship was excellent.

She usually wore nurse shoes because they were versatile and easy to walk in. But now, with these little leather shoes on, she felt they looked more stylish and chic. She hadn't planned on buying shoes today, so she hesitated a bit.

Qiaoqiao noticed and quickly smiled, saying, "Your dress is so pretty! These little leather shoes would look even better with it."

Since she had dressed up just to buy a basket this morning, Qiaoqiao figured this woman had a flair for fashion. And she was right—the woman thought about her wardrobe full of floral dresses, realizing these shoes would match perfectly. It was a good deal!

Seeing her interest, Qiaoqiao added, "We’ve been here for years. If the heel breaks, my uncle will fix it for free."

Shen Jian was taken aback. "What?"

Qiaoqiao turned to him with a grin, "Right, Uncle Shen?"

Shen Jian thought to himself that a heel repair only cost a few cents, and she might not even come back for it. He quickly agreed, "Yes, we’ve been here a long time. If the heel breaks, bring it back, and we’ll fix it for free."

Women have always found it hard to resist a good offer. High heels are notorious for broken heels, and with the promise of a free repair, she didn’t hesitate anymore.

"How much?" she asked Shen Jian.

Shen Jian couldn't help himself and quickly said, "Fifteen dollars."

He had learned to raise the price!

The woman frowned slightly and said, "Wow, that's expensive! I don't want them then." She remembered she wasn't out to buy shoes and swiftly took them off.

Shen Jian: "..."

Qiaoqiao quickly grabbed her arm and said, "Ma'am, how about a little discount? Twelve dollars, maybe?"

She was guessing the woman's limit was around ten dollars, so starting at twelve left room for negotiation.

Sure enough, the woman paused, glanced back at the shoes, clearly still liking them.

After a bit of back-and-forth, they settled on ten dollars.

Qiaoqiao said, "Ma'am, we're selling them to you for ten dollars, and we're not making any profit. Plus, we'll throw in a free heel repair. If you know any other lovely ladies looking for shoes, remember to send them our way!"

The woman was delighted and said, "You're quite the little charmer! Just for that sweet talk, I'll bring more people to buy."

Another sale was in the bag.

Shen Jian grinned from ear to ear, patting Qiaoqiao's head, and said to Bai Shengli, "Shengli, when did your little girl learn to do this?"

Bai Shengli was puzzled, "I never taught her."

He couldn't see the sales tactics in her words, only that in the blink of an eye, his daughter had sold another pair of shoes.

Shen Jian was still boasting, "My youngest son is three years older than her, and he's still just playing in the mud."

Qiaoqiao cheerfully replied, "Uncles and aunties find me interesting because I'm so young, that's why they all come to buy."

It's true; in her past life, she had extensive marketing experience and knew how to leverage her strengths.

Bai Shengli couldn't help but laugh, "I never noticed before."

It was surprising; not long ago, she could barely speak clearly, and now she was selling shoes? And she could instantly tell a customer's shoe size—who knows when she learned that skill.

But it was a good thing, and he was overjoyed, not overthinking it.

After marveling for a while, Bai Shengli and Shen Jian were about to start calling out to customers, but Qiaoqiao was already back to selling in the blink of an eye.

The foot traffic at the Bless Coming Gate was heavy, and there were plenty of shoe vendors, but who else had such an adorable little charmer to draw in customers?

This little girl, barely as tall as three blocks of tofu stacked, was naturally eye-catching with her chubby cheeks.

Plus, she was especially good at engaging with passersby, constantly chatting with them.

In no time, the stalls of both the Bai and Shen families were packed with people.

Bai Shengli and Shen Jian weren't fools; they quickly started attending to the crowd.

As a result, the three pairs of men's shoes left at Bai Shengli's stall and the nine pairs of women's shoes at Shen Jian's were sold out in a flash.

Seeing a customer leave disappointed, Qiaoqiao stood there cheerfully greeting them, "We're here every day, and our leather shoes are top quality. You should come back often!"

Her playful demeanor made the customers laugh, and someone even slipped her a piece of candy amidst the fun.