CHAPTER 470: CHAPTER 470: ARE YOU SEEING SOMEONE ELSE?

Upon the opening of the men’s clothing store, no one was happier than Jian Ming. For the past few years, he’s been competing with his son over clothes. You wouldn’t know it from his age, but he’s quite particular about his attire, only wearing items that fit him perfectly—proper and distinguished, never odd to the onlooker.

He still loves competing with his son over clothes, and having a daughter-in-law who can both run a clothing store and make clothes is fantastic. Look at him growing old gracefully, his taste in clothes among his peers is second to none. Every time he steps out, he invokes jealousy in others.

On the grand opening day, he brought his good friends along.

"Dad, you’re here," Qin Xiangnuan promptly welcomed Jian Ming upon his arrival and recognized most of the people by his side.

"The uncles are here too."

"Yes, we came to look around," they all said, beaming, eyes firmly on the clothes. They had always admired Old Jian’s attire—items they had never seen or worn, previously clueless as to where he bought them. Even at his age, every piece he wore looked complete and comfortable, lending a younger appearance to him.

It was later discovered that his daughter-in-law happened to run a clothing store and all his clothes were tailored fits. What they didn’t realize was that Jian Ming was actually raiding his son’s wardrobe.

Now that’s sorted, no more competing with his son. He can wear whatever he likes, just like Li Qiuhua, rejuvenating in his older years.

Quite a few among the crowd were well-known and respected in Capital City. Single them out and they were recognizable; many Qin Xiangnuan had even seen on television. Hence, for today’s new store opening, all men’s clothing was at half price, a rare deal because Cafe’s clothes were always limited editions—selling one less means one fewer for the year. Given Cafe’s stylish designs and quality craftsmanship, the clothes remain in vogue for years, and not selling them doesn’t make them outdated; someone is always bound to buy. Naturally, Cafe’s clothes never worry about sales, and if there’s a half-price sale, it’s an opportunity not to be missed—an experienced shopper knows this well. When the women’s section opened, nobody cared, thinking the clothes were too expensive for many to buy. Even with discounts, the prices ran into hundreds, if not close to a thousand, so people didn’t pay much attention. But later, it was clear that these clothes were exceptional regardless of style, fabric, or the way they fit, definitely worth paying several times more for—and their timelessness meant they looked as stylish the next day as they did the day before, always at the forefront of fashion years later. Spending a few hundred dollars on clothes you can wear for several years is indeed no loss.

Discounts like these only come around during grand openings. Until now, there had been no significant mark-downs on Cafe clothes—not to mention half price, even seventy or eighty percent off would draw crowds, especially when new collections were launched, and people would almost burst through the doors to shop.

Now with the new men’s store opening, taking a page from past experiences, everyone naturally came to support. Although men’s clothing is expensive, a man only needs a few outfits per year, making even the priciest items worthwhile over several years.

The friends that came with Jian Ming were financially comfortable and didn’t sweat the cost. They had long admired Jian Ming’s wardrobe, yet had nowhere to buy such clothes, and now they had the rare chance to find something that fits so well—and at half off, they weren’t particularly expensive.

Putting others aside, even Jian Ming, who competed with his son for clothes daily, didn’t lack for quality garments, having chosen quite a few for himself. Once others tried and selected, they couldn’t resist and nearly everyone picked out two sets or more.

And the clothes chosen by Jian Ming had to be properly accounted for at Qin Xiangnuan’s store.

"Dad’s selections will be charged to Brother Jian," she said. The store didn’t accommodate personal ties, charging the correct amount made things convenient. It was a mere formality, though; despite stemming from Jian Zhiqing’s account, ultimately, the money was Qin Xiangnuan’s.

"I’ve supported him his whole life; of course, he should pay," Jian Ming declared, boasting with several bags in hand.

At that, the others could only laugh along.

Qin Xiangnuan smiled, her hand on the calculator. "It’s the uncles’ first time at our store, our very first guests, so I’ll give you an additional 20% off on top of the half-price discount, bringing it down to 30%."

Hearing about the 30% discount, everyone was thrilled.

Oh my, 30% off—a thousand-dollar piece of clothing now only cost around three hundred dollars. Clothes this good are usually unattainable, and they all picked out a few more items, nearly clearing out the store’s inventory.

Qin Xiangnuan showed no reluctance. The clothes were for the fall and the cost was fixed; she wasn’t losing much. Jian Ming stood by, glowing with pride. Forget impressive shopping prowess among women; when men set their minds to shopping, it can be staggering.

Plus, most men don’t shop for their clothes; women do, and often settle on the fit as it is. But clothes need to be tried on to gauge the effect. Unlike Jian Ming, his friends weren’t used to competing with their sons for wardrobe pieces, so their taste in clothes was always top-notch. Now they had the chance to try things on themselves, they naturally wanted to buy several items.

The store grew increasingly busy, whether due to Cafe’s reputation or effective advertising. People of all ages could easily look good in these clothes, and with a half-price discount, there were no hard feelings.

Like thinking someone else got a better deal than you did.

Jian Ming’s friends felt even more contented knowing they paid less than others; where everyone else got 50% off, they got 70%, which made it much easier to swallow. Although the bags they held had cost them hundreds, the joy of buying translated into their spirited appearance when wearing the clothes.

After taking the clothes home, Li Qiuhua knew Jian Ming had been shopping at the store.

"You’re getting on in years, and yet you’re still so concerned with dressing up. Tell me, what’s on your mind? Got someone on the side?"