Married Women Series: Betel Nut

page views:1 Publication date:2023-06-11 13:08:45

Article: 11 I. Prologue

　　"What do you want to eat today?" My husband's voice came from afar.

　　"Go buy some noodles at the alley entrance!" I replied perfunctorily, but I was incredibly annoyed. We'd been moving all day, and things were already chaotic enough, yet all my husband could think about was food. I finally managed to haphazardly stuff the clothes I'd just unpacked into the closet, and then glanced at my cheap watch. My heart skipped a beat; it was already 8 o'clock. No wonder my husband was nagging me about eating.

　　"It's okay if my husband hasn't eaten, but it's not good if our son and daughter go hungry." I looked at the messy room, frantically searching for my purse. After a flurry of activity, I finally found it on the dressing table.

　　"Oh no! I only have 5,000 yuan left, and the bank is empty. What am I going to do?" Looking at my purse with only 5,000 yuan left, another wave of heartache washed over me, and the terrifying experiences of the past few days resurfaced in my mind. If it weren't for that car accident, we wouldn't have had to move. The house we painstakingly saved up to buy was sold because of the compensation. All my daily reminders to my taxi driver husband to drive carefully were for nothing; misfortune still struck, killing two people in one accident. Not only were our savings wiped out, but we also had to mortgage the house to avoid jail time. If it weren't for Ah Hai's help, we wouldn't even have been able to pay the rent deposit.

　　Ah Hai is my husband's good friend, also a taxi driver. On the day of the accident, they went to get their cars serviced together. That service shop really brought trouble; my husband's car still had brake failure. If it had been Ah Hai who was involved in the accident, we wouldn't be in such a terrible situation. At least Ah Hai is quite wealthy, with a substantial inheritance from his parents. Although I dislike him a bit—he's shifty and has a petty personality—we're still grateful for his help this time; otherwise, we would have been homeless. It's just fate playing tricks on us.

　　Ahua is a good husband. They've been together since she was 16. Although she got pregnant with Xiaoying less than a year later, causing her to drop out of high school to marry him, Ahua hasn't let her suffer much in the past 20 years. Although her husband's family is poor and her parents-in-law passed away early, leaving her husband with very little money, Ahua has worked hard since her military service and has managed to support herself and her family without anything lacking.

　　Thinking about the misfortunes of the past few years, a sense of helplessness and bitterness welled up in her heart. Ahua, who works in a factory, was finally about to be promoted to deputy factory manager when the economy hit and the factory owner went bankrupt. She didn't receive her salary for the next few months, let alone severance pay. Although Ahua is not old, only 38, and could still have a chance to start over, her factory experience makes it impossible to find a job in Taiwan. Similar factories have all moved to mainland China.

　　Other jobs either required computer skills, fluent English, or extremely low pay. Plus, Ah Hua's waistline and beer belly had been rapidly expanding over the past 20 years, making physically demanding jobs unbearable. Caught between a rock and a hard place, he had no choice but to become a taxi driver.

　　"It's all fate!" Suddenly snapping back to reality, pulling his wandering thoughts, he quickly pulled a 1000 yuan note from his purse and left the bedroom.

　　"Sister-in-law! Is there anything missing at home?"

　　Just as he stepped out of the kitchen, Ah Hai, who was drinking with his husband in the living room, asked this question.

　　"Nothing's missing! Thank you so much for letting us stay here. We'll definitely pay rent from now on."

　　I replied politely, placing the side dishes Ah Hai had brought on the table.

　　"Don't mention rent. We're family, no need to be so polite. It's only right. You know I've always treated Ah Hua like an older brother. We're brothers, don't overthink it." Ah Hai smiled obsequiously.

　　I'd only known him for a few days, but he was already calling me "brother." They met through their taxi driving jobs. From the first moment I saw him, I disliked him. He had this cocky, arrogant attitude, especially his lecherous eyes, which were utterly repulsive. I'd told my husband more than once not to associate with him, but perhaps he was too bored driving and too honest and kind, so he didn't take my words to heart.

　　"Sister-in-law! Want to sit with me?" Ah Hai, his mouth full of betel nut juice, grinned with a mouthful of black teeth, his slutty voice making everyone uncomfortable.

　　"No! I still need to pack my things." I absolutely didn't want to drink and chat with someone like that, so I blurted out without thinking.

　　"Sit down and let's think about what we can do. It's not good for Hua-ge to be unemployed all the time." Ah Hai's tone was so helpful that it was hard to refuse. However, I was only wearing shorts and a tank top, my usual casual clothes at home, which weren't suitable for entertaining guests. Plus, when I opened the door for Ah Hai earlier, his shifty eyes kept staring at me, making me feel extremely uncomfortable. So, I didn't want to sit and chat with this person at all.

　　"What can we do? Jobs are hard to find." Hearing my husband's helpless tone, I felt a little sorry for him. A series of events had made him seem very dejected, so I didn't leave immediately.

　　"We don't know what to do either." Although I was thinking, what does my husband's unemployment have to do with Ah Hai? Why should I discuss it with him? But seeing my husband's dejected look, even though I was very reluctant, I still sat down, hoping to comfort him.

　　"Xiaoying's graduating soon, she can go find a job!" Ahai offered his well-meaning but mischievous suggestion. I felt his gaze kept lingering on me, though not obviously, but I was certain he was secretly observing me.

　　"A young girl, just graduated, even if she finds a job, the salary won't be high. With such a heavy burden right now, the help is limited," my husband replied listlessly.

　　"Something is better than nothing." Hearing my husband's words distracted me from the annoyance caused by Ahai's intrusive gaze. Although I was a little resentful of Ahai's meddling, the topic stirred up my helplessness. I didn't feel comfortable expressing my worries. Right now, it's not just living expenses; we also have to pay compensation every month, and our son Xiaowen's tuition. Most importantly, we have absolutely no income.

　　"I can't drive anymore, sigh! I really don't know what to do." The husband sighed again, completely demoralized. Not only was his driver's license permanently revoked, but the car, for which the loan wasn't fully paid off, was also totaled. The repair costs were over ten thousand, and even after repairs, he couldn't sell it. He had to beg the taxi company owner to reluctantly take the car back, and he had already lost a lot of money just from this.

　　"That's true, why don't you think about starting a small business?" Because of the accident, Ah Hai had been helping with the situation, so he was very clear about it and offered some helpful suggestions.

　　"Where will I get the capital?" the husband said irritably. He didn't have any wealthy relatives or friends to begin with. His old colleagues from the factory were all unemployed and struggling. In the time he had been driving a taxi, he hadn't made any friends besides Ah Hai. Without a stable job or a house, and unable to borrow money from the bank, he was truly at his wit's end.

　　"A small business doesn't require much capital, and I have money," Ah Hai said, jumping in with an air of generosity and loyalty.

　　"How can you do this? I already owe you a lot of money." Her husband had been asking Ah Hai for help lately, owing him hundreds of thousands, and Ah Hai was still helping her like this; honestly, he was very loyal. "

　　Why talk about money, brother? It's only right. I'll pay you back when I have the money," Ah Hai said, displaying a very generous attitude.

　　"No, you've already been good enough to us; I can't burden you any further. Besides, I don't even know what kind of small business to start."

　　I didn't want to keep accepting Ahai's financial support. Although life was tough, I wanted to politely decline, otherwise I wouldn't know how to repay this favor. Besides that, I always felt a little uneasy about Ahai's enthusiasm.

　　"Hey! You guys are really something, so polite. What do you mean by being a burden? Ahua's business is my business. We can think about what business to do together! How about this, I'll be the boss, and you guys can run it. Is that alright?" Ahai enthusiastically encouraged my husband, who seemed quite moved and greatly encouraged, finally straightening up a bit.

　　"Is that a good idea?" I didn't really agree with the suggestion, but at least it was earning money through work, which felt much better than borrowing money, and the debt of gratitude wouldn't feel so heavy.

　　"But what should we do?" Thinking about this question, my husband slumped back into the rattan chair, his hard-won fighting spirit vanishing again.

　　"Yeah! We need to find a small business that's not easy to lose money on." Seeing my husband's lack of confidence, I quickly added a few words, just to encourage him.

　　"That's true, we need to find something that's guaranteed to make money." Ah Hai immediately echoed my words, then casually picked up the teacup on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

　　"Ah Juan's cooking skills are good, she could cook." My husband also took a sip of tea, tentatively offering his suggestion. Seeing this, I casually picked up the teapot, refilled my husband's teacup, and also filled Ah Hai's.

　　"I'm alright in the kitchen! But cooking for food is different." I said politely, while refilling Ah Hai's teacup. However, I noticed that Ah Hai's gaze seemed to be looking at my chest. My first thought was that the loose V-neck tank top I was wearing was likely to expose me, and since I was leaning forward while pouring tea, the neckline was directly facing Ah Hai. I quickly sat up straight, pretending nothing was wrong, and adjusted my neckline with my hand to avoid accidentally exposing myself again.

　　At home, I usually don't wear much—just a tank top and shorts. Even though my kids are all grown up, I've maintained a great figure, which I'm very confident about. I have a 24-inch waist, and my bust, which was originally 34-inch but has increased to 36-inch after having children, gives me shapely thighs and long calves. So I love wearing shorts or skirts; it shows off my figure.

　　"What kind of food should we sell? There are so many street stalls now, good locations are hard to find, and it's too tiring working in the sun and wind. Should we look for a shop? Good locations are expensive, and the landlord takes all the profits; it's not easy to do business there," Ahai brought up the topic. "

　　That's true," my husband, who's become cautious about everything, agreed with Ahai. "Selling clothes would be good; the profit is decent." Ahai offered another suggestion.

　　"No way! That requires excellent salesmanship, which we can't do." I thought this idea was a no-go; asking my husband to sell things was like climbing Mount Everest—it would definitely be a disaster.

　　"No way, your wife has great salesmanship; the business will definitely be great," Ahai flattered, though it didn't sound very sincere.

　　"No way! I've never sold anything before, I don't dare." Although I said that, what I really thought was, "My husband is doing business with you, what does it have to do with me?" So I just gave a few perfunctory replies, not wanting to get involved.

　　"No way! Your wife is so beautiful, her business will definitely be great." Ah Hai really didn't know any better, bringing up this topic again.

　　"What does it have to do with me? What can a woman do?" Although it was a compliment, I really didn't want to argue with Ah Hai, so I declined in a cold tone.

　　Even though it was a compliment from the annoying Ah Hai, nice words always make people happy. I'm often complimented on my beauty, my long oval face, my long black hair, and my milk-white skin. Even at my age, my skin is still smooth and soft. When I walk with my daughter Xiao Ying, people often mistake us for sisters.

　　"No way! Small businesses only make money when both husband and wife work together." Ah Hai's words startled me. Could it be that he included me in this?

　　"But! I don't know anything about it." I wanted to quickly distance myself, not because I didn't want to do a small business with my husband, but because I really didn't want Ah Hai to be the boss.

　　"That's right, it's only good if the couple can work together, but the most important thing is to choose the right business." My husband sounded like he agreed, and his words were very certain.

　　I wanted to object, but then I thought about how my husband had been supporting the family alone for 18 years, and I had never worked. If I had a chance to work with him, that would be nice. With that in mind, I started to seriously consider the issue.

　　"I've got it! There's a business that requires little investment but yields high profits, and it's a sure thing. You don't need to do any sales; you just have to wait for customers to come. If you do well, you can earn over ten thousand a month." Ah Hai jumped up, looking very excited, as if he had already made a fortune.

　　"What business?" My husband and I asked in unison.

　　"Selling betel nuts." Ah Hai said with a smug and confident air.

　　"Selling betel nuts?" My husband and I asked in surprise, momentarily at a loss for words.

　　"Yes! Betel nut has a high profit margin and doesn't require much skill. As long as you have a suitable shop, you can get some and start a business," Ah Hai said excitedly.

　　"Selling betel nut doesn't seem like a good idea," my husband hesitated, voicing my opinion.

　　"How is it bad? It's a legitimate business! Just like selling cigarettes and alcohol. You don't eat betel nut, so you don't know how much it sells. Taiwanese people consume billions of dollars worth every year," Ah Hai said indignantly. "

　　But! Eating betel nut is bad!" Because Ah Hai always has betel nut in his mouth, his mouth is always wide open, which is one of the reasons I dislike him. He smells like betel nut all over, but I really don't like selling betel nut, so I still spoke my mind.

　　"Smoking is bad too, but then all convenience stores can't sell cigarettes, right? The most important thing is to make money," Ah Hai argued somewhat embarrassedly, because he himself always has betel nut in his mouth.

　　"How's the profit?" My husband didn't seem to care much about whether betel nut was good or bad; he was more concerned about the profit.

　　"The profit is amazing! Look, I buy a box for 100 yuan, only ten pieces, that's 10 yuan per piece, and the cost is only 2 or 3 yuan. See how profitable that is? I asked the betel nut vendors, and they can earn 10,000 to 20,000 yuan a day." Ah Hai perked up again when talking about this.

　　"Is it really that profitable?" The husband was a little skeptical, but he seemed tempted by the profit.

　　"Really! And all you need is a shop, no special skills required, which is perfect for you guys." Ah Hai strongly encouraged him again.

　　"It sounds so simple!" The husband seemed to be convinced.

　　"Here's what we're going to do: I have a house near the highway. With your own house, you don't have to worry about losing money, and that location is perfect for selling betel nuts. You and your sister-in-law can manage it together, and earning over 100,000 yuan a month wouldn't be bad." Ah Hai presented his plan quite naturally.

　　"But we don't know anything about it." Hearing Ah Hai say that you can earn over 100,000 a month is quite tempting. Although I have a bad impression of betel nuts, what really convinced me was that Ah Hai mentioned that no skills are required. This way, I wouldn't have to worry about my husband not being able to do it. And hearing that I could earn so much money, even if I only earned half, would be a great help to my family, which was in dire need of money. I was still tempted.

　　"No problem! Leave everything to me," Ahai replied confidently.

II. Opening the Shop

　　"Not bad, right! This is sure to be a hit! I don't believe business will be bad." Ahai said proudly. From the moment they decided to open a betel nut stand, Ahai and her husband had been incredibly busy, but in less than half a month, the shop was ready.

　　"Hmm! Look, it looks pretty good, doesn't it?" Standing next to Ahai, her husband said proudly. "The whole shop is finished today. My husband specially brought me to see it because our daughter, Xiaoying, hasn't found a job yet. She happened to be home when we left, so we brought her along to see the shop as well."

　　The shop, about 20 pings (approximately 6.6 square meters), is Ah Hai's ancestral property. It's conveniently located near a highway exit, a prime location for a betel nut stand. The shop is divided into two parts, front and back. The stall area is about four pings (approximately 3.3 square meters). The wall facing the road was knocked down to create a full-length glass display window, enclosed by neon lights. Behind the glass is a row of long, high tables, several high chairs, and a large three-door freezer against the back wall, decorated with some Christmas lights—a bit tacky. Next to it is a full-length wooden shelf with a stereo system and telephone.

　　"With this kind of decor, plus Sister-in-law and Xiao Ying, those two sisters, business is sure to be good," Ah Hai said slyly, including Xiao Ying in the mix.

　　"Can I do it too?" Xiaoying, who had been unable to find a job, was quite excited. After all, there was work to be done. Xiaoying, a vocational high school graduate, had been actively looking for work. However, her mother knew very well that half of it was because the family was struggling financially, and the other half was because she wanted to earn money to buy some necessities, like mobile phones, motorcycles... Girls her age want what their friends have.

　　"Sure! Of course!" Ahai answered generously.

　　"Really? Won't it be a lot of trouble?" I was happy that Xiaoying could help, but I was also worried about whether it would cause any problems.

　　"Of course! Xiaoying will work the morning shift, your wife will work the evening shift, and Hua-ge will be in charge of restocking. That's it." Ahai immediately concluded. "

　　That's it, you all can run the shop together." My husband said somewhat commandingly from the side. Xiaoying stuck out her tongue and plopped down on a high stool.

　　"Wow! We might accidentally expose ourselves like this." Xiaoying sat on the high stool, crossed her legs, and blurted out in front of everyone. Xiaoying, in both appearance and personality, was practically a carbon copy of me—lively, outgoing, and easygoing about many things.

　　"Yeah! Why is there glass under this high table? It's really inconvenient for girls." I said a little awkwardly, glaring at Xiaoying for her bluntness.

　　"Everyone does it this way! Otherwise, I'll take you to another room." Ahai said matter-of-factly.

　　"Just be careful." My husband was a little impatient, and I could tell he didn't really want to talk about this.

　　"The back can be used as a lounge, it's not bad." Seeing my husband's reaction, Ahai seemed a little bored, then opened the partition door next to the freezer and warmly invited us in. I noticed that the partition was quite nice; it was made of cement, not wood.

　　"This is for making tea." My husband said admiringly, making tea was his only hobby.

　　"Wow! It's really comfortable." Xiaoying said happily, her childlike nature leading her to look around. Upon entering, I found myself in a completely open space. A brand-new black sofa and glass coffee table stood by the door, while a TV cabinet and television sat in the corner. Inside the TV cabinet was a machine that looked like a VCR. Behind the sofa, a raised platform formed an open-plan Japanese-style room, roughly five pings (approximately 13 square meters). The room's walls were lined with wardrobes, and the toilet was located along its edge.

　　"Why did you build a Japanese-style room?" I asked, somewhat puzzled.

　　"It's convenient! If I get tired, I can rest a bit," Ahai replied casually.

　　"Wow! The toilet is huge!" Xiaoying's voice from the toilet piqued my curiosity, and I followed her to take a look.

　　The toilet was indeed five pings (approximately 13 square meters). Besides the toilet, there was a shower enclosure surrounded by glass, a vanity-style washbasin, and a mirror that almost filled half the wall. What was particularly unusual was that the other wall was a whole row of kitchen cabinets.

　　"Hmm! That saves a lot of space." After looking at it, I suddenly realized that the kitchen, toilet, and bathroom were all combined, which explained why it was so big. There weren't many cooking utensils on the kitchen cabinets, but there was a water dispenser and a microwave. Ah Hai had thought of everything.

　　"We can start operating tomorrow." Ah Hai sat on the sofa smugly, acting like a boss.

　　"Then I'll go buy some goods later." My husband said enthusiastically, seemingly wanting to show off in front of Ah Hai. He already had the mentality that Ah Hai was the boss and he was the employee.

　　"Great! But we need to plan things out now. Even though we're selling betel nuts, there are some company rules." Ah Hai started offering suggestions again. Hearing that it was related to work, Xiao Ying and I sat down as well.

　　"Of course, let's talk about salaries first. Sister-in-law and Xiaoying will each have a base salary of 20,000 yuan, and for every 100 yuan of betel nuts sold, they can get 10 yuan. Hua Ge will be responsible for restocking and bookkeeping, with a base salary of 30,000 yuan, and he can also get 5% of the monthly sales. How does that sound?" Ahai said generously. "

　　We're family, whatever you say goes." My husband readily agreed. Although the salaries weren't high, the three of them together would have a base salary of 70,000 yuan, which was an astronomical figure for me at the time,
not to mention the bonuses.

　　"Working hours start at 11:00 AM. Xiaoying will work from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Sister-in-law will work a little harder, from 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM. Hua Ge will go to buy goods in the morning and settle accounts in the evening, so he will work from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. This way, everything will run smoothly." Ahai was indeed quite shrewd, and he arranged everything perfectly in one go.

　　"Until 2:00 AM?" I was a little worried. How would I get home? It's dangerous for a woman to work until the middle of the night.

　　"There's no way around it. Business is good at night. But don't worry, sister-in-law. Hua-ge and I will come to collect the debts and then pick you up." Ah Hai was smart; he could see my worries and said that on purpose.

　　"Well! That should be fine." I felt a little relieved after Ah Hai said that. Anyway, my son Xiaowen is 14 years old and can take care of himself. It should be okay.

　　"One last thing, sister-in-law, please bear with me. There needs to be a rule about clothing." Ah Hai said seriously.

　　"Bear with what? Work is work, it's okay! Just say it." My husband answered directly for me, but I felt it wasn't a good thing.

　　"There needs to be a rule about clothing. Although there's no uniform, you must wear a skirt, preferably something a little revealing. What you're wearing today won't do." Ah Hai had a businesslike expression.

　　I was wearing black trousers and a ruffled blouse today. Hearing Ah Hai say that made me a little unhappy, so I didn't reply immediately. I glanced at my husband, signaling him to say something.

　　"I'll definitely be fine," Xiao Ying, who usually dresses like a sexy girl, immediately agreed.

　　Xiaoying and her group of girlfriends all have great figures and are very daring in their fashion choices, often wearing tank tops or revealing outfits. Today, Xiaoying wore a yellow mini-skirt and a tight-fitting yellow tank top, showing off her belly button and slim waist – and this was her relatively conservative outfit when she went out with me.

　　"Sigh! There's nothing we can do about it. Most betel nut chewers are roughnecks, Hua-ge! You know, this makes it easier to do business, and if the betel nuts sell well, you guys make more money!" Ahai said, seemingly observing whether her husband was unhappy.

　　"Whether it works or not is the most important thing. Let's do it first," her husband replied expressionlessly. Knowing him, I knew he wasn't actually angry; he was just saying that to avoid upsetting me.

　　"Then it's decided!" Ahai concluded without waiting for my nod.

　　Although I was slightly annoyed by Ahai's suggestion to dress more revealingly, I'm not usually very conservative in my clothing choices, and I often swap clothes with my daughter. However, I still politely decline Xiaoying's overly revealing outfits. I was just unhappy that this suggestion came from Ahai; my intuition told me he had ulterior motives. But I didn't have clear evidence, and I couldn't tell my husband, as that would only lead to his scolding. However, for the sake of making money, I had to endure it for now.

III. At work

　　, I cut betel nuts and added lime, a daily routine. When I first started, it felt very strange, as I had never worked before in over ten years. Initially, I was afraid to even take money from customers. Now, I can naturally greet customers every day, which is a big challenge for me.

　　I've always been a conservative housewife, with limited social interaction. I mostly chat with a few old friends or neighbors, and the rest of my time is spent with my husband and children. While I feel I should be able to do business, changing my mindset is the most difficult part.

　　I'm a very subjective person, and I usually ignore people I don't like. But now I'm not only dealing with some unpleasant people, some of whom use vulgar language. At first, I would sulk about it.

　　But later I realized that most people who come to buy betel nuts are just talking; some are just rude, some are more cultured, that's all. I really didn't need to get angry over that.

　　Gradually, I noticed that some customers still come to buy betel nuts every day. Although it's not many, since they're regulars, I chat with them a bit more. After a few times, I found that serving customers wasn't so scary. And several times, because I chatted with customers, they would buy more drinks or cigarettes and alcohol, which gave me some confidence.

　　At first, I didn't dare to dress too revealingly, but going to work every day is completely different from being a housewife. I feel less closed off than before, both in terms of the people I meet and the tasks I handle daily. Moreover, my clothing often affects my mood at work.

　　I've discovered that dressing a little revealing allows me to fully showcase my charm, which actually gives me more confidence. I feel more comfortable and at ease greeting and interacting with customers. Therefore, lately I've been buying clothes that are shorter and less revealing. Firstly, I rarely had the opportunity to wear these clothes before, and secondly, I love looking good, and I feel happy to dress up every day.

　　"Busy?" Ah Hai walked into the shop, casually picking up a freshly wrapped betel nut and popping it into his mouth.

　　"Not bad," I said, sitting on a high stool, wrapping betel nuts as I spoke.

　　Business has been decent for the past three months, averaging 5,000 to 6,000 yuan a day, barely breaking even. At first, I worried about losing money, but now I'm more at ease.

　　"Has Brother Hua arrived?" Ah Hai prepared to open the door to the back lounge.

　　"Ah Hua isn't here yet! He went back to see Xiao Wen." I put down the betel nut scraper and turned around to face Ah Hai directly.

　　"Oh! Why didn't you call me? I could have just picked him up," Ah Hai said bluntly.

　　"It's alright! Ah-hua said not to trouble you too much, he'll just come by motorcycle." I said to Ah-hai in a friendly tone.

　　For the past few months, Ah-hai had continued driving his taxi, but he still came to the shop every day, only staying for a little over an hour each time. Sometimes when my husband wasn't home, I would chat with him, and I didn't dislike him as much as before.

　　"Customer!" Ah-hai gestured outside. I knew a customer wanted to buy betel nuts, so I got up and went out to greet him. It was a small truck; the driver wanted a packet of betel leaves. I turned around and saw Ah-hai looking at me. I smiled at Ah-hai, went over to get a packet of betel nuts and a plastic cup, and quickly gave them to the customer.

　　"Thank you! Will you come back to buy some more?" I said with a smile, taking the 100 yuan from the driver.

　　As I walked back into the shop, I noticed Ah Hai quickly turned away, pretending not to see me. Actually, I knew he'd been staring at me intently from behind when I came out. Today I was wearing a black, form-fitting mini-skirt suit; the tight vest and mini-skirt accentuated my figure. In the few months I'd been in business, I hadn't actually disliked Ah Hai's lecherous gaze. Compared to some people who were far more annoying than him when buying betel nuts, Ah Hai was much better.

　　"Things have been a bit tough lately," I said, sitting back down on the high stool, crossing my legs and pulling up the hem of my skirt. Sitting on such a high stool in this thigh-high skirt was quite inconvenient.

　　"Oh! Why is that?" Ah Hai leaned against the wall, arms crossed, legs crossed, giving him a perfectly legitimate reason to look at me.

　　"There are a lot of cars coming and going, but no one stops to buy," I said, frowning. On one hand, I was also generously letting Ah Hai admire me, because lately I've noticed that customers buying betel nuts are also staring at me like this. Anyway, it won't hurt me to be stared at, and I've started to get used to these lecherous looks.

　　"That shouldn't be the case! The other stalls up ahead seem to be doing pretty well." Ah Hai was also a little puzzled.

　　"I don't know why, but business just isn't picking up." I said with some worry.

　　"And our stall is the closest to the highway, so it should have the best business." Ah Hai frowned and pondered.

　　"The other stalls up ahead seem to have hired some young ladies to manage their stalls, which is why their business is better." I said casually.

　　"No way! We have a wife too, and she's even more attractive than those hot girls." Ah Hai flattered me from the side.

　　"How can you compare to young people?" If Ah Hai had said that before, I would have rolled my eyes at him. But now I often face vulgar people who speak even more rudely. Ah Hai's words are more human than those people's. Besides, it's a compliment, so it's quite pleasant to hear.

　　"Could it be that your wife is wearing too much?" Ah Hai asked in a teasing tone.

　　"Don't give me that! Wearing this is not enough? What else do you want? Don't you have money to buy clothes?" I replied half-jokingly. It's become commonplace for me to banter with Ah Hai like this. My husband did the same when he was around. Now I'm more familiar with Ah Hai than before, when I just subjectively disliked him.

　　"No money? Here! I'll pay for it. Let's go buy a few more outfits!" Ah Hai pretended to take out his wallet.

　　"Really? Give it to me!" I pretended to reach for the money.

　　"But! Buy something with less fabric." Ah Hai pulled out a wad of thousand-dollar bills and waved them in front of me.

　　"Come on! I won't buy that kind of clothing. Go buy it yourself." I wasn't really going to take Ah Hai's money. I turned away and ignored him, continuing to make betel nuts.

IV. Change

　　"Ah Hai! This month's accounts aren't looking too good." My husband said to Ah Hai with some worry. The three of us were sitting on the sofa in the back, my husband and Ah Hai were drinking.

　　"That's right! At this rate, we won't last long." Ah Hai also looked troubled. But Ah Hai saying we wouldn't last long was a bit of an exaggeration. After all, after deducting salaries and utility bills, there was still at least 20,000 to 30,000 yuan in profit. We could manage for a while. Ah Hai's statement seemed a bit deliberate.

　　"Looks like we need to think of a solution." My husband was a little startled when he heard Ah Hai say that. After all, life had been much more stable than before these past few months. If Ah Hai's shop closed, the family's livelihood would be uncertain again.

　　"What can we do? Our business is being stolen." I was telling the truth. Several of our competitors nearby are now hiring hot girls in sexy lingerie, some even in nurse uniforms—it's a huge gimmick and steals our business.

　　"The lingerie hot girls tactic is really effective, it's such a hassle." Ah Hai looked troubled.

　　"How about lowering the price?" My husband suggested a price reduction promotion.

　　"It won't work! That would offend some of our brothers." Ah Hai shook his head. The other shops are all owned by his brothers; if we drastically lower the price, they'll come looking for trouble.

　　"Or... let's have them wear even less." Ignoring my husband's presence, I quietly offered this suggestion. After all, I was worried the shop wouldn't survive.

　　"If wearing less works, that'll be good enough. Xiao Ying wears very little too! It doesn't help much." Ah Hai remained pessimistic, but he was right. Xiao Ying was already hot enough with just a tank top and a super short mini-skirt, but her business still couldn't compete with those lingerie hot girls. There was a moment of silence at this point.

　　"Unless... Sigh! Never mind! Come on, let's drink. It's okay, let's hold on a little longer and see." Ah Hai broke the silence, but hesitated, then pretended to be nonchalant.

　　"You've thought of something, haven't you? It's okay! Tell me." Her husband drank while urging Ah Hai to speak.

　　"Yeah! Just tell me." Based on my understanding of Ah Hai, I could roughly guess what he wanted to say, but her husband looked so naive, so honest.

　　"No way! If we were hiring prostitutes, that would be fine, but now it's my sister-in-law and Xiao Ying, no matter what. Forget it, let's drink." Ah Hai implied that if it were outsiders, they could just wear underwear too, and her husband finally understood.

　　"Wearing underwear is the same as wearing less. Don't consider our relationship, from a business perspective, if we can't survive without doing this, then we have to do it this way. Anyway, it's a rule. If we can't do it, we'll just hire someone else." Her husband was silent for a moment before explaining his reasoning.

　　"What do you say?" Hearing my husband say this, everyone fell silent. I didn't expect him to suddenly ask this question. I thought he would refuse, but his words, and his question in return, made me feel troubled and speechless for a moment.

　　"No! No! We can't put your wife in such a difficult position." Ah Hai turned around and opposed my husband's opinion. But I felt that Ah Hai wasn't really against it. What I was really worried about was that if Xiao Ying and I quit, my husband might not be able to continue either. The work he was doing now, restocking and bookkeeping, wasn't really that hard. The hardest part was probably picking me up from work every day. Sometimes I was lazy and asked Ah Hai to take me home. I was afraid that if I quit, my husband wouldn't get paid for more than a few days and would have to go home and eat his own food.

　　"I'll give it a try!" I said softly.

　　"Sister-in-law! What did you say?" Ah Hai was a little incredulous that I had agreed so quickly.

　　"Are you sure you want to do it?" My husband was also a little surprised by my decision and asked me to confirm it again.

　　"I'll try it, and if it doesn't work, I'll talk to you again." I mustered my courage and said it again. After all, wearing revealing clothes and wearing underwear are completely different situations. I sensed that my husband was a little angry about my decision, but I wanted to talk to him privately so that he could understand my good intentions.

　　"Is it okay? Sister-in-law, I mean, are you sure you dare to wear this? And, Brother Hua, will you be angry?" Ah Hai still seemed uneasy and kept confirming, but he also asked the questions I wanted to know. I turned to look at my husband, waiting for his answer.

　　"Just treat it as work. You don't need to worry about me. I know what Ah Juan means." My husband gave me a deep look. After all, we've been married for over ten years, and that one look said it all.

　　"I'm serious." I knew my husband had understood, and I started to feel much more at ease.

　　"But! It's wearing underwear!" Ah Hai still looked at me with an expression that said I wouldn't dare, which only made me angrier.

　　"I know!" I answered directly. My husband and I exchanged a glance, then I got up and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Looking at myself in the mirror, I tidied my hair and started taking off my backless dress. The moment I opened the bathroom door, I almost backed out, but thinking of our family's livelihood, I gritted my teeth. If I couldn't get through this with just my husband and Ah Hai, I'd really have to quit my job and go home.

　　I saw Ah Hai staring at me with his mouth wide open as I walked over. My husband only glanced at me at first before deliberately turning away to get his wine glass. I tried to remain natural and sat down in my original spot.

　　I was wearing a red lace bra with straps and red panties. Since I was wearing pantyhose today, I took them off as well. After sitting down, I crossed my legs, trying to stay calm. Luckily, the bra and panties were made of cotton, so there wasn't much see-through.

　　"Is this okay?" I deliberately asked Ahai, but then exchanged glances with my husband. I could tell he was uncomfortable and a little jealous.

　　"Sure! Sure!" Ahai was clearly excited, but pretended not to notice.

　　"I want a drink too!" I picked up the wine on the table, poured myself a glass, and gulped it down. I needed some alcohol to calm myself down.

　　"If business doesn't go well this way, there's nothing we can do," my husband said with a hint of resentment, but it was true.

　　The topic then returned to business. I knew my husband was deliberately steering the conversation back to business to avoid making me feel awkward, and Ahai cooperated, no longer looking at me. But I knew he was still glancing at me intentionally or unintentionally. I downed a few more glasses of wine.

　　"I'm going to talk to Xiaoying about this." To my husband and Ahai's astonishment, I stood up. A little alcohol and my red underwear made me feel hot all over. Taking advantage of the alcohol, I opened the door and went out.

V. Ah Hai drove

　　me and Xiao Ying to buy clothes, while my husband watched over the store for the time being. None of the three of us spoke during the drive. We decided to go to the department store first.

　　My husband has never properly discussed the issue of wearing a bra to work with me. Although he pretends to be nonchalant on the surface, I know he feels his dignity is hurt, so he keeps avoiding the topic, and I'm constantly struggling internally.

　　That day, on a whim, I appeared in front of my husband and Ah Hai wearing only my bra. But this is completely different from sitting in a shop window and being stared at. And I keep thinking about how I dared to do that that day. It's completely out of character for my conservative personality. Maybe my life has been too mundane in the past. Now that I'm a working woman, even though I can't do a formal job, I'm busy and happy every day. Compared to my previous monotonous life, I know I really like my current situation.

　　There's something I've always kept hidden in my heart, something I dare not tell anyone. My past life as a simple housewife, coupled with being a mother of two young children, has made me, who was always quite confident in my looks, feel a little apprehensive as I get older. Although the customers in the store aren't exactly high-class, I can sense from their eyes and words that they see me as a very beautiful woman. This is actually an encouragement to me, so I quite like this feeling of being appreciated.

　　"Ah Hai! Where are you waiting for us?" As the car approached the department store, my first instinct was to say that my daughter and I could go shopping ourselves, so I needed to arrange a time to meet Ah Hai.

　　"Are you going to buy anything?" Ah Hai's question was strange.

　　"Why wouldn't a woman buy clothes?" I found it odd and asked Ah Hai in return.

　　"It's for work, so we need to be selective. Are you good at choosing?" Ah Hai offered his opinion.

　　"I guess so!" I wasn't really sure.

　　"You need to pick some styles that are a bit daring, but not too revealing. Ugh, how do I describe it? I can't really explain it. You'll only know once you see it. Do you understand?" Ah Hai wanted to tell us how to choose, but his explanation was very vague.

　　"Then! Uncle Hai! Come with us." Seeing that Ah Hai couldn't give a clear answer, Xiao Ying suggested that he come with us to choose.

　　"Is that alright?" Ah Hai said, clearly wanting to go with us but pretending to be embarrassed.

　　"Well, we have no choice but to go together. What if we pick the wrong thing?" Although we felt uneasy, we finally let Ah Hai come with us.

　　Xiao Ying and I walked in front, with Ah Hai following behind. It was the first time I'd ever shopped in a lingerie store with a grown man, especially since this man wasn't my husband. The thought made me very uncomfortable.

　　"This one won't do. It's too conservative." I had just picked up a red lingerie set hanging on the rack to look at it when Ah Hai leaned over and said.

　　"Hmm!" I felt a little stiff, as if something was stuck in my throat. I responded softly, hung the clothes back up, and turned to look elsewhere.

　　"Let's go take a look over there!" Ahai pointed to a section full of lingerie sets with garter belts, gesturing for us to go over.

　　"What style do you like?" The sales assistant, seeing that we seemed to have our eye on some clothes, immediately came over.

　　"This set is nice!" Ahai pointed to one of the black bikini sets.

　　"Which lady wants to wear it?" The sales assistant asked with a smile.

　　"We both want to buy them." I was too embarrassed to say that I wanted to wear them, so I told the sales assistant that.

　　"Do you want the same ones?" The sales assistant seemed delighted to hear that Xiaoying and I wanted to buy them, but she wasn't stupid and immediately got to the point.

　　"We want to choose different styles." Ahai chimed in, interjecting.

　　"Then which lady wants to wear this one?" Seeing this, the sales assistant immediately realized that Ahai was the one paying, and when she asked this question, she was actually addressing Ahai.

　　"It suits you better," Ahai said to me.

　　"Miss, what's your size?" the saleswoman asked, pressing me further. I'd been watching Ahai's conversation with her, and I felt incredibly embarrassed, speechless, only able to nod in response.

　　"My mom's a 36D!" Xiaoying chimed in, saving me a lot of trouble. Normally it wouldn't be a problem, but telling Ahai my bust size was really difficult. Xiaoying's comment, however, gave the saleswoman a lot of compliments—"You can't tell," "You look so young," and so on. But this eased the awkwardness somewhat. I thought to myself, the saleswoman must think Ahai is my husband.

　　The saleswoman asked me to change in the fitting room. I initially wanted to say no, but under her persistent urging, I reluctantly went. It was a two-piece sexy bra set, plus garter belts and a long nightgown, all made of lace embroidery. The material was very comfortable, and it fit me perfectly after I tried it on.

　　After changing into the clothes and confirming they fit, Ahai decided to buy them. This continued for the next few sets; Ahai would choose the styles, while Xiaoying and I tried them on. If we said they fit, Ahai would buy them, and before we knew it, we had bought several sets.

　　At first, when Ahai selected styles and asked us to try them on, I felt embarrassed. But after changing a couple of sets, because of the constant changing, I forgot about the awkwardness. After discussing some lingerie issues with the sales assistant, I stopped worrying about Ahai standing there.

　　"The styles in department stores are more conservative; let's buy these few sets today," Ahai said, even though we already had a lot of bags.

　　"You picked them all out, and you still think they're conservative?" I blurted out without thinking, immediately regretting it as soon as the words left my mouth.

　　"Then where should we buy something more trendy?" Xiaoying seemed very happy with her purchases, not feeling embarrassed at all like I did.

　　"I'll take you there later," Ahai said mysteriously, refusing to say where we would buy them.

　　"I know, Uncle Hai must be talking about the sex shop." Xiaoying, though young, guessed right away. These days, young people actually know quite a bit. I was shocked. Going to a sex shop to buy lingerie with Ah Hai would be even more awkward.

　　"But you both have great figures, and the ones you tried on fit perfectly. Just tell me your sizes, and I'll buy them." Ah Hai didn't answer directly, but that meant he was referring to the sex shop.

　　"Okay! My bra is a 34A, and my panties are a size S." Xiaoying answered without hesitation. Actually, Xiaoying's hips weren't small, theoretically she should wear
an M, but young people like to wear small and tight clothes, so she deliberately wore a size S.

　　"What about your sister-in-law?" Ah Hai then asked me.

　　"36D, everything else is the same as Xiaoying's." I answered, thinking to myself, Ah Hai is really doing this on purpose. He clearly heard me answering the saleswoman, and now he's asking again.

　　"We can start when we get back today." Ah Hai said this before getting into the car.

　　On the way back to the shop, my heart was pounding. I couldn't believe I'd be back to working in lingerie. I wasn't really ready. I was terrified of whether I could actually do it.

VI. The New Window

　　"Have you settled all your accounts?" This was the first thing Xiaoying and I did when we switched shifts. I'd just changed into a white two-piece lingerie set—a white fleece-trimmed bra and low-waisted seamless panties, a sheer white tulle skirt around my waist, no stockings, and white strappy high-heeled sandals. I walked lightly to the counter.

　　"All settled. Business was so good today, I was almost overwhelmed." Xiaoying, wearing a red bodysuit with a corset waist and red straps holding up red patterned fishnet stockings, exuding youthful energy, looked exhausted.

　　"Honey, take Xiaoying home first." After the handover, Xiaoying went to the back, and I called after her, reminding my husband who was watching TV inside, before focusing on the shop.

　　Business was really good today. I was busy until almost midnight before I had a chance to rest. Looking at the empty streets, it's been a long time since I've had a moment of peace amidst the busyness. Since we started promoting our lingerie, the store's sales have been steadily increasing. Running the store alone is really overwhelming.

　　Seeing the sexy lingerie I'm wearing, the same set I wore on my first day running the store, reminds me of how embarrassing I was. I spent ages just choosing which set to wear, and after changing in the bathroom, I was too ashamed to come out. Even when I finally mustered the courage, my legs went weak before I even reached the store. When I finally sat down at the counter, I was utterly mortified.

　　Now, I can wear sexy lingerie and sit casually in the window. It took a while to adjust. From the first time I wore lingerie to hand out betel nuts to customers, not daring to even look them in the eye, rushing back to the store after receiving payment, to today where I can lean against a customer's car window, letting them admire my ample breasts, sometimes I find this transformation unbelievable.

　　Perhaps dressing so sexily every day has changed my mindset. I've noticed the changes in myself; I'm no longer as conservative as before, and I'm more open-minded. I keep telling myself that this change is a good thing, not a bad thing.

　　Seeing Ah Hai's car drive up, I felt a little angry thinking about how my husband hadn't come over after dropping Xiao Ying off at home. My husband's workload wasn't actually that heavy; he only needed to restock every two or three days, and that was about it. I always asked him to stay at the shop with me, but he was always lazy. Once he got home, he was too lazy to go out again, only coming back right before closing time. Ah Hai, on the other hand, was much more diligent than my husband.

VII. Lingerie Show

　　"These are my friends, Xiao Hui and Xiao Ru." Xiao Ying, dressed in sexy lingerie, brought in two stylishly dressed girls, creating a strange scene.

　　"They're quite pretty! How old are they?" My husband, sitting on the sofa, asked directly.

　　"They're both 19!" Xiao Ying plopped down next to her father, answering for her friends.

　　I noticed Ahua glanced at his daughter's chest before quickly looking away. Ever since she started wearing underwear to sell betel nuts, Xiaoying had become increasingly daring. Like the blue bra she was wearing now, the entire thing was thin lace, and two-thirds of the cup barely covered her breasts. The deep cleavage made her breasts appear high and firm, and the material clinging to her breasts clearly showed the outline of her nipples. From her husband's position, he could see right down into Xiaoying's cleavage.

　　"Hmm! Does your family agree?" Ahai, sitting on another short sofa, looked the two hot girls up and down, asking with great interest.

　　"Yes!" Xiaohui, wearing a tank top and a short skirt, answered shyly.

　　"It's all been discussed! No problem!" Xiaoru seemed more outgoing, wearing a black spaghetti-strap dress and black spiderweb stockings. The two girls remained standing.

　　"Then! Do you know what to wear?" The husband glanced at Xiaoying again, then turned to ask the two girls.

　　"Yes." The two girls nodded.

　　"So, how about we see your figures?" Ah Hai asked excitedly, pretending to be nonchalant.

　　"Want to go inside and change?" I kindly asked the two girls. I'd been observing them coldly the whole time, and it was only now that I offered my opinion. Ah Hai was opening a new shop, and since switching to lingerie, business had been booming. He'd been making a lot of money in the last few months, which made him want to open a second shop. It was currently under renovation, so he asked Xiao Ying to introduce some friends to work there.

　　"No need!" Xiao Ru said generously, then pulled her bra straps to her arms, twisted her body to let the clothes slide to the ground, and then bent down to pick them up. Xiao Hui took off her camisole and skirt, and in just a few seconds, the two of them were standing confidently in front of us, wearing only lingerie.

　　"Hmm! Nice figures," my husband nodded repeatedly.

　　The two girls who took off their clothes were a bit surprising. On the one hand, they were very open-minded, and on the other hand, they were dressed very fashionably. It was unexpected that Xiao Hui, who seemed a little shy, was wearing a black bra with so little fabric that it could only cover half of her breasts. She was probably a size 33. The most alluring thing was her black panties, garter belt, and black stockings. But with her slightly childish face, she gave people a strange and seductive feeling.

　　Xiao Ru was dressed similarly to Xiao Hui. The two seemed to have come prepared. However, Xiao Ru's breasts were very large, probably a size 36. Moreover, Xiao Ru's bra seemed particularly thin, and her nipples were particularly large. It was not the standard of a teenage girl. Her panties were semi-transparent, especially in the triangle area in the middle, where her pubic hair was vaguely visible.

　　"Come on, sit down. I have some questions to ask you." A Hai invited the two girls to sit on the sofa. Xiao Hui came over first and sat in the empty seat next to Xiao Ying. Xiao Ru had to sit in the empty seat next to the short sofa with A Hai. I always sit alone on a backless sofa.

　　Today I'm wearing a white lingerie set, paired with white garter belts and white stockings, and a white sheer shawl. After a few months, I've become quite used to doing things in just my underwear. At first, I'd immediately grab a jacket to put on as soon as I entered the store, but after standing in the shop window for so long, I've gotten used to the stares from passersby. Eventually, I even find their amazed looks amusing, especially those drivers who deliberately slow down; some even get honked at by the cars behind them.

　　"You know your work hours, right?" Ah Hai put his hand on the back of the sofa behind Xiao Ru and started asking them. They both nodded.

　　"Do you have a boyfriend?" her husband followed up. This was very important; if you had a boyfriend and he didn't approve, he might cause trouble.

　　"I guess you could say that!" Xiao Hui said hesitantly.

　　"That doesn't count! Don't flatter yourself," Xiao Ying said to Xiao Hui, a little sarcastically.

　　"Yeah! Only a few times… that doesn't count." Xiao Ru stopped mid-sentence, but everyone…

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