As New Year's Day approaches, shopping malls are crowded on weekends.

I saw that there were still thirty or forty boxes of plastic flowers in the warehouse, and I thought that no one would buy plastic flowers after New Year's Day, so I decided to follow the marketing methods of domestic department stores and promote them at discounts. I asked Tanya to write a billboard with a 20 percent price reduction for plastic flowers. Tanya was a little puzzled, she said, plastic flowers are selling very well, why should the price be reduced? I said that there are still a lot of plastic flowers left, and if they can't be sold out before New Year's Day, no one will buy them after New Year's Day. Tanya said, then keep it and sell it slowly, plastic flowers don't have to worry about selling, and the price will be reduced so much that you will make a lot less money at once. I explained that in order to return the funds, the plastic flowers can be shipped from China in the future. Although Tanya was reluctant, she did as I was told. She found a blank piece of paper and wrote "New Year's Day promotion, plastic flower price reduction by 20 percent" Russians are not as flexible as us Chinese, in Russian shopping malls have never seen discount promotions, even if the goods that have been out of season will not be reduced, they think that selling things must be profitable, but never thought about the importance of recovering funds.

As soon as the discount promotion advertisement was posted in front of the counter, it didn't take much effort to line up in front of our counter to buy plastic flowers. During the period of the Soviet supply system, due to the lack of materials, the Russians formed a habit that as long as they saw someone in line, no matter what they were selling, they would line up first and then say, and then ask what was being sold? As a result, a ridiculous pattern was formed, and after standing in line, ask the people in front of you what everyone is buying? The people in front of him didn't know, and when they figured out what to sell, they found that they didn't need it very much, but when they saw that there was already a long queue behind them, they were unwilling to give up like this, so they insisted on queuing, and in the end they always had to buy some, even if it was to give it away. Some people follow the queue as long as they see someone queuing up, no matter what they sell, and they feel that as long as they line up to buy something, it must be in demand. I looked at the long line and thought, I wonder if there are these two types of people in this team?

Tanya skillfully collects money and invoices at cash registers, while I am busy paying customers. In Russian shopping malls, you must use cash registers to collect money, and you must send a small receipt to the customer. At the end of the month, take the cash register to the tax office to pay taxes, and when you sell goods, once the tax police find that you do not make a small receipt, you will receive a penalty notice.

We were busy when we heard an old woman's voice calling out Tanya and my names, "Tanya, Peng, are you guys?" I looked up and saw an old lady in a blue coat standing in front of the counter. Alexandrovna, I was a little embarrassed to see her. Originally, I promised her to go to her house as a guest at the flea market and give her acupuncture, but then I forgot about it when I was busy, and I didn't expect to meet her here today. Seeing the old lady greeting us at the counter, the customers in the back queue thought that the old lady was going to be stuffed, and several people asked the old lady to go to the back to line up. Tanya hurriedly explained that Vera. Aleksandrovna is our acquaintance and is not a buyer. Vera. Aleksandrovna also said that she would not add stops. Russians are more orderly, whether it is buying something in the mall, paying in the bank or waiting for the bus, no matter how many people will consciously queue up, even if the salesman's relatives come, they will also have to queue, and when buying things, they will not pick and choose, and the salesman will ask for whatever he wants.

Tanya looked at the time, there was still an hour before the mall closed, and she asked Vera. Alexandrovna waited for us for a while, and when we got off work, invited her to coffee. Vera. Aleksandrovna looked at the plastic flowers we were selling, pondered for a moment and said that she also wanted to buy some plastic flowers. After saying that, she wants to go to the queue, I see that the queue is still long, if she goes to the queue, to the mall closed, I'm afraid she can't line her, asked her what she wants and how few, asked her not to queue, I will leave her out, ask her to walk around the mall first, after a while after the mall closes, we will meet at the door of the mall.

The discount promotion is very effective, only half a day's work, more than 30 boxes of plastic flowers are almost sold, I deliberately left some beautiful plastic flowers, ready to sell half and give to Vera. Aleksandrovna.

For the first time, our daily turnover exceeded 10 million rubles, and Dania couldn't believe that she had sold for so much money, and at the same time she was a little afraid of carrying so much money. I thought about it, so I called Sasha and asked Sasha to come to the café next to the mall in a while, and I paid him for the plastic flowers today.

Out of the mall, see Vera. Aleksandrovna waited for us and called her to join us for coffee at the café next door to the mall. The old lady had a bad heart and asked her for a cup of black tea, and Tanya and I each asked for a cappuccino. I gave him the plastic flowers I had left for her, and told her that I would only take half of her money, and the remaining half would be our New Year's gift to her. Vera. Aleksandrovna was very happy, and said that God had arranged for us to meet. Then she said that after we met at the flea market, she waited for our call, and she called my office, but I wasn't there. When she said this, I felt very embarrassed, so I had to say, I was on a business trip some time ago. She asked us, "Is there anything going on tonight?" Tanya shook her head and said, nothing. She invited us to her house later. Tanya and I readily agreed.

After waiting for a while, Sasha drove in. As soon as I saw Vera. Alexandrovna, Sasha was surprised and said: "Vera. Hello Alexandrovna! How did you end up here? "Vera. Aleksandrovna looked at Sasha with some confusion and asked Sasha: "Hello! Who are you? "See Vera. Aleksandrovna did not recognize herself, and Sasha said: "I used to be your student and remember your husband Vladimir well. Professor Vasilyevich. "Vera. Aleksandrovna looked at Sasha carefully again, and then suddenly said: "I remember, you are Sasha, hey! How many years have passed. Sasha asked: "Vladimir. Is Professor Vasilyevich good? "At the mention of her husband, Vera. The corners of Alexandrovna's eyes were a little moist, "Vladimir. Professor Vasilyevich died the year before last, leaving me alone in this world. When Sasha heard this, he quickly drew a cross on his chest. Sasha called the waiter and ordered four glasses of Armenian brandy. Tanya sued Sasha and how we were with Vera. Alexandrovna knew. After the waiter brought the wine, Sasha raised his glass, "It's nice to be reunited with my teacher today, we drank this one, for the sake of Vladimir. Professor Vasilyevich. ”

Sasha was so impressed by the old man that he decided to invite us to dinner at Roman's Georgian restaurant.